May 2017, Vol. 244, No. 5
Features
Addressing Opposition Tops INGAA Foundation Meeting
The INGAA Foundation held its Spring 2017 Meeting Mar. 29-31 in Las Colinas, TX. Another attendance record was established with over 375 gas pipeline industry representatives from operators, contractors, and key product and service providers.
INGAA Foundation 2017 Chair Thomas Hutchins (Vice President, EH&S, Kinder Morgan) presided over a comprehensive agenda including 15 presentations from industry leaders. A common thread throughout the meeting and discussions was a focus on communications challenges and approaches to address significant industry opposition. An agenda highlight was a discussion by U.S. Representative Joe Barton (R-TX), Vice Chairman, Energy & Commerce Committee. A rigorous planning and studies session was conducted to prioritize the Foundation’s slate of studies for 2018.
Also addressing the attendees was Diane Leopold, INGAA Chair and president of Dominion Energy; Chris Bloomer, executive director of the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association and Don Santa, president & CEO of INGAA and the INGAA Foundation, who gave an updated Washington Report.
John Davies, CEO, Davies Communications, addressed “Dealing With Opposition & Effective Communication.” Larry Selzer, president of The Conservation Fund, followed with a presentation on “Greening Up Infrastructure – Partnership Opportunity.” Shahab Saeed, chair of the Natural Gas Training Council and board member Jeryl Mohn, former president of the Foundation, discussed “Natural Gas – The Future of Training.”
In keeping with the conference theme, Elizabeth Harrington, partner, Public Opinion
Strategies, discussed “What Does the Public Really Think?” and was followed by a panel discussion entitled “AEL (America’s Energy Link) – Addressing the Communications Challenges,” where she moderator Cathy Landry, vice president, Communications for INGAA and the Foundation, was joined by Lou Ann Lissonnet, account supervisor, Saxum, and Aran Bruce, senior digital strategist, Saxum.
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