Ben Kochman
Ben Kochman is the Director of Pipeline Safety Policy at the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA). In this role, he leads efforts to advocate for effective federal safety policy on behalf of the interstate natural gas pipeline and storage industry.
Prior to his position at INGAA, Mr. Kochman served as the Director of Governmental, International, and Public Affairs for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). There, he was the lead executive representing the agency before Congress, the media, and stakeholder groups. He additionally served as a Senior Congressional Affairs Officer on behalf of former Secretary of Transportation, Elaine L. Chao at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). There, he acted as a liaison with Congress for a variety of issues, including assisting with outreach for PHMSA.
Prior to his time at DOT, Mr. Kochman spent about 8 years working as a staff member for several Members of Congress. Most recently, he served as Legislative Director for U.S. Representative Kay Granger (R-TX), the Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee. Additionally, Mr. Kochman worked as a Senior Legislative Assistant to former U.S. Representative Scott Rigell (R-VA) and served as legislative staff in the offices of former U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) and former U.S. Senator John Ensign (R-NV).
Before working in Congress, Mr. Kochman worked in the political department for the Republican National Committee during the 2010 election cycle and in government relations for DRS Technologies, a defense contractor. He is a graduate of American University in Washington, D.C. with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government.