SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- H2O America (NASDAQ:HTO), a leading investor-owned, pure-play water and wastewater utility, today announced the appointment of Nicholas Whitley as vice president of business development, effective December 22. In this role, Whitley will lead H2O America's business development initiatives, including the identification, evaluation and execution of strategic growth opportunities that expand the company's water and wastewater footprint and support long-term, sustainable growth.

"Nick brings deep transaction expertise, strategic discipline and a proven ability to scale infrastructure platforms," said Andrew Walters, chief executive officer of H2O America. "His leadership and experience across complex, multi-jurisdictional acquisitions will be instrumental as we continue to grow responsibly and serve more communities across the country."

Whitley joins H2O America with more than 20 years of experience in corporate development, mergers and acquisitions, and infrastructure investing across the utility, energy and industrial sectors. Most recently, he served as managing director of business development at NW Natural Holdings, where he set strategic priorities for inorganic growth across the water, wastewater and natural gas businesses. During his tenure, he led and executed more than 30 acquisitions, helping transform the company from a single-asset utility into a diversified infrastructure holding company operating across multiple states.

Previously, Whitley held senior business development and M&A leadership roles at GE Oil & Gas, where he supported global inorganic growth initiatives, and served as separation management officer for the carve-out from Schlumberger that became Wellbore Integrity Solutions, a transaction recognized as ACG Houston's Cross-Border Deal of the Year. Earlier in his career, he worked in investment banking and restructuring at Nomura International (formerly Lehman Brothers) and Houlihan Lokey, advising corporate and private equity clients on complex domestic and cross-border transactions.

Whitley holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, with a concentration in finance, and has completed executive education at Harvard Business School.

About H2O America

H2O America (NASDAQ:HTO) is a national investor-owned network of local water and wastewater utilities united by one purpose: delivering clean, high-quality water to the communities we call home.

For H2O America, providing water is more than a responsibility—it's a privilege. Every connection we serve helps sustain what matters most: public health, vibrant neighborhoods and a reliable future.

Across approximately 407,000 water and wastewater service connections, we invest in critical infrastructure to strengthen water supply for generations to come. We stay actively engaged in our local communities while focusing on operational excellence and delivering sustainable, long-term value to our investors.

Water is local—and so are our roots. Through our four regional water utilities—Connecticut Water, Maine Water, San Jose Water and Texas Water—we proudly serve more than 1.6 million people across the country. Together, we protect what's precious.

For more information, please visit our website at www.H2O-America.com.

Investor Relations:

Jonathan G. Reeder

Senior Director of Treasury & Investor Relations

(475) 414-1034

InvestorRelations@H2O-America.com

Media Relations:

Nazan Riahei

Vice President of Communications

(408) 731-0890

MediaRelations@H2O-America.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fcf330ac-04c5-4ed7-829c-4d1de405dd3f