Perkins To Serve As New President and CEO of Propane Education & Research Council

WASHINGTON (May 25, 2017) — The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) has selected industry veteran Thomas “Tucker” Perkins as its next president and chief executive officer, said PERC Chairman Thomas Van Buren, who also led the executive search team.

“We received interest from highly qualified individuals both within and outside our industry, which speaks volumes about the respect and recognition that PERC has earned in our industry and the broader energy world,” Van Buren, executive vice president, Ferrell North America & Midstream, said. “The selection team interviewed many truly extraordinary candidates, and we unanimously agreed that Tucker is the right person to build on our recent success and take us to new heights.”

My professional life has been dedicated to the propane industry, and this is an exciting and challenging capstone in my career.”

Perkins, 60, joined PERC in 2012, as Chief Business Development Officer and most recently served as Chief Operations Officer. He previously was a member of the PERC Advisory Committee and chaired the panel on engine fuel. He has extensive experience in the propane industry, including operating his own retail propane company in Virginia, Premier Propane, as well as holding executive positions at Inergy Propane and Columbia Propane.

The selection of Perkins follows an announcement by current president and CEO Roy Willis, 67, who has led the PERC staff since operations began nearly 20 years ago, that he will retire on July 31, 2017. Willis will serve in a supporting role for a limited time to help with the transition.

The transition to a new leader comes at a pivotal moment for the industry and PERC. The surge in domestic propane supply has transformed the United States into a leading exporter and connected the country to the global propane market as never before. At home, expanding competition and warmer than normal winters put greater emphasis on diversifying demand and educating the public about the benefits and uses of propane.

“PERC is a collaborative organization with a culture of service to the industry and to propane consumers,” Perkins said. “The challenges we face as an industry are no match for the determination and ingenuity we have within us or the opportunities before us.”

Perkins holds a B.S. in civil engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from the University of Richmond. He and his wife Liz reside in Richmond, Virginia.