There are many pathways into the propane industry, but it’s unlikely that many start with golf. After a chance meeting with a high school acquaintance at a golf course, Derek Poe took his shot as a service technician with Titan Propane. In 2022, after more than 15 years in the propane industry, his experience and expertise led to him to the role of executive director for the Missouri Propane Safety Commission.
“This role is a culmination of my industry experience, commitment to safety, and passion for advancing propane education and regulation in Missouri,” he says. In Derek’s world of propane safety, this looks like developing a safety vision that is comprehensive and efficient.
“I look at innovation through a safety compliance and regulations lens,” Derek says. “Innovation means applying forward-thinking solutions to strengthen safety systems, streamline compliance and adapt to an evolving regulatory landscape.”
At the Missouri Propane Safety Commission, Derek has his hands in many key safety solutions: a redesigned inspection cycle, Missouri-specific training materials, a safety trainer evaluation rubric, improved data collection, modernized forms, improved communication with external partners — and more.
“These initiatives collectively enhanced operational efficiency, reduced costs, improved data-driven oversight and strengthened industry engagement,” he explains. It’s commonly said that necessity is the mother invention. For Derek, this is certainly true, but truly comprehensive innovation also involves a systematic approach to potential problems.
“Innovation in a compliance-driven environment begins with situational awareness and a structured, evidence-based approach,” he says. “My process combines data analysis, field inspector knowledge of current trends and strategic evaluation to generate and test practical, forward-thinking solutions.”
As in any effective program that addresses sore points for a company or industry, teamwork and communication are key. Daring to develop new, bold ideas while keeping a pulse on valuable regulations and insights that have been handed down is part of the balance of innovation. What the propane industry cannot afford, according to Derek, is complacency.
“One of the biggest obstacles to innovation in the propane industry is complacency — the tendency to continue doing things the way they’ve always been done simply because they’ve ‘worked’ in the past,” he says. “Innovation doesn’t mean abandoning what works — it means being willing to ask, ‘Can this work better?’ And that’s a question the entire industry should keep asking.”
This question drives much of what Derek does in his work and has led to the successful implementation of improved safety processes across Missouri. It is also a question that can help the entire industry notice possible blind spots and continue to develop.
“By normalizing improvement as the standard, we create a culture where progress isn’t optional — it’s expected,” Derek says. “And when you’re always looking to make things better, new ideas tend to emerge naturally.”
