Transmission Operations 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.

 

Presentations from this Round Table

Eric Kelner "Gas Measurement Training" an SGA JIP

Linda Daugherty "Regulatory Update"

Jamie Burgess "Managing Risk in a Project Environment"

Willy Findlay "Minimizing Customer Risks in Valve Manufacturing"

Kevin Fox "Risk Mitigation in a Project Environment"

 

PDH Credit-MgmtConf_2008

 

This meeting is part of the SGA Management Conference.

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

Round Table Chairman

Walt Bennett, Vice President-Operations, Gulf South Pipelines (walt.bennett@bwpmlp.com)

 

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 P.M.     Round Table Session 1

See Round Table Discussion Outline 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 Round Table Discussion Outline below.

Presentation:                    Regulatory Update

Linda Daugherty, Director, Southern Region - PHMSA

6:00                               Special Event!   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

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

1:30 – 3:00                              "Managing Risk in a Project Environment"

Joint Session:  Associate Members and Transmission Operations (Grand Ballroom 3)

                                      

Moderator

Walt Bennett, VP, Operations, Boardwalk Pipeline

                        

Panelists

• Jamie Burgess, Director, McJunkin Red Man
• William Findlay, President, Cameron Engineered Valve
• Kevin Fox, VP & GM, Willbros Engineers Inc

Points of Discussion

• Project Design and Planning
• Product Lead Times
• Approved Manufacturers
• Communication between all parties

This session is designed to discuss mitigating risk in a project environment, identifying the risk factors experienced during a typical pipeline project and what steps are being  taken to help mitigate this risk for the pipeline company.

Potential risk areas include labor, material availability, land, Approved Manufacturer Lists, material specifications, design specifications, and other certification requirements.

3:00 P.M.                             Break

3:15 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.       Round Table Session 4

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

 

Round Table Discussion Topics

1. Workforce management and safety

- recruiting qualified personnel
- succession planning
- training and development of personnel
- managing work hours and shifts to promote safety

2. Pipeline safety

- PHMSA special permits for class locations and 80% SMYS operation
- Integrity management assessment plans for the final 50% and audit results
- Op Qual covered task list
- Damage prevention
- States imposing additional regulations

3. Projects and construction

- Managing cost of facility installations
- Reducing project cycle time
- Parallel ROW construction
- Risk management

4. Environmental and FERC

- Permitting timelines
- Greenhouse gas
- Landowner approval for ROW maintenance

 

 

SGA contact: Mike Grubb (mgrubb@southerngas.org)

 

This page updated:  April 11, 2008