During the PEI Board meeting on October 10, President Robert Peavey was appointed to a three-year term on the PEI Foundation Board of Governors. As you may know, the Foundation provides college scholarships to deserving sons and daughters of full-time PEI member company employees. Scholarship applications for the 2018-19 academic year will soon be available at www.pei.org/pei-foundation. You are encouraged to make your employees aware of this outstanding opportunity. The Foundation was also used this year to purchase supplies that went into care packages sent to U.S. troops and their families. During the PEI Convention in October, volunteers assembled these kits and wrote personal letters to individual soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen deployed in harm’s way.  

Organizationally and financially, your association remains very strong. PEI today has some 1,600 corporate and individual members and a budget of just over $3.6 million. 

As for the recently completed 2018 Convention, the fuel equipment and services area of the trade show sold out, with exhibitors in more than 600 booths displaying the latest in technology and services. With 1,766 registrants, paid attendance exceeded the 2017 Chicago convention by 9 percent and PEI’s 2015 Las Vegas convention by 8 percent. Education sessions on such topics as safety, fuel quality, corrosion, federal regulatory requirements, new UL standards, health care, electric vehicles (EVs), leadership and the economy were well attended and well received. 

The annual membership meeting featured a “State of the Industry Report” from Executive Vice President Rick Long. He provided an update on business conditions, EV charging stations, credit card payment systems and workforce development. 

In the board meeting, directors discussed a number of matters, including: 

• Latin American Initiative. PEI’s Strategic Long Range Plan includes an initiative for PEI to increase membership and establish PEI as a recognized authority in Latin America. PEI continues the search for an individual to lead the association’s efforts in this area.
• Recommended Practices. PEI’s Recommended Practices continue to serve an important and growing role in the industry. PEI/RP1700 (closure of USTs and shop-fabricated ASTs) is now available. PEI/RP1600 (LNG fueling systems) remains under development.
• 2019 PEI Convention at the NACS Show. Plans are already underway for next year’s PEI Convention at the NACS Show on Oct. 1-4, 2019, in Atlanta. Please save these dates on your calendar and plan to attend!

To learn more about the PEI Board of Directors or locate your district representative: PEI Officers & Directors