Announcing the 2024 SGA Award Winners

Dallas, TX - The Southern Gas Association is honored to announce the winners of the 2024 SGA Awards across eight categories:

• Tyler Tunic, Williams - Chair's Rising Leader
• Atlanta Gas Light (Southern Company Gas) - Community Service
• ONE Gas - Corporate Communication
• Summit Utilities - Emergency Management
• Atmos Energy - Engineering Innovation
• Boardwalk Pipelines - Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG)
• Energy Transfer - Safety & Health
• See below for Meritorious Action honorees.

The winners were selected from 71 submissions, with more than 5,100 votes cast from Southern Gas Association members.

For decades, the Southern Gas Association has been an important forum for recognizing leading natural gas companies across the United States and Canada. SGA Awards recognize members who are advancing the natural gas industry. Our aim is to support and showcase the great work of companies that have achieved real, measurable business outcomes in their organizations.

SGA Awards recognize individuals and teams for their technical contributions, professional excellence, career achievement, service to colleagues, industry leadership and community service.

THE WINNERS

CHAIR'S RISING LEADER

Tyler Tunic, Williams

Nomination
Tyler has been actively contributing to excellence in the natural gas industry throughout his 10-year career. Through his involvement in the Southern Gas Association (SGA), Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) Foundation, Young Pipeline Professionals (YPP) USA, and Young Pipeliners International (YPI) his passion for natural gas industry advocacy is apparent.

At Williams, Tyler has held various positions across the organization, from project engineering to commercial optimization to pipeline control. He currently manages the Air Compliance and Emissions Reduction team within Williams' environmental group where he and his team are tasked with the "E" of Williams' Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) efforts. Tyler's leadership plays a crucial role in advancing sustainable practices and minimizing environmental impact in the natural gas industry. Last year, he led the development of a white paper that examined the cost, emissions, and security complexities in electrifying pipeline compression. This paper has been praised by our CEO Alan Armstrong as a tool to dissuade against blind electrification policy and has been presented at conferences across the US in 2024 and shared with local, state, and federal regulators.

While Chair of Young Pipeliners International (YPI) from 2020-2021, he led the development of new regional YPP groups in India, China, Malaysia, and Nigeria. Tyler then served as Chair of Young Pipeline Professionals USA (YPP USA) from 2021-2023 where he led knowledge sharing, networking, and collaboration among emerging pipeline professionals and cemented their annual Symposium as the premier event for young professionals in the industry. In 2024, Tyler had the honor of being voted onto the Board of YPP USA.

Tyler embraces the need for the natural gas industry to lead the way into the energy future through the attraction and retention of young professionals into the industry. Through the INGAA Foundation, he has championed numerous industry advocacy projects from industry message testing to the development of industry advocacy engagement tools. His efforts have produced consistent natural gas industry messaging for industry employees to use that is directed at various target audiences and assists to eliminate obstacles for industry employees to be public advocates. Tyler was invited to be the guest speaker to share these efforts at the January 2024 SGA Accredited Natural Gas Executive (ANGE) cohort session and will be presenting to the SGA Executive Council this Fall.

Tyler has brought these advocacy efforts back to Williams where he was instrumental in starting an Ambassadors program for Williams' employees, developing an intranet "starter kit" for employees to advocate for our industry and spearheaded introducing advocacy sessions within our Volunteer Week and Day of Caring programs.

Tyler's commitment to operational excellence, environmental stewardship, and industry advocacy exemplifies how young professionals can make a significant impact in the natural gas sector. He has the unique capability of bridging the industry challenges and solutions that span across his professional and volunteer interests. Tyler is duly qualified for this prestigious award as he has proven both his commitment to his professional career and his contribution to the community of young pipeline professionals.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Atlanta Gas Light (Southern Company Gas) - Atlanta Gas Light Partners with Goodr

Program Description
Atlanta Gas Light is focused on helping the communities in which it serves through employee volunteerism, philanthropic donations and partnerships that improve the lives of Georgians. One of these areas of focus is feeding the hungry.

Sources estimate that roughly 1.1 million Georgians currently struggle with hunger. Of those, 360,000 are children. Hunger is known to affect not only a child's daily school performance, but also their health and psychosocial behavior.

In 2021, Atlanta Gas Light, through the Atlanta Gas Light Foundation, sought to help address the hunger crisis by forging a partnership with Goodr, an Atlanta-based leading food distribution and recovery organization using technology and logistics to fight hunger and food waste.

This partnership has led to the opening in 2023 of the Goodr Grocery Store at Jean Childs Young Middle School in southwest Atlanta - a first for the Atlanta Public School system. In addition, three specific events to distribute groceries have been held in Atlanta to offer families the opportunity to pick up food items.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Atlanta Gas Light President and CEO Pedro Cherry were among the dignitaries to participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the grocery store at Jean Childs Young Middle School.

Bringing a grocery store directly to the middle school is just one step in the company's effort to help remove barriers and ensure that every child has access to fresh produce, pantry staples and essential items.

This partnership with Goodr aligns with one of Atlanta Gas Light's core values: to make our communities better because we're there and to ensure a stronger, more prosperous future for all.

Results
Through the first year of operation, the grocery store has already been a huge success, providing more than 12,000 meals and more than 5,000 pounds of food for the students and their families through high quality, nutritious groceries at no cost. During the school year, the store is expected to provide more than 32,000 meals.

More than 200 families participated in a free Pop-Up Grocery Market hosted by Goodr, Atlanta Gas Light, Atlanta Public Schools and the City of Atlanta in December 2022. Each family received a week's worth of groceries, which included meat and seafood, fresh produce, eggs, bread, dairy, shelf-stable items and snacks.

Atlanta Gas Light employee volunteers have participated in each of these events, helping serve families and students.

Conclusion
The company is committed to being a citizen wherever we serve, through philanthropy and volunteerism, to create a positive impact for communities throughout Georgia.

The Goodr partnership has amplified that mission, both with external stakeholders and employees, while creating brand awareness for Atlanta Gas Light and its foundation to build momentum among the business community to join together in the fight against hunger.

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

ONE Gas - Video Series: "Work When Safe" Videos Make Safety Personal

Program Description
While working on his truck at home, Eric Baker, a technical trainer for ONE Gas, avoided a safety disaster thanks to an unexpected source - his 12-year-old son, Caden. As Eric was about to slide underneath the truck, Caden reminded his father of a phrase he'd seen on Eric's work baseball cap: "Start When Safe." This touching story was just one in a series of employee-focused videos developed by the Corporate Communications team at ONE Gas highlighting the importance of working when safe.

Safety is our number one Core Value. We are committed to pursuing a zero-incident safety culture, which can reduce risk, enhance productivity and build a strong reputation in the communities in which we operate. While our safety culture is strong and our safety scores are industry-leading, even one safety incident is too many. This creates the opportunity to encourage employee safety in new ways beyond traditional training.

In 2023, the Environmental, Safety and Health team partnered with Corporate Communications to launch a Work When Safe video series to encourage employees to think through what could happen before work begins and prepare for it rather than waiting to respond if something happens. The goal of the video series was to connect with all employees, no matter their role in the company, by showing real-life examples of how the Work When Safe mentality could protect them at home or on the job.

To connect with employees in a different way than traditional training, the Corporate Communications team put the employees and their stories center stage. Historically, the team knew that content featuring employees performs better than other messages. In a video series, Corporate Communications interviewed employees in a variety of environments - in the field and at home - highlighting real-life Work When Safe moments. The key messages of the video series were two-fold: tragedies can easily be avoided if we wait to start our work until all conditions are safe, and to speak up and stop the work if conditions change and become unsafe.

Additionally, sharing videos with all employees on the company intranet provided a place for discussion and connection between employees across job roles and geographies in the comments. Engagement on the intranet and views of the videos were measurable, which allowed both Safety and Corporate Communications to evaluate success.

Results
The Work When Safe video series gave all employees - whether office- or field-based - a fresh look at why thinking through potential safety issues before work begins can save lives and reduce injuries.

Feedback on the videos was overwhelmingly positive, with video views 38% higher than average. Each video received numerous comments praising the employee for sharing their story. Corporate Communication also encouraged viewers to submit their Work When Safe story, which has resulted in a pipeline of future videos.

While it is unknown if the videos had a direct correlation with reduced injury or incidents, the company reduced its year-over-year DART and PVIR personal safety metrics. The videos added value to an already robust safety culture reliant on training and development, performance management and the shared responsibility to keep ourselves, our co-workers, our customers and communities safe.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Summit Utilities - Tornado & Wildfire Response

Program Description
In the face of devastating natural disasters in Arkansas and Colorado, Summit Utilities' emergency response showcased our dedication to safety, community, and resilience. Our response efforts in both states served not just as immediate relief actions but also as platforms for connecting people, ideas, and information. In Arkansas, the utilization of Picarro technology verified the safety of our system, underscoring our innovative approach to ensuring public safety and infrastructure integrity amidst chaos. This technology became a focal point for discussions on enhancing emergency response strategies across the utility sector.

Our proactive communication efforts, including the creation of an Arkansas Tornado Information Hub and active engagement through social media and emails, ensured timely updates and essential information reached our customers and community members. These channels facilitated a two-way dialogue, allowing us to address concerns and coordinate with local and state officials effectively.

Furthermore, our charitable contributions and volunteer efforts, particularly the Tree Replacement Project with the Central Arkansas Master Naturalists, highlighted the importance of long-term community recovery and environmental stewardship. By sharing our journey from immediate emergency response to long-term recovery efforts, we connected with other organizations and communities, inspiring a collaborative approach to disaster response and resilience building.

These initiatives demonstrated Summit's commitment to not only restoring services but also fostering community solidarity and environmental recovery, making meaningful contributions to connecting people, ideas, and information for a stronger, more prepared future.

In March 2023, Summit Utilities faced unprecedented emergencies as tornados tore through Arkansas and wildfires threatened Colorado. Our comprehensive emergency management program sprang into action, embodying our commitment to community safety and resilience. In Arkansas, over 150 Summit team members and contractors responded to over 500 work orders, clearing debris, and conducting additional leak surveys to ensure the integrity of our gas systems. The innovative use of Picarro technology played a crucial role in verifying system safety, a testament to our commitment to leveraging cutting-edge solutions in crisis situations.

In Colorado, the proximity of forest fires to residential areas and critical infrastructure prompted a swift evacuation and response strategy. Our team established an incident command center and worked tirelessly to isolate sections of the natural gas system to prevent further danger. The quick decision-making and actions of our team members, especially in notifying fire services of the imminent threat to Sanborn Ranch, exemplified our proactive and safety-first approach.

Our program extended beyond immediate disaster response; it included significant charitable contributions, the establishment of donation portals and boxes for relief efforts, and organized volunteer opportunities for team members. Summit's response was a multi-faceted effort combining emergency preparedness, community engagement, and environmental stewardship, showcasing our dedication to not just rebuilding but strengthening the communities we serve.

Both teams in Colorado and Arkansas were able to complete their emergency response efforts without any injuries.

Results
The effectiveness of Summit Utilities' emergency management program was vividly demonstrated in the aftermath of the 2023 tornados in Arkansas and wildfires in Colorado. Our team's ability to respond to over 500 work orders in Arkansas, coupled with the strategic management of natural gas systems in the face of Colorado's wildfires, showcased our operational excellence and dedication to community safety.

In Arkansas, our efforts led to the swift restoration of services and mitigation of potential safety hazards, with Picarro technology ensuring the comprehensive integrity of our system. The dedication of our teams, working through the night and clearing debris, not only restored normalcy but also deepened the trust and reliance our communities place in us.

In Colorado, our preemptive actions and coordination with firefighting services prevented what could have been a catastrophic escalation, demonstrating the importance of preparedness and rapid response in emergency management. Our actions protected numerous homes and the Sanborn Ranch, highlighting our team's effectiveness in crisis situations.

The program's impact extended well beyond immediate response efforts. Our charitable contributions of $30,000 to local organizations directly supported recovery and relief efforts, demonstrating our investment in the communities we serve. The establishment of donation portals and boxes facilitated substantial contributions from both our team members and the wider community, embodying a collective spirit of support and recovery.

Volunteer efforts, especially the collaboration with Central Arkansas Master Naturalists on the Tree Replacement Project, underscored our commitment to environmental restoration and community resilience. By engaging in reforestation efforts and supporting biodiversity, Summit Utilities contributed to the long-term recovery and sustainability of disaster-stricken areas.

Moreover, our comprehensive communication strategy ensured that all stakeholders, from customers to local government officials, were informed, involved, and engaged throughout the response and recovery process. This approach fostered a sense of unity and collective action, enhancing our program's overall effectiveness.

Summit Utilities' emergency management program not only responded effectively to immediate crises but also laid the foundation for ongoing community support and environmental stewardship. Our efforts underscored the importance of utility companies in disaster resilience, demonstrating how innovative technology, strategic planning, and community engagement can come together to navigate the challenges posed by natural disasters. The program's success reflects our deep commitment to the safety, well-being, and recovery of the communities we are privileged to serve, marking a significant achievement in emergency management and community service.

ENGINEERING INNOVATION

Atmos Energy - State-of-the-Art Salt Cavern Storage Facility

Program Description
The new storage cavern was designed with enhanced safety and reliability features including redundant wellhead isolation and emergency shutdown valves, as well as real-time well and cavern integrity monitoring capability. APT completed the well with a third casing string set into the salt. The production casing was run to a depth of 3,567 feet and cemented to surface. APT completed the well using "smart technology" and ran high-accuracy pressure/temperature gauges behind the production casing, allowing real-time measurement of those critical parameters at the casing seat. A strain gauge was attached to the production casing to record movement and stress/strain data. Data is collected at the surface via fiber optic cables. Additionally, a pressure gauge will be suspended into the cavern at mid-cavern on fiber optic cabling capable of providing distributed temperature data. These design elements facilitate accurate and timely monitoring of inventory and operating conditions while providing safe and reliable service.

De-brining operations, wherein the brine in the cavern is displaced with natural gas is a critical process. Solution mining operations and de-brining operations employed by APT incorporate multiple layers of protection in the automation and control of those processes. De-brining operations were completed in April 2023. Snubbing out of the hanging string utilized for de-brining is planned for April 2024, which will optimize deliverability and eliminate risk related to hanging string integrity issues.

The Bethel Underground Gas Storage facility, owned and operated by Atmos Pipeline - Texas (APT), is uniquely different from the other 17 underground gas storage facilities Atmos Energy owns and operates. The facility consists of three caverns solution-mined in domal salt. Two of those caverns, having a combined total capacity of 9.2 billion cubic feet (BCF), were originally developed and placed into service in 1989 and 1991. These caverns historically provide very large volumes of gas (up to 600,000 MCFD) to the APT pipeline system during periods of very high demand or in the event of supply disruptions from traditional gas supply sources. However, growth in demand throughout north Texas resulted in a need to add additional storage capacity to maintain safe reliable service to APT customers.

APT began solution mining operations in a third cavern in November 2019. This new cavern was built to add significant additional capacity relative to the existing two caverns, making it the largest underground gas storage cavern in the enterprise. It will provide capacity to meet growing demands in north Texas and coverage during required and planned maintenance outages of Bethel's existing two caverns (renovations to be completed by 2026). Caverns like this are rare and typically take multiple years to complete.

Results
Cavern development was completed in June 2022 with the new cavern having a total capacity of 10.8 BCF. It is designed to deliver up to 750,000 MCFD and more than doubles the capacity and deliverability of the facility, positioning APT to continue meeting the growing demand of north Texas. Atmos Energy put the third cavern into service in December 2022.

ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL & GOVERNANCE (ESG)

Boardwalk Pipelines - A Race to the Bottom - Boardwalk's Emissions Reduction Challenge

Program Description
The cornerstone of this program is to connect our people and their ideas to our company efforts to reduce emissions by encouraging out-of-the-box thinking, proactive assessments and repairs, and coming up with solutions to drive down emissions across our system. Not only are we witnessing the downward trend of emissions through this program, we're also improving reliability and design. One bridge to connection is having our GHG Task Force review the ideas submitted to determine feasibility and applicability. This engages operations, engineering and construction and our technical services teams. Another connection point is having senior leadership sponsor and promote this program companywide. There are regular updates to evaluate progress and a friendly competition between operating areas for a chance to win a monetary prize and a group luncheon. Boardwalk employees are kept abreast of our emissions reduction initiatives throughout the year and there are mechanisms in place to submit continuous improvement ideas, along with a maintenance capital program dedicated to reducing our carbon footprint.

In an effort to reduce emissions and reach employees, Boardwalk kicked off its inaugural Emissions Reduction Challenge in the 4th quarter of 2022, which ran through 2023. This challenge was created to foster ideas, reduce emissions and improve reliability across our system. Knowledge sharing, thinking outside of the box and equipping employees with the tools and resources to come up with solutions to proactively reduce emissions were key points of the challenge. With the success of the program in 2023, we brought the challenge back in 2024 with some improvements and more ways for employees to participate. This year's program has 3 challenges: 1) Innovation, 2) Continuous Improvement and 3) Leak Reduction. To date, we've already received over 120 entries and on track to exceed the 178 entries received in 2023!

Pride, accountability, environmental stewardship and recognition are essential components of this challenge - connecting our employees and the environment.

Results
The first year of the Emissions Reduction Challenge wrapped in 2023 with 178 entries submitted and 26 operating areas participating. Entries ranged from valve replacements, changes in operating methods, design improvements and more. The determining factor for winning was improved design and organizational value. Petal Gas Storage was named the winning team and was able to reduce their emissions by 56% from 2022 levels. Adding block valves to redirect flow, working with key customers to pull down further than previously done ahead of planned blowdowns, retrained on "How methane emissions are calculated for EPA", changed power gas actuators to air, and conducting more GHG survey planning meetings throughout the year, were some of the great ideas submitted and implemented by Petal. Although Petal Gas Storage won the challenge, Boardwalk, as a whole, was able to reduce systemwide emissions by ~33% in 2023 from our 2022 numbers. This can be directly attributed to the work operations has done to repair and replace valves, determine optimal operating modes, design changes to eliminate the need to blowdown or redirect flow, working with key customers, and a shift in culture.

SAFETY & HEALTH

Energy Transfer - Energy Transfer Safety Olympics

Program Description
The challenge: How do we emphasize our strengths with regards to safety and drive our safety culture in a positive way?

The solution: The Safety Olympics at Energy Transfer brought together employees from every division of the company. Through a communication campaign of verbal conversations at monthly safety meetings and leadership calls, videos, emails, and electronic newsletter stories both before and after the event, employees from around the company shared in the purpose and intent of this event. Leaders from within the Operations and Measurement teams rose to the challenge to create something special that caught the interest of all employees. What resulted was a new level of safety excellence for the company in 2023.

During the week of October 24, 2022, the first Energy Transfer (ET) Safety Olympics took place at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers. Operations employees came from each division of the company to participate in the Safety Olympics.

The Safety Olympics was an idea developed by ET's Safety Task Force lead by Dave Shellhouse, VP of Southeast Division Gas Operations. The concept was to promote the culture of safety with hands on "challenges" developed around six "LifeSavers" critical safe work practices. The goal was to drive positive safety energy throughout the whole company by celebrating safety and the skills/passion ET employees have around safety.

The hands-on challenges were developed by employees from each Division and the competitors were selected by each Division as well to attend and represent their areas. Videos and promotions were developed and shared companywide leading up to the Safety Olympics and following the event with a heavy focus on those that created the challenges and the underlying critical safe work practices. This communication campaign helped deliver the message and enthusiasm to all employees.

The Safety Olympics in October of 2022 brought a next level energy and excitement to working safely and established a momentum that took ET's safety culture to a new high leading into 2023. 2023 Energy Transfers safety performance was the best in the company's history with a Total Recordable Injury Rate (TRIR) of 0.77 and a Preventable Vehicle Incident Rate (PVIR) of 0.96!

Results
Energy Transfer's (ET) Safety Task Force, which was comprised of Operations, Measurement, and Operations Support personnel from each part of the company were challenged with how to move the safety culture of the company to the next level. Through the leadership of Safety Task Force chairman, Dave Shellhouse, VP of the Southeast Gas Division there was a vision created by the team to take hands-on training materials that were used at local levels around the company, and to find the best of the best from each part of the company and to bring them together in one event - a Safety Olympics.

The original plan was to have the event coincide with the 2020 International Summer Olympics, but the Safety Olympics, as were the 2020 Summer Olympics, were derailed due to the Covid pandemic. The initial momentum for the Safety Olympics was slowed to an almost complete stop due to Covid, but there was a belief in the idea and through the persistence of Dave and the ET leadership team the green light came in mid-2022 to make the Safety Olympics happen.

ET's Organizational Excellence (OE) Team and several field safety leaders were asked to take the lead on getting the Safety Olympics scheduled and executed, with a directive to "make it happen" with only a few short months to get it done. Operations employees in each Division responded to a call for help and brought their energy and passion for safety to develop and fine tune safety challenges around what ET calls it LifeSaver critical safe work practices: (1) Defensive Driving, (2) Safe Work Permits, (3) Energy Isolation (LOTO), (4) Electrical Safety, (5) Excavation Safety, and (6) Confined Space Entry.

The Operations personnel that created their challenges took pride and ownership of their work and were in every sense of the word "Leaders".

The event itself was a success for the several days it occurred, but more importantly it was an example for everyone in the company of the passion for safety that exists with the employees and company leadership and provided an actual view in a tangible way of the Safety Culture in its purest form. As opposed to highlighting the lagging indicators of safety and safety incidents, the Safety Olympics were an opportunity to celebrate the strengths of the employees in how to work safely. As in sports, the ultimate goal of all athletes is to win an Olympic gold medal. At Energy Transfer, the opportunity to have participated in the Safety Olympics was a pinnacle of success and employees around the company are all looking for their shot at the next ET Safety Olympics being planned for 2025.

MERITORIOUS ACTION

Meet the Honorees

SGA's Meritorious Action Recognition celebrates individuals who have displayed courageous actions to save or attempt to save lives. SGA salutes individuals who have displayed heroic action or quick thinking to save the lives of others. All nominees in this category were honored at the 2024 Safety Conference. You can read their heroic stories at https://awards.southerngas.org/meritorious-action-24

• Andrew Armijo, Atmos Energy
• Luis Lopez, Atmos Energy
• Leroy Martinez, Atmos Energy
• Jason Haynes, Chesapeake Utilities Corporation
• Stephen "Ricky" Smith, Dominion Energy South Carolina
• Otto McMillan, Duke Energy-Piedmont Natural Gas
• John Guerra, Miller Pipeline
• Michael Lichtenberger, Miller Pipeline
• John Mahan, Miller Pipeline
• Jordan Sutton, Miller Pipeline
• Larin Trenary, Spire
• Angus King, Summit Utilities
• Austin Welch, The Williams Companies

View all submissions and the winners at https://southerngas.org/sga-awards.

About Southern Gas Association

Founded in 1908, the Southern Gas Association is the leader in natural gas training and professional development. SGA is a community of natural gas professionals across the U.S. and Canada. Representing the industry from drill bit to burner tip, SGA's membership comprises more than 200 operators across the distribution, transmission, and gas supply marketing sectors and more than 350 industry partners. Through digital and in-person engagement, SGA members share ideas, resources, and best practices to develop people, relationships, and solutions.

Contact

Southern Gas Association
[email protected]
southerngas.org

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