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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)
December 11, 2025
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| NORTHWEST NATURAL HOLDING COMPANY |
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NORTHWEST NATURAL GAS COMPANY |
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| (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) |
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(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) |
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Commission file number |
1-38681 |
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Commission file number |
1-15973 |
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| Oregon |
82-4710680 |
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Oregon |
93-0256722 |
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(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
(IRS Employer Identification No.) |
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(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
(IRS Employer Identification No.) |
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| 250 SW Taylor Street |
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250 SW Taylor Street |
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| Portland |
, |
Oregon |
97204 |
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Portland |
, |
Oregon |
97204 |
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| (Address of principal executive offices) |
(Zip Code) |
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(Address of principal executive offices) |
(Zip Code) |
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| Registrant's telephone number, including area code: |
(503) |
226-4211 |
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Registrant's telephone number, including area code: |
(503) |
226-4211 |
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Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
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| Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: |
| Registrant |
Title of each class |
Trading Symbol |
Name of each exchange
on which registered
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| Northwest Natural Holding Company |
Common Stock |
NWN |
New York Stock Exchange |
| Northwest Natural Gas Company |
None |
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter). |
| Northwest Natural Holding Company |
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Emerging growth company |
☐ |
| Northwest Natural Gas Company |
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Emerging growth company |
☐ |
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| If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. |
☐ |
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| Item 5.02 |
Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers |
On December 11, 2025, MardiLyn Saathoff, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and SVP Regulation of Northwest Natural Holding Company (NW Holdings) and Chief Legal Officer, Chief Compliance Officer and SVP Regulation of Northwest Natural Gas Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of NW Holdings (NW Natural), informed the Board of Directors (Board) of her intent to retire from her positions at NW Holdings and NW Natural effective April 1, 2026. In connection with her notification and in furtherance of the Company’s long-term succession planning efforts, on December 11, 2025, the Board appointed Ms. Saathoff as Chief Legal Officer and SVP Regulation of NW Holdings and NW Natural, effective January 1, 2026 until her retirement.
In connection with Ms. Saathoff’s retirement plans and the Board’s long-term succession planning efforts, on December 11, 2025, the Board appointed Megan H. Berge, age 45, as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary of NW Holdings and NW Natural, effective January 1, 2026. Ms. Berge is currently Deputy General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of NW Holdings and Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of NW Natural. She has held these positions since March 2025. Prior to joining NW Natural, Ms. Berge was a partner in the Washington D.C. and San Francisco offices of international law firm, Baker Botts L.L.P., where her practice included extensive complex litigation in state and federal courts as well as rulemaking and advocacy work related to federal and state environmental laws. She began her career at the firm in 2006. Ms. Berge has been nationally recognized by Chambers and Partners in the areas of climate and environmental law, as one of 500 Leading U.S. Environmental & Energy Lawyers by Lawdragon, and a Washington D.C. Super Lawyer-Rising Star by Thomson Reuters. Ms. Berge earned her law degree from the Francis King Carey School of Law at the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delaware.
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| Item 7.01 |
Regulation FD Disclosure |
On December 15, 2025, NW Holdings and Northwest Natural NW Natural issued a press release announcing MardiLyn Saathoff’s retirement and Megan Berge’s promotion to Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary. A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1.
The information contained in this Item 7.01 and in the accompanying exhibit shall not be incorporated by reference into any filing of NW Holdings or NW Natural, whether made before or after the date hereof, regardless of any general incorporation language in such filing, unless expressly incorporated by specific reference to such filing. The information in this Item 7.01, including the exhibit hereto, shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section or Sections 11 and 12(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Forward-Looking Statements
This report, and other presentations made by NW Holdings and NW Natural from time to time, may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “assumes,” “continues,” “could,” “intends,” “plans,” “seeks,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “will” and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the following: plans, objectives, assumptions, estimates, expectations, timing, goals, strategies, commitments, future events, investments, succession planning, executive officer retirements and promotions, and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts.
Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions regarding its business, the economy, geopolitical factors, and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. We therefore caution you against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. They are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees or assurances of future performance.
Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are discussed by reference to the factors described in Part I, Item 1A "Risk Factors", and Part II, Item 7 and Item 7A "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk" in the most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in Part I, Items 2 and 3 "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk", and Part II, Item 1A, "Risk Factors", in the quarterly reports filed thereafter, which, among others, outline legal, regulatory and legislative risks, public health risks, financial, macroeconomic and geopolitical risks, growth and strategic risks, operational risks, business continuity and technology risks, environmental risks and risks related to our water and renewables businesses.
All forward-looking statements made in this report and all subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral and whether made by or on behalf of NW Holdings or NW Natural, are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and NW Holdings and NW Natural undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law. New factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible to predict all such factors, nor can it assess the impact of each such factor or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.
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| Item 9.01 |
Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits
See Exhibit Index below.
EXHIBIT INDEX
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| Exhibit |
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Description |
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| 99.1 |
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| 104 |
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Inline XBRL for the cover page of this Current Report on Form 8-K. |
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized. The signature for each undersigned company shall be deemed to relate only to matters having reference to such company and its subsidiaries.
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NORTHWEST NATURAL HOLDING COMPANY |
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(Registrant) |
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| Dated: |
December 15, 2025 |
/s/ Megan H. Berge |
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Deputy General Counsel & Corporate Secretary |
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NORTHWEST NATURAL GAS COMPANY |
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(Registrant) |
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| Dated: |
December 15, 2025 |
/s/ Megan H. Berge |
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Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary |
EX-99.1
2
a991pressrelease_generalco.htm
EX-99.1
Document
NW Natural Holdings General Counsel Announces Retirement
PORTLAND, Ore. – MardiLyn Saathoff, General Counsel for NW Natural Holding Company (NYSE: NWN) (NW Natural Holdings) announced her intent to retire on April 1, 2026, after nearly 18 years of outstanding service to the company. The Board of Directors has appointed Megan H. Berge to succeed Saathoff as SVP and General Counsel, as well as Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary, effective Jan. 1, 2026.
Saathoff will serve as Chief Legal Officer for the Company and will retain responsibilities for Regulation, Business Continuity and Corporate Security until her retirement next year.
“MardiLyn has been a steadfast and trusted leader of the NW Natural companies for nearly two decades,” said Justin B. Palfreyman, President and Chief Executive Officer of NW Natural Holdings. “She has had a tremendous impact on our organization and played a critical role guiding the business through its evolution from a natural gas utility in the Pacific Northwest to what is now a diversified company with four distinct businesses operating across seven states.”
Saathoff joined the company in 2008 and served as Chief Governance Officer and Corporate Secretary. During her tenure, she was appointed to roles that also oversaw other legal, risk, compliance, and regulatory matters. She has served as General Counsel since 2015.
Prior to her role at NW Natural, Saathoff’s career included leadership roles with several other leading institutions in the region, including legal roles at Tektronix, Danaher Corporation and Stoel Rives. Saathoff also spent four years with the Oregon Department of Justice and the administration of Oregon Governor Kulongoski.
Saathoff previously served as Chair of the Oregon Lottery Commission and is a past Director of the Boards of the Northwest Gas Association, Oregon Health & Science University, the Portland Center Stage, United Way of Columbia-Willamette, Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute, the Artists Repertory Theater, and the Classroom Law Project. She is also a past member of the Portland State University Business Advisory Council and previously served on the Oregon Public Officials Compensation Commission.
“We are fortunate to have benefited from MardiLyn’s counsel and breadth of legal, business and regulatory expertise for so many years, and we are now equally fortunate to welcome Megan into her new role,” said Palfreyman. “Megan is highly respected in the industry and a valued strategic partner among the leaders at our company. Megan’s addition to our team reflects our legacy of thoughtful succession planning that I believe sets us apart and positions us well across our growing businesses.”
Berge joined NW Natural Holdings in March 2025 as Deputy General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, as well as General Counsel of NW Natural, after a distinguished career with the international law firm Baker Botts, where she was a partner. Her practice included extensive rulemaking and advocacy work related to federal and state environmental law and civil litigation.
Berge has been nationally recognized by Chambers and Partners for climate law, as one of 500 Leading U.S. Environmental & Energy Lawyers by Lawdragon, and a Washington D.C. Super Lawyer-Rising Star by Thomson Reuters. She earned her law degree from the Francis King Carey School of Law at the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Delaware.
About NW Natural Holdings
Northwest Natural Holding Company (NYSE: NWN) (NW Natural Holdings) is headquartered in Portland, Oregon and has been doing business for over 166 years. It owns Northwest Natural Gas Company (NW Natural), SiEnergy Operating (SiEnergy Gas Utility), NW Natural Water Company (NWN Water Utility), NW Natural Renewables Holdings (NWN Renewables), and other business interests.
NW Natural Holdings through its subsidiaries provides critical energy and delivers essential water and wastewater services to over one million meters across seven states. We have a longstanding commitment to safety, environmental stewardship, and taking care of our employees and communities. NW Natural Holdings was recognized by Ethisphere® for four years running as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies®. NW Natural consistently leads the industry with high J.D. Power & Associates customer satisfaction scores.
NWN Gas Utility is a local distribution company that currently provides natural gas service to approximately 2 million people in more than 140 communities through approximately 807,000 meters in Oregon and Southwest Washington with one of the most modern pipeline systems in the nation. NW Natural owns and operates 21.6 Bcf of underground gas storage capacity in Oregon.
SiEnergy Gas Utility is one of the fastest growing natural gas distribution utilities in the nation, serving over 83,000 meters in the greater metropolitan areas of Houston, Dallas, and Austin, Texas.
NWN Water Utility provides water distribution and wastewater services to communities throughout the Pacific Northwest, Texas, Arizona, and California. Today NW Natural Water serves an estimated 195,000 people through approximately 78,600 meters and provides operation and maintenance services to an additional 40,000 connections. Learn more about our water business at nwnaturalwater.com.
NWN Renewables is committed to leading in the energy transition by providing renewable fuels. Learn more at nwnaturalrenewables.com.
Additional information is available at nwnaturalholdings.com.
“World’s Most Ethical Companies” and “Ethisphere” names and marks are registered trademarks of Ethisphere LLC
Investor Contact:
Nikki Sparley
Phone: 503-721-2530
Email: nikki.sparley@nwnatural.com
Media Contact:
Stefanie Week
Phone: 503-610-7510
Email: stefanie.week@nwnatural.com