Our 2025 Summer Meeting Speakers

Dr. Brian Anderson is a nationally recognized energy strategist and innovation leader with a career at the intersection of science, policy, and economic transformation. A native of West Virginia, he brings decades of experience advising federal agencies, energy companies, and regional leaders on infrastructure investment, energy transition, and technology commercialization.  He most recently served as Senior Advisor in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of the Under Secretary for Infrastructure. Previously, he was the Executive Director of the White House Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization, where he led a coordinated federal effort to drive investment into America’s traditional energy regions. Under his leadership, the IWG catalyzed more than $315 billion in private-sector investment and aligned over $54 billion in federal funding to support energy communities through infrastructure, workforce, and economic development initiatives.  As Director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Dr. Anderson oversaw a $1 billion research portfolio spanning carbon management, hydrogen, critical minerals, and advanced manufacturing. In 2021, he was named National Laboratory Director of the Year by the Federal Laboratory Consortium.  Dr. Anderson was awarded the U.S. Secretary of Energy’s Honor Award for his contributions to the federal response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding early-career scientists and engineers.  He holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from West Virginia University. He is passionate about creating lasting value at the nexus of private investment and public good. His work continues to focus on ensuring energy-producing communities thrive, building strong public-private partnerships, and positioning Appalachia as a cornerstone of America’s energy future.

U. S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito was elected by the people of West Virginia to the United States Senate in 2014, and re-elected in 2020. Shelley became the first female Senator in West Virginia’s history and in 2020, was reelected with the largest margin of victory for a Republican in state history—winning more than 70% of the vote and all 55 counties, surpassing the previous mark she set in 2014 when she won more than 62% of the vote and all 55 counties. After serving West Virginia’s Second Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives for 14 years, and as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates for four years prior, Senator Capito decided to run for the U.S. Senate to be an even stronger voice for the Mountain State. She also saw an opportunity to restore order to a Senate stuck in gridlock for far too long. She believes that today’s challenges demand bipartisan solutions and cooperation across the aisle to advance legislation that benefits West Virginia and the country as a whole. Senator Capito is committed to being accessible and responsive to her fellow West Virginians and regularly travels to hear from and meet with West Virginians. For the 119th Congress, Senator Capito serves on the Appropriations Committee; the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee; the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee as chairman; and the Rules and Administration Committee. This committee portfolio puts her in a strong position to create new opportunities in the Mountain State and fight for West Virginia priorities, jobs, and families. Senator Capito also serves as the Chairman of the Senate Republican Policy (RPC) Committee, the fourth highest position in Senate Republican
leadership. As a member of the Committee on Appropriations, Senator Capito works to ensure West Virginia’s priorities are represented when our nation’s funding decisions are made. She has been a member of the Appropriations Committee since she became a Senator in 2015. Senator Capito currently serves as the Chairman of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Appropriations Subcommittee, where she oversees funding across a large range of programs within the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services (HHS), and other independent agencies. To date, Senator Capito has chaired four Appropriations Subcommittees during her time in the Senate. In addition to her current Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee chairman role, Senator Capito has chaired the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, and the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee. On the EPW Committee, the senator serves as Chairman. In this role, Chairman Capito will continue to advocate for policies that protect vital West Virginia energy and manufacturing jobs and encourage investment in West Virginia’s infrastructure. As a leader on the EPW Committee, Chairman Capito is committed to promoting a commonsense regulatory strategy and protecting affordable, reliable energy production; building our nation’s infrastructure, and encourage economic development. She has been a member of the EPW Committee since she became a Senator in 2015. On the Commerce Committee, Senator Capito oversees ways to address many issues that are critical to West Virginia, most notably broadband expansion, which she has been a leading voice on since she came to Congress. This committee assignment allows Senator Capito to continue advocating for improved connectivity in West Virginia. A lifelong West Virginian herself, Senator Capito was born in Glen Dale in the Northern Panhandle. She holds a B.S. in Zoology from Duke University and a M.Ed. from the University of Virginia. She and her husband Charles L. Capito, Jr. reside in Charleston. They have three adult children: two sons, Charles (wife Laura) and Moore (wife Liberty), and one daughter, Shelley (husband Colin Macleod). They have also been blessed with eight grandchildren: Celia, Charlie, Eliza, Rose, Arch, Macaulay, Lewis, and Thomas.

Craig Colombo has over 38 years in the Oil and Gas Industry and is Vice President of Gas Supply for Hope Gas.  Colombo  worked with Dominion Energy West Virginia (DEWV) for 34 of those years, where he has established and developed countless relationships with producers and individuals in the oil and gas industry and the business community. During his years with DEWV, Craig was responsible for the procurement and contracting of natural gas supplies and the  contracting of pipeline and storage capacity with multiple upstream interstate pipelines.  Owing to a knowledge of the industry, gained over his career, Colombo has been called on to participate in State Regulatory proceedings as an expert witness and to testify before the WV House Energy Committee in support of producers of West Virginia. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB) for over 14 years. NAESB serves as an industry forum for the development and promotion of standards which lead to a seamless marketplace for wholesale and retail natural gas, the business community, participants, and regulatory entities.

Steve Gandee is a regional vice president, commercial lines, on the Energy and State Government Team. He is responsible for managing employees who specialize in underwriting, claims management, return to work, nursing and safety and loss control for our specialized Energy and State Government team. He has been a leader of Encova Insurance’s expansion into other states.  Steve Gandee has more than 18 years of experience in workers’ compensation insurance and underwriting. His prior positions have most recently included assistant vice president of underwriting operations within Encova. While working in underwriting operations, Gandee lead the underwriting technical team, drafted policy documents, developed guidelines, and furthered state and product expansion which contributed to Encova’s profitable growth. Gandee has also had prior claims experience with BrickStreet and at the West Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission. Gandee attended West Virginia University where he obtained a master’s degree in legal studies and bachelor of arts in political sciences.

Prior to Fidelis II, LP, Pete Hollis was the CEO of Cronus Capital Partners, a water midstream and injection company targeting asset acquisitions in the Midland Basin with the goal of developing a water midstream supersystem.  Prior to his role as CEO of Cronus, Hollis served as COO of Lagoon Water Midstream, a water midstream, disposal, and recycling company where he led the operations team through the buildout of 17 disposal wells, 200+ miles of pipeline, and a large water recycling facility supporting multiple oil & gas operators in the STACK.  Before being recruited to Lagoon, Hollis progressed through multiple leadership positions at Marathon Oil where he served on the senior leadership team for the Midcontinent Basin and Global Supply Chain holding positions including Supply Chain Manager – Midcontinent Operations, Category Manager – North America Drilling and Completions, and Market Intelligence.  Hollis began his career working for NASA Johnson Space Center where he was a Contracting Officer managing projects in support of human spaceflight operations.  Prior to his tenure at NASA, Hollis worked with Shapiro, Jarlsjo and Boulmay as an MBA intern at The Shaw Group Inc. and earned the Top Intern 2006 Award.  Hollis holds a B.A. in economics and political science along with an MBA from Louisiana State University.

Senator James C. Justice II was born on April 27, 1951, to James Conley Justice and Edna Ruth Justice. A lifelong West Virginian, he attended Raleigh County public schools and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1969, and attended Greenbrier Military Academy as a post-graduate.

Senator Justice went on to Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, where he was captain of the golf team for two years before earning his undergraduate degree and a Masters in Business Administration.

Senator Justice’s remarkable career took off in 1976 when he joined his family’s business and established the Justice Family Farms in Monroe County, West Virginia. With over 50,000 acres of farmland across multiple states, his agricultural enterprise thrived. As the largest farmer east of the Mississippi River and a seven-time national corn growing champion, Senator Justice’s passion for nature extended to developing Stoney Brook Plantation, a sprawling 15,000-acre hunting and fishing preserve.

Following the passing of his father in 1993, Senator Justice assumed leadership as President and CEO of Bluestone Industries, Inc. and Bluestone Coal Corporation. Over the next 15 years, he oversaw a substantial expansion of diverse businesses, including coal reserves, Christmas tree farms, cotton gins, turfgrass operations, golf courses, and land development projects. Prior to becoming Senator, he helmed 102 companies, demonstrating his expertise in job creation.

In 2008, Senator Justice orchestrated a multi-million dollar sale of Bluestone Industries, Inc. Senator Justice repurchased Bluestone in 2015, reopening its mines and generating over 200 new mining jobs.

In 2009, Senator Justice’s rescue efforts extended to The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, which faced bankruptcy and workforce cuts. Determined to revitalize the resort, he reversed benefit reductions and made significant investments in renovations and expansions. His visionary leadership attracted prestigious events like the PGA Tour, LIV Golf Tournament, NFL and NBA training camps, and various high-profile acts and conferences to The Greenbrier.

As a successful business owner and former Governor of West Virginia, Senator Justice possesses a deep understanding of job creation and economic growth. His extensive experience in these areas allows him to foster a business-friendly environment, attract investments, and create opportunities that drive prosperity for the state and its residents.

Parker Kasmer leads AXPC’s congressional, political, and external stakeholder engagement. He was most recently Senior Vice President of External Affairs at Juul Labs, where he oversaw U.S. government affairs and related external programs. Before that, Parker was at Sidley Austin LLP’s DC office, advising Fortune 500 companies and trade associations on government strategies and engagements. He brings a tested skillset in advancing corporate and policy initiatives in dynamic external and political environments. Parker has a Bachelor of Arts in political science and history from the University of Alabama and a Juris Doctor from the Washington & Lee University School of Law.

Charlotte R. Lane was appointed to the Public Service Commission and as Chairman on July 1, 2019. She previously served on the Commission from 1985-1989 and 1997-2003, serving as Chairman from 1997-2001. She has a long career of public service in addition to her prior work on the Commission, having been elected to three terms in the West Virginia House of Delegates (1979-1980, 1991-1992 and 2017-2018). She served on the U.S. International Trade Commission from 2003-2011, having been appointed by President George W. Bush. She has practiced law in State and Federal Courts in West Virginia for many years and has been admitted to practice in the Third and Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States.
Chairman Lane has served as President of the West Virginia Bar Association, the Mid-Atlantic Conference of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (MACRUC) and the Charleston Rotary Club. She has also served on the Boards of Directors of the Rotary Foundation of Washington, D.C.; the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC); the Charleston Chamber of Commerce; on the Board of Governors of the West Virginia State Bar and as a member of the West Virginia University College of Law Visiting Committee.  Chairman Lane graduated from Marshall University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Political Science and received her Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the West Virginia University College of Law. She has been awarded the Justitia Officium Award from the WVU College of Law, the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Marshall University and is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the West Virginia Bar Foundation. She resides in Charleston and has a daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren living in South Carolina.

Sarah Marché is Senior Vice President of Pharmacy Services at Highmark Inc. In her role, Dr. Marché will continue to shape Highmark’s pharmacy business through the implementation of strategies aimed at improving drug affordability and access to care. She has responsibility for Highmark drug spend across the pharmacy and medical benefits and creating solutions to address the rising cost of drug. Dr. Marche joined Highmark Inc. as a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in 2005 with a focus on Formulary and Utilization Management for the Commercial and Medicare Part D lines of business as well as Drug Pipeline Management. She has held several roles within the Pharmacy Services division including Manufacturer Relations, Specialty Pharmacy Strategy and Pharmacy Product Strategy. Dr. Marché received her Doctor of Pharmacy from Duquesne University and then completed a Pharmacy Practice residency with University of Pittsburgh. She began her pharmacy career as a Clinical Pharmacist with UPMC – Shadyside Hospital as a Critical Care Pharmacist and also spent time at UPMC – Palermo, working as a pharmacist.

P.S. Martin, MD FACEP FAEMS is the West Virginia State Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) Medical Director and a Professor of Emergency Medicine at the WVU School of Medicine, where he is also the Director of the WVU Department of Emergency Medicine’s Division of Prehospital Medicine.   Dr. Martin founded the WVU EMS Physician Response Program, a free grant-funded service that allows board certified EMS Physicians to work, in the field, with WV’s rural EMS providers.  This program brings in hospital emergency care directly to the rural communities of WV, allowing EMS Physicians to provide advanced care, teach and work alongside EMS providers, learn from them, build new guidelines based on that experience, and advance the overall prehospital care available to rural West Virginians.  Since the program’s inception, in the spring of 2020, hundreds of patients have been directly impacted, and 6 cardiac arrest victims are alive and well today.  Dr. Martin is a key leader in EMS medical direction, policy/guideline development, and emergency care locally, statewide, nationally, and internationally.  Currently he is Interim WV State Health Officer, Acting Secretary of the WV Board of Medicine, EMS Committee Chair for the WV American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), former and founding President of the National Association of EMS Physicians WV Chapter (NAEMSPWV),  Vice President of the Prehospital Guidelines Consortium (NHTSA funded), a Medical Direction Committee member of the National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO), and a board of directors member of the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS).  From 2006-2012, he was also Secretary/Treasurer and President of the international Air Medical Physician Association (AMPA).  Dr. Martin joined the WVU School of Medicine as faculty in 2016.  Prior to that he was the Director of the Division of Prehospital Medicine at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH), Pittsburgh, PA for 19 years.  During his time there he was medical director for AGH’s LifeFlight program, Program Director of their EMS Fellowship, Medical Director of the Allegheny County EMS Council, and served as a member of the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council, the governing body for Pennsylvania EMS. He is a native of Thomas, in Tucker County, and a graduate of the Tucker County High School class of 1984.  His EMS career began 43 years ago with Tucker County EMS.  Since those early days he has held multiple roles in his EMS career including: EMT, Paramedic, Communication Specialist, Flight Paramedic, Flight Physician, Medical Director, and sub-specialty EMS Board Certificated EMS Physician, not to mention his current WV State Office of EMS Medical Directorship.  He attended WVU where he graduated with a BA in Biology and obtained his MD degree from the WVU School of Medicine in 1997.  He completed his Emergency Medicine Residency training at the MCP Hahnemann School of Medicine’s Allegheny General Hospital Campus in Pittsburgh, PA.

West Virginia Attorney General John “JB” McCuskey is the former two-term State Auditor. Previously, he served two terms in the House of Delegates and practiced law in Charleston.  As Auditor, McCuskey has made it his mission to ensure an efficient, effective, and transparent government. On his watch, McCuskey has turned West Virginia into the most transparent state in the country by allowing citizens to access real-time data about how their tax dollars are spent through WVCheckbook.gov. He also established the Public Integrity and Fraud Unit which has opened more than 200 investigations into local governments, uncovering fraud totaling more than $2.5 million.  McCuskey led the nation in using augmented intelligence and machine learning to streamline government processes and mitigate fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars. The Auditor’s Office  established a platform, the first of its kind, to be used to track government spending and highlight fraud and important trends.  McCuskey is a native of Harrison County, West Virginia. His parents, John and Anne McCuskey, cultivated his deep love of the Mountain State and instilled in him the values of public service.  He is a graduate of The George Washington University with a degree in Political Communication. He is also a graduate of the West Virginia University College of Law. Before attending law school, McCuskey worked as a civilian for the Department of Defense at the Pentagon in the offices of the Army and Department of Defense General Counsels.  McCuskey lives in Charleston with his wife, Wendy, and daughters, Charlotte Anne and Martha Elizabeth, and their dog Pearl, where they own a small business.

Congresswoman Carol Miller represents West Virginia’s First Congressional District and serves on the Committee on Ways and Means. Miller’s focus in Congress is creating jobs, diversifying the economy, innovating and improving infrastructure, protecting America’s borders and supporting West Virginia’s energy industries like coal, oil and gas.  Prior to her election to Congress in 2018, Miller served in the West Virginia House of Delegates from 2006 to 2018 where she rose to become the first female Majority Whip.  A mother of two and grandmother of seven, Miller is married to her husband Matt, and lives in Huntington, where she owns and operates Swann Ridge Bison Farm and manages real estate. Miller was born in Columbus, Ohio and is the daughter of Congressman Samuel L. Devine and Betty Devine.

West Virginia Governor Patrick James Morrisey is the 37th governor of West Virginia. Morrisey took office on January 13, 2025. He campaigned across all 55 counties during his bid for governor, running to make West Virginia once again the shining state in the mountains.  Before being elected governor, Morrisey served as West Virginia’s Attorney General since 2012. As Attorney General, Morrisey delivered some of the nation’s most significant legal victories to defend West Virginia. He prevailed in West Virginia v. EPA, which has been declared one of the most pivotal U.S. Supreme Court wins in decades.  Morrisey championed major legal wins protecting West Virginians’ constitutional rights, delivering record-setting settlements against drug companies, and preserving the West Virginia way of life.  Morrisey has also fought to protect the unborn, preserve Second Amendment rights, and defend girls’ sports.  During his time in public service, Morrisey served as a former Chairman of the Republican Attorney Generals Association, a former Chief Counsel to the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee, and an owner of his own law practice. Prior to public office, Morrisey had a distinguished legal career as a former Partner and Practice Chair at a major national law firm. Morrisey is also a former professional Tennis Umpire, and even worked the finals of the U.S. Open.  Morrisey is the son of a World War II veteran and a VA registered nurse. He went on to put himself through Rutgers College and Rutgers School of Law by working multiple jobs while balancing academics and athletics.  Morrisey is married to his wife and First Lady, Denise, and they have one daughter, Julia. He moved to Harpers Ferry in 2006.

Nick Munoz leads Williams Safe, Reliable, and Efficient Gathering and NGL Transmission Operations in Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. He has 19 years of experience in Upstream and Midstream Operations in US Gas Basins, with over a decade of experience in the development of the Marcellus and Utica. In that time, he has led operations teams, asset commissioning teams, engineering teams, integration teams, and most recently served as Director of Technical Services for all Gathering and Processing assets nationwide. He holds an MBA with Finance Specialization from LSU-Shreveport, a BAAS from TAMU-Commerce, and an AAS in Instrumentation and Controls Technology from San Juan College.

Morgan K. O’Brien is Hope Gas’s and Hearthstone’s Chief Executive Officer. He is a native Pittsburgher who was raised by a blue-collar Irish-Catholic family to value all people and all forms of work. His work ethic and value of other people helped him rise to become CEO at Duquesne Light Company the electric provider for Western Pennsylvania. He later moved over to become the CEO at Peoples Gas serving Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky.

In those roles, he was the face and voice of the hardworking employees who dedicated each day to helping the families and businesses they serve. He successfully helped grow both companies in terms of employment, customer base and in total investor value. He has positioned both Peoples and Duquesne Light as the true community partners and champions they are today. They both continue to invest and partner with many organizations that drive economic development and improve the quality of life in the regions they serve.
O’Brien earned his college degrees from Robert Morris University. O’Brien is active in civic organizations, including serving as the Chair of the Board of Trustees of his alma mater. He also serves on many boards, some which include Matthews International, Watt Fuel Cell Company, Dollar Energy, Co-chair of Pittsburgh Works Together and African American Chamber.

Jaclyn Presnal has been with Williams for 18 years and is currently a director of Strategic Development. In her current role, she is responsible for bolt-on M&A as well as providing business development support for the Gathering and Processing operating area. Prior to this, was the director of strategy and market intelligence from October 2019 through September 2022. She has held various leadership roles within the company including as a continuous improvement consultant for the West G&P operations team, manager of Project Analysis for NGLs & Petchem, and manager of Strategic Planning. She also held various individual contributor roles primarily in financial planning & analysis.

Senator Ben Queen (R) represents the 12th Senatorial District in Harrison County.  This Clarksburg native is a professional photographer and media entrepreneur; he owns Ben Queen Photography.