Leadership Team

Richard was appointed CEO in March 2026 after serving as USIC's Chief Operating Officer for three years. His more than 30 years of operations leadership experience includes operations strategy and planning, field operations and service delivery and assurance in the telecommunications and information technology industries. Prior to joining USIC, he served as Executive Vice President of North America Operations for Lumen; held roles in wireless engineering and product management with AT&T; and served as Chief Operations Officer for Cbeyond, BroadRiver Communications and BellSouth.net. During his tenure with Cbeyond, he received the Atlanta Telecom Professional of the Year Award for innovation in the data center space.

Richard has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a master's degree in information networking from Carnegie Mellon University.

Christa Harrell was appointed Chief Human Resources Officer in January 2026. A seasoned human resources leader, she began her career in the damage prevention industry as a dispatcher in 1995 and began building a strong operational foundation and awareness of the value of the employee experience.

Throughout her tenure with USIC, Christa has held progressive leadership roles in operations and human resources, including District Manager; Regional Director; and Vice President of Operations, with oversight of human resources, customer service, and information technology.

In her most recent role as Vice President of Human Resources for North America Operations, which she assumed in 2022, Christa led USIC's employee relations, labor relations, and employee engagement functions and partnered with the leadership team to strengthen company culture, support employees, and align workforce strategy with business objectives.

Christa completed the University of Chicago Booth School of Business' Executive Management Program.  

John joined USIC as Chief Legal Officer in June 2026. He brings more than 25 years of legal and executive leadership experience, leading legal, regulatory, administrative, and risk management functions for organizations serving the utility, infrastructure, and professional services sectors.

Prior to joining USIC, John served as Chief Legal and Administrative Officer for ENTRUST Solutions Group and Osmose Utilities Services. Throughout his career, he has advised organizations on corporate governance, regulatory compliance, mergers and acquisitions, commercial transactions, and enterprise risk management. He also served as Senior Counsel at Lowe's Companies and practiced law with Troutman Pepper Locke LLP.

John holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia and a Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law.

Jeremy was named Executive Vice President of Operations & Support in March 2026. He most recently served as Vice President of Operations and General Manager for USIC’s South Division, with responsibility for safety performance, service delivery, and P&L. With over 25 years of experience in the damage prevention industry, Jeremy began his USIC career as a locate technician and advanced to operations leadership roles, including Quality Assurance Manager, District Manager, and Regional Director of Operations. Throughout his tenure with the company, he has established a record of success in developing and leading teams in delivering sustained excellence in safety, service quality, and productivity.  

Jim was named Executive Vice President of Commercial Sales in March 2026. He joined USIC in August 2023 as Senior Vice President of National Sales to lead the Client Partner team in growing the company's largest accounts. Previously, Jim served as Vice President of Enterprise Sales at Aclara, a division of Hubbell Incorporated, which provides smart infrastructure solutions (SIS) to electric, gas, and water utilities.

Throughout a career spanning more than 30 years, Jim has managed commercial teams in sales of technology solutions and services, primarily to global utilities and telecommunication companies.

Jim has a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and earned an MBA from the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh.

Rob joined USIC as Executive Vice President of Commercial Operations in November 2024. He previously served as Vice President and Global Services Business Leader of GE's legacy Water business. During his tenure with GE, he also held the roles of Large Project Global Sales Leader, Global ES Sales Leader, Global Commercial Operations Leader, and Global Engineering Leader. Following the acquisition of GE Water by Suez/Veolia, Rob served as Vice President, Margin and Procurement, for four global business lines.

Rob has a B.S. degree in chemistry from Randolph-Macon College and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.   

Keith was named Executive Vice President of Technology & Transformation in March 2026, after serving as Vice President of Quality Operations since joining USIC in 2024. 

Previously, Keith held a range of operations and technology leadership roles in the utilities sector, including with AT&T and Lumen, and served in tech consulting at Accenture. 

Keith has a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and management from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Dane joined USIC in March 2022 to lead USIC's Advanced Infrastructure Solutions (AIS) Division. In November 2024, he was promoted to Executive Vice President, Sales and Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, to lead the Commercial organization in optimizing the synergies between USIC's 811 and AIS businesses to achieve growth. In July 2025, Dane's focus was directed on leading the USIC Commercial organization and driving growth for the company as Executive Vice President, Sales.      

A proven business leader, Dane most recently served as senior vice president, U.S. operations for Prosegur, a global supplier of security services and technologies, and previously held executive operational roles at Contemporary Services Corporation, a leader in public safety management for large, complex events. He has also served as an infantry officer with the U.S. Marine Corps.

Dane earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Florida and is a graduate of Harvard Business School's CORe program.

Matt joined USIC in July 2025 as Executive Vice President, Advanced Infrastructure Solutions (AIS), comprised of affiliate companies Blood Hound Underground Utility Locating, RECONN Utility Services and On Target Utility Services. As leader of the company's AIS Division, Matt is focused on achieving significant long-term growth through new business, strategic cross-selling opportunities with USIC's Public Utility Locating (811) Division, integration of innovative technologies, and value-adding acquisitions.

In his most recent role, Matt served as CEO of Aquaporin, a Danish water filtration and biotechnology company. His background also includes an Operating Partner role at Cimbria Capital, a firm specializing in water industry investments. Previously, he held leadership positions at SUEZ - Water Technologies & Solutions as VP of Industrial Strategy, Growth, and Market Development, and at GE Water as a Market Leader and Key Account Executive in offshore oil & gas equipment. Earlier in his career, Matt worked as a project Engineer at Air Liquide and Field Service Engineer at GEA Group, focusing on industrial gases and biofuels, respectively. 

Matt holds bachelor's degrees in science and chemical engineering from McGill University, as well as an MBA in strategy and marketing from HEC Montreal. He has also earned a Certificate in Energy Management & Renewable Energy from Hydro-Quebec and an Executive Leadership Certificate from IESE.