2026 SGA Award Finalists

Jacob Issac K. Abraham, P.E. – Williams

Jacob Isaac K. Abraham, P.E. (MS & UT), is a visionary leader driving national gas grid resilience. Overseeing 17 UNGS facilities and three LNG plants, he expertly bridges technical operations with executive strategy. By founding the SGA Natural Gas Association’s Peak Shaving Taskforce and leading critical gas storage regulatory initiatives, Jacob actively designs the safe, reliable future of America’s energy infrastructure.

Alex Buck – Atmos Energy

Alex Buck is a dynamic early-career leader driving meaningful impact though a safety collaboration, policy advocacy, and community engagement. Her ability to unite stakeholder, educate decision-makers, and inspire others reflects SGA’s mission in action, positioning her as a forward-thinking leader who is already advancing the natural gas industry.

Ben Carlisle – Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline

Ben has consistently demonstrated a commitment to excellence and innovation in the natural gas industry throughout his career. His active involvement with the Southern Gas Association (SGA) and the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) reflects his deep passion for industry advocacy and advancement.

Josh Coffman – Hope Gas

Josh has built a career on commitment to excellence and innovation in the natural gas industry. His management skills, hard work, teamwork, and clear dedication to the company’s mission will ensure he leads the industry towards a sustainable future!

Jammal Davenport – TECO Peoples Gas

Through his leadership of the Lone Worker High-Risk Review, Jammal played a pivotal role in improving field safety and advancing SMS maturity across operations. He actively engaged field personnel to understand high-risk lone-worker scenarios and led the development and implementation of practical operational controls that directly reduced risk.

Melissa Reidy – Washington Gas

Melissa Reidy is a rising leader with the experience, mindset, and momentum to help shape the future of the natural gas industry. She brings a strong operational background, a deep commitment to safety, and a practical approach to innovation that delivers real results. Melissa truly embodies Share. Grow. Advance. She openly shares knowledge, invests in developing her team and herself, and consistently looks for better ways to move the organization forward. Her ability to modernize systems, strengthen reliability, and lead through change positions her as a leader who will continue to drive meaningful progress for Washington Gas and the industry as a whole.

Alex Sammet – Spire

Alex is an outstanding candidate for the Chair’s Rising Leader Award. He consistently demonstrates exceptional leadership on high-profile projects, strengthens collaboration across the industry, and actively contributes to organizations such as SGA, IRWA, and APWA. His integrity, strategic mindset, and commitment to advancing the natural gas industry set him apart as a rising leader.

Allison Satterfield – BHE Gas Transmission & Storage (BHE GT&S)

Allison delivers results by bringing structure to complex, multi‑party work. She clarifies scope and ownership, keeps leaders aligned with concise updates, and produces artifacts that outlast her term (templates, schedules, and transition materials). She connects people to practical examples and resources—so participation translates into new contacts, shared lessons, and applied improvements back at BHE GT&S and for other SGA members. Although humble about her contributions, Allison embodies what rising leaders should strive to become as she consistently raises the bar. Her combination of follow‑through, organization, and inclusive leadership makes her a strong choice for Rising Leader recognition.

For these reasons, Satterfield, Allison (BHE GT&S) is a highly deserving candidate for the SGA Chair’s Rising Leader Award.

Spire and Girls in the Know – Spire

To address the challenge of inspiring future workforce talent and expanding girls’ awareness of skilled trade careers, Spire partnered with Girls in the Know to host a hands-on training day. The experience exposed young girls to trade careers, boosting confidence and encouraging them to envision themselves in hands-on roles.

Book Vending Machines: Expanding Access to Literacy – Atmos Energy

Atmos Energy addressed literacy gaps by providing book vending machines in schools, rewarding students with books vending machines in schools, for students with books for achievements. Increasing reading engagement, expanded access to books for thousands of students and fostering a positive behavior and a community driven model for childhood literacy.

Feeding Families, Strengthening Communities: Summit Utilities and The Watershed Organization – Summit Utilities

Summit Utilities partnered with The Watershed to address food insecurity in Arkansas, the most food insecure state in the nation, by donating $8,000 and mobilizing employees to assemble Thanksgiving meals for 500 families. This effort delivered immediate relief while strengthening community partnerships and long-term impact.

Glow: Transforming Natural Gas Communication Through Creativity and Connection – York County Natural Gas Authority

Glow, YCNGA’s friendly firefly ambassador, transforms natural gas communication through engaging, regionally-inspired storytelling. Through community integration, social engagement, and widespread employee adoption, Glow has become a recognizable cultural icon – strengthening trust, simplifying safety messaging, and advancing how the industry connects with modern audiences.

“Natural Gas Safety with Gus & Rosie” Coloring Books – Atmos Energy

Atmos Energy addressed safety awareness gaps by distributing mascot-driven coloring books teaching safe digging and leak detection. Reaching thousands of students across our 1,400 communities, the initiative of reinforced “Call 811” messaging, improved safety awareness, and strengthened community partnerships through engaging, memorable education.

Safety is in OUR Hands: Fueling Safety Through Community Partnerships – Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline

Southern Star’s Corporate Communications team energized damage prevention efforts through smart, targeted outreach, from bold safety advertising to hands-on school, chamber, and emergency official engagement. These coordinated strategies strengthened partnerships, boosted education, reduced damages, and reinforced a shared responsibility for protecting people, pipelines, and the future of natural gas.

Safe Digging 2025 – Southern Company Gas

This campaign addressed a persistent industry challenge: preventing excavation‑related damage by increasing public awareness of 811 and proper digging practices. The campaign advanced safety by reducing risk, empowering people to make safer decisions, and reinforcing our collective commitment to protecting workers, infrastructure, and the public.

After the Storm: Assisting the St. Louis community after the May 2025 tornado – Spire

On Friday, May 16, 2025, a nearly mile-wide EF-3 tornado touched down west of the City of St. Louis, tracking eastwardly across the city. Spire employees sprang into action to ensure the safety of the community, providing response, relief and recovery to our customers and exemplifying our commitment to serve.

Code Blue: Protecting People and Preserving System Integrity When It Mattered Most – Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline

During Winter Storm Fern, Southern Star activated its Code Blue emergency management framework to protect employees and preserve system integrity during record‑setting demand. Through disciplined execution, cross‑functional coordination, and a people‑first operational focus, Code Blue ensured safe operations and uninterrupted service during one of the company’s most demanding winter events.

Natural Gas Distribution Response to UPS Flight 2976 Crash – LG&E / KU

This project exemplifies excellence in emergency management for natural gas distribution through rapid preventive action, disciplined system‑integrity evaluation, conservative engineering judgment, regulatory compliance, and effective cross‑agency coordination during a nationally visible incident, carried out with respect for the lives lost and commitment to public safety and reliability.

Spire’s Work Coordination Application – Spire

Spire’s Work Coordination Application strategically aligns municipal capital improvement plans with utility infrastructure projects to proactively identify and resolve potential construction conflicts. Leveraging advanced geospatial analytics and internal innovation, the program minimizes community disruption, reduces paving restoration costs, strengthens municipal collaboration and supports smarter, more efficient natural gas infrastructure planning.

Mass Incident Mass Outage (MIMO) Tracker Application – Southern Company Gas

Southern Company Gas faced slow, manual mass‑outage response during major incidents. The MIMO initiative replaced spreadsheets with a real‑time, GIS‑enabled solution integrating network tracing, field mobility, and dashboards—reducing restoration time, improving safety and accuracy, standardizing operations, and increasing customer satisfaction across all LDCs.

Mobile AI Enabled Augmented Reality Operations Training and Field Execution Platform – BHE GT&S, a BHE Pipeline Group company

BHE GT&S faced workforce turnover, retiring expertise and complex procedures that were hard to execute in the field. The team implemented a mobile, AI-enabled platform that converts approved procedures into step-by-step guidance with visual/Augmented Reality (AR) support. Early results show faster readiness, more consistent execution, and reduced rework.

Molasses Creek Restoration Project – Williams

Opting to complete a restoration project instead of simply armoring the pipeline met Williams’ need to protect their infrastructure while benefiting the local environment. Choosing a more wholistic, restorative approach and collaborating with local stakeholders allowed Williams to protect its energy infrastructure while directly benefiting the waterbody and surrounding area.

Spring Gardens Transformation: From Legacy Industrial Site to Environmental Stewardship Leader – Baltimore Gas and Electric

BGE transformed its historic Spring Gardens gas facility into an outstanding model of environmental leadership. Through habitat restoration, renewable energy, flood resilience, waste reduction, and community stewardship, the site delivers measurable environmental benefits while remaining a critical and reliable gas operations hub.

Renewable Natural Gas Interconnection – Byram, Mississippi – Delta Utilities

Delta Utilities completed its first Renewable Natural Gas interconnection, enabling up to 200 MMBtu/day of RNG to enter its distribution system. The project established new engineering, safety, and governance frameworks, advancing sustainability while maintaining system reliability and creating a scalable model for future RNG integration.

Jason Alaniz – CPS Energy

Jason, a CPS Energy Customer Metering Tech, acted immediately when a customer’s ladder struck an overhead primary line. He rendered lifesaving CPR, coordinated emergency response, and supported arriving crews. His quick thinking, calm leadership, and decisive action helped protect life and ensure a safe, orderly response to a critical incident.

Anselmo Borunda – Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline

On August 8, 2025, while working in a remote area during extremely hot weather, Anselmo Borunda, Operator for Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, discovered an elderly woman who had fallen and was unable to get up. He assisted her to safety, helping her recover from prolonged heat exposure and preventing possible serious medical complications.

Atlanta Gas Light

Atlanta Gas Light rapidly assessed storm damage after Hurricane Helene, made over 1,100 incidents safe, and completed nearly 1,000 emergency leak calls. Crews coordinated with other utilities to restore service safely, prioritizing hardest‑hit areas while providing customer assistance and suspending shutoffs during recovery.

Lucas Cypert, Damien Griffith – ONE Gas

During a routine natural gas leak repair, Oklahoma Natural Gas employees Lucas Cypert and Damien Griffith discovered an injured customer unable to leave her home. Their quick assessment and immediate call to 911 enabled emergency responders to provide timely medical care. Their actions turned an ordinary service call into a lifesaving moment.

Bubba Jackson, Chris Worrell – Spire

On January 28, 2026, Spire Service Mechanic Bubba Jackson responded to an odor complaint and found an elderly customer using her gas range for heat after her heat pump failed. He promptly danger-tagged the unsafe appliance and, with Dual Role Mechanic Chris Worrell and coworkers, purchased and installed a natural gas space heater, keeping her warm, safe, and very grateful.

Johnathan Osborne – Miller Pipeline

While working on Karl Road in Columbus, Ohio, Kyle McNichols and his crew encountered a homeowner choking. New laborer, Johnathan Osborne, acted immediately, performing the Heimlich maneuver and clearing the airway of the choking homeowner. His quick response demonstrated Miller Pipeline’s values of safety.

Charley Richardson – Spire

While driving on a rural highway in southwest Missouri, Charley Richardson, a civic improvement inspector with Spire, witnessed a vehicle strike a pedestrian. He quickly jumped into action to call for help, care for the victim and prevent the driver from leaving the scene until police and paramedics could arrive. His actions may have saved the woman’s life.

Ram Rodriquez – Atmos Energy

During a historic flash flood in Kerr Country, Ram Rodriquez risked his life to rescue two trapped neighbors, including one with Parkison’s, from rapidly rising water. He then provided shelter to 12 individuals and supported recovery efforts, demonstrating extraordinary courage, quick action, and unwavering commitment to his community.

Marco Solis – Atmos Energy

After receiving a distress call from a disoriented customer in Lubbock, Marco Solis recognized the emergency, verified details, and coordinated a rapid response. His actions led to a forced entry and rescue of a man incapacitated for days, ultimately saving his life and demonstrating extraordinary compassion and initiative.

“Safety Sundays” at the Children’s Museum of St. Tammany – Atmos Energy

Atmos Energy addressed the gap in community safety education by partnering on an interactive museum exhibit. Through hands-on STEM activities and employee engagement, the program reached over 1,600 visitors, boosted attendance, and strengthened public awareness of everyday safety practices.

ONE Gas Keeps Customers Informed and Safe with Service Restoration Video – ONE Gas

Operations, Safety and Communications teams partnered to create an easy-to-understand video to inform customers on the steps their local distribution company takes to safely restore service and provide important safety reminders. The video highlights how Operations personnel prioritize safety while interacting with customers to restore service in a timely manner.

Safety-First Mentoring Program – Summit Utilities

Summit Utilities launched a six-month Safety-First Mentoring Program to strengthen hazard recognition and safety culture among new team members. Through structured mentorship, ongoing assessments, and proactive safety conversations, the program improves engagement, reinforces accountability, and ensures consistent knowledge transfer, advancing safety performance across the organization.