Northwest Gas Association Names Jason Verduzco Director of Advocacy and Outreach

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Northwest Gas Association Names Jason Verduzco Director of Advocacy and Outreach

PORTLAND, Ore. — May 21, 2026 — The Northwest Gas Association (NWGA) today announced the appointment of Jason Verduzco as the organization’s new Director of Advocacy and Outreach, bringing more than two decades of government affairs, infrastructure policy, coalition-building, and stakeholder engagement experience to the association.

In this leadership role, Verduzco will help advance NWGA’s advocacy strategy across the Pacific Northwest, working with policymakers, regulators, member utilities, industry partners, and community stakeholders to support policies that promote energy reliability, affordability, innovation, and the continued evolution of the region’s energy system.

“Jason brings a rare combination of public policy expertise, infrastructure experience, and relationship-driven leadership that will be an enormous asset to NWGA and our members,” said Kelly Fukai, CEO of NWGA. “His background navigating complex regulatory environments, building broad-based coalitions, and translating technical infrastructure issues into effective public policy strategies makes him exceptionally well-suited for this role.”

Verduzco most recently served as Government Affairs Senior Manager at Verizon, where he led multi-state advocacy and government affairs efforts supporting next-generation telecommunications infrastructure deployment across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Hawaii, Virginia, New York, and Pennsylvania. In that role, he helped advance major broadband and wireless infrastructure initiatives, managed legislative and regulatory engagement, developed executive policy strategy, and represented the company before policymakers, regulators, and public forums.

His background also includes public affairs and government relations leadership roles with ExteNet Systems and Boldyn Networks, where he worked extensively on infrastructure permitting, stakeholder outreach, and regulatory modernization.

Earlier in his career, Verduzco served with the Bonneville Power Administration, helping facilitate development of critical high-voltage transmission infrastructure across the Pacific Northwest, providing firsthand experience with the region’s energy systems, regulatory frameworks, and infrastructure development challenges.

“Energy policy in the Pacific Northwest is entering a period of extraordinary complexity and importance,” said Verduzco. “I’m excited to join NWGA at a time when thoughtful advocacy, stakeholder collaboration, and pragmatic energy policy will be essential to maintaining reliability, supporting affordability, and advancing innovation across the region.”

As Director of Advocacy and Outreach, Verduzco will focus on strengthening NWGA’s regional advocacy efforts, expanding stakeholder engagement, supporting strategic communications initiatives, and helping advance collaborative energy policy solutions across the Pacific Northwest.

About the Northwest Gas Association

The Northwest Gas Association represents the natural gas industry across the Pacific Northwest, bringing together utilities, pipelines, producers, and industry partners to support safe, reliable, affordable, and increasingly lower-carbon energy solutions for homes, businesses, and communities throughout the region.

Media Contact: D. Scott Peterson | peterson@libertystarstrategies.com| (503) 236-8776

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