Tom Van Buren’s appointment to chair of the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) board of directors carries historical significance.
Van Buren, COO and executive vice president at Pico Propane and Fuels, part of the Meritum Energy Holdings group, became the sixth person in the industry’s history to chair both NPGA and the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) during their careers. He joins Milford Therrell, Daryl McClendon, David Lugar, Glenn Saunders and Stuart Weidie. Van Buren served as PERC chair from 2015-17.
Van Buren also enjoyed an up-close look at history in the making when Paula Wilson and Michelle Bimson Maggi became the first female chairs of PERC and NPGA, respectively. During their respective tenures, Wilson with PERC in 2013-15 and Bimson Maggi with NPGA in 2022-23, Van Buren served as secretary of PERC and vice chair of NPGA.
“That was both cool and awesome to see, and I learned so much from both,” he says of Wilson and Bimson Maggi.
Van Buren’s rise to NPGA chair also adds to his Meritum colleagues’ involvement in the industry. Meritum President and CEO Christopher Hill is the current vice chair of marketers for PERC, while Robert Chalmers, executive vice president and CFO at Meritum, served on the PERC council with Van Buren and later became chair as well.
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Article Source: LP Gas Magazine, Author: Brian Richesson, June 17, 2024