JACKSON– Atmos Energy has announced that Brian Broussard is the new Vice President of Operations for the Mississippi Division’s Southern Region.

He replaces Kenny Smith, who recently retired after 38 years with the natural gas distribution company.

Broussard comes to Mississippi from Dallas, where he was director of operations for the Dallas — Ft. Worth area of Atmos Energy. Before that he served in a variety of positions for the company since joining Atmos Energy in 1979. He has worked in Louisiana, West Texas and, since 2007, in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.

He is a native of Lafayette, La. He studied at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette before obtaining a degree in occupational education from Wayland Baptist University in Lubbock, Texas. In his new position, Broussard will be overseeing all aspects of operations and compliance for the southern region of Atmos Energy, the largest natural gas distribution company in Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana.

The southern region encompasses the metro Jackson area, was well as Meridian, Natchez, Kosciusko and Louisville.