Conference Schedule

8:30 AM - 3:30 PM

The PPA will be hosting our sixth annual golf outing and inaugural pickleball tournament with Women in Energy on September 29 at the Bent Creek Country Club (Lititz, PA). 100% of the proceeds the PPA receives from this golf outing will be contributed to the Robert V. Boltz Scholarship Foundation.

12:00 PM to 7:30 PM

3:00 PM to 4:30 PM

4:30 PM to 6:30 PM

Open to all conference attendees, golfers, and pickleball participants.

6:30 PM to 9:30 PM

7:00 AM to 4:00 PM

7:00 AM to 9:00 AM

Conference attendees will receive breakfast vouchers to use in the restaurant. Attendees can also utilize the vouchers at Two Kings Restaurant for breakfast. Both restaurants are located on-site at the Marriott property.

8:00 AM to 8:30 AM

8:30 AM to 9:15 AM

9:00 AM to 10:00 AM

The committee meeting is open to all conference attendees. Voting rights are reserved for sitting committee members.

Guest Speaker: Bert Warner, Director of Commercial Business Development at Propane Education & Research Council (PERC)

Topic: The Growing Opportunity for Propane in Power Generation

Bio: Bert Warner is a seasoned business development leader with more than two decades of experience driving revenue growth, expanding market presence, and building strong stakeholder relationships. As Director of Commercial Business Development at the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), he leads commercial strategy and market adoption efforts for propane across key applications including water heating, power generation, CHP, and HVAC.

9:15 AM to 10:00 AM

Speakers:

• Ben Lorah, USTIF Executive Director
• Thom Whitcomb, USTIF Claims Manager
• Miles Hazan, USTIF Administrative Operations Manager

Session Overview: The managing staff members from Pennsylvania’s Underground Storage Tank Indemnification Fund (USTIF) will highlight current regulations, reporting and claims considerations, recent developments, and common issues affecting underground storage tank owners and operators. Attendees will leave with an updated understanding of USTIF requirements and practical considerations for navigating the program.

9:15 AM to 10:00 AM

Speaker: Dean Rhoades, First Vice President, Director of Special Projects – Risk Management

Session Overview: Insurance fraud is an economic crime that we all end up paying for. In fact, insurance fraud costs the U.S. over $300 billion annually, according to a Coalition Against Insurance Fraud study². The need for consumers, business owners, and insurance companies to stay ahead of the sophisticated bad actors has never been greater. Please join Federated at our presentation, where we will discuss fraud and how you can better protect yourself and your business.

10:15 AM to 11:00 AM

Speaker: Rob Underwood, President, Energy Marketers of America

Session Overview: Attendees will hear about Energy Marketers of America (EMA) advocacy efforts, including EPA deregulatory initiatives (such as cargo tank vapor tightness standards), efforts to block EV mandates, credit card swipe fee reform, E15, streamlining hours-of-service waivers, reauthorization of the National Oilheat Research Alliance, IRS Form 8849 tax refund issues, and other key topics.

11:00 AM to 11:45 AM

Panel Speakers:

• Michael Devine, NORA President (Moderator)
• Mike DeBerdine, Rhoads Energy
• Jason Lawrence, Chevron
• Steve Oehlert, Oehlert Bros., Inc.
• Kate Duffey, D.E. Duffey & Sons Inc.
• Dr. Thomas Butcher, NORA

Session Overview: The National Oilheat Research Alliance has just completed a 2-year field study in the commonwealths of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. 121 sites in this field study used 100% renewable fuels utilizing renewable diesel and biodiesel blends through these back to back heating seasons.  We would like to invite the PPA attendees to hear from the distributor participants who facilitated delivery of these fuels to the sites of the study, as well as Chevron who supplied the renewable fuels blends and Dr. Thomas Butcher, Technical Director of NORA who oversaw the field study and co-authored the research report. This panel discussion will be the first discussion following the publishing of the results of this unique and groundbreaking research report.

12:00 PM to 1:00 PM

Keynote Speaker: Tom Kloza

Presentation: Oil Markets & The Next 100 Days

Overview: Thanks to 50+ years as an oil analyst, Gulf Oil’s Tom Kloza has seen it all. But there’s nothing quite like the moving parts of 2026 with action raging in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Russia, and the Black Sea.

In this special session, Tom will look at why the most serious supply interruptions in the 21^st century have led to understated performances for crude, but record price appreciation for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. He’ll update the global trajectory for petroleum but will also focus on some of the unique factors likely to influence price and supply action in Pennsylvania and other Central Atlantic states.

Armed with some of best data in the business, Tom will detail why there is so much enthusiasm about US refining and retail marketing, despite the onslaught of green initiatives designed to curb demand for petroleum products. He’ll also describe how the “psyche” of oil markets has changed drastically in recent months and years and examine likely trends for crude and oil products well into 2027.

A special segment will focus on the future of convenience retailing with an examination of markets to embrace and markets to avoid. Some particular focus will come for diesel fuel which has seen dynamic moves in 2026. Tom will look at how “energy dominance” has rendered North America the “privileged continent” in the world.

1:00 PM to 2:00 PM

The committee meeting is open to all conference attendees. Voting rights are reserved for sitting committee members.

Guest Speaker: Joseph S. Swartz, Senior Deputy Attorney General, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General

Topic: PA Attorney General’s Office: ENDS Directory Update

Overview: Hear a direct update from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General on the Commonwealth’s Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) Directory. Attendees can expect an overview of the current status of the directory, enforcement efforts related to non-compliant vapor products, retailer and distributor compliance expectations, and recent developments affecting manufacturers, wholesalers, and convenience store operators.

2:00 PM to 3:00 PM

The committee meeting is open to all conference attendees. Voting rights are reserved for sitting committee members.

Topic: Navigating the 2026–2027 Heating Season: Market Volatility, Customer Communication, & Regulatory Changes

Overview: Rather than a traditional market presentation, this interactive committee discussion will examine the oil market realities today, consumer communication strategies for the heating season, and key regulatory changes impacting their business.

Panel Speakers:

• Danny Silverman, Angus Energy
• Andrew Maderia, Navara Marketing
• Jim Collura, NEFI

2:00 PM to 3:00 PM

3:00 PM to 4:00 PM

3:15 PM to 4:00 PM

Panel Speakers:

• Matt Sommer, President, Shipley Energy
• Tysen Chen, Co-CEO, Avoca
• Ed Stewart, Group Product Manager, Cargas

Session Overview:

Artificial intelligence is creating new possibilities for how retail energy companies serve customers, support employees, and manage increasingly complex operations. This forward-looking panel will explore how AI could be applied across the energy business—from answering customer calls and providing real-time pricing to improving sales, delivery logistics, workforce productivity, data analysis, and decision-making.

Panelists will discuss real-world applications already producing results, as well as emerging ideas that could shape the AI-enabled energy retailer of tomorrow.

4:00 PM to 4:30 PM

Speaker: Senator Scott Martin

Session Overview: Pennsylvania State Senator Scott Martin (R-13) serves as the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee within the Senate Republican Leadership. As the committee chair, he plays a crucial role in negotiating and developing the state budget and is responsible for reviewing all legislation for its fiscal impact. Senator Martin will share his perspective on state energy policy and general expectations for the remainder of the 2025-26 legislative session.

4:30 PM to 5:30 PM

Click here to RSVP for the reception. The reception will take place at Cargas Energy Corporate Office, located at 101 N Queen St #300, Lancaster, PA 17603 (5 minute walk from the Marriott)

6:00 PM to 7:00 PM

7:00 PM to 8:30 PM

Keynote: 24 Hours Inside the President’s Bunker on 9/11

Lieutenant Colonel Robert J. Darling (Ret.), served more than twenty years of active duty in the United States Marine Corps. He flew attack helicopters in Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Somalia, and later served as a presidential pilot with Marine Helicopter Squadron One. In October 2000, he was handpicked to work for the White House Military Office, where he supported the President, Vice President, and National Security Advisor in the President’s Emergency Operations Center on September 11, 2001. PPA members will hear crisis leadership lessons from 9/11 that still hold true 25 years after the attack.

8:30 PM to 11:00 PM

7:30 AM - 8:30 AM

8:15 AM - 9:00 AM