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2012 Operations Conference - Electric and Natural Gas Interdependency
April 17, 2012
through
April 20, 2012
Wigwam Gold Resort & Spa
in
Litchfield Park,
AZ
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Tuesday, April 17, 2012
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10:00 AM -
4:00 PM
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Optional Networking - Golf at Wigwam Golf Course
Click here to view details about this event.
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5:30 PM -
7:00 PM
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Welcome Reception
Followed by Dinner on Your Own
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Wednesday, April 18, 2012
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7:00 AM -
8:00 AM
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Registration and Continental Breakfast
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8:00 AM -
9:30 AM
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Keynote Session: "Eisenhower on Enlightened Leadership"
Ike Eisenhower, arguably the most important leader from World War II, was not the best military tactician, nor the best speaker, nor the most dynamic personality. Yet he took the Allied Forces that were reeling from defeat after defeat and led them to victory over the world's most powerful military. Not only did he have to lead his own staff, but he had to manage the stormy personalities of Churchill, Roosevelt, de Gaulle and Generals Montgomery and Patton, and somehow molded them all into a powerful coalition. How did he accomplish all this? By becoming a great LEADER. Through his three greatest talents; skillful diplomacy, ability to plan, and the power to inspire success in others, he pulled together an unlikely coalition of nations and defeated Nazism. His methods of leadership are as effective in the business environment today as they were in the battlefields and War Rooms sixty years ago. This session will teach the practical lessons from Eisenhower on Leadership.
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9:30 AM -
10:00 AM
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Break with Vendor Displays
Click here to view a current Vendor Roster
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10:00 AM -
11:30 AM
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Telecommunication Reliability Overview
Following acts of terrorism, natural disasters such as earthquakes or hurricanes, or system design failures, the electrical grid may be stressed to the point of failure. What can operations personnel in the electrical grid control and natural gas control sectors expect from the telecommunications system during such an event? This session will provide an overview of telecommunications infrastructure and its reliability.
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11:30 AM -
1:30 PM
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Lunch with Vendor Displays
Click here to view a current Vendor Roster
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1:30 PM -
3:00 PM
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2011 SW Regional Cold Weather Event
| Speaker(s): |
Kevin D.
Johnson,
Left Company - Director of Gas Control for EPNG,
El Paso Pipeline Group/Western Pipelines
Kristie
Cocco,
Manager,
Salt River Project
James
Meade,
Attorney-Advisor, Office of Enforcement, Division of Investigations,
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
John N.
Moura,
Manager, Reliability Assessment,
North American Electric Reliability Corporation
Gary
Clark,
Vice President / Southern NV Division,
Southwest Gas Corporation
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The February 2011 cold weather event highlighted the interdependency of the electric and natural gas industries. This session will provide a review of this event from the perspective of both the natural gas and electric industry with a focus on the need for increased communication and coordination. Additionally, Jim Meade from the FERC Enforcement staff will discuss the findings and recommendations from the joint FERC/NERC investigation into events of the first week of February, 2011.
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3:00 PM -
3:30 PM
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Break with Vendor Displays
Click here to view a current Vendor Roster
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3:30 PM -
5:00 PM
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Internal Communications During an Emergency w/o Technology
Cell phones, land lines, satellite phones, radios, e-mail, texting, instant messaging, web-sites and social media are all effective communication channels used to immediately inform, direct, warn, inquire, notify, report, and update others. How do companies communicate when one or more of these primary modes of communication are lost? Is there a plan or back-up procedures in place? Is this back-up plan practiced or exercised regularly?
Learn from your peers, sharing what has worked well in this age of instant communication expectations.
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5:30 PM -
7:00 PM
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Reception with Vendor Displays
Followed by Dinner on Your Own
Click here to view a current Vendor Roster
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Thursday, April 19, 2012
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7:00 AM -
8:00 AM
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Continental Breakfast
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8:00 AM -
9:30 AM
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It's Not Just About Me
Hear a motivational, true- life experience of how LIFE can change in the blink of an eye. Tony uses humor and real -life stories to share how he is living as a blind person in a sighted world. Hear how he feels blessed to be alive as he shares his message of Triumph over Tragedy!
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9:30 AM -
10:00 AM
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Break
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10:00 AM -
11:30 AM
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Cross-Industry Communications - Collaborating to Improve Emergency Response
The increasing interdependency of the electric and natural gas industries requires a coordinated response to emergency situations to insure that the overall energy infrastructure is not adversely impacted as a result of limited or ineffective communication. Cross-Industry collaboration through training and preparation prior to an event as well as the timely exchange of information during an event is the key to integrating the gas and electric industries to effectuate a mutually beneficial response to an emergency situation.
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11:30 AM -
1:00 PM
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Lunch
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1:00 PM -
2:30 PM
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Improving Communication with Public, Regulatory Bodies & Your Internal Workforce
| Facilitator(s): |
Eric Eberle, Analyst ll, Engineering Staff, Southwest Gas Corporation
Stephen Jones, Administrator/Business Operations and Technology Support, SW Gas
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| Speaker(s): |
Cynthia
Messina,
Administrator, Energy Services & Corp Communications,
Southwest Gas Corporation
Reagan
Monroe,
Program Manager, Business Operations & Tech Support,
Southwest Gas Corporation
Adam
Fuller,
Corporate Communications Strategiest,
Salt River Project
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Come listen to case studies describing the use of new media channels to inform the public of service interruptions, natural disasters and breaking news about the energy industry. Learn how gas and electric utilities are utilizing social media and improving internal communication with their workforce.
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2:30 PM -
3:00 PM
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Break
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3:00 PM -
5:00 PM
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Executive Panel
This is your chance to ask the hard-hitting questions to three different companies' executives. Hear what their companies are doing to meet the challenges they face today and their perspective on how that will affect the industry tomorrow. Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions in advance and ask questions during this session. This panel is always insightful, entertaining and historically one of the top ranked sessions of the conference.
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Friday, April 20, 2012
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7:00 AM -
8:00 AM
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Continental Breakfast
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8:00 AM -
9:30 AM
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San Bruno: How a Tragic Accident is Changing a 100-plus Year-old Utility Company
The last 18 months have been some of Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) Company's darkest days. This period of time after the September 2010 accident also represents a critical turning point for the utility because many contributing causes have been identified. Additionally, numerous thoughtful recommendations have been provided by third-party reviewers; all address ways to ensure public safety and system integrity.
Nick Stavropoulos, PG&E's new leader of its natural gas business, will discuss the many actions and initiatives that have been executed in many instances they exceed regulatory requirements - to rebuild trust in PG&E and create a safety first culture within its workforce comprised of 20,000 employees.
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9:30 AM -
10:00 AM
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Break and Hotel Checkout
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10:00 AM -
11:00 AM
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2012 Operations Conference Review
Open to all Attendees - please join Program Development Teams and Chairs at this wrap up session for the 2012 conference with discussions on what went well and what we can do better for 2013. Be prepared to share your thoughts and be heard.
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11:00 AM
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Operations Conference Adjourns
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Click on the links below to view other Operations Conference Track Agendas:
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