The Western Energy Alliance (WEA) announced that Kathleen Sgamma has been appointed as its new president. The oil and natural gas trade association’s board voted to promote Sgamma from vice president of government and public affairs. She has worked at the association for more than a decade and will replace Tim Wigley. Sgamma said the WEA is preparing to engage with the incoming Trump administration, adding “we will be working to roll back unreasonable regulations as well as to advance positive policies that create jobs and economic opportunity in the West and across the country.” Sgamma is a U.S. Army veteran and graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Virginia Tech.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) won a vote among Democratic lawmakers in the House on Wednesday to continue serving as House Minority Leader. According to reports, Pelosi won an eighth term to lead the Democratic caucus after defeating Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) by a vote of 134-63. Reps.Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and James Clyburn (D-SC) were unchallenged and will remain as minority whip and assistant to the leader, respectively. Although losing the presidential race, Democrats managed to add six seats in the 2016 election and will have 194 members in the House for the 115th Congress, which begins on Jan. 3.

MPLX LP, Marathon Petroleum Corp.‘s (MPC) midstream master limited partnership, announced that Craig Pierson, vice president (VP) of operations at MPLX GP LLC, MPLX’s general partner, and president of MPLX’s subsidiary, Marathon Pipe Line LLC(MPL), will retire effective Jan. 1. Pierson joined Marathon in 1978 as a pipeline engineer and held numerous positions in pipeline, transportation and logistics and marketing. Pierson was named VP of operations for MPL in 2005 and assumed the role of president in 2011. “Craig has made significant and lasting contributions to the pipeline organization, leading its growth into the flexible and integrated system we operate today,” said MPLX President Don Templin. Pierson will be replaced by Timothy Aydt, who is currently a general manager at MPC.

Commissioner Robert Powelson of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) was installed as the 128th president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) this month at the group’s annual meeting in California. Travis Kavulla of Montana formerly served in the position. Powelson will oversee the association, serve as its voice and represent it before Congress. NARUC represents state regulators that oversee natural gas, electricity and water utilities, among other things. Powelson plans to focus on improving infrastructure and the future of regulation. He was nominated to the PUC in 2008, and his current term expires in 2019. From 2011 to 2015, he served as PUC chairman.