Mr. Downes is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of New Jersey Resources (NJR) and its principal subsidiary, New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG). He joined NJR in March 1985 and has served as CEO since July 1995.
Mr. Downes is a Director and past Chairman of the American Gas Association and the Natural Gas Council, as well as a Trustee of the American Gas Foundation and member of the National Petroleum Council. He is the Chair of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the Drumthwacket Foundation and the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development’s National Advisory Board at Rutgers University and serves as a member of the Boards of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and Choose New Jersey.