Carrie Hightman

Carrie is Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of NiSource Inc., a Fortune 500 energy delivery company. Her responsibilities include all legal functions, as well as compliance, unregulated real estate investments, environmental, safety, sustainability and aviation. She serves as a member of the company’s senior management team.

Prior to joining NiSource, Hightman served as President of AT&T Illinois (formerly SBC). In that position, she was responsible for all regulatory, legislative, governmental and external affairs activities, as well as community and industry relations.

Prior to joining AT&T, Hightman practiced telecommunications and energy law for more than 17 years. She was a partner at the Chicago law firm of Schiff Hardin, where she led its Energy, Telecommunications and Public Utilities practice group.

Hightman began her career in the public sector in 1983, serving as Staff Counsel at the Florida Public Service Commission. In 1986, she served as associate counsel at the Florida Office of Public Counsel, handling a variety of public utility cases on behalf of consumers.

Hightman serves on the Board of Directors of Fifth Third Bank Chicago. Active in the community, she also serves on the boards of the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Foundation.

Hightman was appointed Chairwoman of the Ad Hoc Committee created by Gary Mayor Karen Freeman- Wilson and the Gary Airport Authority Board to consider creation of a public/private partnership at the Gary Airport.

Hightman is the executive co-sponsor of NiSource’s Women in Leadership initiative, designed to provide leadership development and build a pipeline of women leaders.

Hightman earned her B.A. from the University of Illinois and her J.D. from Florida State University. Hightman is based at NiSource’s headquarters in Merrillville, Indiana.