Distribution Operating Executives Round Table

 

• April 19-21, 2009
• Hyatt Lost Pines - Austin Texas

Below is information about the 2008 round table. Information about the 2009 round table will be posted here towards the end of 2008.

 

• Grand Hyatt Hotel - Atlanta Georgia
• April 20-22, 2008

Round Table Chairman:

George Ratchford, General Manager-Customer Service, PSNC, a SCANA Co. gratchford@scana.com

 

Presentations from this Round Table

Linda Daugherty "Regulatory Update"

 

Continuing Education Credit Form

PDH Credit-MgmtConf_2008

 

 

Management Conference Web Page

Navigate to the Conference web page to register and for more details.

 

AGENDA

Sunday - April 20, 2008

12:00 P.M.                       Conference Golf Tournament – The Heritage Golf Club

Buses depart 11:00 a.m. from lower lobby level of the hotel.  Box lunch provided.

Golf sponsored by Edgen-Murray

 

6:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M.    Welcome to Atlanta Reception       

                                          

                                           Grand Ballroom 3 (lower lobby level)

                                           Sponsored by SGA Associate Members

 

Monday - April 21, 2008

7:00 A.M. to 8:30 A.M.      Breakfast Session - "Celebrating our Past; Addressing Tomorrow's Challenges Today"

                                            Grand Ballroom 1 & 2 (lower lobby level)

Moderator: Chris Helms, President, Nisource Gas Transmission and Storage, and SGA Board Chairman

Co-sponsored by: Bayou Companies and Stupp

8:30 A.M. to 9:30 A.M.        General Session 1: Politics, Culture and War

Bill Bennett

Bill Bennett is host of nationally syndicated radio tallk show, "Morning in America"; author of the "Book of Virtues"; former Secretary of Education; and one of America's most important, influential and respected voices on cultural, political and eduation issues.

9:30 A.M. to 10:00 A.M.        Refreshment Break

10:00 A.M. to 12:00 A.M.     Round Table Session 1 (see discussion topics below)

12:00 A.M. to 1:30 P.M.          Lunch on your own

1:30 P.M. to 2:30 P.M.            General Session 2 - Guest Speaker: Jason Dorsey

                                                   Grand Ballroom 1 & 2

Often referred to as the "Gen Y Guy", Jason has been featured on 60  Minutes, 20/20, NBC's Today Show, ABC's The View, and in the Wall Street Journal and Fortune Magazine. Jason's keynotes and trainings have impacted diverse audiences across the United States and as far away as Egypt, Finland, Spain, and India.

To understand the realities of leading a multigenerational workforce, Jason interviewed executives, managers, entrepreneurs, and employees representing each generation in a variety of industries. His goal was to learn their beliefs, priorities, and preferences to find common ground in the workplace. Jason used this experience and extensive research to develop a framework and specific strategies business leaders can use to increase employee loyalty, teamwork, and discretionary effort across the generations.

2:30 P.M. to 3:00 P.M.            Refreshment Break

3:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.             Round Table Session 2 (see discussion topics below)

• PHMSA Update
• Presenter: Linda Daugherty, Director, Southern Region

Special Event!

6:00                                 Board buses for Fox Theater (lower lobby level)

6:30 – 9:30                    Reception, Dinner and Special Event – The Historic Fox Theater

                                       

                                        Private Concert by recording artists - America                                               

This special evening at the historic Fox Theater will include a reception and dinner in the Theater’s beautiful Egyptian Ballroom, followed by a private performance in the concert hall by America, whose musical legacy includes six gold and/or platinum albums.  Along with new songs from their recent CD "Here and Now", they will perform their hits such “Horse With No Name”,  “Sister Golden Hair” and  “Ventura Highway”.

• Reception and dinner sponsored by AGL Resources
• Suggested attire:   Sport coat and open collar for men;  similar dressy casual for ladies

 

Tuesday - April 22, 2008

7:00 A.M. to 8:30 A.M.        Continental Breakfast (sponsored by Itron, Inc.) - Grand Ballroom Foyer

8:30 A.M. to 9:30 A.M.        General Session 3 - Panel: Green Initiatives and the Natural Gas Industry

                                              Grand Ballroom 1 & 2

From newspaper headlines to magazine articles to documentary movies to the Nobel peace prize, the topic of greenhouse gas emissions is everywhere to be seen. Cutting through all the hubbub and hype is not an easy task, not to mention reaching a consensus on mankind’s real contribution to global warming. However, it looks as if “Green” is going to be with us for a while, so it’s worthwhile to dialog on the impacts for the US natural gas industry. This panel will bring us three distinct, but widely varied touch points of Green Initiatives on our business. This panel will stimulate your thinking on how your company can prepare for, embrace and engage on this timely issue.

Moderator:

• Kevin Webber, General Manager, TECO Peoples Gas

 

Panel:

 

• Dave Parker, President, American Gas Association
  • Mr. Parker will address how carbon/CO2 concerns and various legislation, both proposed and enacted, will impact the natural gas industry and its’ customers.  Who is pushing what and how strongly among the legislature?  And, what is our industry doing to help ensure that reasonable legislation is passed.
• Jeffrey Taggart, Trade Contractor Program Manager, National Association of Home Builders
  • The collaborative history between the natural gas industry and the residential construction industry stretches back beyond memory. This presentation highlights the new NAHB Green Building Standards and how the gas industry is positioned to join forces in the rapid implementation of this exciting new initiative.
• Isabel Hagbrink, Manager Voluntary Markets, MGM International
  • When specific targets are set for the reduction of carbon emissions, some entities are much more successful than others.   If the goal is for a net reduction of greenhouse gases, the overachievers possess a valuable commodity. The result is    an international trading market for CERs – certified emission reduction credits. This presentation shares insights on the    emerging market and how gas companies might one day use carbon credits as a valuable marketing tool.    
           

9:30 A.M. to 10:00 A.M.             Presenation of SGA Awards

• Marketing Best Practices
• Community Service
• SGA Service Awards - Outgoing Chairs

10:00 A.M. TO 10:30 A.M.         Refreshment Break - Sponsored by URS Corp.

10:30 A.M. TO 12:00 A.M.         Round Table Session 3 (see discussion topics below)

12:00 A.M. to 1:30 P.M.             Lunch on your own

1:30 P.M. to 2:30 P.M.              Round Table Session 4 (see discussion topics below)

2:30 P.M. to 3:00 P.M.              Refreshment Break

3:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.              Round Table Session 5

• High Rise / Vertical Main
• Tour a local installation / application
• Discussion with the Marketing Executives

6:15 P.M.                                    An Evening @ Turner Field

• Atlanta Braves vs. Washington Nationals
• Pre-registration required.
• Transportation departs 6:15 from lower lobby level. Fist bus returns at 9:30.
• Sponsored by SGA Associate Members                    

 

Wednesday - April 23, 2008

Departure

 

Discussion Topics

Compliance/Operations

• Safety, reliability, efficiency (in that order)
• Distribution Integrity Management
• Downturn in the Condo/Residential Housing Market
• Replacement of our older steel mains and services
• Damaged facilities (awareness, reduction, collections)
• Backing Incidents (Driving)
• Automated Meter Reading
  1. Fixed-base vs. mobile
  2. Vendor Selection
  3. Financial Justification
  4. Synergy with atmospheric corrosion checks
  5. Battery change cycles
  6. Read-Ins
  7. Read-Outs
• Internal Communications Systems

1. Who has retained their two-way radio systems in addition to mobile phones - why or why not?

• What are others doing to address older vintage plastic pipe failures?
• Compression couplings on meter risers (Texas rulemaking issue)

People

• Supervisory coaching / feedback - getting the right people on the bus, and the wrong people off the bus (or in another seat) - best practices?
• Resource allocation to maximize our labor efficiency and working safely.

• Prioritizing the work that needs to be done with limited resources while achieving operating income targets.

• Preparing the workforce for tomorrow - development - facing the turnover of employment in the workplace.

• Employee Retention and Attrition
• Employee Engagement
• Leadership Development

Business

• Infrastructure Replacement (Trackers)
• Rate Cases
• Hitting capital expenditure targets
• New business expansion
• Convincing the Commissions and Legislatures that natural gas is the fuel of choice for water heating in order to defer the construction of power plants and support the environment. 

• Customer Growth & Attrition ( Current Economy)
• Hazard Mitigation

Environmental

• Managing Climate Change Issues

• Expanded role NG can play in reducing carbon emissions and deferring power plant construction.

 

Add to this list - Send your suggested topics to SGA (mgrubb@southerngas.org)

 

Contact Mike Grubb (972/620-4022) for more information.

 

This page updated: April 14, 2008