July 2011, Vol. 238 No. 7

In The News

Pipeliners Association Of Houston Elects 2011-12 Officers

Marcus W. Sexton, P.E., of Alliance Engineering, was elected 2011-12 president of the Pipeliners Association of Houston at the group’s dinner meeting on June 8. The group also made its annual scholarship awards and recognized Ray Lewis of ROSEN with a Lifetime Achievement Award for 60 years of service in the industry.

Sexton had the following to say after the election: “As we roll over into the 2011- 2012 fiscal year we are optimistic that our club is doing well and the pipeline industry will be very active in the upcoming year. Some of the reasons that allow The Pipeliners Association of Houston to maintain a good industry standing is that it has a solid basis of technical industry development and is a good venue to network with other professionals in the industry. The fundraising events are fun to manage and fun to participate in so we have participation from all segments of the pipeline industry.

“If anyone has a question or need, someone in the club can get it for you. With around 1,000 members, we have access to a large information pool. This is important to capture knowledge moving forward as the Baby Boomers are looking at retirement over the next couple of decades and passing their leadership responsibilities on.

“The X Generation is learning how to work with the newest Millennia generation and is striving to maintain the level of productivity they have inherited. The science of building and maintaining pipelines is not taught in most college curricula. Rather, it is acquired by working with older pipeline engineers and operators. The American pipeline system is the blood line to our energy infrastructure and must grow and be maintained to connect the sources and users of oil, gas and petroleum products.”

Sexton continued, “Dealing with the aging American infrastructure is a challenge we are also passing to the new generations. Steel in the old bridges and the pipelines they support is a concern. The integrity of new and old systems is what the current technology changes and codes are addressing. As president of the Houston Pipeliners, I look forward to monitoring the industry changes over the next year and working with some of the next generation’s leaders.”

Other new officers elected at the meeting are: Vice President Allan Taylor, Mustang Engineering; Treasurer John Worrell, Prime Flexible Products, Inc. – FlexSteel; Secretary Mark A. Reilly, Spectra Energy Transmission; and Assistant Secretary Danny Seal, GL Noble Denton International.