Thomas D. Hutchins, vice-president of environmental, health, and safety for the natural gas business of Kinder Morgan Inc., has been elected by the INGAA Foundation’s board as its new chairman for a 1-year term beginning Nov. 5.
Hutchins has more than 30 years of experience in the pipeline and energy industry, working in field engineering, project management, operations, and HSE. He began his career as a field engineer, building pipelines and compressor stations for El Paso Natural Gas, one of Kinder Morgan’s interstate pipeline systems.
He also has worked as a project engineer and project manager for the International Boundary and Water Commission, an agency of the US State Department. As the industry diversified, he led HSE organizations supporting chemical plants, refineries, power plants, and coal mines.
Also Nov. 7, the foundation’s board elected Mark Hereth, a principal with Process Performance Improvement Consultants, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Blacksmith Group, as vice-chairman.