The Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA) wasted little time inpicking successors to fill positions that were left vacant by thesudden departures of two staff members.

The producer group’s new president, R. Skip Horvath, announcedthat Patricia Wilson Jagtiani, who has been FERC Chairman JamesHoecker’s gas policy advisor since January 1997, will join NGSA asits new director of regulatory affairs effective Sept. 17,succeeding Philip Budzik. Budzik departed NGSA earlier this monthafter 15 years.

“I think a lot of my duties [at NGSA] will be very similar” tothose at FERC – “a lot of consensus building, a lot of policyissues,” Jagtiani said. She noted she was “very sad” to be leavingthe Commission, where she has been since 1990, but was “lookingforward” to working with Horvath. At FERC, Jagtiani will besucceeded by Susan G. Pollonais, who has served as a public utilityspecialist in the Office of Pipeline Regulations Division ofLitigation since 1997.

Laurie Mauldin Cramer already has joined NGSA as the newdirector of communications, replacing Linda Schoumacher Rozett.Previously, she had been senior vice president at The HawthornGroup L.C., a public affairs firm in Alexandria, VA. Rozett alsodeparted NGSA earlier this month.

“Both of these additions represent changes made as a result ofthe association’s internal review to ensure we are best serving ourmembers and their needs,” said Horvath, who took over as NGSApresident on Aug. 1.

The staff members being replaced were in no way connected to theembezzlement scandal involving NGSA’s former president, Nicholas J.Bush, according to a press release. Bush pleaded guilty in federalcourt last month to defrauding the trade group out of $2.8 millionover a 16-year period. He is scheduled to be sentenced in lateOctober.

Susan Parker

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