Thank you Generation Y

Where have the last twelve months gone? It doesn’t seem possible that this is the fifth article in a series that is published quarterly. The speed of time should remind us of the importance of taking action, instead of waiting. The purpose of this article is to serve as that reminder. Behavioral Characteristics: The first [...]

From the Desk of Lee Marrs, Volume 2, Issue 3

In our 25th year, we held our 24th Annual General Members’ Meeting on September 23, 2009. In 1984, our first year, we were too busy to have an annual meeting – and besides, we didn’t have any members! This year our chair, Del Wendt with Oncor Electric Delivery, gave introductory remarks and then made 3 [...]

Pipelines … your quiet neighbor

Millions of people all across the country share the same neighbor. This neighbor does not intrude where it’s not wanted and simply goes about its business helping all of us every day. Pipelines are the energy lifelines of many of our daily activities from driving our children to school, heating our homes, to buying groceries at the store delivered by trucks run on diesel.

The US has the largest network of energy pipelines of any nation in the world. There are more than 200,000 miles of oil pipelines and 300,000 miles of natural gas pipelines all across the country.

Damages: Is Texas really behind the national average?

by Jack Garrett, Director of Regulatory Services, DIG TESS At the annual meeting of the Common Ground Alliance this past February in Orlando, several presentations were made referring to the 2007 DIRT Report. DIRT is an acronym for Damage Information Reporting Tool, and the report can be downloaded from www.damagereporting.org/annual/. Although it is 22 pages [...]

Hempstead: Proud of the past, poised for the future

Hempstead, Texas is located approximately 50 miles northwest of downtown Houston. Some time before the community of Hempstead was established in 1856, the master painter had used the surrounding landscape as his own personal canvas. Surrounded with beautiful blue bonnet fields and other wild flowers, visitors like me are enticed to stop by and learn [...]

It’s all about who wants to know you

by Jerry Wilson “Hi, Jerry! It’s Jack. I met a guy that I think you should know.” That’s how the phone call started; he proceeded to tell me about this young guy that he had met. “When I was talking with him, I kept thinking of you. He’s your kind of guy!” My ears perked [...]

Safer gas distribution a must

The largest segment of the nation’s pipeline network is the distribution systems that directly serve homes, schools, businesses and other natural gas consumers. There are more than two million miles of distribution pipeline in the U.S., and more is being added every day. Most distribution lines are in highly populated areas and relatively shallow. It is not surprising that distribution lines are frequently damaged, and people are sometimes injured or killed as a result. Section 9 of the Pipeline Integrity, Protection, Enforcement and Safety Act of 2006 (PIPES) requires DOT to issue regulations requiring operators to focus on risks associated with the distribution of natural gas.

Generation Y challenges the status quo

Before we get into the topic of this article, I want to bring Eric Chester’s book, Getting Them To Give A Damn to your attention. Chester specializes in helping employers work with their Generation Y employees, and he coined the phrase “Generation Why” to refer to this age group. You will want to read his [...]

Me and Dillard, Volume II, Issue II

Winter was winding down! Green grass and old robin redbreast hopping around catching worms announced better days ahead. And one of the things that it meant was, warm enough to sit on the front porch, hear great stories and watch all the critters scurrying to and fro. After all these years, I can still close [...]

Are you hiring the right person?

Hiring the right person is a real challenge, and people are looking for a “silver bullet” to ensure success. As you know, there is no silver bullet. To some degree, hiring new employees is like playing the dice game, craps – luck. Consider for a moment some of the variables that influence performance that can [...]