Acuity Brands Names Financial Management Team

January 17, 2002
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ATLANTA, Jan. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Acuity Brands, Inc. (NYSE: AYI) has recently promoted the following members of its financial management team:

* John W. Ehrie, Vice President, Controller
* Karen J. Nocher, Vice President, Financial Services
* C. Dan Smith, Jr., Vice President, Treasurer
* Stephen C. (Chris) Tuttle, Assistant Controller

Vernon J. Nagel, Acuity Brands' Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, commented, "I am pleased to have this talented and dedicated team driving key initiatives at Acuity Brands. These individuals all have significant expertise in their respective fields and will contribute to our common goal of enhancing the performance of Acuity Brands."

These four managers all held prior positions at National Service Industries, Inc. (NYSE: NSI), from which Acuity Brands was spun off on November 30, 2001.

As Acuity Brands' Vice President, Controller, John Ehrie will be responsible for the company's accounting and tax functions, including SEC reporting activities. He previously served as NSI's Vice President, Tax. He is a certified public accountant and holds a law degree from the University of Mississippi and a master of laws degree in taxation from Southern Methodist University.

Karen Nocher, Vice President, Financial Services, will be responsible for Acuity Brands' financial planning and analysis, investor relations, and internal audit. Prior to this new role, she served in various positions at NSI, including roles in accounting, reporting, and financial planning. She is a certified public accountant with a bachelor's degree in accounting from Clemson University and is currently pursuing a master's degree at Georgia State University in its Executive M.B.A. program.

As Vice President, Treasurer, Dan Smith will lead Acuity Brands' treasury and risk management functions. Prior to this, he most recently served as NSI's Assistant Treasurer. He graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor's degree in accounting, and he recently completed his M.B.A. from Georgia State University's Executive M.B.A. program. He is a certified public accountant and a certified cash manager.

In the role of Assistant Controller, Chris Tuttle will be in charge of corporate and operational accounting and SEC reporting. Before this, he most recently served as NSI's Director of Accounting and Reporting. He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Alabama and is a certified public accountant.

Acuity Brands, Inc., whose businesses had fiscal year 2001 sales of approximately $2.0 billion, is comprised of the Acuity Lighting Group and Acuity Specialty Products. The Acuity Lighting Group is the world's largest lighting fixture manufacturer and includes brands such as Lithonia(R), Holophane(R), Peerless(R), and Hydrel(R). Acuity Specialty Products is a leading provider of specialty chemicals and includes brands such as Zep(R), Enforcer(R), and Selig(TM). Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Acuity Brands employs 11,800 people and has operations throughout North America and in Europe.

SOURCE Acuity Brands, Inc.

CONTACT:

Karen Nocher of Acuity Brands, Inc., +1-404-853-1437 URL: http://www.acuitybrands.com

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