Page 5 - jul-aug 2023

report from npga state director
2023 Summer Board of Directors Meeting Highlights
NPGA Annual Board Meeting and Propane Days
From June 4 -7, NPGA hosted its annual
Board meeting and Propane Days Capitol Hill meet-
ings. The week kicked off with State Propane Gas
Association Presidents and Executive Directors from
around the country meeting with NPGA leadership
to discuss pressing policy issues, both federal and
across the states, with the largest emphasis on
combating anti-gas laws, regulations, and codes. The
PropanePAC hosted an evening reception at Tudor
Place, an historic Washington, DC property once
home to descendants of Martha Washington.
On June 5, at the Marketers’ meeting, NPGA
hosted Dr. Paula Gant, President of GTI Energy. GTI
Energy is a leading research organization that man-
ages a tremendous collection of propane-related
emissions data and is currently leading research in
a renewable propane technology called Cool LPG.
NPGA Board members and guests also heard from
Tucker Perkins who provided an update on PERC’s
activities and Mike Rush, head of safety and oper-
ations for the American Association of Railroads,
who spoke about the policy aftermath of the East
Palestine, Ohio incident and the threatened labor
strikes from last fall. NPGA moderated a gas stoves
policy panel with coalition partners representing the
natural gas and appliance manufacturing industries.
NPGA’s final pre-Board meeting speaker was a repre-
sentative of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, who
shared data on workforce trends.
Jeff Stewart Appointed as NPGA Chair; NPGA Offi-
cers Sworn In
Outgoing Board Chair Michelle Bimson Mag-
gi presided over the Annual Meeting and summer
Board Meeting. She gave remarks on her year in
leadership and presented awards and citations. Steve
Kaminski, NPGA’s President and CEO, spoke to the
Board about NPGA’s increasing role in using litigation
to combat laws that threaten propane usage and
predicted the need for litigation to ramp up through- bers of Congress attended the reception, including
out the year.
The NPGA Board of Directors then selected
its officers for the upcoming year: Mr. Jeff Stewart
of Blue Star Gas as Chair, Mr. Tom Van Buren of
Meritum Energy Holdings as Chair-Elect, Mr. Mike
Hopsicker of Ray Murray as Vice Chair, and Ms. DD
Alexander of Global Gas as Treasurer. Newly appoint- important and effective in communicating propane’s
ed NPGA Board of Directors Chair Jeff Stewart then
closed the meeting with a challenge to all members
5 Alabama Propane Gas Association | July / August 2023
of the propane industry to lead by example by maxi-
mizing their own usage of the product that provides
our livelihoods.
Awards and Citations
At the NPGA Board Meeting, outgoing Chair
Michelle Bimson Maggi awarded Chair’s citations to
five individuals who have demonstrated extraordi-
nary commitment to the industry: Christina Armen-
tano of Paraco Gas, Tom Clark of the Rocky Mountain
Propane Association, Daniel Dixon of Energy Distri-
bution Partners, Nash McMahan of Tri-Gas & Oil, and
Warren Patterson, formerly of AmeriGas. She shared
through personal, heartfelt, and funny remarks how
each person exemplifies excellence in the propane
industry. Daniel Dixon is an APGA member and past
President.
Propane Days
On June 6 and 7, members of the propane
industry headed to Capitol Hill for Propane Days.
NPGA’s legislative staff briefed the group on conduct-
ing successful meetings with Members of Congress
and their staff. Association members also learned
about the propane industry’s top policy initiatives on
Capitol Hill, which range from protecting consumer
energy choice to the Farm Bill reauthorization and
annual appropriations. Attendees then held a series
of individual Capitol Hill meetings with over 200
Members of Congress in both the House and Senate.
Feedback was positive—Members of Congress and
their staff were receptive to hearing our messages
and learning more about the propane industry from
companies operating in their districts. NPGA thanks
everyone who participated in these advocacy efforts
and the state executives who were instrumental in
scheduling the meetings.
On the evening of June 6, NPGA hosted a
barbeque reception in the Rayburn House Office
Building. Hundreds of Congressional staff from
across the country and approximately a dozen Mem-
representatives of districts in Arizona, California,
Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, and Virginia.
These Capitol Hill meetings were extremely
timely as Congress was slated to vote on two distinct
gas stove-related bills, one on June 6 and another
on June 7. Having local boots on the ground was
messages to a significant number of lawmakers.■