EQT closes acquisition of Olympus Energy

The top natural gas production company in the United States has – officially – gotten bigger.

EQT Corp., based in downtown Pittsburgh, has closed its $1.8 billion acquisition of Olympus Energy of Southpointe. EQT sealed the deal with its former competitor on July 1, said Amy Rogers, spokeswoman for the company.

“This transaction strengthens our position nationally and in our core operating area in Appalachia,” Rogers said.

Closure of the transaction came at an opportune time for EQT – amid increasing demand.

The firm has a large presence in Washington, Greene and Fayette counties, and has a significant natural gas footprint in eastern Ohio and the West Virginia panhandle.

Olympus has more than 100,000 acres on which to drill and frack, the majority of it in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.

EQT also has an athletic/entertainment presence in Washington County, along Interstate 70. The Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League play baseball in a 3,200-seat stadium that has been rechristened EQT Park.

Library leader

Kathy McClure is far from closing the book on her run as executive director of Eva K. Bowlby Public Library. But that is ahead.

After 30-plus years in that position, McClure has announced she will retire Jan. 2, 2026.

That also means the library, at 311 N. West St. in Waynesburg, is seeking a successor. It said in a news release it is accepting applications for an individual who “will continue to build on the library’s strong reputation and guide it into the future.”

This is a salaried, full-time position in which the executive director reports to the library board of directors and is involved in strategic planning, community outreach, fiscal oversight, staff supervision and program development.

Applicants should send a cover letter, resume and references – with a subject line of “Bowlby Executive Director Application” – to: mcclure.kathy@evakbowlby.org. Aug. 1 is the deadline.

AHN

Allegheny Health Network has announced the appointment of two health care leaders for key roles within the network.

Lou Baverso will serve as new chief operating officer and president of AHN hospitals, effective Sept. 8. Baverso comes from UAB Health System, a $7 billion Alabama-based provider, where he was the system’s chief quality officer.

UAB is anchored by UAB University Hospital, a 1,200-bed academic facility that is one of the nation’s largest hospitals.

Before joining UAB in 2023, Baverso spent the entirety of his three-decade health care career at UPMC and its member hospitals in various administrative and executive roles. Most recently, he served as market president for UPMC’s Central Pennsylvania region, leading the system’s seven-hospital mid-state service footprint.

Previously, he served as vice president of operations for UPMC Presbyterian-Shadyside and occupied the same leadership role at Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC.

He will help direct AHN’s long-term operational strategy and lead day-to-day operations of the network’s hospitals, ambulatory services, and facilities and construction.

Dr. Ezz-Eldin “Dean” Moukamal has been appointed AHN’s chief quality officer. Moukamal has been serving as the interim CQO since 2024. In this role, Moukamal leads all quality and safety strategies across the network, ensuring alignment with Highmark Health’s quality initiatives and the organization’s Living Health Clinical Model.

In addition to his role as interim CQO, Moukamal has also served as the chief medical officer of AHN Forbes Hospital for the last seven years.

First Commonwealth

Experience.com, a leading platform for reputation and customer experience management, has named First Commonwealth Bank among the Top 10 Mortgage Companies for customer satisfaction in 2024 for medium-sized companies, while three of its mortgage originators received individual performance recognition.

Experience.com announced its 2024 Top Performers List June 30, honoring companies and 500 exceptional loan officers who are redefining excellence across the mortgage industry.

Lynne Tomkowski of Johnstown was named to Experience’s 2024 Top 500 Loan Officers List, along with First Commonwealth’s Denise Baker of Canfield, Ohio, and Karen Sharp of Cleveland.