Presenters
Chad Arey, Senior Operations Integration Manager
Dakota Access Pipeline/Energy Transfer Crude Oil Co.
White Oak, Texas
Chad Arey is responsible for ensuring the design and future operations of the Dakota Access Pipe Line project adhere to company standards and procedures. He has spent the last 31 years of his pipeline operations career specializing in the transportation of natural gas and crude oil for companies such as Pacific Gas Transmission, TransCanada and, currently, Sunoco Logistics. Chad holds an associate’s degree in automotive technology and a bachelor’s degree in industrial management from the Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls, Ore.
Christine Blankenship, Account Representative
Dallas, Texas
Christine Blankenship has worked at ISN for more than three years and currently serves as an account representative for the Midstream team. She has also worked on the customer service team, ISN Canada team, and Upstream - Offshore team. She attended Oklahoma State University.
DeWitt Burdeaux, Regulatory Compliance Specialist
Houston, Texas
DeWitt Burdeaux’s 35-plus year career in the energy industry includes compliance oversight, training and research for state and federal agencies as well as engineering, operation and compliance for the private sector. DeWitt’s current responsibilities with FlexSteel Pipeline Technologies include advising internal and external stakeholders in the applicability of federal and state pipeline safety regulations. He represents the company on consensus standards committees and serves as a liaison with state and federal agencies on regulatory activities having potential business impact.
Dallas, Texas
Mark Feild has worked at ISN for nearly three years, beginning his career at the company in customer service. He currently serves as a senior associate on the pipelines team. Mark attended Princeton University.
Josh Geurian, Owner/Operator Support
National Compliance Management Services, Inc.
Hutchinson, Kan.
Josh Geurian joined NCMS in 2008 as a DOT auditor and now assists DOT operators with federal and state drug and alcohol contractor audits. Previously, he worked at the Pipeline Testing Consortium, a third party administrator of drug and alcohol testing programs for federally regulated contractors. In that capacity, Josh processed previous employer history checks and was a certified breath alcohol and urine collector. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Kansas State University.
Charlie Helm, Pipeline Safety Transportation Specialist
U.S. DOT PHMSA Training & Qualifications
Oklahoma City, Okla.
Charlie Helm has extensive field, leadership and training experience in the pipeline industry. His career has included duties as a roustabout, instrument technician, wireline engineer, operations engineer, vice president of operations, and LNG facility designer. Charlie had a six-year departure from the oilfields to work for the U.S. Army, including participation in Operation Desert Storm. He joined the PHMSA staff in as a pipeline safety inspector in the Southwest Region. He has been involved in several major projects at PHMSA including participation as a member of the Control Room Management Team. Charlie has been a PHMSA instructor since 2010. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Louisiana State University.
Robert W. Hill, County Development Director/Emergency Manager
Brookings, S.D.
Robert Hill has served at the Brookings County development director and emergency manager since March 2013. He is an appointed member of the USDOT Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee, a member of the Pipelines and Informed Planning Alliance Communications Team and was a member of PHSMA's Technical Assistance Grant Review Team from 2009 to 2014. He is a South Dakota Emergency Management Association Certified Emergency Manager. Robert earned a master's degree in geography from South Dakota State University and is retired from the U.S. Army.
Tom Hutchins, Vice President of Gas Delivery
Des Moines, Iowa
Tom Hutchins is responsible for all elements of the design, operations and maintenance of MidAmerican’s natural gas delivery system serving more than 700,000 customers throughout four states. Tom has worked as a metallurgical engineer, a consulting engineer in corrosion control and has held various engineering and management positions at MidAmerican Energy. In addition to these responsibilities, Tom has served as a consultant for clients on corrosion control projects and has been an expert witness in litigation related to corrosion and pipeline matters. Tom is a licensed professional engineer with degrees from Iowa State University, Drake University and Drake University Law School.
Larry Janes, Executive Director
Larry Janes has served as executive director of South Dakota One Call, now known as South Dakota 811, since 2009. His career includes 35 years with Northwestern Bell, US West and Qwest, involved in the underground communications business including locating, placing and splicing aerial and buried cables; and installing and maintaining electronic communications equipment, both as a technician and manager. He was a project manager for US West in Omaha, Neb., from 1983 to 1988 where he was appointed to an FCC national standards setting committee. After leaving Qwest in 2004, he managed the safety program for FSH Communications for five years.
Bryan Kichler, Pipeline Safety Specialist
PHMSA Inspector Training & Qualifications
Oklahoma City, Okla.
Bryan Kichler has been a pipeline safety specialist with the U.S. DOT PHMSA Inspector Training and Qualifications Division for nearly two years. Bryan studied civil engineering at Faulkner State University while interning at Riviera Utilities, where he continued to work for almost 14 years. Bryan then spent five years working for the Alabama Public Service Commission Gas Pipeline Safety Program as a senior investigator training coordinator.
APGA Security and Integrity Foundation
Washington, D.C.
Gerry Lee assists with the development of SHRIMP, regulatory and compliance training programs, and the drug and alcohol tool at the APGA Security and Integrity Foundation. He also served the city utilities programs of Springfield, Missouri, in various leadership roles for 28 years. He has decades of involvement in the energy industry including activities with the American Public Gas Association and the Midwest Energy Association. He was board president of APGA in 1997-98 and board chairman of MEA in 2003-04. He holds bachelor’s degrees in aerospace and mechanical engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla and a master’s degree in business administration from Southwest Missouri State University.
Allan Miller, Response Branch Team Leader
South Dakota Office of Emergency Management
Mitchell, S.D.
Allan Miller has spent the last 20 years in the emergency management field, serving as a county emergency management director for more than 11 years, a consultant for five years, and working for the state office for the past three years. Allan was also involved as a volunteer search and rescue unit member for more than 20 years, has been an American Red Cross volunteer, and a police officer for a short period of time. Allan has extensive training and certification in emergency management and has instructed the Incident Command System series of courses since 1996, training hundreds of emergency responders.
Warren Miller, Senior Regulatory Compliance Specialist
Liberty, Missouri
Warren Miller joined Veriforce in January 2014, after more than 22 years with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration of the Department of Transportation. Warren’s PHMSA career began with duties as a petroleum engineer at the Office of Pipeline Safety in Denver, and included all types of inspections and the development of the operator qualification protocols and inspection forms. Prior to his PHMSA service, Warren worked in oilfield drilling and exploration, providing consulting services to oil and gas companies. He is a charter and current member of the ASME B31Q Standard Committee. Warren has a petroleum engineering technology degree from Oklahoma State University.
Aaron A. Morman, Gas Pipeline Safety Inspector & Program Manager
North Dakota Public Service Commission
Bismarck, N.D.
Prior to joining the staff of the North Dakota PSC in 2012, Aaron was the maintenance lead at the North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, N.D. His background in the pipeline industry includes working for Alliance Pipeline as an operations and maintenance technician in commissioning and operations and as the North Dakota stakeholder/landowner liaison for pipeline construction right-of-way restoration. He has also been an operation and maintenance technician for Northern Border Pipeline and an electrical and instrumentation technician for the Dakota Gasification Co. Aaron studied industrial electronics and instrumentation technology at NDSCS. He was a dairy farmer in his pre-pipeline career.
Virgil Pfennig, Manager, Northern U.S. Oil - Glacial Lakes
Omaha, Neb.
Virgil Pfennig is an area manager on the Keystone oil pipeline system for TransCanada. He has worked in the oil and natural gas pipeline industry for more than 30 years. His previous industry positions included field technician, corrosion specialist, DOT/PHMSA compliance specialist and project manager. Virgil holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering technology.
Walter Siedlecki, Senior Utility Consultant
AEGIS Insurance Services, Inc.
East Rutherford, N.J.
Walt primarily travels the United States and Canada conducting risk assessments for AEGIS member companies. Prior to joining AEGIS Insurance Services more than nine years ago, Walt worked 24 years at a mid-sized northeast natural gas company where he held various engineering, operating and management positions. Areas of responsibility included engineering design and technical services, standards and compliance, distribution system planning, quality assurance, training, meter shop operations, contract administration, and capital budgeting. Walt is a current member of the AGA Gas Piping Technology Committee and is a professional engineer.
Richard Stump, Director of Compliance Programs
Eagen, Minn.
Richard Stump has more than 35 years of experience in the energy industry. He has held leadership positions in multiple areas including planning, project management, compliance and quality programs. Richard has served on several energy industry committees including as a current member of the ASME B31Q committee. He has a master’s degree in business administration from Wayne State University.
Harold Winnie, Community Assistance & Technical Services Project Manager
U.S. Department of Transportation, PHMSA
Kansas City, Mo.
Harold Winnie began his public service career in Kansas City, Mo., as a CATS project manager in 2003. He is a member a number of industry groups including the CGA Technology Committee, ASTM F-17, Plastic Pipe Ad Hoc Committee for PHMSA, public awareness program working group for PHMSA and was a task force member of the Pipeline and Informed Planning Alliance. Harold’s duties include working with stakeholders to increase knowledge and awareness of pipelines, damage prevention, public awareness communications and pipeline safety. Harold has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Missouri at Rolla and a master’s degree in business from Webster University.
Mary Zanter, Pipeline Safety Program Manager
South Dakota Public Utilities Commission
Pierre, S.D.
Mary Zanter has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and a master's degree in business administration. Prior to joining the PUC staff in 2012, she worked for MidAmerican Energy for 19 years, first as a plant engineer at Neal Generating Station, then as a gas engineer, and finally as an operations supervisor in Sioux Falls, S.D. She then spent two years working for Interstates Engineering in Sioux Center, Iowa, as a senior project engineer doing electric distribution design for manufacturing facilities. Mary served as a pipeline safety inspector for the PUC for a year prior to being named program manager in 2013.