Outreach

Finding ways to dampen escalating opposition to natural gas and oil development requires a lot of face time, town halls, dinners and no fear, according to a public outreach coordinator with Williams.

Finding ways to dampen escalating opposition to natural gas and oil development requires a lot of face time, town halls, dinners and no fear, according to a public outreach coordinator with Williams.

A study of the biggest risks associated with hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking), as well as recommended policies to reduce those risks, has been launched by an arm of the nonpartisan Resources for the Future (RFF).

The Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC) has hired three full-time senior staff members to advance the organization’s communications, outreach, education and policy objectives. Steve Forde, the new policy and communications director, was senior director of corporate communications for Education Management Corp. He previously was deputy communications director for House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio and also served as communications director for the House Education and Workforce Committee. Christopher Heck, who will lead membership services, joins the MSC after serving as vice president and relationship manager at Fifth Third Bank. Heck is current chair of the Enterprise Forum Pittsburgh. The new conference director, Helen Goodman, founded Pittsburgh-based Event Resources 20 years ago to provide services to corporate, nonprofit and public-sector organizations. She also worked for the Pittsburgh Technology Council. “Having our membership more than double over the past year, we’re continuing to grow our core team of experts with our focus remaining on effectively conveying our industry’s long-term commitment to the environment, safety, and a cleaner, more competitive energy economy,” said MSC President Kathryn Klaber.

According to surveys conducted for the New York State PublicService Commission as part of its customer education and outreachprogram, 64% of residential customers and 62% of business customershave a general awareness of the move to competition in the electricindustry, and most customers are optimistic about the changestaking place. However only 23% of residential customers and 34% ofsmall businesses are aware of competition in the natural gasindustry.