Today the company announced today that Nick Pearson will lead Federal Government Affairs effective April 7. Nick will report to Amanda Mertens Campbell, Vice President of External Affairs.

In this role, Nick will oversee the company’s Washington, D.C. offices and guide engagement and strategy on federal energy policy issues that significantly impact the company’s customers, employees and operations.

“Nick’s energy industry knowledge, coupled with his years of experience working on Capitol Hill, will be instrumental in advocating for our customers and business as the nation’s energy landscape continues to evolve,” said Amanda. “With more than 22 years of government relations, public policy and business experience, I’m confident FirstEnergy will help shape federal energy policies that support reliable, affordable energy for our customers.”

Nick most recently served as Head of Congressional Affairs for Google Cloud, where he worked with governments and industry to bring greater competition to cloud services while advocating for cloud services in the future of AI, energy and national security. He also has served as the Global Head of Energy Policy for Google and held various roles in government affairs and public policy with the company.

Prior to Google, Nick led the Washington, DC office of the public energy provider Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), where he was deeply involved in energy policy issues for the organization, including nuclear and transmission planning. He also spearheaded outreach on behalf of TVA to federal agencies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Nick also has worked on a number of state and federal campaigns for officials in Georgia, served as the Vice President of Government and Political Affairs for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and worked on the legislative staff for U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson as well as in the Georgia General Assembly for both the Senate Majority Leader and the President Pro Tempore.

Nick earned a Bachelor of Science degree in political science and speech communications from Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia. He has also completed leadership programs at Harvard Law School and Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. Nick has served on the boards of the Georgia State Society and Everybody Wins! DC as well as for the District of Columbia Public Education Foundation Young Professional Committee. He is a member of the National Energy Resources Organization and volunteers with DC Central Kitchen.