WASHINGTON—Sunland Construction President and CEO Craig Meier was elected chairman of The INGAA Foundation, Inc. at the Foundation’s annual meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona, on November 9.
“Craig is extremely knowledgeable about what it takes to construct a pipeline safely and on time. His expertise and long-standing relationships with pipeline operators and pipeline contractors make him an excellent choice to lead the Foundation for the coming year,” said INGAA Foundation President and CEO Don Santa. “Craig is passionate about the future of the natural gas pipeline industry. He is eager to lend his voice to help the public, elected officials and others understand how pipelines act as the crucial link in bringing new, low-cost, clean, domestic natural gas to markets. And, in turn, how pipelines help drive economic growth, while creating jobs and providing other economic benefits.”
Meier’s main priorities for the INGAA Foundation over the next year are:
- Safety of the pipeline/facility assets and the workers that maintain, operate and construct them.
- Maintaining the integrity of the assets (quality management, technology, regulations, integrity verification).
- Communicating the benefits of natural gas and the vast pipeline infrastructure.
Meier has been a member of the INGAA Foundation board of directors since 1999. He served on the INGAA Foundation’s executive committee since 2010 and as vice chairman of the board and chairman of the Foundation’s planning and studies committee from November 2012 to November 2013. He has been actively involved on steering committees and sponsor of many INGAA Foundation studies, workshops and white papers. Some of those include 2003 Integrity Rule Implementation, Technology, Construction Quality, Construction Primer, Construction Best Practices, meeting with FERC and many others.
Meier joined Eunice, Louisiana-based Sunland Construction, a pipeline construction firm, in 1999 as a vice president and was promoted to president in 2010. In 2012, he also assumed the duties of chief executive officer. In his current position, he manages all of Sunland Construction and affiliate business lines, including 14 division offices in 41 states. Sunland, which has been in business for nearly 40 years, employs an average 2,000 workers, and has a peak workforce of over 3,000 employees. A diversified construction contractor, Sunland specializes in pipeline integrity, mainline pipelines, rehabilitation, compressor stations, directional drilling, marine pipelines, marsh pipelines, electrical and instrumentation as well as other construction-related work.
Prior to his work at Sunland, Meier was employed for 12 years with CenterPoint Energy in a variety of construction and engineering positions, including Director of Engineering and Construction.
Meier earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Oklahoma.
The INGAA Foundation was formed in 1990 by the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America to advance the use of natural gas for the benefit of the environment and the consuming public. The Foundation brings together pipeline operators and their contractors—including construction companies, steel companies, consultants, environmental and safety groups and others—to facilitate the efficient construction and safe and reliable operation of the North American natural gas pipeline system. The Foundation’s completes a number of reports and studies each year and establishes safety guidelines for pipeline construction, operation and employee safety. For more information, please visit www.ingaa.org/foundation.
