Mower Equipment
As your elected State Director, I’m happy to provide an update on the activities at the NPGA Annual Meeting, Summer Board of Directors Meeting, and Propane Days in Washington, DC, June 8-10, 2025. Business included Committee and Section meetings, policy discussions, a fascinating presentation on the brain, a PropanePAC event, social events and much more. Outgoing Chair Tom Van Buren passed the gavel to new Chair Michael Hopsicker. I encourage you to read my report.
Thank you for the opportunity to represent you.
Sincerely,
Kara Tucker
Koppy’s Propane
See below or click HERE to read my report on NPGA’s member dashboard.
NPGA hosted its Annual Meeting, Summer Board of Directors Meeting, and Propane Days in Washington, D.C., June 8-10, 2025. Business included Committee and Section meetings; policy discussions; a fascinating presentation on the brain; a PropanePAC event; and much more. Outgoing Chair Tom Van Buren passed the gavel to new Chair Michael Hopsicker. Be sure to scroll all the way down to view the photo gallery!
The NPGA Officers, from left to right: Trent Hampton, Vice Chair; DD Alexander, Chair-Elect; Michael Hopsicker, Incoming Chair of the Board of Directors, Outgoing Chair Tom Van Buren, Chad Kroening, Incoming Treasurer; and Steve Kaminski, NPGA President & CEO.
Here are some of the key updates from the meetings:
The Presidential Forum, an exclusive meeting for State Association Presidents, Chairs, and State Association Executives, enjoyed its highest attendance in years. Attendees engaged in discussions related to the state of the industry, as well as specific challenges facing their associations and propane businesses.
Marketers Section Outgoing Chair Brian Brooks welcomed the incoming Chair, Steve Farkas of Tri-Gas & Oil, and Vice Chair Ryan Jackson of DF Richards to their new positions. The Marketers Section held breakout meetings with the districts grouped together by geography, as well as similarities in legislative and regulatory challenges. NPGA will email district summaries to the Marketers Section members.
Eric Kuster, Vice President of Safety, Compliance, and Education at PERC provided an update. Mr. Kuster emphasized the importance of safety and training and spoke about the opportunities and challenges the propane industry faces.
Jacob Peterson, NPGA Senior Director of State Advocacy and Affairs, held a fireside chat with Ben Nasta, NCSL’s Legislative Director for Natural Resources, Energy, and Environment, where they discussed the current state legislative landscape and energy policy trends in state capitals.
Austin Wicker, NPGA Senior Manager, State Government Affairs, hosted a fireside chat with Cassie Powers, Chief of Staff for the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), where they discussed propane’s role in state energy security planning, workforce development initiatives, and propane opportunities for data center power demand.
Dr. Helena Boschi, a world-renowned applied neuroscience psychologist, had the entire room active, engaged, and roaring with laughter with her presentation, Neuroscience of Persuasion in an Uncertain World.
Propane Days – Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill
To kick off NPGA’s Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill, Michael Baker, NPGA’s SVP and Chief Legislative Officer, provided a comprehensive legislative briefing outlining the association’s top priorities, including LIHEAP and the Energy Choice Act. Steven Dyke and Lauren Medlin, NPGA’s Managers of Legislative Affairs, shared their insights as former Hill staffers and prepared attendees for the variety of situations they might encounter during their meetings with Congressional members and staff.
Throughout the day, 270 NPGA members and staff engaged in meetings with over 300 Congressional offices across both the House and Senate. The day concluded with a well-attended Congressional reception at the Dirksen Senate Office Building, where NPGA members and staff welcomed lawmakers and their teams.
PropanePAC
PropanePAC hosted a private reception at The International Spy Museum to recognize its donors. Guests enjoyed an exclusive look at the Bond in Motion exhibit and had the opportunity to be evaluated by a handwriting analyst at this popular event.
PropanePAC Steering Committee Chair Andrew Vogl of Ray Murray Inc. announced that PropanePAC is on track to meet its 2025 goals for both the PAC and Administrative Fund and noted that membership in the PropanePAC giving clubs has increased.
The PropanePAC also hosted Propane, Politics, and Coffee, an engaging discussion with bipartisan consultants Trevor Kolego and John Christie from the Smith-Free Group in Washington, D.C. Moderator Michael Baker facilitated the conversation, analyzing the performance of both the current administration and the Republican and Democratic parties. Sponsored by NGL Supply, this session welcomed 160 attendees and provided an insightful look into the performance of the 119th Congress thus far.
NPGF Scholarship Program
The NPGF Scholarship Committee met to discuss committee business. Highlights include:
- NPGF this year awarded 117 scholarships for a total of $174,000 – highest dollar amount to date
- Transcripts newsletter is online and lists all the recipients and other committee news.
- As of June 6, the Corporate Partners Campaign has raised $26,100. There is still time to contribute to this annual appeal.
- The Golf Tournament on April 3, 2025 raised just over $92,000. Plans are already underway for the 2026 tournament to be held in conjunction with Expo in Nashville.
- The next application cycle opens on December 15, 2025 – mark your calendars!
Awards and Citations
State Director of the Year
Nash McMahan, third-generation owner of Tri-Gas & Oil, received the State Director of the Year Award. Nash is the NPGA Maryland State Director, long-serving Vice Chair of the NPGA Government Affairs committee, and a Past President and longtime board and legislative committee member of the Mid Atlantic Propane Gas Association.
Individual Safety Award
Rufus Youngblood received the Individual Safety Award. Rufus is Director of Safety at Ferrellgas, where he is responsible for all aspects of the company’s safety programs, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations, promoting a culture of safety, and minimizing workplace accidents by identifying and mitigating risks through proactive measures, training initiatives, and incident investigations.
Six members received Chair Citations:
Christina Armentano, for her leadership and communication efforts.
Heather Granzin, for her work with Hours of Service waivers and as Chair of Supply & Logistics.
Jeff Stewart, for being an industry innovator, with respect to renewable propane.
James Devens, for his work in fundraising for scholarships and in hurricane response.
Stephanie Hennen, for her work with the Young Professionals Council (YPC).
Arthur Ogden (not pictured) also received a Chair Citation for his work on Hours of Service waivers.
Outgoing Chair Awards:
Tom Van Buren received a plaque with gavel and a Pittsburgh Steelers jersey signed by Mean Joe Greene as outgoing NPGA Board Chair.
Erich Wolf chaired the TS&S Committee for the past two years and received an Outgoing Committee Chair Award.
Christina Armentano chaired the Membership Services Committee for the past three years and received an Outgoing Committee Chair Award.
Randy Thompson chaired the Distinguished Service Award Committee for the past year and received an Outgoing Committee Chair Award.
New Officers and Directors (as of June 9, 2025)
| Chad Kroening, Boehlke Bottled Gas Corp. | NPGA Treasurer |
| Casandra Russo, AmeriGas Propane LP | Alaska Director |
| Jim Rushing, EDP | Arizona Director |
| Stephen Powers, Propane Oil & Equipment Sales | New Hampshire Director |
| Spencer Willis, C Three Logistics | New Jersey Director |
| Josh Stephens, Rockingham Petroleum Cooperative | Virginia Director |
| Tonya Crow, GROWMARK Inc. | District 5 Director |
| Joe Rosengrant, Cetane Associates, LLC | Individual/Employee Director |
| Steve Farkas, Tri-Gas & Oil | Director-at-Large |
| Lisa Gerwitz, Thompson Energy Insurance Services | Director-at-Large |
| Mike Sharp, AmeriGas Propane LP | Director-at-Large |