November 09, 2006 1:00PM
-
November 11, 2006 12:00PM
Carmel
, CA
Carmel Valley Ranch
Carmel, CA
The Foundation’s Annual Meeting at Carmel Valley Ranch in Carmel, California was a great success. Over 190 Foundation members, spouses and guests attended. INGAA companies were well represented at the meeting and the Foundation members appreciate INGAA’s support.
In his keynote address to the membership, Christopher Helms, President of NiSource Gas Transmission and Storage, spoke of the challenges facing the natural gas industry and the opportunities for retooling and reinvigorating the industry. His remarks set the framework for the substantive panels on right-of-way and energy corridor issues and workforce and material availability issues that followed in the meeting’s general sessions.
Kevin Madden, Vice President of External Affairs for AGL Resources, the featured speaker during the final session of the meeting, addressed the importance of timely development of interstate natural gas infrastructure to LDCs and pipeline customers. His remarks preceded a panel of industry and government representatives that engaged in a dialogue about how regulators and industry can work together to achieve greater flexibility in the construction process as we work to address the impacts of workforce and material constraints on certificated and planned projects.
On the business side of the meeting, the Foundation Board approved funding for seven studies in the 2007 study program. Some issues that will be addressed include developing the next workforce, right-of-way maintenance practices, mandatory carbon control, and improvements to the Endangered Species Act. In other business, the Board elected Jeryl Mohn of Panhandle Energy to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2007 and S. Dhamortharan of URS Corporation to serve as Vice Chairman. The Board also elected Donald F. Santa, Jr., President, Lisa S. Beal, Secretary, and Mark S. Shaffer, Treasurer of the Foundation.
Finally, the Board elected Alan Hodgson of Berg Steel Pipe Corp., Daniel Macholan of Caterpillar Inc., Denise Hamsher of Enbridge Energy Company, Inc., and Gary Sypolt of Dominion Gas Transmission, Inc. to serve on the Foundation Executive Committee for two-year terms.