2026 Virginia C-Suite Awards : SHANNON O. PIERCE

A Surry County native, Pierce earned her law degree from the University of Virginia. After spending a few years as an energy and utilities attorney at McGuireWoods in Richmond, she headed to Georgia in 2004 to serve as counsel at AGL Resources, which was purchased in 2016 by Southern Company Gas.
Pierce returned to Virginia in 2023 to join subsidiary Virginia Natural Gas as vice president of strategy and chief administrative officer. She brought experience spanning legal, regulatory, external affairs and utility operations. In 2024, Pierce was named president; she earned the title of CEO a year later.

As leader of a utility that serves more than 310,000 customers across southeastern Virginia, Pierce champions workforce development as a strategy for building stronger communities and is known for expanding job-readiness programs and deepening education partnerships. Last year, VNG broke ground for its new $50 million headquarters in Chesapeake.

Pierce also sits on numerous boards, including the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, the Elizabeth River Project and RVA757 Connects. Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin appointed her to Christopher Newport University’s board of visitors in 2025.

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