Business

Equitrans Midstream COO talks opportunities at Chamber PowerBreakfast

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER — Executive VP and COO Diana Charletta says her firm Equitrans Midstream is a “1-year-old company with a 135-year history” in the oil and natural gas business. That is because, as she explained to the African American Chamber of Commerce PowerBreakfast audience, May 23, it was spun off from EQT last year and is now a publicly traded, stand-alone company. But it’s more than that.

Published

6 years ago

June 10, 2019

rtmdroach

By Christian Morrow

Executive VP and COO Diana Charletta says her firm Equitrans Midstream is a “1-year-old company with a 135-year history” in the oil and natural gas business. That is because, as she explained to the African American Chamber of Commerce PowerBreakfast audience, May 23, it was spun off from EQT last year and is now a publicly traded, stand-alone company. But it’s more than that.

“Today it is the third-largest gas gathering company in the country,” she said. “In April we acquired Eureka Midstream in Ohio and Hornet Midstream in West Virginia. We are also partnering on the Mountain Valley Pipeline in West Virginia, the Southgate Pipeline from Virginia to North Carolina and three other pipelines specifically for powerplants.”

In energy industry parlance, midstream companies gather, store and transmit natural gas and by-products like ethane from the upstream producers, drillers, and frackers like EQT to downstream residential and commercial suppliers like Peoples and Columbia Gas.

“We move the energy that keeps America moving,” she said.

But, Charletta said, Equitrans is increasingly storing and transporting something else—water, both clean and recycled—for use in fracking operations. Some of its pipeline projects are strictly for water transport. And with a footprint above both the Marcellus and Utica shale plays, the company is positioned to be the premier midstream provider in the Appalachian basin.

And with its acquisitions and expansion, Charletta said the company plans to expand something else.

“We are looking to increase our supplier and contractor base,” she said. “So, in the coming months, we will be setting up a workshop with the Chamber on doing business with Equitrans.”

Chamber President and CEO Doris Carson Williams said, if an introductory meeting she had with Charletta’s boss, Equitrans CEO Thomas Karam is any indication, she expects big things.

“We just had a chat and within 20 minutes he’s joined the Chamber as a Presidential Roundtable member,” said Williams.

Following her presentation, Charletta told the New Pittsburgh Courier that there are more opportunities for small and minority-owned companies to do business with Equitrans than one might think.

“We have thousands of miles of pipeline, hundreds of compressor stations, and we have to build roads, so there’s a lot of infrastructure, and while we’re trying to eliminate tankers eventually, we still have a huge fleet of vehicles,” she said. “Even though we have in-house engineers and attorneys, we contract out some of that work too, and there’s insurance. A lot of what we do is through contractors, so there are opportunities.”

After thanking Charletta, Williams welcomed new members and reminded the audience of several upcoming events including a “Grow with Google” workshop, June 18; a cybersecurity workshop, June 20, and the next PowerBreakfast meeting with speaker Christina Cassotis, CEO of the Allegheny County Airport Authority, June 14.

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This article originally appeared in the New Pittsburgh Courier.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024

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December 20, 2024

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BWOPA Honors Black Leadership and Legacy at 2024 Ella Hill Hutch Awards Dinner

On Dec. 5, BWOPA held its Annual Ella Hill Hutch Awards Ceremony, at the Fairmont Claremont Hotel in the Oakland/Berkeley Hills. At the event, the group comprised of Black women from various professional backgrounds, honored distinguished local and state leaders whose contributions have shaped civic engagement and advanced critical social issues impacting Black communities.

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4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

L-R: BWOPA State Executive Director LaNiece Jones; State Asm. Mia Bonta; BWOPA 2024 Man of The Year/Urban League SFBA CEO Ken Maxey; BWOPA State President Hon. Dezie Woods-Jones; State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas; Rowena Brown, Oakland Councilmember At-Large, Elect; BWOPA State Regional Director Vashone Huff. Courtesy photo.

By Oakland Post Staff

Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) is a statewide non-profit advocacy and membership organization committed to solving problems affecting Black Californians.

On Dec. 5, BWOPA held its Annual Ella Hill Hutch Awards Ceremony, at the Fairmont Claremont Hotel in the Oakland/Berkeley Hills.

At the event, the group comprised of Black women from various professional backgrounds, honored distinguished local and state leaders whose contributions have shaped civic engagement and advanced critical social issues impacting Black communities.

The evening was hosted by Dr. Shawna Charles, founder of The Charles Communications Group (CCG) headquartered in Los Angeles. Charles served as mistress of ceremonies.

With a track record of elevating voices and empowering communities, Charles’ leadership and insight brought a certain dynamism to the celebration.

“Each year, this event not only celebrates the enduring legacy of our beloved BWOPA founding member, Ella Hill Hutch, but also reaffirms and amplifies our unwavering commitment to building and sustaining Black political power across California,” said Dezie Woods-Jones, BWOPA founding member and State president.

“Ella Hill Hutch’s trailblazing leadership continues to inspire us as we forge ahead, empowering Black women to lead, advocate, and shape a more equitable future for all,” added Woods-Jones.

This year’s event introduced the DWJ Rising Star Award, honoring young leaders like Solano County Board Supervisors-elect Cassandra James, Danielle Motley-Lewis, Naomi Waters and newly elected State Assemblymember elect Rhodesia Ransom (D-Stockton).

According to organizers, the awardees all exemplify “the next generation of changemakers.”

Other awardees included:

Lifetime Achievement Awardees: Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-12) and Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson
Man of the Year: Kenneth Maxey, CEO of the Greater SF Bay Area Urban League
President’s Corporate Award: Yvette Radford, Kaiser Permanente
In the Spirit of Ella State and Chapter Awards: Dr. Carolyn Greene, Dr. Marcella K. Smith, Dr. Carolyn Drake, Tinisch Hollins, Jackie Jones, Gloria Burgess Johnson, Tamika L’Ecluse, Ellen Nash, Betty Reid Soskin, and Ay’Anna Moody.

BWOPA also celebrated local champions across its chapters, including leaders in voter education, healthcare, criminal justice reform, and community advocacy.

In a statement, BWOPA said, “Honoring Ella Hill Hutch’s legacy, BWOPA recognizes her pioneering efforts as the first Black woman elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Her tireless work amplifying underrepresented voices continues to inspire BWOPA’s mission to build Black political power across California.”

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to our members, partners and allies who believe in BWOPA’s vision to invest in building power for Black women’s leadership,” said LaNiece Jones, BWOPA State executive director. “Your support ensures that Black women have a voice at decision-making tables locally, regionally, statewide, and nationally, advancing diversity and equity in leadership spaces.”