Speaker Biographies
Ben Andrews – With almost thirty years experience in Natural Gas Distribution, Ben serves as the General Manager and CEO for the Oak Ridge Utility District that serves 13,000 customers with natural gas in portions of Anderson and Roane Counties in Tennessee. His previous accomplishments include being the elected Mayor of his home town, Chairman of the American Public Gas Association, President of the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club, Chairman of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors of the Tennessee Gas Association and member of the Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, the Federal Advisory Committee on pipeline safety for the U. S. Department of Transportation. He is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and best day of work Ben has ever done was marrying Gayle thirty-eight years ago. They have four adult children and two grandchildren.
Bob Archey is the Chair of the Governor appointed Washington State Citizens Committee on Pipeline Safety. His background in organizational development and facilitating resolution of complex problems among diverse interest groups brought him into the pipeline safety arena in Washington State in 2003. He facilitated projects on public awareness, first responder training, damage prevention and land use including organization of the Northwest Common Ground Alliance, service on the national CGA damage reporting (DIRT) committee, design and facilitation of state?wide, multi?interest land use around transmission pipelines workshops and development of the 2006 report on “Land Use Planning in Proximity to Natural Gas and Hazardous Liquid Transmission Pipelines in Washington State.” Bob was appointed to the Citizens Committee in 2008. He is a member of the Pipeline Informed Planning Alliance project to develop best land use practices and participated in the development of the Washington Association of Cities community assistance grant.
Glenn R. Archambault is a property owner along an interstate gas pipeline. Glenn and his wife, Terri Magruder DVM., and son Malcolm (Mac), own and operate a sheep farm with 300?500 ewes and lambs in Phoenix, Oregon. Mr. Archambault has 30 years
experience as a heavy equipment mechanic, welder/fitter, automotive electronics technician and has been employed in the mining, forest products, and agriculture industries. His Academic background includes diesel power management, metallurgy,
welding technology, and automotive electronics. He has 15 years of experience with pipeline safety as a citizen volunteer and landowner dealing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the federal Office of Pipeline Safety, pipelines/ land use
planning, and local and state government. Currently, he is a board member of the Pipeline Safety Trust and a task team member (Protecting Communities) of the Pipelines Informed Planning Alliance (PIPA).
Lori Bonilla is the Utilities Business Development Coordinator for the City of Mesa Energy Resources Department. Including both a Gas and Electric utility, as part of her duties she is responsible for development/implementation of key account strategies,
managing Public Education and Outreach Efforts, as well as review of website content. Education and Outreach Efforts include venue identification and materials design and preparation for communities and responder’s regarding pipeline safety and the safe use and benefits of natural gas. Ms. Bonilla also has an active role in energy assurance planning efforts. As a consultant and as a Vice President of Development with divisions of Florida Power and Light and Ford Motor Company, Ms. Bonilla was responsible for the evaluation, design and negotiation of investments and partnerships. At Ford, Ms. Bonilla developed project finance as a new profit center and established its market presence. She has designed first-of-a-kind financing methods for renewable/sustainable energy projects and has significant experience in the development of strategic initiatives, asset optimization, and community and investor relations. Awarded both a merit scholarship and teaching fellowship, Ms. Bonilla earned a BS in Marketing/Public Relations and an MBA in Finance and Market Research from Wayne State University.
Terry Boss is a mechanical engineer by training. He joined Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America in 1974, where he held positions in field operations, construction, plant and pipeline safety, development engineering, computer engineering and pipeline safety. He joined the Gas Research Institute in 1993 as a principal technology manager in Transmission. His responsibilities there included the Non – Destructive Evaluation program and Pipeline O&M Program. In September 1995, Mr. Boss joined the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) as director of Environment, Safety and Operations. In 1996, Mr. Boss was promoted to Vice President, Environment, Safety and Operations and in 2001 to Senior Vice President.
Andrew Dorton is a Financial Advisor for Prestonsburg City’s Utilities Commission. Prestonsburg City’s Utilities Commission provides gas, water and sewer services to the City of Prestonsburg, Kentucky and parts of Floyd County, Kentucky. Andrew is a
graduate of The Citadel.
Lynda Farrell, Blue Heron Consulting. Honeysuckle Hill Farms specializes in agricultural and environmental consulting. Lynda’s first experience with Williams Transco’s three pipelines under the soils of her farm, occurred when an unannounced smart pig inspection sent her running to the hills in expectation of an explosion. Now an independent consultant, Lynda’s work ranges from USDA Risk Management education for the re?emerging population of women farmers, to promoting sustainable practices of both agricultural and environmental stewardship. Appointments include service as a Chester County Conservation District Associate Director, Southeastern PA RC&D Council Director, PA?WAgN (Women’s Agricultural Network) regional representative, Member and Sub-Committee Chair for the Chester County Pipeline Task Force, steering committee member for the Keep Farming First Summit and founder of 2CE 3P0 – Citizens Coalition for Environmental & Property Protection in Pipeline Operations. Joy and reality check come from volunteering at Children’s Intermediate Units and Rehab Hospitals with Pet Assistance Therapy Dog Phoebe, Lynda’s Australian Shepherd.
Steve Fischer serves as the Director of Program Development for the Office of Pipeline Safety in the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). In this capacity, Mr. Fischer leads programs to enhance PHMSA’s pipeline safety damage
prevention and community involvement initiatives, public awareness, grant programs, research and development, and the National Pipeline Mapping System. While previously serving as the GIS Manager, Mr. Fischer was responsible for the technical development
and management of the National Pipeline Mapping System. Prior to joining PHMSA, Mr. Fischer worked both in the private sector and for the City of Niagara Falls, New York on multiple geospatial data conversion projects and on the implementation and
operation of city and county level geographic information systems. Steve holds a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of Central Arkansas and a master’s degree in geography from Binghamton University.
Dick Goldsmith is the program director of the national Pipeline Safety Trust. Before joining the Trust in April 2009, he was the director of legal services and public policy for the Association of Washington Public Hospital Districts. During his career Dick has
worked in a wide range of fields including health care, fisheries management, aviation safety, and marine transportation. He also formed—as well as participated in—numerous coalitions that addressed highly?controversial issues and focused political and public attention on members’ concerns. Dick is an attorney and has been licensed to practice law in Washington State since 1975. He holds a master of laws degree in marine affairs from the University of Washington School of Law and a law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. He received his BA degree in English from Michigan State University.
Sam Hall is a Program Manager for the Office of Pipeline Safety in the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). In this capacity, Mr. Hall coordinates a variety of PHMSA damage prevention initiatives, including the Technical
Assistance Grants program, the State Damage Prevention grants program, and several cooperative agreements with damage prevention and pipeline safety stakeholder groups such as the Common Ground Alliance and the National Association of State Fire Marshals. Mr. Hall began working with PHMSA in 1998 in support of the National Pipeline Mapping System and served as the GIS Manager from 2003 to 2005. He left PHMSA in 2005 to pursue opportunities in Virginia state government, where he worked
for both the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the Virginia Geographic Information Network. He returned to PHMSA in 2008 to serve in his current role. Mr. Hall holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in Geography from George Mason University.
Denise Hamsher works in Enbridge Energy Company’s U.S. operating and major project development center in Superior, Wisconsin and has been with the company for over 24 years. She currently is Director of Public, Federal and State Regulatory Affairs responsible for Enbridge’s major liquid pipeline expansion projects in the U.S. Denise has lead and/or served on a number of industry workgroups and committees and has been on DOT’s Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee since the mid-1990’s. She joined others in leading development of the API 1162, the public awareness outreach standard for those who live and work along pipelines. Denise has led the public consultation and state regulatory facility filing effort on a number of major liquid and natural gas pipeline construction projects, including some that are currently underway in the Midwest.
Robert W. Hill – Brookings County, South Dakota Planning, Zoning and Drainage Director for the past 6 years. He has been involved in siting three wind tower projects, two which are complete and one is under construction. A 300 megawatt Natural
Gas Energy Conversion Facility, with an associated transmission pipeline is currently being permitted in his county. He is a member of the Pipelines and Informed Planning Alliance (PIPA) Protecting Transmission Pipeline (PTP) Team, representing the
National Association of County Planners (NACP), as an affiliate of the National Association of Counties (NACo). He is retired from the U.S. Army and has a MS and BS in Geography from South Dakota State University (SDSU).
Eileen Juico is a consultant for the Technical Assistance Grant awarded to West Vincent Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania with West Pikeland and East Nantmeal townships as partners. Ms. Juico is a member of the Chester County Pipeline Task Force which seeks to facilitate accurate and timely technical review of pipeline projects proposed in or impacting Chester County and to act as a liaison between FERC, pipeline companies, and affected county residents, municipalities and organizations. As an attorney, Ms. Juico has drafted and reviewed land use and zoning ordinances for municipal clients and advised on compliance with federal and state environmental regulations. Ms. Juico now focuses in the area of mediation. While serving as President of the West Pikeland Land Trust for four years, she organized public forums on land conservation and watershed management. Ms. Juico has a B.A. degree from Smith College and a J.D. degree from Rutgers University School of Law – Camden.
Eric “Rick” Kessler currently serves as President of Dow Lohnes Government Strategies, a lobbying group in Washington DC. Most recently Mr. Kessler served as Director of New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine’s (D) Washington, DC office. Mr. Kessler is best known as the longtime chief of staff to House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Dingell (D, MI) and as a professional staffer handling energy and environmental issues on the Energy and Commerce Committee, where he was the primary staffer to all the Democratic Committee Members on issues such as cogeneration, renewables, efficiency, hydro-power, public lands, oil, gas, coal, pipeline safety and energy-related research, remediation and tax policy. While serving as Chairman Dingell’s chief of staff, he also was responsible for all political, legislative, policy, press and administrative matters. Previously Mr. Kessler was the Associate Director of Government Affairs for Princeton University, worked as a top aide to Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D, NJ), held legislative positions with Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D, NJ) and former Representative William J. Hughes (D, NJ). Mr. Kessler is a graduate of Kenyon College and Rutgers University and also attended the University of Surrey in Guildford, UK.
Elizabeth Komiskey is a Senior Engineer for the Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration, Office of Pipeline Safety in Washington D.C. Prior to joining PHMSA in 2006, Elizabeth worked for the Minerals Management Service in New Orleans, Louisiana and was the lead engineer responsible for reviewing pipeline design, repair procedures, and performing offshore inspections during pipeline construction and operation for the Gulf of Mexico. During the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, she was a primary member of the MMS COOP team responsible for handling all pipeline emergency and safety issues, and the continuance of permitting activities for the temporary office located in Houston, Texas. Elizabeth worked as pipeline design
engineer for Project Consulting Services, Inc. in Metairie, LA from 1997 until 2002. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering for the University of New Orleans and is a registered professional engineer in Civil Engineering in the state of
Louisiana.
Chuck Lesniak has lived in Austin, Texas for over 25 years, is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in Aquatic Biology, and is a Registered Environmental Manager. He has worked for the City of Austin in the environmental field for over 19 years and is currently an Environmental Policy Program Manager in the Watershed Protection Department. Until 1999, when Austin joined a lawsuit over conversion of a local pipeline from crude oil to refined products, Chuck didn’t know pipelines from Shinola. However, he is now the City of Austin’s “Pipeline Guy”. In addition to the Longhorn lawsuit, Chuck helped develop Austin’s pipeline setback ordinance, led the risk analysis and technical evaluation of two other pipelines in the Austin area, and has represented Austin and the National League of Cities in the PIPA process. More important than all of that are his wife, son, age 12, and daughter, age 9.
Peter Lidiak is the Director of API’s Pipeline Segment. Previously, he was a member of API’s Downstream Department where he served as the Fuels and Refining Issues Manager and Senior Fuels Associate. Prior to that, Mr. Lidiak staffed API’s Title I Task
Force working on National Ambient Air Quality Standards, New Source Review, Regional Haze and other Clean Air Act-related issues. He joined API in 2000 after a fifteen-year tenure with the U.S. EPA working primarily on mobile source air quality issues, including national transportation policies, sustainable development, and fuels. Prior to working for EPA, he taught secondary school science and had a short tenure with the University of Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources. Mr. Lidiak has a B.A. in Physical Science from Colgate University.
Francis A. McGarry, former Fire Administrator for the State of New York and the past president of the National Association of State Fire Marshals, is currently president of the consulting firm of Frank McGarry Associates, Inc. As a leader in fire protection both nationally and in the State of New York for more than three decades, Mr. McGarry enjoys a national reputation in both fire protection and government affairs. He maintains close working relationships with the nation’s major fire service organizations, as well as with government leaders at the federal level and in New York State. Mr. McGarry has played a leadership role in fire service efforts to promote the passage of major pieces of fire and life safety legislation at both the state and federal level. In addition to managing his firm, Mr. McGarry currently serves as the Senior Policy Manager for the National Association of State Fire Marshals and handles technical issues for the Association.
Brad Mears joined Kansas Municipal Utilities in 2007 as Director of Operations. In his position he is responsible for developing and implementing programs and services for the benefit of municipal utilities in Kansas. He also represents municipal utility issues to governmental officials at the local, state and federal levels. Before joining KMU, he served as city manager of Holton, Kansas for 15 years. In addition to his general city government responsibilities as city manager, he also directed the City’s electric, water, and wastewater utilities. Prior to his local government experience, he worked at the state level as the Director of Research and Analysis and as Assistant Director for Existing Industry Development for the Kansas Department of Commerce. He has a Masters degree in Public Administration and a Bachelors degree in Business Administration, both from Wichita State University. Brad currently resides in McPherson, Kansas.
Anthony Moscarelli is a retiree from the Mechanical Engineering Department of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He has lived in Suisun City, California for twenty years. His residential housing subdivision borders a pipeline corridor that supplies Travis Air Force Base with a 16” and a 32” buried high?pressure natural gas pipelines. He also has two military pipelines that run parallel to the natural gas pipelines through his backyard. He lives about one mile from Travis Air Force Base. He has gotten involved in pointing out the lack of Public Safety concerns that the Local City Government and Travis AFB Officials have shown towards the Military’s pipelines.
John L. Piazza II is currently the President and a Principal Engineer of Southern Cathodic Protection Company. He is a registered Professional Engineer, is certified as a Corrosion Specialist by NACE International, and has passed the National Council of
Engineering Examiners Examination for professional engineering registration throughout the United States. He serves on the G1 Corrosion Committee and the E50 and E51 Environmental Committees of ASTM, and on eleven Corrosion Committees of NACE International developing standards for corrosion control and integrity of gas and liquid pipelines. Mr. Piazza is a member of APGA, SGA, TGA, FNGA, ANGA, Atlanta Pipeliners Club, NSPE, GSPE, LES, FES, and ASME. Mr. Piazza developed the bare pipe evaluation models for steel, cast iron, and ductile iron pipelines that are being used throughout the United States for asset management. He has published numerous articles on corrosion control, cathodic protection, and integrity of pipelines and has taught corrosion control courses at West Virginia and Purdue Universities. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University, an MBA from Georgia State University, and HAZMAT training certification from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Cathy Pratt is the Manager of the Engineering & Development Services Group for the City of St. Peters, Missouri. St. Peters has a current estimated population of 56,000 and it continues to be one of the fastest growing cities in Missouri. The City had the largest population growth of any Missouri city during the past two decades. The Engineering & Development Services Group for the city includes Code Enforcement, Engineering, Planning, Economic Development and Capital Project Management. Cathy is a Co-Chair of the Protecting Communities for the Pipelines and Informed Planning Alliance Task Force. Ms. Pratt has been involved with residents in her community concerning pipelines and has worked with elected officials to enact several Ordinances to address pipeline safety. She has a B.S. degree in Finance from the University of Houston as well as a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Southern Illinois University.
Bob Rackleff is the President of the Board of Directors of the Pipeline Safety Trust, a founder of the Pipeline Safety Reform Coalition, and has been active advocating for better pipeline safety since the early 1990’s. He is a three?term County Commissioner in Leon County Florida. He was a speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter, Senator Edmund Muskie, Secretary of the Treasury Michael Blumenthal, Secretary of Labor Ray Marshall, and continues as a speechwriting and public relations consultant with major corporations and foundations. He enlisted in the navy in 1963 and saw active duty from 1965?1967. He is a retired Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Naval Intelligence Reserve. Bob received a B.A. in History, and M.A. in American Studies from Florida State University.
Alan Rathbun served as the Pipeline Safety Director with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) from 2003?2007. The UTC’s Pipeline Safety program regulates intrastate gas and hazardous liquid pipelines together with serving as
interstate agent for Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) on all natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines within Washington’s borders. During his tenure with the UTC, Alan led the effort to strengthen this regulatory program through education, enforcement and an enhanced partnership with PHMSA. Alan helped lead Washington’s effort to raise public awareness and develop a program for cooperation in land use around transmission pipelines. He has a degree in civil engineering from the University of Minnesota with experience in both consulting practice and as a municipal engineer. For the past 25 years he has been a regulator with the state; the last 18 years have been in various management positions. He lives in Shelton, Washington.
Deborah Rogers began her career at the age of eighteen as an International Fashion Model and Cover Girl for Eileen Ford in New York. From there she was sent to Europe where she eventually worked in Corporate Finance in London. After returning to the
States, she started the dairy, Deborah’s Farmstead, on land that she and her husband bought from her Grandfather, turning it back into a working farm. Deborah has a herd of 85 dairy goats and makes artisanal cheeses, which have won several national awards and much acclaim. She currently serves on the Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
Kristin Smith has served as Executive Director of the Copper River Watershed Project since March, 1999. Ms. Smith manages the CRWP’s FishWatch habitat priorities program, plans and manages fish habitat restoration projects, implements small?scale
tourism projects, and writes grants and conducts fund?raising. Following the CRWP’s signature approach of focusing on common ground, she has initiated several community roundtable efforts, including a stakeholder process for developing a prototype citizen oversight group for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) in the Copper River watershed. From ten years in the public sector working on low?income housing and community development projects, Ms. Smith gained experience in project management, data collection and analysis, social services program management, and community planning. Ms. Smith holds a Master of Public Policy degree from Harvard University and a B.A. degree in Political Science from Middlebury College.
Olivia Stockman is the Director of Organizing and Campaigns for Northern Plains Resource Council, a grassroots conservation and family agriculture group that organizes Montana citizens to protect water quality, family farms and ranches, and Montana’s
unique quality of life. Olivia received her B.A. in Political Science at the University of Kansas and M.A. in Political Science at the University of New Mexico. She found her calling as an organizer five years ago and settled in Billings, Montana in 2008. She has
been working with landowners in Montana along the Keystone XL pipeline route since early 2009.
Wilma Subra started Subra Company in 1981. Subra Company is a chemistry lab and environmental consulting firm in New Iberia, LA. Mrs. Subra provides technical assistance to citizens, across the United States and some foreign countries. She has just
completed a seven year term as Vice?Chair of the Environmental Protection Agency National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT), a five year term on the National Advisory Committee of the U. S. Representative to the
Commission for Environmental Cooperation and a six year term on the EPA National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) where she served as a member of the Cumulative Risk and Impacts Working Group of the NEJAC Council, and chaired the
NEJAC Gulf Coast Hurricanes Work Group. She is also on the Board of EARTHWORKS and is a founding member of the Oil and Gas Accountability Project. Mrs. Subra holds degrees in Microbiology/ Chemistry from the University of Southwestern Louisiana. She received the MacArthur Fellowship “Genius” Award from the MacArthur Foundation for helping ordinary citizens understand, cope with and combat environmental issues in their communities and was one of three finalist in the Environmental Category of the 2004 Volvo for Life Award.
Calvin Tillman is the mayor of the small town of DISH, Texas. Elected as mayor of DISH in May of 2007, he is currently serving in his second term as mayor, after serving a two?year term as town commissioner of DISH. Due to DISH being the crossroads of
many natural gas pipelines, the mayor was active in pursuing state legislation regarding the routing of natural gas pipelines as well as the powers that the pipeline companies have been given. A resolution was passed by the town of DISH regarding this subject and was passed by forty other towns with well over a million people represented. DISH, which has the smallest budget of any town in North Texas, commissioned an independent air quality study near a large natural gas compression station. This testing was among the first of its kind. The town of DISH is leading the cause for responsible drilling and pipelines in North Texas. Mayor Tillman serves on workgroups with the members of the state legislators, regarding regulation of the natural gas industry, and is active with the Texas Oil and Gas Accountability Project. He has degrees from the Community College of the Air Force, and Concordia University of Texas, as well as being a licensed aircraft mechanic and pilot.
Lisa Van Houten is a 15 year Board Member of the Bradford Glen HOA. In this capacity and most recently, she has been the primary liaison for the community with regards to the current and proposed pipeline activity within the neighborhood. She is
also on Committees for the Western and Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce. Lisa was the Founder and VP for the Downingtown Chapter of Business Network International. In her spare time she is the Marketing Coordinator for Hy?Tech
Mushroom Compost, charged with developing and education individuals and industries on the benefits of using pasteurized mushroom compost for land use applications from acid mine drainage and land reclamation to farming, sod and hay. In addition, Lisa is an Independent Associate with Pre?Paid Legal Services promoting the benefits of individual Legal Plans and Identity Theft Monitoring and Restoration.
Susan Waller is vice president of stakeholder outreach for Spectra Energy Corp. In that role she directs public and community outreach related to the company’s U.S. natural gas projects. Prior to joining Spectra Energy in 2008, Waller served as vice president for AMEC, Earth Environmental, managing the company’s oil and gas sector. Before that, she served as vice president for the Shaw Group, Inc., and for Regulatory Compliance Partners, Inc. She also served in numerous leadership positions at El Paso Corporation, including director for government and project affairs. Waller earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Houston. She is a member of Women in Energy, the Society of Gas Lighters, the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America Foundation, the Southern Gas Association and the Northeast Gas Association.
Carl Weimer is the Executive Director of the national Pipeline Safety Trust. He also serves on the Governor appointed Washington State Citizens Committee on Pipeline Safety, as a member of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, and the steering committee for the Pipelines and Informed Planning Alliance. Mr. Weimer has testified to both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate on pipeline safety issues, organized four national pipeline safety conferences, pushed for stronger pipeline safety legislation on the national and state level, runs the national Safe Pipelines and LNG Safety listserves that include over 700 people from around the country, and regularly serves as an independent source of pipeline safety information for news media, local government, and citizens around the country. Mr. Weimer was elected in 2005 to a four?year term to the Whatcom County Council. He has a degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Education from the University of Michigan, as well a degree in Industrial Electronics Technology from Peninsula College.
Jeff Wiese serves as the Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) in the U.S. Department of Transportation. In this capacity, Mr. Wiese leads PHMSA’s overall efforts to improve the design, construction, operation and maintenance, and spill response planning for the Nation’s pipeline transportation system. Previously Mr. Wiese served as PHMSA’s Director of Program Development for pipeline safety where he led several programs to enhance PHMSA’s pipeline safety damage prevention and community involvement initiatives, public awareness, field implementation of the Integrity Management Program rules, research and development, and the National Pipeline Mapping System. Mr. Wiese also directed budget development, user fee assessment, and oil spill planning and
preparedness for PHMSA’s pipeline safety program. Prior to arriving at PHMSA, Mr. Wiese worked for fifteen years in matters related to offshore oil and gas safety for the Minerals Management Service including stints as Director of Safety and Environmental Management and Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Performance Measures Programs as well as its Chief of Staff for Offshore Operations and Safety Management.
Libby Willis is Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Fort Worth League of Neighborhoods. She is chairman of that group’s Gas Drilling Committee. Since 2005, she has served as president of the Oakhurst Neighborhood Association, one of the
earliest Fort Worth neighborhoods to become involved in gas drilling. She is currently a consultant to Partners for Sacred Places and has worked as the Director of the Southwest Field Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and as the executive
director of Preservation Texas. She is a 1981 magna cum laude graduate of Baylor University where she earned a B.A. in English and French. She also holds a Masters degree in international journalism from Baylor.
James A. Woods is a native of Bay County, Florida. He is a graduate of Florida State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. James has worked in city management for eight years, serving as Blountstown City Manager since 2007. Mr. Woods is an out-of-the-box thinker, who works daily to pursue affordable, progressive ideas for his city and constituents. Mr. Woods is a successful grant writer with more than $9 million secured funding under his belt. He currently serves as president of the Blountstown Rotary Club, Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce board of directors, and the 4-h Advisory Committee. He is also the proud father of three amazing children.