People News, State Association Officer Announcements

Eastern Propane Gas Inc. recently made several corporate changes. Tom Manson, who has worked extensively with Eastern as corporate legal counsel for the past 15 years, has been named CEO. Barbara Labonte has joined the firm as interim CFO. In recent years, she has served as interim CFO for a number of companies. Chuck Clement IV has been promoted to chief technology officer, with oversight of all areas of technology/business systems at Eastern. He was most recently vice president of logistics. Josh Anderson has been promoted to vice president of sales and marketing. Penney Mabey has been promoted from corporate customer care manager to assistant vice president of customer care, with responsibility for customer care and experience throughout the company. She has been with Eastern Propane Gas for 25 years. Lyndon Rickards has been named to the new role of assistant vice president of safety and training. An Eastern employee for 20 years, Rickards has been well recognized for his excellence in the role of safety and training manager. He has been involved in Eastern’s safety and training as well as that of the propane industry at large.

Gas Equipment Co. (Dallas)…
Kevin Pfalser, who has been Gas Equipment Co.’s outside sales representative serving the state of Arkansas for 22 years, has been promoted to southwest regional manager. He will be responsible for the Little Rock and Dallas branches. Tim Kirchner will take over Pfalser’s former position. A Gas Equipment employee since 1993, Kirchner most recently was in outside sales and customer service.

GROWMARK (Bloomington, Ill.)…
Kristen Faucon has joined GROWMARK (Bloomington, Ill.) as issues manager for government relations.

Stoops Freightliner-Quality Trailer (Fort Wayne and Fremont, Ind.)… Jim Ham joined Stoops Freightliner-Quality Trailer, a North American truck dealership, as general manager of the Fort Wayne and Fremont, Ind. locations. The company is a division of Truck Country and specializes in heavy- and medium-duty trucks. Ham previously spent 35 years in various roles, including OEM sales account manager for Navistar. A member of the National Propane Gas Association, Ham has served on its board of directors and executive committee.

The Alabama Propane Gas Association swore in Jason Gamble of Gamble Marketing (Birmingham) as its new president for the 2015-2016 term. Serving with Gamble are Michael Toomey, South Alabama Gas (Butler), vice president; Chad Chavers, Blossman Gas (Mobile), treasurer; and Don Tetreault of Thompson Gas (Columbiana), secretary. District directors include Richard Mayberry of Ferrellgas (Bessemer), Northwest district; Tim Moore, Mor-Gas (Pisgah), Northeast district; Egan Ritch, South Alabama Gas (Butler), Southwest district; and Cindy Myers of South Alabama Gas (Chancellor), Southeast district.

Tommy Vanaman of Synergy Gas (Beebe) has been elected president of the Arkansas Propane Gas Association for 2015-2016. Clay Fricks of Fricks Butane Gas Inc. (Texarkana) will serve as secretary treasurer. Gordon Cunningham of MFA Propane (West Helena) is immediate past president. Directors include Tom Byrd of Ceba Gas Inc. (Murfreesboro); Jim Burcham, Pinnacle Propane (Greenbrier); Donnie Rhea, AmeriGas Propane (Plumerville); Nathan Dunman, Keiser Oil and LP Gas (Keiser); Ken Dewitt, AmeriGas (Wynne); Jerry Kordsmeier, Ferrellgas (Hot Springs); Bill Prince, AmeriGas (North Little Rock); Ray Still, Southern LP Gas (DeQueen); Brian Morris, Izard County Propane (Melbourne); Ed Williams, Suburban Propane (Malvern); Tom Blackwood, Simmons Energy Solutions (Decatur); Drew Craft, Craft Propane (Jonesboro); and Mark Porth, CHS (Lawson, Mo.).

Meghan Keivel has joined the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA; Washington, D.C.) as executive assistant to the president and CEO, Rick Roldan. She is a five-year veteran of Capitol Hill, most recently working in Congressman Bob Gibbs’ (R-Ohio) office. Keivel will also work on planning and executing NPGA’s board meetings.

The North Carolina Propane Gas Association installed its officers for the 2015-2016 term during its annual meeting. Cyndi Kibler, Professional Propane Services (Wake Forest), will serve as president; Jeff Wade, Rand Wade Oil Co. (Snow Hill), chairman-elect; Jeff Ruffner, Energy United Propane (Statesville), vice chairman; Billy Foust, Foust Fuel Inc. (Mebane), secretary; and Joe Phillips, Creedmoor Fuel Service Inc. (Creedmoor), treasurer. David Briles of Briles Oil & Gas Inc. (Asheboro) is immediate past president. During the meeting, Clarence Rice and Alton Overby were honored with Lifetime Membership Awards. David Parker was recognized as 2015 Dealer of the Year, and George Lipford was given the 2015 President’s Award.

Kent Thompson has joined the Railroad Commission of Texas as an alternative fuels safety Specialist. April Dawn Richardson now serves as director of alternative fuels safety. Both will oversee LP-gas safety matters.

The Texas Propane Gas Association officers for 2015-2016 were sworn in during the association’s annual convention. John Kelly, Kelly Propane & Fuel (Holliday), will serve as president; Ben Wood, Northwest Propane (Dallas), president-elect; Harris Baker, Pinnacle Propane (Irving), secretary; and Wes Welch, Welch Gas (Mt Pleasant), treasurer/finance chairman. Selected to serve as district directors and alternates, respectively, were: Jim Vines, Cooper Propane, district 1; Josh McAdams, McAdams Propane (Center), district 2; Jeremy Gentile, Hill Butane, and Keith Stone, Alford LP Gas, district 3; Mark Peterson, Buster Brown Propane, and Allen Wells, Baygas, district 4; Steve Smith, Smith Gas, and Sharon Seal, Bell Hydrogas, district 7; Jack Walzel, Tri-Co. Propane, and Rodney Sladek, Fayetteville Propane, district 8; Bill McCullough, Butane Gas, and Brad Quisenberry, Gene Harris Petroleum, district 9; Josh Nowlin, McCraw Propane, and Sam Fox, Pinnacle Propane, district 10; Steve Adams, Hardwick LPG, district 11; John Gordon, Bob’s Fuels, and Laci Jo Walter, Schneider Distributing, district 12; Trini Hernandez, Fuel Mark Inc., and Hector Morales, Pinnacle Propane, district 13; and Don Heinrich, Slaton Gas & Equipment, district 15.

Robert Franzkowiak Sr. passed away in early October at the age of 88. He began Commercial Propane in Wisconsin in 1951, which he ran until 2005.