TULSA, Oklahoma, Sept. 26, 2017/Petroleum Equipment Institute/ -- Association executive Melinda Whitney will fill the new director of operations role at the Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI), effective Oct. 2.

Whitney will be responsible for providing organizational leadership, building and maintaining organizational effectiveness and overseeing PEI finances.

“Melinda brings association executive experience to PEI’s new director of operations role, and we’re excited to welcome her to our leadership team,” said Rick long, executive vice president and general counsel of PEI. “She also speaks Spanish, which will be an asset as PEI explores Latin American endeavors.”

Whitney’s experience includes 14 years at the International Liquid Terminals Association (ILTA) in Washington, where she assumed roles of increasing responsibilities and was named president in 2014. 

Whitney said she is eager to work with PEI members, some of whom hold concurrent ILTA memberships. The ILTA is a nonprofit trade association that represents 82 international bulk liquid storage companies and 382 suppliers and contractors. Many of the products stored by ILTA members trickle down the supply chain to the equipment PEI members manufacture, distribute, install and service.

“I am very excited to join the PEI team and bring my nonprofit management and industry experience to the association,” Whitney said. “I look forward to working with the entire PEI community."

Whitney has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Colorado State University.

She may be reached at mwhitney@pei.org and 918-236-3977.

Founded in 1951, PEI is composed of more than 1,600 companies engaged in manufacturing and distributing equipment used in the fuel and fluid handling industry. Members are located in 50 states and 81 countries. PEI, headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the leading authority and source of information for the fuel and fluid handling equipment and services industry. For more information, visit www.pei.org.