Justin Ladner
President, Pennsylvania American Water

Justin Ladner is president of Pennsylvania American Water, the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and wastewater services to approximately 2.3 million people. In this role, he reinforces and strengthens customer, regulatory and local government relationships, drives the company’s operational and financial results, and leads the company in providing safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to help keep customers’ lives flowing.

Prior to this role, Ladner served as president of Illinois American Water from 2020 to 2022, where he led the company’s Illinois subsidiary serving approximately 1.3 million people. Ladner joined American Water in 2018 as director of National Regulatory Affairs. In this national role, he was responsible for developing and implementing strategies, practices, and processes related to national regulatory affairs and positioning the company as an industry leader with utility commissioners across the nation.

Before joining American Water, Ladner served in multiple roles at Southern Co., including attorney for Southern Nuclear and governmental affairs and policy manager, project manager for the Integration Management Office, and assistant to the executive vice president of Nuclear Development at Southern Power. Prior to joining Southern Co., Ladner was an associate attorney for Huie, Fernambucq & Stewart in Birmingham, Ala. He also worked for U.S. Steel as a metallurgical engineer.

Ladner currently serves on the boards of directors for the American Water Charitable Foundation, Central Pennsylvania Conservancy, Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, and Pittsburgh Works Together. In 2023, he was recognized as one of Pennsylvania Business Central’s Top 100 People and named to the Pittsburgh Power 100 by City & State Magazine. He is a member of the 2024 Class of Henry Crown Fellows within the Aspen Global Leadership Network at the Aspen Institute.

Ladner received his law degree, cum laude, from the University of Alabama School of Law, as well as a master’s and a bachelor’s degree in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering with honors from the University of Alabama. He is married and has two daughters.