WASHINGTON, Nov. 1, 2017 - The White House says President Trump plans to appoint Eddie Joe Williams of Arkansas to serve as the federal representative to the Southern States Energy Board. Williams is a Republican member of the Arkansas State Senate and was the Senate majority leader from 2013 to 2015. He is also a former mayor of Cabot, Arkansas. The Southern States Energy Board is a regional organization created to promote economic development and quality of life in the Southern U.S. through innovations in energy and the environment.                      

President Trump’s nomination of Steven Gardner to be director of the Interior Department’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement has been sent to the Senate. Gardner is president and CEO of ECSI, an engineering and environmental services firm based in Lexington, Kentucky. In 2011, he was inducted into the College of Engineering Hall of Distinction at the University of Kentucky. 

Kimberly Harris has been elected chair of the American Gas Association’s board of directors for 2018. Harris is president and CEO of Puget Sound Energy. She also serves on the board of the Washington Roundtable. AGA’s other board officers for 2018 include: First Vice Chair Joseph Hamrock, president and CEO of NiSource Inc. based in Columbus, Ohio, and Second Vice Chair Scott Prochazka, president and CEO of CenterPoint Energy based in Houston, Texas.

Erin Kurilla joined the American Public Gas Association as director for operations and safety. She previously served as director, Operations and Engineering Services, at the American Gas Association. In that role, Erin led AGA’s pipeline safety advocacy.

Greg Zerzan is now counsel to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, chaired by Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore. Zerzan previously worked for Koch Industries, lobbying Congress on a number of energy, environment, banking and finance issues. Zerzan has also worked for the House Financial Services Committee and the House Agriculture Committee and as a lobbyist for the International Swaps and Derivatives Association.

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