Since its origins in 2012, the Women in Propane (WIP) Council has dedicated itself to fostering an open and inclusive industry. The new 2023-2024 council officers are dedicated to building on the industry’s past successes and pushing for diversity and inclusion to become commonplace. Ahead, hear from Paula Summers, Bridget Piraino, Tonya Crow, Jennifer Jackson, Nancy Coop and Natalie Peal on their goals for the coming term and hopes for the future of the industry. Mandy Swanson, treasurer, rounds out this year’s council officers.
Paula Summers, chair
Senior vice president sales & strategic partnerships at Vision Financial Group
Years in the propane industry: 7
Role model: my parents and brothers
Favorite food: manuka honey
Favorite movie: “The Importance of Being Earnest” and any John Hughes movie
Favorite book: “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin
Favorite activity or hobby: yoga
What is your best advice for aspiring leaders?
Leadership is not always in the title. Leadership should be incorporated in your daily life and extend beyond work to family and community. Find passion in both your career and your personal life, and you will naturally excel and lead.
What do you most hope to accomplish as a Women in Propane officer?
Our previous officers originated so many fantastic programs. My goal is to nurture and grow these initiatives and encourage both men and women in the industry to participate and collaborate with one another. I would like to establish a WIP Panel of Experts who can share their resources.
What are your hopes for future generations of women in the propane workforce?
To support and collaborate with other young women so they have the confidence to know they can excel in every facet of their lives, including career, family, motherhood and supporting their communities. Success in a career does not mean sacrificing or falling short in other areas.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
When you stop treating life like a series of tollbooths, you’ll find a freedom you never knew existed.
In what areas do you think the industry has room for growth?
I believe that reaching out to young people in high school, technical schools and colleges is of the utmost importance. With the advances in propane technology, including autogas and renewable propane, the industry should seek out and develop talent in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) areas of study.
How have you seen women shape the industry/push for positive change?
The Women in Propane Council is a perfect example. Not only does the council support women in the advancement of their careers into leadership and management, but it supports young men in the industry as well. Programs including mentorship, leadership training, podcasts and webinars were spearheaded by the Women in Propane Council to support all members of the industry.
How do you try to celebrate the women of the industry?
Networking, recognition and collaboration. I think the best way to celebrate women in the industry is to recognize and share successes.
What legacy do you want to leave behind?
I would like to inspire others to believe that happiness and fulfillment are possible in both private and public life, to have the confidence to listen to their intuition and to not be fearful to go outside their comfort zone to make the best choices to achieve their goals.
Bridget Piraino, vice chair
Senior vice president, customer growth at Anova
Years in the propane industry: 3
Role model: Janet Pattison Winter, accomplished career woman and my mother
Favorite food: peanut M&Ms — do occasional treats count?
Favorite movie: “Cinema Paradiso”
Favorite book: “Random Family” by Adrian LeBlanc
Favorite activity or hobby: beach time with the family
What is your best advice for aspiring leaders?
Be authentic. Be purposeful. Inspire action.
What do you most hope to accomplish as a Women in Propane officer?
As officers, we have a responsibility to grow an even stronger Women in Propane Council. That not only includes growing our diverse membership, but also providing opportunities to support and shine a light on the women in our industry. To give them necessary tools, to inspire confidence, to help them make an impact within their organizations and within the industry. Continuing and expanding on the high-value programs we are known for is what I hope to achieve as an officer.
What are your hopes for future generations of women in the propane workforce?
More women seeing the opportunities in the industry. More women in leadership roles. A better gender balance. Our industry is in transition, and the future will embrace new sources of the energy we provide. We need diverse perspectives, creativity, innovation — women have so much to give in this exciting transition.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Early in my career, I attended a sales methodology training in which I learned the following: A good plan violently executed today is better than the perfect plan next week. A famous quote from General George Patton, it has helpfully come to mind many times throughout my career.
In what areas do you think the industry has room for growth?
There is always room for business optimization. Over the past years, an incredible amount of digitalization has occurred within the industry. New AI-based innovation is enabling further growth in the efficiency of how we run our industry. While propane is an incredible, clean-burning, portable energy source, we are faced with growing regulation. In terms of future growth, there are a number of projects and ventures underway around the world centered on renewables. Strategic, and potentially vital, to our future, these hold enormous room for growth — and transformation — for the industry.
How have you seen women shape the industry/push for positive change?
Our founding chair, Nancy Coop, is the epitome of a woman shaping our industry. Eleven years ago, her drive and determination helped establish the Women in Propane Council under the National Propane Gas Association.
Other women in our industry sit in powerful roles in companies that proactively celebrate and embrace diversity. Some organizations are woman-owned and led. There are many women involved at the forefront of the work in renewable propane. It is inspiring, and I hope that in the future these examples are just great people in our industry doing what they do — not standing out as much for being the women that are shaping our industry.
How do you try to celebrate the women of the industry?
Personally, by getting involved. Becoming a member of Women in Propane gave me the opportunity to meet like-minded people of action, to offer my skills and to share my opinions. Imagine the work WIP can accomplish if we engage more supporters — men and women — especially as they enter the industry. WIP is an important part of the fabric of our community and one of the few organizations dedicated to the celebration and support of women in propane. Being an engaged member is how I celebrate women [in our industry].
The Women in Propane Council provides multiple programs that celebrate women. WIP Ambassadors represent the organization across multiple states. Our DISC training, leadership forums, roundtables, webinars and podcasts offer new skills and perspectives. The men and women of WIP being there for the women of our industry is how we celebrate women in propane.
What legacy do you want to leave behind?
Like anything I throw my passion into, I want it to have made a difference. A woman could walk up to me next year, or even in 10 years, to tell me the WIP programs we managed inspired her, helped her make a bold move, gave her a nugget she still applies in her career today. A man could tell me that WIP gave him new perspectives that opened new opportunities and drove greater success. Making a difference is about the impact on individual people, and when combined, those drive incredible action, value and change.
Tonya Crow, association officer
FS energy sales & marketing director at GROWMARK Inc.
Years in the propane industry: 22
Role model: I had a great coach growing up who taught me that everyone has a role on a team, even if you’re not on the field that day.
Favorite food: mom’s spaghetti
Favorite movie: “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
Favorite book: “Greenlights” by Matthew McConaughey (Get the audiobook — trust me!)
Favorite activity or hobby: Taking sports photos of my girls or Jeep-ing to the local ice cream shoppe
What is your best advice for aspiring leaders?
Ask the questions. The winter of 2013-2014 was my second year of management, and propane in the Midwest had many logistical issues. After that winter, our supplier offered the opportunity to learn about different ways to move propane into central Illinois. At the time, the other leaders from neighboring companies were all very seasoned in their career. I decided I would sit and listen to the questions they asked because those questions would be far better than anything I would ask. And wouldn’t you know — they were the SAME questions I had written down! Ask the questions!
What do you most hope to accomplish as a Women in Propane officer?
State and regional associations are continuously looking to bring value to their members. Our Women in Propane ambassadors are charged with doing just that! Ambassadors attend the association meetings and relay the training, mentoring and education opportunities that our council provides to the members. The benefits are two-fold: Our leaders get the chance to exercise their skills while sharing valuable information to association members. I’m so lucky to get to lead this talented group!
What are your hopes for future generations of women in the propane workforce?
My hope is that the future generations don’t worry about if they should sit at the back of the room or at the table — that they sit down at the table without even a slight hesitation.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Not really advice, but a quote I’ve loved since I heard it: “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do and liking how you do it.” — Maya Angelou
In what areas do you think the industry has room for growth?
Developing and growing our voice to share the message that propane is “Energy for Everyone.” That’s why I’m so excited to see what comes out of the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) Energy Ambassador program and how we can spread that message loud and proud!
How have you seen women shape the industry/push for positive change?
I’ve enjoyed watching women like Bridget Kidd and Paula Wilson. These ladies can gauge a room and draw people into the conversation. If you ever had the chance to listen to Lesley Garland tell her propane story, I guarantee she left you motivated to develop your own story and tell the world about it! And just being around Nancy Coop and watching her involve and inspire women as she has shaped WIP into what it is today is enough to make you sign up for whatever crazy job she asks you to do!
How do you try to celebrate the women of the industry?
I try to share stories with young women I know, and hopefully I make success in the industry by a woman seem normal. Of course, I attended and celebrated Nancy Coop’s inauguration into the LP Gas Hall of Fame and I high-fived others when Michelle Bimson Maggi became the NPGA chair!
What legacy do you want to leave behind?
I hope that people felt seen or heard by me. I hope that I’ve raised my girls to be honest, kind and to always look for ways to help others.
Jennifer Jackson, immediate past chair
Director of territory operations at AmeriGas
Years in the propane industry: 18
Role model: Jay Shetty
Favorite food: sushi/raw oysters
Favorite movie: “The Princess Bride”
Favorite book: “Badass Habits” by Jen Sincero
Favorite activity or hobby: love to travel
What is your best advice for aspiring leaders?
Get involved. Speak up and share your perspective and ideas. The LPG industry has so many talented leaders and mentors, and we all want to see our peers succeed. The industry is full of success stories of men and women who advanced through many roles before finding their passion. See setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow. There will always be disappointments in your career. The ability to learn and evolve is what drives you forward.
What do you most hope to accomplish as a Women in Propane officer?
I think the work we have done to create a more virtual presence and increase participation from state associations has been tremendous. We have many ideas and initiatives exploring online education that we can share with all NPGA members of all positions, regardless of travel ability.
What are your hopes for future generations of women in the propane workforce?
My hope is that seeing women in leadership will no longer be celebratory or an exception, but the norm for future generations.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
View every person you meet as a door that may lead you to a new opportunity.
In what areas do you think the industry has room for growth?
Diversity, equity and inclusion. It’s important to get involved in the workforce development initiatives, like GeneratioNext. We have more people retiring than coming into our industry. The more involved we are with educating and recruiting, the better our industry will be.
How have you seen women shape the industry/push for positive change?
I am consistently inspired by the strong, fearless women we have leading in our industry. Their stories and experiences are what create the vision for change. I am a better person and a better leader because of their efforts to blaze the trail for the rest of us.
How do you try to celebrate the women of the industry?
I think everything we do as a council is to celebrate the women of our industry, as well as providing value to all members of NPGA.
What legacy do you want to leave behind?
I honestly just want to feel that my presence was positive and that my time and effort was valuable to the industry.
Nancy Coop, founding chair
Director of marketing, Cetane Associates
Years in the propane industry: 18
Role model: My grandmother
Favorite food: French fries
Favorite movie: “An Affair to Remember”
Favorite book: “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
Favorite activity or hobby: dancing
What is your best advice for aspiring leaders?
I think it’s important for leaders to listen well and engage others in the process of developing initiatives. You’ll have the best input if you ask the right questions to inspire creativity and ownership. Keep an open mind, an open heart and be true to yourself.
What do you most hope to accomplish as a Women in Propane officer?
In 2023, I am seeing fantastic accomplishments from the Women in Propane Council — many that we couldn’t have dreamed of when the council was being formed — including an ambassador project for all state/regional associations. This brings WIP programming to propane members where they work, as do valuable podcasts, webinars, trainings, mentorship pairing and DISC profile sessions. As an officer with institutional and historical knowledge, I want to support WIP’s success as it expands its reach. I hope to attract more leaders to WIP and develop a solid succession plan for its future.
What are your hopes for future generations of women in the propane workforce?
My hope for the future of the industry is that its workforce will be truly diverse, equitable and inclusive. This is a business council of NPGA that was formed to bring awareness of diversity to the industry. There are hundreds of success stories that celebrate progress since its 2012 beginnings. It was founded by women and today champions diversity for all.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
There are two pieces of advice I turn to routinely: 1) Say what you mean, mean what you say and don’t say it mean. And 2) There is no such thing as a dumb question.
In what areas do you think the industry has room for growth?
Lately, I’m attending more meetings and webinars on technology, renewable energy and advocacy. As a native Californian and daughter of a propane entrepreneur, I want to participate in supporting propane’s longevity. I am especially interested in the potential of propane as power generation to help create a greener future. I also see strong growth potential in a younger workforce. They are literally the future and will be open to innovation.
How have you seen women shape the industry/push for positive change?
Within the WIP Council, I have seen women stand up for this entire industry by considering what brings the most value to its workforce. Vetting various approaches, the women leaders have pushed for programming that wasn’t offered elsewhere and that would bring effective leadership training to anyone who wanted to take the time and energy to invest in their leadership style. These pioneers have opened minds to improvements in how we treat our valued employees, train them, engage them and promote them.
How do you try to celebrate the women of the industry?
To support a woman in this industry with a phone call, an email or some other shoutout brings me joy. I’m serving on the WIP executive board with five women who make our industry proud, and I celebrate all of them.
What legacy do you want to leave behind?
To have been in the right place in 2010 — when a women-in-industry organization was suggested — has transformed my legacy within this industry since the opportunity and hard work to develop the Women in Propane Council has been a driver for me all these years. I believe my true legacy has to do with perseverance and faith. That extends to my two daughters, six grandchildren (five of them girls), dearest friends and Women in Propane pals who all give me love and an education in life.
Natalie Peal, board advisor
Retired; former BPN owner and publisher
Years in the propane industry: 50-plus
Role model: Nancy Coop
Favorite food: marionberry pie
Favorite movie: “Planes, Trains and Automobiles”
Favorite book: “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr
Favorite activity or hobby: reading
What is your best advice for aspiring leaders?
To remember how important your credibility is. When I owned BPN magazine, I always told our employees, “Without credibility, we are absolutely nothing.” What you say is remembered, and if you lose your credibility, it's very hard to win it back.
What do you most hope to accomplish as a Women in Propane officer?
I've seen it since the beginning, and I've seen other councils and committees of NPGA. Everybody is so busy trying to keep up with their own jobs that I think there were times along the way that I saw things slip through the cracks and great ideas did not come to fruition. I want to help WIP members to make sure ideas are not lost and there's follow-through.
What are your hopes for future generations of women in the propane workforce?
When I started in the propane industry, I went with my dad to my first board of directors meeting, and I was the only woman in the meeting. I would like to see women accepted more and more along the way as far as what they have to offer. Looking at the WIP group now and in the last 10 years, I can really see such a difference. All the different skills and knowledge these women are bringing to the industry is amazing. They have so much to offer. In the past, everyone assumed that only men really knew about the industry, and that is starting to change. I hope the industry will recognize women for what they are offering.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
To listen and not assume you know more than the person you're talking to. Sometimes the person may be an independent propane dealer, people who have come in dirty coveralls and shirts. And you start talking to them and what they have to share is amazing. They can be the ones who are eye-openers because they have lived through the downside of the industry and had to work so hard to make something of themselves.
In what areas do you think the industry has room for growth?
I think the communications are getting much better all the time. I've seen a lot of growth. I know a lot of the problems they're facing right now. There are so many innovative things coming up with renewable propane and other ways they're finding to use propane. I think that's where there can be growth, but there must be a lot of open-mindedness.
How have you seen women shape the industry/push for positive change?
From the time I started, being the only woman in the room, women did not have a say. And I feel they still don’t have the amount of say they should because of all they're bringing to the table. I think our industry has been such a male-dominated industry over the years that it's taking a lot longer for women to find their place in it. But the women joining the industry with all their knowledge can bring a different viewpoint to people who are involved and can help the industry out. There are so many benefits to propane that people are not aware of, and I think women will be the ones who will push what is good about it.
How do you try to celebrate the women of the industry?
I started celebrating the women in the industry about the time Women in Propane came about. The Women in Propane article we had [in the back of BPN magazine] for eight-plus years was how I celebrated some of the women. We didn't always highlight the vice president of the company. We took the bobtail drivers, we took some of the women who were in the office but were basically running the office. But in some of these smaller operations, it's amazing what the women have done, how much they've taken on and how much they have supported each other.
What legacy do you want to leave behind?
I hope my legacy is that I did help women find a place and feel comfortable within the industry where they possibly hadn't previously and for the new generations of women to find that there is something interesting, valuable and rewarding in being part of the propane industry.
