PHSMA Storage Update 2024
Event Summary
This is an Underground Storage specific PHMSA update, touching on standard updates such as implementation, inspections, risk management, best practices, and more.
Instructor
Catherine Washabaugh, PHMSA
Catherine Washabaugh has over 40 years of experience with the transportation of natural gas, hazardous liquids, and reservoir engineering. She has been with PHMSA for 10 years and is currently the operations supervisor for the UNGS Team, based in the Eastern Region. Catherine manages the inspection of UNGS facilities in the country and teaches the Underground Natural Gas Storage Course at PHMSA’s Training & Qualification Center (TQ) in Oklahoma City.
Catherine began her career with PHMSA as a Staff Engineer in the Central Region Office, conducting integrated inspections and construction inspections on both Hazardous Liquid and Natural Gas Pipelines. Catherine became a member of the UNGS Implementation Team in January 2017, formed as a result of the PIPES ACT of 2016.
Prior to PHMSA, Catherine worked for the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) for over 30 years. Initially she worked in the Petroleum Engineering section of the MPSC performing reservoir engineering analysis, prorating natural gas fields, and providing expert testimony in pipeline cases, gas field proration cases and Gas Cost Recovery cases. Moving to the pipeline side, she conducted comprehensive and specialized inspections on intrastate and interstate pipelines, as well as investigating pipeline failures. Catherine is a former member of the Michigan Damage Prevention Board, working on legislation for the One Call law known as the MISS DIG Underground Facility Damage and Safety Act.
Catherine received a Bachelor of Science degree in Geological Engineering from Michigan Technological University and an MBA from the University of Michigan, majoring in Operations Management.
Generations in Harmony: Mastering the Art of Leading Multi-Generational Teams
Event Summary
Across all industries, for the first time ever in modern history, we are navigating a workplace with up to five generations. As a result, today’s leaders are faced with the complexity of managing very different perspectives, work styles, and preferences within multigenerational teams. While generational diversity can cause divide amongst teams, a harmonious environment and better business outcomes can be achieved if leaders navigate the multigenerational team dynamic effectively. Join us as we explore generational diversity and the various techniques that you can employ to master the art of leading multigenerational teams. In this session you will:
- Develop a comprehensive understanding of the unique characteristics, values, and preferences associated with different generations in the workplace.
- Understand the challenges of managing generational diversity.
- Identify strategies for creating an inclusive work environment that values and leverages the strength of every generation.
Instructor
Chereese Johnson
D&I Strategy Lead–Americas
As the Diversity & Inclusion Strategy Lead, Chereese Johnson provides consultation and advisement on D&I strategic plans and solutions for the Americas region, which covers ~30 business units across North America and South America.
A native of the south suburbs of Chicago, IL, Chereese received her Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science and Finance from the University of Illinois @ Urbana/Champaign and Master of Business Administration in Strategy, Marketing, and Social Enterprise from the Kellogg School of Manage-ment at Northwestern University.
Throughout her career at Chevron, Chereese has held positions of increasing responsibility in HR Business partner and talent management leadership roles across Upstream, Technical Services, and Corporate operations. Prior to Chevron, Chereese held positions at Northern Trust Company and Hewitt Associates in Benefits Administration, where she managed projects and services related to Retiree Health & Welfare, 401K, and Pension plans.
In the Houston community, Chereese serves on the Board of Directors for the Avondale House and The Ensemble Theatre. She previously served on the Board for the NBMBAA Houston Chapter (2012-2020) and contributed to the Community Investment Process/Second Century Vision for the United Way Houston (2016-2022).
Legacy Systems: Risks, Security and Mitigation Strategy
Hosted by SGA’s IT & Cybersecurity Committee, this webinar discusses the various risks associated with legacy systems, including vendor and people risk, as well as the strategies that can be employed to mitigate these risks.
Learning Objectives
- Discuss the risks of utilizing legacy systems
- Discuss the security approach to legacy systems
- Discuss mitigation steps that can be taken if legacy steps cannot be replaced
Instructor
Patrick Blumer Lead Gas Control Analyst | Centerpoint Energy
Patrick Blumer is an IT and Cybersecurity Professional with 16+ years of experience in IT. Patrick currently is a Lead Gas Control System Analyst for Centerpoint Energy located in Houston, Texas. After serving in the Army, Patrick held multiple roles in physical security jobs before using his GI bill to attend Vincennes University in Vincennes, Indiana. Patrick has obtained a BS in Technology (2010) and an AAS in Computer Network and Wireless Security (2009) from Vincennes University. He also holds and has held certifications from Vendors such as Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco, and ISACA and is working on obtaining the prestigious CISSP certification. Patrick currently resides in Kemah, Texas and enjoys going to the ocean and helping others in the IT field.
Lead Gas Control Analyst | Centerpoint Energy
Methane Emissions: Measurement & Mitigation
Course Summary
Natural gas operators face many challenges to ensure their construction projects stay on time and budget while limiting disruption to the community and protecting the environment. From the PIPES Act to ESG/Sustainability and Emission Reduction Goals, gas operators face increasing pressure and expectations to reduce emissions. As a former utility operator, Gina Rundo has navigated the nebulous situation of knowing environmental commitments and goals have been set without a fully developed implementation plan. You likely have two very real concerns: operational and cost impacts – will these environmental measures be as safe as traditional methods? Will this disrupt the community or prolong the project? What options do I have? What equipment purchases do I need to consider? What other options do I have to manage? With Gina’s years of operational experience, she can answer those questions and address your concerns.
Who Should Attend
- Engineering
- Construction
- Innovation
- Sustainability/Environmental
- Safety
- Operations
Meet the Instructor
Gina Rundo
Director, Pipeline Operations | Versiv Solutions
Gina Rundo is currently the Director of Pipeline Operations for Versiv Solutions, a trusted leader in safety and environmental solutions for the energy and natural gas industries to help operators meet their ESG commitments by reducing methane emissions.
Gina oversees the daily operations of Versiv – creating opportunities, building customer and community relationships, and business operations. She brings over fifteen years of experience in the Energy industry with expertise in Natural Gas. Her past leadership roles with one of the nation’s largest energy providers included Corrosion Management, Integrity Management, GIS Services, Compliance & Asset Management. Before leading the creation of Versiv, Gina was responsible for leading internal live gas operations for this Fortune 200 utility, with a specific focus on Hot Tapping & Plugging, Pipeline Pigging, and Cross-Compression services on Distribution, Storage, and Transmission systems across multiple states.
Gina is recognized as a leading subject matter expert on implementing emission reduction technology, such as Cross Compression, into gas pipeline operations and sustainability and innovation strategy. As the first-ever Innovation and Sustainability lead for the Gas Infrastructure group at a Fortune 200 utility provider, she developed and executed the adoption and assessment of emerging technology.
Tips for Modeling RNG, NG-H2 Blends and Pure H2
Course Summary
Although hydraulic modeling is ubiquitous, there are “non-traditional” gases gaining in prominence which have properties that many of the most common hydraulic modeling equations and modeling methods do not sufficiently consider. This lecture will highlight several of the common modeling assumptions currently in practice and will suggest alternatives that address them for the creation of more accurate results.
Course Objectives
At the end of this lecture, the hydraulic modeler will be alerted to several common modeling equations and assumptions that work well for natural gas systems but are no longer valid for certain types of alternative gases. Each of these equations and assumptions will be explained and alternatives or substitutes will be provided. The lecturer understands there are several hydraulic modeling software programs available and will endeavor to remain program-neutral so that all hydraulic modelers, regardless of their preferred modeling program, will come away with useful, actionable information.
Who Should Attend
This course targets the hydraulic modeler who is tasked with modeling “green gases” for which they may not yet be familiar. The course assumes the attendee will already be at least somewhat experienced with hydraulic modeling.
Meet Your Instructor
Kevin Hemingway
DNV
Kevin Hemingway, P.E., Product Manager for Synergi Gas and Synergi Liquid. Kevin holds business and engineering degrees from Drexel University and Temple University, respectively. He joined the company in 1996 as a Client Support Engineer and has served in client-facing roles focused on gas and liquid hydraulic modeling his entire tenure.
Customer Communications: Best Practices & Lessons Learned
Event Summary
Customers are at the center of our industry and businesses. Learn how SGA member companies communicate with their customers and other stakeholders regarding safety, outages, winter heating and bill assistance.
The presentation will cover:
- Outage communications
- Winter communications
- Energy assistance communications
- Safety communications
Instructors
Bridget Wallace
Director of Marketing Services | Atmos Energy
Bridget is an experienced marketing and communications professional with more than 30 years of providing strategic marketing and communication direction, in addition to creating materials that help tell a story, influence consumer perception and behavior, and of course, stay on brand. She currently manages the marketing services team at Atmos Energy which supports 6 gas utility divisions with more than 3.2 million customers in eight states.
Briana McClendon
Brand Manager | Southern Company Gas
With nine years of experience in the Southern Company system in a variety of communications roles, Briana has spent the last four years of her career on the gas side of the business with the brand team. She currently manages customer communications for all four distribution companies serving 4 million customers in four states. She also manages the company’s digital and social media platforms and overall brand strategy.
Williams Case Study: Fueling the Debate Electrification of Compression White Paper Study
Event Overview
Online forum where Williams representatives talk about how a workgroup came together to examine key considerations for installing gas versus electric-driven compression, lessons learned, results of the study, and the purpose of utilizing the study to avoid exposing the energy value chain to further reliability risks with highly regionalized greenhouse gas reductions.
Target Audience
Project Developers, Project Managers, and Engineers in the natural gas pipeline industry
Instructors
Tyler Tunic
Williams Environmental Services
Tyler manages the Air Compliance and Emissions Reduction (ACER) group in Williams’ Environmental Services group in Houston, TX. His team is tasked with the “E” of Williams’ ESG efforts and ensuring Williams hits its emissions reduction targets. He received his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Penn State University in 2014 and has worked for Williams ever since. Before joining Williams’ Environmental team, Tyler held various roles in Pipeline Engineering, Pipeline Control, and Commercial. Tyler is the Past-Chair of Young Pipeline Professionals (YPP) USA, the previous Young Pipeliners International (YPI) Co-Chair, Past-Chair the Public Policy, and Communications Committee within the INGAA Foundation, and current sits on INGAA’s Environment Committee. Tyler is a certified professional engineer in the state of Texas and obtained his MBA from Louisiana State University Shreveport in 2020. The culmination of his industry advocacy work was recognized last year through his winning the Young Pipeline Professional Honor at the 2022 International Pipeline Conference (IPC) in Calgary.Scott Schubring
Williams
Scott Schubring is a mechanical engineer with over 22 years of experience in gas compression. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M and currently works as a Staff Engineer at Williams where he supports gas pipeline and midstream assets. Scott also sits on the Gas Machinery Research Council Board of Directors, where he collaborates with industry experts to identify, scope, and execute research projects associated with compression equipment to drive a clean energy future. In his free time, Scott enjoys building and driving off-road rock crawling buggies, hiking, traveling, and spending time with his family outdoors.
Introduction to Natural Gas Midstream Facilities and Operations
Event Overview
This one-and-a-half-day virtual workshop provides natural gas professionals with an introduction to facilities and operations within the midstream segment of the natural gas industry. Non-technical descriptions of equipment and processes employed to gather, treat and process gas in order to render it commercially acceptable and to transport, store and trade the commodity prior to delivery to consumers are provided.
This class was held for 4 hours (8:00 AM – 12:00 PM) each day on March 6 & 7. The recording is in two parts.
Topics Covered:
- Gas Industry segments and US supplies of natural gas
- Separation of gas at the wellhead
- Gathering of gas (measurement, composition analysis, and transport)
- Gas treating (acid and sour gas, dehydration)
- Gas processing (NGL recovery, ethane recovery/rejection)
- NGL transportation, fractionation (US markets and exports)
- Transportation of gas (gas transmission pipeline facilities: operations, P/L integrity, changes in flow patterns)
- Gas commodity location basis differential and implications
- Transportation of gas (LNG)
- Underground storage of gas
- Exports of gas
- Wholesale gas sales, deliveries to consumers, and commodity price hedging
- Produced water handling (new midstream entities)
Learning Objectives:
Participants will:
- Be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of the size, source, and disposition of US natural gas supplies including domestic production, imports, consumption, and exports
- Be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of what physically happens to natural gas after it leaves the well on its journey to consumers
- Be able to identify and describe the services provided by gas midstream entities and how fees for such services are established
- Be able to identify and explain the relationship between midstream entities and both gas producers and gas consumers
- Be able to differentiate between entities charging market-based rates and rate-regulated entities and between entities bearing commodity price risk and those that do not
Target Audience:
Any relatively new employee of a gas industry entity and experienced gas industry professionals (administrative, financial, operations, legal, marketing, and other disciplines) seeking to broaden their understanding of the gas midstream segment.
Instructor
J.Richard Moore
Dick Moore has more than 40 years of experience in the energy industry including jobs in both regulated and unregulated segments of this industry. He has held senior management positions in oil and gas exploration and production companies, interstate and intrastate natural gas pipelines, gas and electric utilities as well as natural gas gathering, processing and marketing companies.
Mr. Moore previously served on the Board of Directors of the Gas Processors Association and has held a position as adjunct faculty in the economics department at Richland College in Dallas. He serves as faculty for the Energy Executive Course at the University of Idaho and the Legislative Energy Horizons Institute of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region as well as the Professional Development Institute at the University of North Texas and has been a speaker on energy topics for the Maguire Energy Institute at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
5 Secrets of Successful Female Leaders
Event Summary
Women in today’s workforce are achieving greater levels of success and securing more leadership positions than ever before. However, they’re also battling imposter syndrome, workplace bias, and burnout from juggling “all the things”.
A lot of high-achieving women find themselves wondering, “Is it worth it?”.
After temporarily leaving the industry in 2017 due to burnout, it took Rachel Williams several coaching certifications and a few years of trial and error to figure out what really allows female leaders to be sustainably successful, kick imposter syndrome to the curb, and reach true success in ALL areas of life.
In this presentation hosted by SGA’s Women & Leadership Committee, Rachel will be sharing her five top tips that allowed her to maximize her career and leadership, while still having the time and energy to do the things she enjoys most in life!
You will learn:
- How to create your Authentic Leadership Blueprint, and why it’s important
- Mindset shifts that allow you to effectively manage more with less stress
- Rachel’s 4-D system for taking control of your schedule and life
- Integrating all areas for fulfillment
Instructor
Rachel B. Williams
Rachel B. Williams is a results-oriented environmental professional connecting the humans of Energy. With over 15 years of experience in environmental management, strategy, permitting and compliance across multiple energy industries – including, oil and gas, renewables, and electric transmission – she now focuses on business development as a Senior Project Manager at Tetra Tech. She finds connecting energy leaders with the experts and services they need to get their projects in-service and on-track quite fulfilling.
Rachel is also a Leadership Coach and Mentor helping professionals in STEM create well-paid, fulfilling careers that fit their unique strengths and expertise. She has served thousands of professionals through individualized high-level coaching, signature group programs, networking events, and leadership retreats. Passionate about leadership and development, she also volunteers her time to multiple leadership roles, including: Tetra Tech Professional Women’s Network and PWN Coaching Co-founder, Southern Gas Association’s Women & Leadership Committee, multiple mentoring programs, and inspirational speaking.
When not traveling, Rachel loves spending time with her family and friends in Houston, Texas, and getting out into nature as much as possible.
RNG - From Concept to Production
Event Summary
This webinar will discuss a Renewable Gas Project from start to finish. We will discuss what information is needed at the project’s onset, how to mitigate the risks throughout the process, and the best path to reducing carbon successfully.
Instructor
John R. Wilson
Senior Vice President, EN Renewables, ENTRUST Solutions Group
As Sr. Vice President of the newly formed EN Renewables sector with Entrust Solutions Group, John is responsible for the oversight of Renewable Energy development for the United States.
John has over 35 years of experience in the energy industry, focused on engineering, operations and business development. He has extensive design and operating experience related to natural gas, electricity, renewable energy, and underground storage of natural gas.
John holds a Petroleum Engineering and Mathematics degree from The University of Wyoming.
John is based out of ENTRUST’s Chicago office. He has been married for over 33 years and has three grown children.
Pipelink Risk Modeling 101
Event Summary
This course will go over various types of pipeline risk models common in the industry today as well as practical uses of each model. Finally, it will highlight recent developments in the pipeline risk industry to give the audience an idea of what direction the industry is headed.
Attendees will receive 1 Professional Development Hour (PDH) upon completion.
Course Objectives
Provide attendees with an introductory course to Pipeline Risk Modelling so that they know the right questions to ask of their risk program owners in order to understand what type of risk model is being used when trying to understand their results and what type of feedback stakeholders might provide to the risk program in order to help keep it moving in the direction that best fits the needs of the stakeholders.
Who Should Attend
Individuals needing awareness level training for pipeline risk. This includes integrity engineers, ops/maintenance managers, area managers, and any other key stakeholder of the pipeline risk results.
Instructor
Alex Woll
Mr. Woll graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Mr. Woll then gained over a decade of experience working for various major oil and gas operators leading risk and PMM programs as well as being a risk and integrity engineer. Mr. Woll Joined DNV in 2020 and now heads DNV’s risk advisory team.Hydrogen 101
Event Summary
Hydrogen is being pursued as an energy source in the United States and worldwide. This presentation will address the background of why hydrogen is a potential fuel source and how hydrogen is generated. Hydrogen’s chemical and physical properties will be addressed and compared and contrasted with natural gas. This session will also outline the primary challenges of adopting hydrogen as a primary fuel source.
You will learn:
- Why is hydrogen being evaluated by the utility and pipeline industries?
- How is hydrogen made?
- What are the chemical and physical properties of hydrogen?
- How does hydrogen compare to natural gas as a fuel?
- What are the main challenges to adopting hydrogen?
Instructor
Jo Ellen Scott
Sr. Technical Lead
ENTRUST Solutions Group
Fundamentals of Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCUS)
Event Overview
Carbon Capture and Utilization and Storage (CCUS) is a fundamental requirement for successful de-carbonization and is recognized as such by the International Energy Agency and the US Department of Energy. The broad commercial deployment of CCUS will impact industries such as oil and gas, petrochemicals, electric power, cement, and manufacturing as well as hydrogen, and the circular plastics economy.
This course will serve as an introduction to various aspects of CCUS. Participants will be provided an awareness and understanding of the CCUS projects. It will establish basics such as how much CCS is needed to make a difference to global warming and explore what types of CO2 injection have already happened. This will be inclusive of dedicated long-term CCUS projects, pilot projects and CO2-enhanced oil recovery projects.
Attendees will receive 1.5 Professional Development Hours (PDH) upon completion.
Learning Objectives
- Learn the basic concept of carbon capture and storage.
- Discover how CCUS works.
- Understand how CCUS can be used to reduce carbon emissions.
- Identify which industries are a good fit for carbon capture and storage technology.
Instructor
Suzanne Ogle
President & CEO
Southern Gas Association
Suzanne Ogle is President and CEO of the Southern Gas Association. Suzanne has dedicated her career to natural gas and advancing the industry. She has 30 years of experience in operations and is a certified sustainability practitioner. She continued advancement in technology including studies at MIT in Clean Technology.
Suzanne is a Certified Sustainability Practitioner, an Accredited Public Relations and Certified Investor Relations professional and a Certified Association Executive. She holds an Advanced Marketing certificate from Southern Methodist University, Finance Management, Business Analytics and Change Management certificates from Cornell University and an Executive Leadership for Energy Professionals certificate from the University of Houston. She received a Master of Education in educational psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in business marketing from California Lutheran University
Hydrogen State of Affairs: what does the future look like?
Event Overview
Hydrogen is a clean and abundant energy source that has the potential to play a major role in decarbonizing the global economy. However, hydrogen is also a challenging energy carrier, and there are a number of technical and economic challenges that need to be overcome before hydrogen can be widely adopted. Despite these challenges, there is growing interest in hydrogen as a clean energy source. Governments around the world are investing in hydrogen research and development, and there are several companies that are developing hydrogen-based technologies. The future of hydrogen looks promising. With continued investment and development, hydrogen has the potential to be a major player in the global energy mix. Hydrogen could be used to power vehicles, generate electricity, and heat homes and businesses. Hydrogen could also be used to produce synthetic fuels and chemicals. The future of hydrogen looks bright. With continued investment and development, hydrogen has the potential to be a major player in the global energy mix. Hydrogen could help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality. Hydrogen could also create new jobs and economic opportunities.
Attendees will receive 1 Professional Development Hour (PDH) upon completion.
Instructor
Wesley Cate
Director, Business Development–NGL Supply Terminals, Co.
Introduction to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
Event Overview
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) has gained increasing attention over the past few years, with many institutional investors investing only in those companies that provide ESG performance reporting. An introduction to Environmental, Social and Governance for the natural gas industry provides an overview of an ESG framework and how it supports a company’s overall risk management. We will look at each component in detail and deliver insight into how those components converge to impact a company and its stakeholders. Whether you’re in distribution, transmission, marketing, E&P or a supplier you will no doubt be faced with a growing interest in ESG and how it informs you or your company’s decision-making. The intention of this course is to prepare you with the foundational knowledge needed to respond effectively and help you understand how the stakeholders are using ESG information to conduct due diligence and make investment decisions.
Attendees will receive 2 Professional Development Hours (PDH) and Level 1 Natural Gas Industry ESG Professional Credly badge upon completion.
Learning Objectives
- Explain what ESG is and its relevance to how investors make investment decisions
- Describe key environmental, social and governance issues
- Explain how stakeholders influence corporate ESG performance
- Analyze ESG risks and opportunities
- Review a case study using publicly available information on ESG performance
- Translate ESG information into business intelligence
Who Should Attend
An Introduction to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is perfect for any natural gas professional who would like to better understand how a company manages ESG risks and opportunities. This course explores concepts that will be useful for professionals seeking to gain further insight into ESG. It is geared towards beginner or intermediate experience with ESG.
Natural Gas Odorization for Safe Operation
Event Summary
A successful odorization program involves accurate injection of odorant, monitoring, and record keeping. Join us for a journey through odorization, from its purpose to how it fits into a company’s risk management program. The addition of odorants gives an improved level of safety, but there are also certain limitations. Learn which pipelines require odorization, the detectable limits of gas odor, odorants and odorizing considerations, and monitoring to ensure you meet regulatory requirements.
- What is natural gas odorization?
- The primary objective of gas odorization.
- Which gas lines require odorization?
- Distribution
- Transmission
- Complying with 49 §CFR 192.625 – Odorization of gas.
- Odorization of RNG
- Risks and Safety
Instructor
Nick Wiewiorowski is currently the Market Manager of gas odorants at Arkema. Previously, Nick worked for ChampionX in their Gulf of Mexico upstream production chemical division. He maintained numerous roles starting as a field service technician rotating on a single floating production unit and an account manager supporting multiple assets focused on supply chain and technical support. He also held an operations support role developing new technology for the sales force and supporting supply chain efforts to the business unit. Nick’s passion is building the service component of chemical applications, notably improving operational efficiencies.
Nick has a B.S. in chemical engineering from Lehigh University and an M.S. in petroleum engineering from Texas A&M University.
In his free time, Nick enjoys time with his kid, traveling to new countries and triathlons.
Matt Parrott
President, K2 Controls
- BA Baylor University
- Associate Member of SGA
- Member of ASGMT and ISHM
- Former President of GCGMS
When
From 02-06-2024 1:00 pm CST until 02-06-2024 2:30 pm CST
Where
Virtual
Registration Information
Member | $295 |
Non-Member | $495 |
3% fee applied if paying by a credit card
Who can attend?
SGA Cancellation Policy "C"
Have any questions? Contact us. memberservices@southerngas.org
Employee Resource Groups 101
Event Summary
In this session, we focus on the vision to the implementation of Employee Resource Groups(ERGs). Whether you’ve had ERGs for years or just considering this session has something for you.
Attendees will receive 1 Professional Development Hour (PDH) upon completion.
Who Should Attend
HR Professionals, Diversity, and inclusion advocates/champions.
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Mikeale Campbell
Mikeale Campbell is a proud product of North Tulsa. After graduating from Booker T Washington, he attended the University of Tulsa, majoring in International Business and Chinese. Upon graduation, Mikeale moved to Dallas, Texas, to participate in Teach For America (TFA). Teach For America is a program that takes aspiring leaders and supports them as classroom teachers for a minimum of 2 years. After five years in Texas’s classroom and campus support roles, he moved back to the Tulsa area to create and lead TFA Greater Tulsa’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. During his 4 years with the organization, Mikeale impacted the knowledge, skills, and mindsets of over 400 educators in the Tulsa area.
Mikeale transitioned to the Williams Companies in November 2020. Since then, he has immediately jumped in to support Williams in becoming a leader in the D&I space within our community. In recent years he has led Williams as they revamp their Employee Resource Groups, College and university partnerships schools, supplier diversity program, and production of their annual Diversity & Inclusion report.
Mikeale is heavily involved in the Tulsa community, serving on several boards, including Tulsa Legacy Charter Schools, Pathways Adult Center, University of Tulsa Alumni Board and Tulsa Regional Chamber’s 2023 Inclusion Chair. Mikeale prides himself on being an active volunteer in the community, supporting many womxn lead organizations, STEM programs and all things Greenwood. Mikeale says he’s lived a life rooted in a quote he lives by is, “Change is inevitable, but growth is optional.”
Developing the ESG Expert: Building an ESG Roadmap
Series Overview
This is a 4-part series that will take place monthly for 1 hour each session. Recordings will be made available after each session if you are unable to attend a session live.
This course series is designed to give you the basics of building an ESG program and integrating ESG factors into operations to further evaluate risks, opportunities and improve business resiliency. The focus will be on developing an ESG roadmap and strategy and honing in on reporting and communication. We will also provide guidance on building a credible strategy toward launching initiatives, such as decarbonization, as part of the overall sustainability journey.
Attendees will receive 4 Professional Development Hours (PDH) and a Level 3 ESG Expert Digital Badge upon completion of the full series.
Who Should Attend
- Anyone relatively newer to ESG and wants a better understanding of basic terminology and frameworks
- Corporate executives across all business functions who are involved in any aspects of building an ESG roadmap (Human Resources, Strategy / Business Development, Supply Chain / Procurement, Operations), particularly those focused on the environmental and social factors
- ESG / Sustainability professionals
- Investor relations professionals
- C-suite (CEO, CFO, CSO, COO, etc.)
Session Summaries
February 28: Part One: Building an ESG Roadmap: Best Practices
ESG has quickly become one of the most commonly used acronyms in the business world today. Increasingly, corporations are recognizing the need to consider ESG frameworks into their business strategies and are looking for guidance on how to develop a framework around incorporating ESG principles across their business operations. This course will provide guidance on how to build an ESG roadmap, irrespective of where you are in the sustainability journey, inclusive of tracking and monitoring progress toward goals.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Defining terminology around ESG and sustainability
- Providing an update on key rules and regulations all executives should be familiar with as it pertains to ESG frameworks
- Providing guidelines on how to develop an ESG roadmap (inclusive of governance, strategy development, target setting and reporting to stakeholders)
May 1: Part Two-GHG Footprinting and Developing the Pathway to Net Zero
Net Zero” has quickly become a buzzword where companies are racing to make long-term commitments to these aspirational goals. However, to achieve these goals, many companies and investors are still in the early innings of data collection around their GHG footprint. This course is defined as “GHG / Carbon Footprint 101” to help those individuals newer to the climate journey identify how to tackle GHG footprinting for their respective organizations and to better understand how net zero targets are defined (and the difference with carbon neutrality.)
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Define basic terminology around GHG footprinting
- Provide a high-level roadmap on how to build a carbon footprint across Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions
- Provide an overview of Science-based Targets and what is required for target setting
- Provide clarification on net zero vs carbon neutrality
August 14: Part Three- Navigating Climate Risk and Reporting
From the initial announcement of the Climate and ESG Task Force to the passing of the Climate Risk Disclosure Act of 2021, there is a growing focus on the implementation of climate risk disclosure. In March 2022, the SEC proposed new climate-related disclosure requirements for public companies. The SEC’s proposed rules would require public companies to provide certain climate-related financial data and greenhouse gas emissions insights in public disclosure filings. These new requirements would be aligned with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework, including information about the material impacts of climate risk on a company’s business and information about a company’s governance, risk management and strategy related to climate risks. This course is designed to provide a better understanding of the climate risk disclosure frameworks for reporting purposes and how a TCFD-aligned framework can be linked to developing a climate strategy.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Provide an understanding of current rules and regulations including the Climate Risk Disclosure Act and the implications of the SEC’s pending climate risk disclosure proposal
- Provide an understanding of the TCFD framework – what it is and the roadmap to build the framework
- Provide a better understanding of how TCFD aligns with developing the overall strategy
November 13: Part Four-Messaging ESG to Stakeholders: Best Practices
Greenwashing is increasingly becoming more of a concern as companies and investors are disclosing high-level commitments and claims about their sustainability objectives and commitments but often do not have credible data to back up these claims. This course is defined on how to build a credible sustainability program and message the relevant aspects of that ESG program with credibility. How does one put a communications/messaging plan together to not only help investors understand their ESG program, but also articulate their sustainability commitments to customers? This course is designed for those individuals who are responsible for externally messaging the ESG / sustainability story for their respective organizations.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Define greenwashing
- Provide an understanding of key components to message sustainability to stakeholders
- Discuss considerations around the methodology for issuing communication around sustainability plans (i.e., CSR reports, website, investor decks)
- Review best practices on ESG disclosure
Natural Gas Champions
EVENT SUMMARY
The natural gas industry is facing increased attention from a variety of interest groups that have concerns with natural gas and the hydrocarbon energy industry. SGA has designed a robust program to prepare natural gas industry employees to respond to questions about the industry and the concerns expressed. Now is the time more than ever to pull together natural gas industry professionals to ensure we are telling a compelling story to reinforce natural gas as part of the low carbon future. This webinar equips you to better understand the core basics of the natural gas industry, and more importantly, how to engage in those casual yet crucial conversations.
Attendees will learn:
- About the benefits natural gas provides to customers, the general public, and the country,
- How to identify the concerns individuals and interest groups have with fossil fuels in general and natural gas in particular, as well as how the industry is responding to those concerns
- Why clean, efficient natural gas is critical for a low carbon future
- Effective, proven methods to communicate in a positive way to the more than 50% of the country that are persuadable with facts, figures and stories.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
This course is designed for energy company employees at all levels regardless of department or discipline. In particular, any employee who regularly interacts with the public or who desires to engage in positive communications about natural gas with family, friends and neighbors.
Building Customer Insight Through Data: How Spire is Harnessing Machine Learning for Advanced Customer Usage Predictions
Event Summary
Join us as we delve into the innovative world of analytics and machine learning, exploring how Spire is leveraging modern technologies and techniques to gain deep insights and predictions into customer behavior and usage patterns. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the future of data-driven decision-making with Spire.
Instructors
Henry Campbell | Director of Advanced Analytics, Spire
Henry Campbell is the Director of Advanced Analytics for Spire. In this role, Henry leads Spire’s efforts in bringing data, intelligence and insights to our employees and customers. He is currently leading Spire’s efforts to transition to a modernized analytics platform that will be able to provide deeper insights, automated decision-making, and advanced machine-learning capabilities. These efforts support Spire’s long-term technology evolution to build a more complete understanding of Spire’s customer needs and provide them with exceptional service. Henry has 15 years of experience in Business Intelligence, Technology, Customer Sales and Marketing analytics experience. Before his work at Spire, Henry worked in an advisory role at PwC supporting technology transformations for the Utility Industry. His experience allows him to bridge information and data to business users and customers through innovative analytical approaches and solutions. Henry holds a bachelor’s degree, MBA and master’s degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Alabama. He also holds an MS degree in Environmental Management from Samford University.
Brock Nosbisch | Manager of Advanced Analytics, Spire
Brock Nosbisch is the Manager of Advanced Analytics for Spire. In this role, Brock oversees Spire’s Analytical Technology and leads a team focused on extracting insights, and driving decisions and action in new meaningful ways. He is leading efforts to build a cloud-based analytical platform that enables Spire to develop custom applications and APIs, access big data, and create machine learning models.