October 18, 2023

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Acrisure Stadium

2023 Program Schedule

October 17, 2023
6:00PM – 9:00PM

Pre-Event Networking Mixer
Southern Tier Brewing

October 18, 2023
9:00AM – 9:30AM

Registration & Breakfast

9:30AM – 10:00AM

Neal Rothchild
Enterprise Development-International Logistics, Penske

Presentation Title:
Global Supply Chain & the Impact on the Future of Chemical Markets

10:00AM – 10:30AM

David E. Callahan
President, Marcellus Shale Coalition

Presentation Title:
Water Recycling for Sustainable Energy Production in the Marcellus

10:30AM – 10:45AM

Break

11:00AM – 11:15AM

Bill Welge
President & CEO, CGT Staffing

Presentation Title:
Workforce Stainability

11:30AM – 11:45AM

Ryan Russell
Director, U.S. Commercial Service

Presentation Title:
International Trade: Leveraging U.S. Competitiveness to Drive Economic Growth and Improve Sustainability in Global Markets

12:00PM – 1:00PM

Lunch

1:00PM – 1:15PM
Keynote Speaker

Mitchell Toomey
Vice President of Sustainability and Responsible Care®, American Chemistry Council

Presentation Title:
How Can EPA Regulations, Workforce Development, and Plastic Circularity Drive Communities Forward?

1:20PM – 2:00PM

Mitchell Toomey
Vice President of Sustainability and Responsible Care®, American Chemistry Council

Mark Nikolich
CEO, Braskem America

Samir Hifri
President & Chairman, Covestro

Hilary Mercer
Vice President, Shell

John Thayer
SVP Sales & Marketing, NOVA Chemicals

Executive Panel

2:15PM – 2:30PM

Break

2:30PM – 3:00PM

Danielle Baughman
President, Proshare Services

Kenneth D. Magyar
VP Business Development, DT Midstream

Mike Ducker
SR VP Hydrogen Infrastructure, Mitsubishi Power

Presentation Title:
How Corporations Can Increase Profitability While Reducing Emissions

3:15PM – 3:45PM

Keith Moquin
Manager of Strategy, Science & Technology, PPG

Joe Szul
Global Low Temperature Process Design Engineer, PPG

Nathan Silvernail
Global Technology Platform Leader, Mobility, PPG

Paul Holcomb
Research & Development & Resin Plant Manager, Springdale, PPG

PPG Panel Title:
Sustain Business

4:30PM – 5:15PM

Hall of Honor Museum

2023 Keynote Speaker

2023 Keynote Speaker

Mitchell Toomey

Vice President of Sustainability and Responsible Care®, American Chemistry Council

As Vice President of Sustainability and Responsible Care®, Mitch Toomey is responsible for leading the strategic implementation of ACC’s world-class EHS&S performance initiative and executing the industry’s commitment to sustainability – through innovation, collaboration, and technologies that enhance the safety and environmental impacts of ACC member products and operations.

In his role at ACC, Mitch is focused on strengthening industry’s role as a solutions provider across six key areas: monitoring and improving air quality; conserving and protecting drinking water; increasing product and process safety; reducing greenhouse gas emissions; expanding recycling; and creating a more diverse workforce.

Prior to joining ACC in September 2022, Mitch served as Director of Sustainability for BASF Corporation, the world’s largest chemical company. At BASF, Mitch led a team working across twelve businesses to embed sustainability in the company’s business strategies, including leadership of long-term renewable power purchasing agreements, non-fossil feedstocks for circular economy value chains, and customer-centric portfolio evaluations and expansions based on emerging sustainability drivers. Mitch also led the BASF Sustainability Champions Network and Leadership Sustainability Council.

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Before BASF, Mitch spent more than 15 years with the United Nations and UN Development Programme (UNDP), where he helped champion the United Nations global social responsibility and sustainability movement. He also led UN engagement and expert dialogues for the 2012 Rio Conference on Sustainability, launched the UNDP Innovation Facility, and served as lead author for the UNDP Knowledge Management Strategy.

Prior to joining the UN, Mitch worked in the private sector building two startups, and working as a management consultant helping traditional firms migrate to digital markets and sustainable business models.

Mitch earned both an MBA and BA from New York University. An avid outdoorsman, Mitch also holds a Wilderness Expedition Leadership Certificate from the National Outdoor Leadership School.

Covestro

Neal Rothchild

Enterprise Development – International Logistics, Penske

Neal Rothchild is a 25-year logistics professional, serving in the International Freight Forwarding industry.

Mr. Rothchild is distinguished by his vast international knowledge on ocean and air logistics and consummate customer service. Neal is very active in several supply-chain related communities including the CSCMP, ACS, ISM and EACC.

Neal is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati where he studied Physics, and Communications.

Neal resides in West Chester OH with his wife of +25 years and two children attending Washington University in St Louis and the University of Cincinnati in Ohio.

Presentation Title: Global Supply Chain and the impact on the future of Chemical Markets

Covestro

David E. Callahan

President, Marcellus Shale Coalition 

David Callahan is president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC), a leading trade association focused on unconventional shale development from the Marcellus and Utica plays. A native Pennsylvanian, Mr. Callahan leads the organization, founded in 2008, representing members engaged in all aspects of natural gas development, including exploration and production, midstream gathering, processing and transportation, as well as the suppliers and contractors who work with the industry.

On behalf of the organization’s membership, Mr. Callahan engages with elected officials, regulators, civic leaders, allied business interests and the media to advance responsible shale development, enhance the industry’s social license to operate, strengthen our economy and better our shared environment.

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Mr. Callahan has more than 30 years of experience in the energy sector, in which he has represented companies and organizations across the energy value chain. Previously, he held leadership positions with JKLM Energy and MPLX, as well as with organizations including API of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Callahan earned a B.A. from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He and his wife, Wendy, have one son and live in central Pennsylvania.

Presentation Title: Water Recycling for Sustainable Energy Production in the Marcellus

Covestro

Bill Welge

President & CEO, CGT Stafffing

Bill Welge currently serves as President & CEO of CGT Staffing, a national full-service staffing firm based in the greater Pittsburgh area. Under his leadership, CGT Staffing has expanded its diverse portfolio of industry domains to include clients in engineering, manufacturing, healthcare, and finance, ranging from diverse localized businesses to Fortune 500 entities. Prior to joining CGT Staffing in 2016, Welge spent twenty years as an executive in the title and mortgage industry. From 2005 – 2011, he served as President and Founder of RecordFusion, a proprietary solutions provider for the land title records of county governments and commercial businesses.

Presentation Title: Workforce Stainability

Ryan Russell

Director, U.S. Commercial Service Pittsburgh | U.S. Department of Commerce | International Trade Administration

Ryan Russell is the Director of the U.S. Commercial Service Pittsburgh Office, where he has supported local Pennsylvania and U.S. exporters since 2013.  Prior to returning to his hometown of Pittsburgh to join the U.S. Commercial Service, Ryan spent nearly 10 years working for the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer with assignments in Vietnam, Germany, the United Nations in New York City, and Washington, DC.  Ryan has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Pittsburgh, completed post-graduate work in Freiburg, Germany, and holds a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from The George Washington University.

Presentation Title: International Trade: Leveraging U.S. Competitiveness to Drive Economic Growth and Improve Sustainability in Global Markets.

Executive Panel

Mitchell Toomey

Vice President of Sustainability and Responsible Care®, American Chemistry Council

As Vice President of Sustainability and Responsible Care®, Mitch Toomey is responsible for leading the strategic implementation of ACC’s world-class EHS&S performance initiative and executing the industry’s commitment to sustainability – through innovation, collaboration, and technologies that enhance the safety and environmental impacts of ACC member products and operations.

In his role at ACC, Mitch is focused on strengthening industry’s role as a solutions provider across six key areas: monitoring and improving air quality; conserving and protecting drinking water; increasing product and process safety; reducing greenhouse gas emissions; expanding recycling; and creating a more diverse workforce.

Prior to joining ACC in September 2022, Mitch served as Director of Sustainability for BASF Corporation, the world’s largest chemical company. At BASF, Mitch led a team working across twelve businesses to embed sustainability in the company’s business strategies, including leadership of long-term renewable power purchasing agreements, non-fossil feedstocks for circular economy value chains, and customer-centric portfolio evaluations and expansions based on emerging sustainability drivers. Mitch also led the BASF Sustainability Champions Network and Leadership Sustainability Council.

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Before BASF, Mitch spent more than 15 years with the United Nations and UN Development Programme (UNDP), where he helped champion the United Nations global social responsibility and sustainability movement. He also led UN engagement and expert dialogues for the 2012 Rio Conference on Sustainability, launched the UNDP Innovation Facility, and served as lead author for the UNDP Knowledge Management Strategy.

Prior to joining the UN, Mitch worked in the private sector building two startups, and working as a management consultant helping traditional firms migrate to digital markets and sustainable business models.

Mitch earned both an MBA and BA from New York University. An avid outdoorsman, Mitch also holds a Wilderness Expedition Leadership Certificate from the National Outdoor Leadership School.

Covestro

Samir Hifri

President and Chairman, Covestro LLC

Starting on July 1, 2023, Mr. Samir Hifri will be the President and Chairman of Covestro LLC. Prior to this, Mr. Hifri was the Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Covestro Hong Kong.  In this role, he is also responsible for the Supply Chain & Logistics Center for the Asia Pacific region.

Samir, a US Citizen, holds a degree in International Finance from Duquesne University in the United States and an Executive degree from INSEAD in France.

After initially working in the Investment Banking industry, Samir joined Bayer in 1998 in the U.S as a management trainee.  In 2003, he transferred to Bayer’s headquarters in Germany as Global Product Manager. Following a 3 year assignment in Germany, Samir was appointed as Director of NAFTA Product Management located in Pittsburgh, USA.

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In 2008, Samir relocated to Asia Pacific where he assumed the commercial responsibility for Japan and Korea located in Osaka, Japan. In 2011, he was appointed Senior Vice President and APAC BU Head and re-located to Shanghai, China. With the flotation of Covestro as an independent company on the German stock exchange, Samir assumed the role of Managing Director for Covestro in ASEAN and member of the global Covestro Executive Leadership Team.

Samir is married with four children and besides his professional responsibilities, he is active in a number of community and academic functions.

Covestro

Mark Nikolich

CEO, Braskem America

Mark Nikolich is the Executive Vice President for Braskem’s North America business unit based in Philadelphia, PA. His business unit is responsible for the manufacturing and marketing of Polypropylene, Polyethylene, and the UTEC specialty polyethylene brand. Mark has built a career in the Petrochemicals and Polyolefins industry over the past 34 years with leadership roles at Braskem and the heritage companies of Sunoco, Inc., Epsilon, and LyondellBasell.

Mark has led several M&A transitions through the years serving in key transformational roles through Braskem’s acquisition of Sunoco Chemicals in 2010, and after the acquisition of Dow’s polypropylene business in 2011, Mark established and built Braskem’s European operations. Upon returning to the US in 2014, he led Braskem’s US Polypropylene business before assuming responsibility for the North American business unit. Mark currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Braskemldesa joint venture in Mexico.

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Mark is the Chair of the Board Plastics Committee of the ACC; he is a member of the Executive Committee of the World Plastics Council and is an Advisory Board Member of Knowde digital marketplace. Mark holds a BA in Business and Language Studies from Gettysburg College in the US, with executive studies at Columbia University and The Wharton School.

Mark was named one of the Most Admired CEOs by the Philadelphia Business Journal in 2020 and was recently named a 2023 Philadelphia Titan. Mark’s passion lies in developing people and organizations with a focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. He is passionate and relentless in the pursuit of developing and preparing his organization to meet the future industry challenges that lie ahead.

Residing in Greenville, Delaware, Mark and his wife Jenn are empty nesters, and both enjoy playing golf and pickleball together. Mark enjoys spending time with his adult children Kameron and Brienna.

Covestro

Hilary Mercer

Vice President, Pennsylvania Chemicals Shell

Hilary Mercer was appointed as Vice President Pennsylvania Chemicals on August 1, 2017.

Hilary was previously responsible for the Shell worldwide portfolio of integrated Gas Projects spanning Onshore and Floating LNG, Regassification and other gas related projects. She served as Executive Director for Shell’s Prelude project in Geoje Island, South Korea and was instrumental in leading the project to successful sail-away.

Hilary joined Shell in the UK as a Maintenance Engineer at Stanlow refinery in 1987. In 1994, she moved to the Netherlands where she worked in concept engineering developing small scale LNG offerings.

In 1997, she was appointed Lead Mechanical Engineer for Construction in Oman, after which she worked for Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd., first as the Commercial Manager for the project and later as Construction Manager and Project Director. She was appointed Technical Director for Iraq South Gas Venture in 2009, supported the utility project within Pearl GTL in 2010, and served as LNG Project Director at Arrow Energy where she grew the company from start-up to a competent operating and development organization.

 

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Hilary has a degree in Engineering Science from Oxford University, is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and is actively engaged in the promotion of engineering as a profession both within and outside Shell including encouraging greater female participation in the industry.

Hilary is married to Ian Rogers a Shell civil engineer and describes her outside interests as mountaineering, ski mountaineering and horse riding in truly remote locations around the globe.

Covestro

John Thayer

SVP Sales & Marketing, Nova Chemicals

John Thayer is the Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, responsible for driving market leadership and sales strategies for the Polyethylene and Ethylene businesses for NOVA Chemicals. He also is responsible for leading NOVA Chemicals’ long-term Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy, working with value chain partners, customers, government officials, industry associations and others to find innovative solutions to advance a plastics circular economy and climate care. He oversees NOVA Chemicals’ new partnerships and development agreements in mechanical and advanced recycling to support the company’s rapidly growing portfolio of post-consumer recycled (PCR) resins.

Thayer joined NOVA Chemicals in 1997 and since then has served the company in multiple roles, including positions in Human Resources, Operations and Site Leadership, Global Business Director, and General Manager, most recently serving as Senior Vice President, of, Polyethylene (PE) Business at NOVA Chemicals’ U.S. Commercial Center. His 30 years of experience in manufacturing and the plastics industry have helped him become an expert in strategy development, sustainability, organizational capability, commercial leadership, and change management. Prior to joining NOVA Chemicals, Thayer held roles in Human Resources and Labor Relations at Weyerhaeuser Company.  He has also been involved with several industry associations where he has been an advocate for the value of plastics and circularity.

 

Presentation Title: TBD

Afternoon Panel

Danielle Baughman

President, Proshare Services

I run a construction services business handling all kinds of projects from managing large facilities projects to portable toilets. But, here’s what my customers notice:

1. I have deep experience running large construction projects. Before I started my company, I was a Chemical Engineer in the oil and gas industry managing large-scale, high consequence, complex projects.
AND
Since starting Proshare Services, I’ve managed 40 projects over the last 3 years…including one at an active international airport.

2. I work faster than they expect. On multiple projects, I tackled a problem other engineers spent years trying to figure out. I found a solution for my customer in a day.

How? I talk to operators…the people doing the work. I know they’re too often underestimated. I LOVE finding the real problem and standing with them as we solve it together.

3. I do great work at a great price. Time truly is money, so I work fast to get answers, use LEAN construction principles, optimize processes, and make recommendations that consider the full cost (in time & money) for solutions.

I’m also proud to be a small, woman-owned business AND I hire other diverse firms who may not be able to take on these projects on their own.

Kenneth D. Magyar

VP Project & Business Development, DT Midstream, Inc.

Ken has more than 40 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, with expertise in operating regulated and non-regulated energy assets, business development, acquisitions, and strategic planning. In his current role at DT Midstream, Ken is responsible for a full spectrum of business development activities in the energy arena. Specifically focusing on identifying and developing strategic commercial opportunities with natural gas supplies and industrial fuel projects with a stepped-up focus on ESG with hydrogen, carbon neutral projects, and CO2 sequestration activities.  Ken has managed midstream projects from inception through construction and operations for regulated FERC & LDC pipelines, non-regulated gathering pipeline facilities and end-use fuel pipeline systems. Prior to DT Midstream, Ken served as Vice President, Project Development at DTE Energy and Vice President of Business Development at Superior Appalachian Pipeline. Ken received a Bachelor of Science in geology from Muskingum University.

Ken also serves as a Board of Director with the Regional Growth Partnership of Northwest Ohio and the Shale Crescent USA team and is a member supporting many of the various energy and economic development associations in the eastern US.

Mike Ducker

SR VP Hydrogen Infrastructure, Mitsubishi power

Michael Ducker is an energy industry executive with commercial, entrepreneurial, and technical experience in public and private roles. Michael is currently the Senior Vice President, Hydrogen Infrastructure at Mitsubishi Power Americas, where he leads the team responsible for developing and deploying clean hydrogen production, storage, and delivery infrastructure to enable large-scale availability of renewable energy and decarbonization options in the power, transportation, industrial, and commercial sectors.

He is also the Chief Operating Officer of ACES Delta LLC, a joint venture between Mitsubishi Power and Magnum Development, which develops, owns, and operates commercial-scale green hydrogen production and storage projects and is currently developing the world’s largest renewable hydrogen hub. He oversees the joint venture’s commercial activities, project development, engineering, and operations.

Michael has held various other roles at Mitsubishi Power, including serving as a founding member and contributor to the division that develops, launches, incubates, and turns over new businesses; establishing and leading the Market Analysis division; and contributing as an applications and performance engineer.

Before joining Mitsubishi Power, Michael worked for the U.S. Department of Energy, where he developed market models to evaluate advanced energy technologies being pursued by the DOE. Michael earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University and an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the George Washington University.

Presentation Title: How Corporations Can Increase Profitability While Reducing Emissions

PPG Panel

Keith Moquin

Manager of Strategy, Science and Technology, PPG

Keith Moquin is PPG manager of strategy, corporate science and technology (S&T). He is accountable for disseminating strategic technical information throughout the organization, leading a global, cross-functional intellectual property security team and highlighting the company’s vast global innovations. Keith assumed this role in July 2020.

Prior to this, Keith served in a variety of analytical, chemistry, portfolio management and strategy roles of increasing responsibility over his decade-long career with PPG, including global portfolio manager, group leader and senior research chemist. Prior to PPG, Keith served as postdoctoral research associate for Carnegie Mellon University’s biology and chemistry department.

In addition, Keith previously served as a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Chemistry and received the Hurd Safford Graduate Teaching Award for excellence in teaching in 2006. He has also remained involved in a number of industry organizations, including the American Chemical Society, the American Society of Mass Spectrometry and Directors of Industrial Research Analytical Group.

A native of Pittsburgh, Keith earned a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Penn State University and a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh.

Joe Szul

Global Low Temperature Process Design Engineer, PPG

Joe Szul is PPG global low temperature process design engineer. Since 2015, he has been working with the resin production, technical and development community to identify, vet and implement opportunities for productivity, energy, water and waste savings. Joe has been with PPG for 37 years, holding multiple engineering roles in both the paint and resin productions areas as well as operations management. He also led the process technology research and development group at PPG for many years. Joe earned a Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.

Paul Holcomb

Research and Development and Resin Plant Manager, Springdale, PPG

Paul Holcomb is the research and development and resin plant manager at PPG’s Springdale facility. He is responsible for all standard operating procedures, environmental health and safety, and manufacturing activities on the 5-acre, 150-person resin manufacturing site. Paul assumed this role in December 2020. 

Prior to his current role, Paul served in various positions in PPG’s procurement, operations and engineering functions. Prior to PPG, he worked for Kimberly-Clark. Paul earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Akron and his Master of Business Administration from Duquesne University.

Nathan Silvernail

Global Technology Platform Leader, Mobility, PPG

Nathan J. Silvernail is a leader in the materials science industry with over 15 years of experience in the development of novel materials for the automotive and industrial coatings segments. His expertise and management have led to numerous patents, publications and the commercialization of new innovative products. In his current role at PPG, Nathan leads a team focusing on coatings for the electric vehicle market as PPG’s global technology platform leader for mobility. He earned a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from North Dakota State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame.

Presentation Title: Sustain Business

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