Leadership Team
Christopher A. Helms
As Executive Vice President and Gas Transmission & Storage Group CEO, Chris Helms is responsible for executing an aggressive growth strategy. He has held a variety of leadership roles in the energy sector, including president and chief executive officer of CMS Panhandle Companies, president of Centennial Pipeline Company LLC, and executive vice president of CMS Gas Transmission Corp.
Helms is the 2008 Chairman of the Southern Gas Association during its Centennial Celebration Year and also has served as vice president of the Groupe International des Importateurs de Gaz Naturel Liquefie. He currently serves as a director of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) and is a member of INGAA's Executive Committee. He is a member of the state bar associations of Texas, Louisiana and Florida, and is a past member of the College of the State Bar of Texas (1993).
Helms earned bachelor's degrees in political science and journalism from Southern Illinois University and a juris doctor degree from Tulane University School of Law.
James F. Thomas
Jimmy Thomas is Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for NiSource Gas Transmission & Storage. He is responsible for all the commercial activities including marketing, optimization & logistics, business development, gas control, facilities planning, and customer services.
Prior to joining NiSource Gas Transmission & Storage, Thomas was involved in the formation of the midstream energy company Ceritas Energy, LLC from February 2003 to March 2006. He managed his own energy consulting practice, Franklin Management, from June 2000 to February 2003. He has held numerous senior executive and commercial leadership positions at Dynegy, Inc. from October 1988 to June 2000. Prior to joining Dynegy, Thomas held various key commercial roles at Cabot Energy Marketing, Tenngasco and Tennessee Gas Transmission.
Thomas has served on the Board of Directors of the Natural Gas Transportation Association and the Houston Energy Association. He has also served on many industry committees, including the National Petroleum Council.
Thomas earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University.
Claire A. Burum
Claire Burum is Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs for NiSource Gas Transmission & Storage. She is responsible for managing regulatory matters before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and public affairs for Columbia Gas Transmission, Columbia Gulf Transmission, Crossroads Pipeline, Granite State Gas Transmission, and Hardy Storage.
Burum has been involved in the natural gas pipeline sector since 1987. Prior to joining NiSource Gas Transmission & Storage in 2006, she held various key leadership roles at Gulf South Pipeline. Her broad range of industry experiences includes rate and regulatory, marketing, information technology and strategic analysis.
Burum holds Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Houston. She is located in Houston, Texas.
Victor M. Gaglio
Victor Gaglio serves as Senior Vice President of Operations for NiSource Gas Transmission & Storage. In this role, he oversees day-to-day operations of about 17,000 miles of pipeline, 1 million horsepower of compression and 37 underground storage fields for Columbia Gas Transmission, Columbia Gulf Transmission, Crossroads Pipeline, Granite State Gas Transmission and Hardy Storage Company.
Gaglio began his career as a compressor engineer at Columbia Gas Transmission after graduating from Virginia Tech with a bachelor of science degree in engineering and mechanics. In more than 25 years of service he has held various positions at Columbia Transmission, including area superintendent, area manager, and manager of Gas Control before being named Vice President in 1999.
