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Stakeholder Perspective: Roy Rushing
When Roy Rushing accepted the role of President of the Ohio Gas Association in 1995 it looked like a major shift in careers, after all he was serving as President of Chase Manhattan in Ohio.
Roy laughs out loud and comments, “Really it was a move from a very regulated industry into another very regulated industry. It was the perfect opportunity for me to make the move. Prior to my time as President of Chase Manhattan, I worked in corporate banking and during that time served several of my current members. In 1995, Ohio Gas Association wanted to make a move from dealing mainly with operational issues to focusing on some regulatory and legislative lobbying efforts. I am pleased to have the opportunity to get involved with the Association.”
When asked what was the most eye opening thing he had learned since making the transition, he said without hesitation, “I would have to say that I’ve been amazed at how much focus there is placed on safety both for employees and the general public. I mean everything starts with safety. The member companies aren’t just focused on compliance with safety issues. They really care about their employees and the impact their operations have on the public. I would say that safety is promoted above every aspect of their businesses. It makes me proud to be part of the industry.”
He continued, “The board of directors of the Ohio Gas Association promotes a safer Ohio in that we routinely schedule safety professionals to share their expertise to the industry. Again the commitment of our industry and this association is to ensure that all stakeholders are informed and operate for the safety of all involved.”
In the same manner, Ohio Utilities Protection Service (O.U.P.S.) continues to work diligently to raise public awareness of the benefits of working together to promote the safety of all who live and work in Ohio. Ohio currently has six Damage Prevention Councils (DPC’s) and three Utility Coordinating Councils (UCC’s) that provide an open forum for members to share ideas, strategies and solutions to prevent damage to underground facilities during excavation. Council members include underground facility owners and operators, representatives from O.U.P.S., excavators, contractors, government agencies and other interested individuals.
Roy said, “We aspire to be a really great state gas association. I believe most folks would tell you that we are one of the top in the country, and in part because of our focus on effective training and our willingness to cooperate with organizations working to achieve similar goals. The DPC’s allow a lot of our members to get actively involved at the local level. Many of those involved serve on various committees within our organization and share valuable information to the entire group.”
He then said, “Another opportunity to partner with O.U.P.S. has been with our Contractor Safety Bulletin. We provide the bulletin to more than 25,000 contractors and excavators across the state. Roger Lipscomb and O.U.P.S. continues to work with us to build an effective partnership, not only for now but also for the future.
Obviously, we want to continue that relationship and in the same spirit of cooperation. Additionally, our legislative committee recognizes there need to be changes in our dig law. We remain committed to supporting legislation that proposes fair and effective enforcement.”
When asked what he saw as one of the biggest obstacles to getting Senate Bill 152 passed, he responded, “Likely it will be just the challenge of changing attitudes. I think all of us knew that this wasn’t going to be a one session bill. Of course there are specific issues such as paying for downtime, specificity of tolerance zones as it relates to width and depth, and the ability to overcome the obstacles in allowing for a single one call system in Ohio. These issues are important to us all. But with the right attitudes in place, these are issues that can be resolved in the best interest of damage prevention and public safety.”
He thought for a moment and said, “The truth is, if we don’t do it here at the state level, it likely will be done at the federal level for us and I’m not sure any of us would consider that a better deal. It seems to me that it will be in our best interest to bring Senate Bill 152 back to the legislators and this time with a win/win philosophy. I have a 40 year history working with an industry that promoted the win/win concept. If I adopt the attitude the only way I can win is for you to lose, sooner or later we’ll create a lose/lose situation. Obviously, the Ohio Gas Association wants to avoid such a scenario.”
He summarized his thoughts by saying, “We are pleased to join O.U.P.S. and other stakeholders in promoting legislation that raises the level of awareness and provides for increased safety for our state. I believe it will be good for our industry and for all stakeholders. Ohio Gas Association looks forward to continuing the progress achieved thus far.”
Hope is kept alive by the attitudes of those who say “we can.”
