Kathy L. Pape, Esq co-chairs Saxton & Stump’s Environmental, Workplace Safety and Utilities group and is a member of the firm’s Regulatory and Government Affairs and Business, Corporate and Tax groups. She leverages her experience gained as a CEO of the largest operating unit of a national utility to provide sound business solutions and effective advocacy for her clients. Kathy is skilled in developing solutions to the most difficult business and government issues. She helps government entities find ways to partner with business to address community issues while helping business to understand and effectively navigate the complexities of government regulation.
Before entering private practice, Kathy was head of American Water’s mid-Atlantic region which included Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland and president of Pennsylvania American Water, where she used her legal, financial, business and governmental experience to balance customer service, reasonable rates, infrastructure replacement and community engagement. Her efforts won many accolades from customers, regulators and legislators. She proved instrumental in the passage of legislation that ensured water quality and quantity and water system sustainability for decades.
Kathy started her career at the Office of Consumer Advocate, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and as a utility attorney at General Waterworks. She also served as corporate counsel and manager of finance for American Water and as vice president, treasurer and rate counsel for Aqua America, during which, the company grew from a five-county suburban Philadelphia water company to the second largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater service provider. In 2007, she was tapped to lead American Water’s largest subsidiary, Pennsylvania American Water.
Kathy is a nationally known speaker on leadership, utility finance and rates, infrastructure and operations. She is also an expert witness on utility finance, tax and infrastructure issues and has testified before state and federal legislative committees.
In the community, Kathy is dedicated to several non-profit organizations and has chaired the Pennsylvania Business Counsel, the Foundation for Enhancing Communities, and the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Association of Water Companies. She is an active member of the Boards of the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Highmark Health, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (Central PA Chapter), Edinboro University and the Hampden Township Industrial Development Authority.