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word from the president
would like to start my first article out by ex- didn't matter. I believed
pressing my gratitude to you all. Thank you that volunteering my time
for electing me to serve on the board over the didn't matter in the long
I t few years, and now, for letting me serve as run. What I have learned
pas
President of the APGA. I am very honored to have instead, is just the opposite.
the chance to hold this position. I have met people that have
It is funny when you think about how cared for and spoken for
much things can change over a short period of this board and the associa-
time. The years before I became a member of the tion for many years. These Daniel Brown
APGA President
Board of Directors (BOD), I never saw the value or are people who care very
understood the importance of the association or deeply not just for their
in my participation in the events, meetings, and company or their segment of the industry, but for
activities of the association. Whenever there was the industry as a whole.
a meeting or event, I always said I had too much As my first order of business, I want to ask
work to do, or life was too busy, and I could not all APGA members to participate, become more
make the time. There always seemed to be some- active, come share your opinions and concerns
thing that kept me from participating. so that everyone can be represented. We need
In 2020, when I was voted as the Northern everyone to understand the importance of partic-
District Director, I had no idea what to expect. ipation. It is my hope that over the next year, we
What I learned was that everyone in the room can continue to work and grow our participation.
were from different size companies and from dif- Whether that means attending legislative events,
ferent parts of the state. Each of us had different district meetings, board of directors' meetings,
backgrounds and focused on all different types of committee meetings, or volunteering to serve
the industry based on what our roles were at our on a committee - I encourage you to show up
respective company. When topics came up, we and have your voice heard. There are plenty of
were all on different sides of an issue, but we all opportunities for everyone to participate and
had the same focus ... being heard and figuring contribute. From my participation over the last
out what needs to be done to address the issue two years, and the trips to Washington, D.C. for
at hand. I found that our differences and differ- Propane Days, I learned that people are not just
ent outlooks helped to steer the discussions to listening, but asking questions and wanting to
the best end for everyone in the room. I saw that know more about propane and where propane
once a decision had been made, everyone would fits into the energy equation. We need to contin-
get behind that decision, and that our collective ue to work together, to have our voices heard. We
voices - as an association - were much more capa- need to continue to strengthen these relation-
ble of moving the needle in favor of our industry. ships.
As I have gotten further into my journey We have a larger role to play in the ener-
as a member of the APGA, I have noticed a shift gy discussion, and if everyone participates, and
where the issues are and where our attention puts in the effort, we can ensure that our voices
lies. Through political changes and initiatives, our are heard, that we are telling our story, and that
voices may be more important now than ever the right people in the right places are listening. I
before. I say all this to tell you that I have realized hope to see everyone at the Committee Meetings
how wrong I was before I became a part of the on August 7th at the APGA Office in Prattville.
APGA BOD. For so long, I believed that voices There has never been a better time to start being
active, than right now. ■
4 Alabama Propane Gas Association | July / August 2025
