Committed to our environment

Lisa Booth is the new Alaska Native Program Director for Alyeska Pipeline Service Company.

Lisa is an 18-year APSC employee and Alaska Native who first joined Alyeska through the internship program. Lisa said she is especially proud to take over the Alaska Native Program because it played a personally meaningful role in her career, and the careers of many other Alaska Native company employees.

"This role is about more than running a program; it's about giving back and supporting opportunities and development for others, and I'm passionate about the value in that," Lisa said. "I have seen firsthand how our Alaska Native Program builds on relationships and cultural foundations to achieve amazing business results, while growing and supporting really talented employees who care deeply about Alaska's future."

Lisa's Alaska Native roots run deep: she grew up in Metlakatla, and is Tsimshian, Yupik and Alutiiq. Her parents and maternal family still live in Metlakatla, while her father is originally from Bethel and her maternal grandfather is from Ninilchik.

Lisa joined Alyeska in December 1999 as an intern through the Building Foundations for Excellence Program, working as a contract administrator. Since then, she has held positions of increasing responsibility in Business Planning, IT, HR, and Supply Chain Management and most recently as Business and Strategic Planning Director. Lisa has also served on the Alaska Native Program’s Advisory Board for several years.

"I'm excited to lead a high-functioning program with a proven track record of hiring, training, developing and retaining Alaska Native people," she said. "One of my goals is to fully integrate the various components of the program to ensure we are meeting and exceeding the requirements of the Alaska Native Utilization Agreement and working effectively with partners such as ANSEP, Alaska Native Corporations and TAPS contractors."

Alyeska's Alaska Native Program was created in October 1995. Through the program, Alyeska supports recruitment, employment, mentoring, education and training opportunities for Alaska Native People. The program helps fulfill commitments embodied in the TAPS Federal Agreement and Grant of Right-of-Way.

"Lisa brings a rich and unique background to this role," said Tom Barrett, Alyeska President. "She has demonstrated excellent leadership at Alyeska, she is passionate about the value and culture the Alaska Native Program brings to our company and community, and I look forward to working with her as we continue to build on the program's strong legacy."

Lisa has a Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a Master's of Business Administration in Management from the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Share your TAPS memories as Alyeska celebrates 40 years of operations!

TAPS' 40th anniversary of operations arrives June 20, 2017, and Alyeska is commemorating the milestone all year. At the heart of this celebration are the memories and voices of those who helped build, operate and maintain the pipeline, and the stories of people, families, businesses and communities with unique ties to TAPS.

What's your pipeline story?
• What are your favorite moments working on TAPS?
• What has TAPS meant to you and your family?
• What's your vision for the next 40 years of TAPS operations?
• How has TAPS impacted your community and Alaska?

Share memories, stories and photos by emailing them to [email protected]. All submissions will be entered in a random drawing for very special TAPS 40th anniversary gifts! Alyeska will contact you for more information if they plan to use your content.

#mypipelinestory #40more #TAPSPRIDE

Lisa Kangas is a lifelong Alaskan who has been an Alyeska Field Environmental Coordinator for almost five years. Originally from Ruby, a small village on the Yukon River, Lisa earned a Biological Sciences degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and started her began as a fisheries biologist. She transitioned to Alyeska to broaden her environmental work experiences. Lisa recently shared stories, photos and a video from her work around Alaska as the guest host of Alyeska's social media sites. Lisa said, "I have so much love and respect for all Alaska has to offer. My current position inspires growth for myself and others through laughter, learning and a healthy dose of environmental compliance. I love my job and I'm looking forward to sharing my work and the work of Alyeska's Environment team!" Click here to go to Lisa’s first Facebook entry and then travel through the timeline to see more of her stories and images.

Integrity is more than just a word on TAPS. Integrity fuels flawless operations. It's a quality that's aspired to in an organization's work and by its people. Integrity is at the heart of Alyeska's Speak Up, Step Up culture and Open Work Environment. Integrity is the driver behind Alyeska being recognized as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for five-straight years.

For epitomizing integrity at a company in which this value carries such weight, Alyeska Sourcing Manager Cyndy Strickland is being recognized with a 2016 Atigun Award for Integrity. The category identifies those who demonstrate a commitment to the highest ethical standards and protect the operating integrity of TAPS and its business practices.

"I am awed to be recognized with this honor and it gives me pride in our sourcing process," Strickland said. "Alyeska could not get the highest-quality services and resources and the best values at the best prices without having high integrity in our marketplace and internally."

In praise of Strickland, Ed Hendrickson, Alyeska Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, wrote: "Integrity and ethics is everything and Cyndy embodies this in all she does. She understands that treating people with respect and acting with integrity, honesty and ethical accountability inspires confidence and builds a culture of trust. And this culture of trust extends beyond her colleagues to our contractors and external stakeholders."

Alyeska's integrity was the focus of Strickland's work when she was hired as an internal controls specialist 18 years ago. She was part of a team that implemented commitment tracking, ensuring that Alyeska authorized, monitored and resolved commitments company-wide.

"Alyeska had been through some painful ups and downs, so we were trying to improve the company's controls and its accountability culture," she said. "It was a huge effort, but when it was all done we were at a place where we could rebuild. As an organization, we knew we needed to sustain our commitments and follow through on them."

Strickland said she is proud of the company's evolution and its current reputation around Alaska and beyond. Today, as a leader of a team of 12 in Alyeska's always-busy Supply Chain Management department, Strickland continues emphasizing the importance, impact and fragility of integrity in her team's daily actions.

"It's so easy to have the integrity of Alyeska put at risk, so integrity has to be lived out in our work," Strickland said. "We do that through the fair chance proposal process, by keeping data confidential, by recognizing any conflicts of interest. We also have some very complex and challenging services to source. But I love those opportunities. I get excited about collaboration, finding connections to leverage and getting value to multiple people in multiple ways. And I really enjoy sourcing, helping the Operations, Engineering and Projects teams, and accomplishing goals in significant ways."

Dan Flodin, Supply Chain Management Director and Strickland's supervisor, added: "Cyndy and her team source millions of dollars of work every year. Her leadership around the integrity of each sourcing process is critical and she delivers great results aligned with our company’s core values."

While integrity is interwoven with her work, Strickland says that she also considers how to demonstrate it in every step of her life's journey. That includes her daily decision-making, her interactions with family members, friends, coworkers and others, and her faith.

"I believe that we are all accountable to someone other than ourselves," she said. "In every word, choice and action, if I don't live with integrity I'm violating my relationship with God and myself. ... I believe in personal accountability. If you make an agreement, live up to it or revisit it. And you can't be afraid of acknowledging your wrong decisions and choices."

Strickland understands that the standard she sets is high, but she wouldn't have it any other way. That's what a leader, a mom and a friend does. And that’s what Alyeska, TAPS and the Atigun Awards represent.

"I am honored to receive this recognition because this company is filled with so many people with high integrity and who are working for more than themselves," Strickland said. "I hope that this award inspires others to strive for the highest of integrity in their work and uphold the integrity of our organization."

One-of-a-kind. Tough. Alaskan. A proud legacy. Standing the test of time.

They don't make pipelines like TAPS anymore. And they don't make pipeline people like John Baldridge anymore, either.

As Baldridge approaches his 40th anniversary with Alyeska, he's reflecting on his time here. And there's a lot to reflect on. When it comes to TAPS operations and milestones, he's just about seen and done it all.

He was a teenaged technician in Valdez at pipeline startup. A month later, he helped load the ARCO Juneau with the inaugural shipment of TAPS oil.

He was among the initial responders to the Exxon Valdez oil spill at Bligh Reef and then was part of the team that created SERVS.

He literally wrote the book on the pipeline's 30-year right of way Grant and Lease renewal. He's served in some of the most pivotal and high-pressured positions on TAPS.

He's recognized as one of Alyeska's most respected and knowledgeable leaders. And he's currently the Senior Director of Pipeline Operations, a position he's held for more than 11 years, longer than any of his predecessors. Overseeing the pipeline is a role that fits him and his history.

"I have a certain amount of pride in my career and doing it against the odds," Baldridge said. "But it's been more than that. This is the greatest pipeline system that has ever existed. It's been a privilege for me to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience, a part of running the Trans Alaska Pipeline System and everything that stands for."

For his longevity, leadership and track record of excellent work, capably filling many positions and always displaying TAPS pride, Baldridge was recently recognized with a 2016 Atigun Award for Lifetime Achievement, among Alyeska's highest organizational honors.

"John bleeds Alyeska red," said Scott Hicks, Senior Director of Valdez Operations, referring to when Alyeska's vehicles were red.

Hicks, whose work connection with Baldridge dates back 30 years, added: "Here's a person who started as an entry level technician and is now senior director of an 800-mile pipeline. That's a pretty significant achievement and I can't think of anyone more deserving of this honor."

Right time, right place, right person for the job

Baldridge's resume is around 10 titles long and spans from technician to first line supervisor to Terminal Manager, Compliance Advisor to Business Unit Advisor to Pipeline Advisor, and more. He's worked alone on complicated projects, led large system-wide teams, traveled every mile of TAPS many times over and spent shifts in Prince William Sound. One aspect of his work history has remained consistent, however.

"I never had a desire to work for anyone else and never applied for a job outside of Alyeska," he said. "But I couldn't imagine myself doing just one job for decades. So probably the keys to my longevity are moving around in the company and taking advantage of opportunities. And I've had a lot of great opportunities."

Most of those opportunities were byproducts of Baldridge's tireless work ethic, toughness and eagerness to tackle challenges, solve problems and continually learn and grow.

Baldridge was born in Homer and grew up in a large family on the Kenai Peninsula. His father was a heavy equipment operator during TAPS construction in the Valdez area, where John's brother also worked. As a youth, Baldridge spent summers processing fish for his uncle in Kasilof. His experiences of getting familiar with boats, operating a forklift, building strength and gaining perspective on working life eventually became invaluable.

When he arrived in Valdez at 17 looking for a job with Alaska's historic new pipeline, he said he was thinking of a long-term career while others were just trying to ride the construction boom to big bucks. Renowned BP tanker Captain Bill Fisken interviewed Baldridge one-on-one for a berth crewman technician job and saw something familiar and promising in the young man.

"Bill knew how old I was and he said, 'Don't worry about that. I first went to sea when I was 14,'" Baldridge recalled. "In February 1977, I got the call. I was a technician in the first group hired for the Marine Department. We spent February through August getting ready for startup."

The training evolved into system-essential work like commissioning berths and response skimmers, practicing loading 800-foot tankers with seawater and installing oil spill containment boom. As a relative youngster working alongside seasoned mariners, Baldridge said his education was endless.

"They were tough guys to work for and they would beat a lot of work ethic into you," said Baldridge, smiling. "One time, I got my butt chewed for having my hands in my pockets. I was watching someone demonstrate something and my supervisor, another BP tanker captain, tells me, 'Get your hands out of your pockets! You're supposed to have your hands ready to work at all times!' I was flexible, malleable to that. The older guys didn't last long. They wouldn't put up with it."

By the time the ARCO Juneau showed up for the first load of cargo in August, his training was complete and the TAPS dream was finally reality.

"We filled up that tanker and there was a big celebration; Valdez was going nuts," Baldridge said. "It was tough work, but it was great work. There were seals and otters in the water and eagles flying around. The weather conditions could be pretty miserable out there, but I look back at it with fondness."

Safety, solutions and success

Early on, the admitted "introvert" was "happy being a tech" and reluctantly accepted step-up and fill-in management slots. His progression into a leader came from his work history and increased responsibilities during drills and crisis situations. He also drew inspiration from managers he admired and trainings with The Levinson Institute.

Baldridge eventually moved into advisor, lead and manager positions over two decades in Valdez, then into Right of Way Renewal and Pipeline Operations in Fairbanks. Hicks said Baldridge was known then for being "even-keeled and calm, even in the face of challenge or adversity."

"I've enjoyed all my jobs but especially the advisor roles where they'd say, 'Here's a gnarly mess; see what you can do with it,'" Baldridge said. "I like problem-solving and I like fixing something once instead of just making the problem go away and then fixing it three or 10 more times."

Hicks has seen Baldridge in action many times.

"He's one of the most organized people I have ever been around and he's always been a fanatic for details," said Hicks. "He's so thorough and knowledgeable. He makes sure you've got everything you need to do the job."

In every job, Baldridge said he always kept safety at the forefront. Contingency Planning Preparedness Coordinator Shana Clay worked as Baldridge's administrative assistant for nearly 10 years in Fairbanks. Clay saw the direct impact that Baldridge had in transforming safety on TAPS from a concept to a culture.

"Slowly, over time, we started to really get it: how to work more safely, and he'd keep raising that bar," said Clay. "John would say in every weekly staff meeting, 'We can have zero recordables. It is achievable.' When he said it, he meant it, and people believed it. And then it happened.

"His goal every day is that the pump stations are safe, the pipeline is safe and the people are safe," Clay added.

Baldridge shook his head when he recalled that there were no written procedures for Terminal operations during the early years, just operations manuals that had to be memorized. Today, he's gratified by how far TAPS workers and organizations have come in their commitment to safety.

"When people ask me what I do, I tell them 'I manage safety,'" he said. "If you do safety well, everything else will follow – discipline, being more systematic, attention to detail, housekeeping and even financial success. ... The worst thing that can happen to you as a supervisor or manager is for an employee working in your area to get seriously injured."

'A good day on the pipeline'

When the longtime pipeliner was promoted to Senior Director of Pipeline Operations, Baldridge said it was among the most special moments of his life. That sentiment was shared by many.

"I have a high level of rapport with field personnel and some of those people told me, 'It's a good day on TAPS when a former tech becomes director of the pipeline,'" Baldridge said. "I took a lot of pride from that and motivation not to screw up this unique opportunity."

He's lived up to that responsibility.

"The way the pipeline operates today, our successes in operations and safety, has a lot to do with him staying in that job for so long," Clay said. "He's an anchor, the cornerstone and a real forward-thinker. ... And I think people also really respect him because he's walked in those steel-toed boots and turned those wrenches."

Baldridge said TAPS is in great hands moving forward – the workforce at Alyeska and on TAPS is as strong as he's ever been around. He points specifically to the diverse group of O&Ms and Area Managers he's assembled.

"I was sure to put together a good team, because I know my limitations," he said. "And it's the most solid group of pipeline leadership that has ever existed on TAPS."

Baldridge has seen plenty of changes on TAPS, from miniscule to monumental. But he says the most important change makes the organization successful today and continues propelling it forward.

"The biggest change I've seen in my time at Alyeska is that the silos and boundaries have been knocked down," he said. "In the '80s, it was, 'We do our thing, they do their thing.' VMT and Pipeline were like two separate companies. Now when issues arise, we tend to do things similarly from Pump Station 1 through Valdez."

After 40 years of seeing and doing it all on TAPS, Baldridge said he remains excited about what the future holds for the pipeline he loves.

"Not many people get the opportunity to work for one organization for 40 years – it's pretty neat," he said. "And I tell new employees during orientation that there are still at least 8 billion barrels of oil on the North Slope. There's no reason they can't have a long career on TAPS, too."

Life is good for Vinnie Szymkowiak.

He's an engineer who channels his passions for math and science to solve unique and difficult challenges. He works at Alyeska, a place he calls "an engineer's dream," and has coworkers who are "so great at what they do." He lives in Alaska, a wonderland for him and his active family. And now he's the first TAPS worker to be named an Atigun Award Engineer of the Year.

"I really enjoy working at Alyeska, where the standards are so high and our work benefits the state and its people," said Szymkowiak, who will celebrate nine years at Alyeska in July. "There's 40 years of engineering excellence here and we get to continue that. We apply the absolute truths of physics to real problems and collaborate to fix those problems. That’s pretty fun for engineers."

As a high school student, he "liked seeing how physics and math applied to the real world." Now as a Senior Civil Engineer and Interim O&M Design Engineering Supervisor, Szymkowiak knows firsthand how "engineers have an opportunity to improve society and our work can make life better for people."

That was true when he was providing wastewater solutions in rural Alaska at a previous job and it's true today with his role on TAPS.

His colleagues are certainly happy to have him here. Szymkowiak is known for his enthusiastic project support, work order development and jumping in wherever he's needed. He's also recognized for his seismic stewardship, which became an interest for him while he worked as a Valdez Facilities Engineer.

David Heimke, Alyeska Engineering Standards and Programs Manager, wrote of Szymkowiak, "When pressed with the issue of how to make the company compliance with seismic easier, Vinnie built up an educational program and went out amongst many departments to share that information."

A recent example of Szymkowiak's talent and tireless work came last spring when he stepped up to be part of the repair and investigation teams responding to the Pump Station 10 isolation fitting that began weeping. Szymkowiak and others immediately sprang into innovative action, eventually crafting a never-before-on-TAPS solution -- a reinforced sleeve that enclosed the fitting while also being sensitive to the high seismic activity in the Denali Fault area.

"It was a very urgent issue, so a bunch of people from different disciplines got into a conference room and worked the issue until the solution rose to the top," Szymkowiak said. "We have such sharp people here and you definitely avoid group think because people are willing to speak up if they have different ideas."

He added, "That's what's great about working here. There are so many intellectual challenges and really smart people who care about their jobs, who are good leaders and teammates, and who have a vision for TAPS."

As for Szymkowiak, he deflects any special attention about receiving an Atigun Award. He instead credits his surroundings and circumstances.

"I was surprised to receive the award -- some ideas get passed to me from leadership and I just implement them," he said with a laugh. "I truly feel like this is a shared award. No individuals can succeed without a team that is successful and a company that is successful. And I have the pleasure of working with a strong team at Alyeska."

There are 189 documents and countless ever-shifting regulations and compliance requirements that guide the complicated and critical work of the 23 qualified controllers at Alyeska's Operations Control Center (OCC).

There is just one Eliza Tiulana.

As Alyeska's longtime OCC Training and Management of Change (MOC) Lead Controller, Tiulana is ravenous in her research, dedicated to her documentation, precise in her preparation, thorough in her training and methodical in her management.

For her attention to detail, hunger to learn and passion to lead others, Tiulana is being recognized as a 2016 Atigun Award Professional of the Year.

"I take my work very seriously, take pride in my job and in passing on information," explained Tiulana. "A controller's work is always changing, so I make sure that when they come in to work they are trained on any changes. That's what success looks like at the OCC."

If it sounds like Tiulana has a lot to keep track of, you're right. Not only does she stay on top of a seemingly endless whirlwind of documents, procedures, regulations, trainings, tasks and occasional shifts filling in as a controller, she somehow makes it look easy. Melanie Myles, Director of Oil Movements, wrote of Tiulana, "Managing to perform at this level for any given year is commendable. Being able to do it exceedingly year after year is extraordinary and noteworthy."

Tiulana's secret? "I'm lucky that I'm good at multitasking. ... It also takes a lot of initiative, a lot of research, asking a lot of questions and figuring out how to get things done."

Tiulana will reach 16 years at Alyeska in July, all spent in Oil Movements; first as a controller in Valdez, then in roles at the OCC in Anchorage. Before Alyeska, she worked at ARCO on the North Slope for nearly 12 years. Always ambitious, Tiulana was an accounting specialist before permanently moving into operations, where she was drawn to the complexities and responsibilities of the work.

"I want to feel like I am adding value and doing something that I feel is important," she said. "To be busy all the time and making decisions, I guess that it makes me feel more alive to be in the mix of things in a fast-paced environment."

Tiulana has found all she craves professionally at the OCC, especially in her role as a trainer and completing MOC packages.

"I always felt that teaching others was very rewarding," she said. "It has allowed me to be involved in a lot of activities and keeps me really busy. I'm always looking for gaps in our work and in my mind I'm thinking, 'What if?' As a team, we succeed by eliminating incidents."

While Tiulana enjoys training others, she is thankful for two former coworkers she considers mentors and inspirations: Meredith Buchman, her first supervisor at Alyeska; and Nancy Lei, a coworker who became her supervisor. Both are retired, though Buchman occasionally works as an OCC training consultant.

"Meredith always had the highest standards and always pushed me to do a better job," Tiulana said. "Nancy and I came up through the ranks together, collaborated on projects and taught each other a lot. We essentially developed the position that I'm in now. And when she became my supervisor, she allowed me the opportunities to continue to grow."

All of her past growth and unlimited potential to learn and share more in the future have led to special recognition: an Atigun Professional of the Year honor.

"I don't get wowed very often," Tiulana said, "but this makes me feel like, 'Wow!'"

There are numerous reasons why Jim Lawlor recently reached 27 years of working at Alyeska – the past 24 in the Environment Department. But he can boil it down to one: he has his dream job.

"The best northern lights display I've ever seen was when I was training a technician at the Pump Station 5 sewage lagoon at 4 in the morning," said Lawlor, currently an Environmental Coordinator Supervisor. "Even when you're handling wastewater, it can be a great day on the job here.

"I don't know of many things more exciting than being out in this environment and working to protect it," he added. "Sometimes you think, 'I can't believe I'm being paid to do this.'"

The feeling is mutual. Alyeska and TAPS coworkers say they are fortunate to have Lawlor, his longevity, talent and positive attitude around. He was recently named a 2016 Atigun Award Professional of the Year, powered by nominations from the entire Alyeska Right-of-Way department of 24 and Kim Kortenhof, a Contingency Response Planner in Fairbanks and a 2015 Atigun Award Professional of the Year.

"There are many inspirational people working on TAPS," Kortenhof wrote, "and Jim is the person whose professionalism and consideration of others has been the most inspirational for me."

Others nominators noted, "Jim provides the advice and encouragement for us to do our jobs with environmental soundness" and "Jim gives the history behind the decisions made, which lends weight and more firmly cements the requirements in our minds, making us more likely to remember and adhere to the process when the time comes out in the field."

Another nominator said "Jim can be out walking down each and every fish stream in an asset area, making repairs to the streams as he goes, and reporting back any larger repairs needed, and during the same visit he is handling hazardous waste issues on station, responding to a spill at another location, all while supervising a team of environmental coordinators."

Sure, Lawlor thoroughly enjoys his job, but he adds that he takes as much pride is his work and in TAPS as he does pleasure.

"It's great to work for a company that from leadership down has such a focus on flawless operations and a strong culture of safety and environmental awareness," he said. "Our environmental coordinators are well-integrated across TAPS and we share a lot of responsibilities. People come to us all the time with questions and asking, 'Are we doing it right?' That's great for us and great for TAPS."

About his dream job, Lawlor says he loves that he uses science in his daily work, even when it involves wastewater and hazardous materials. He's inspired by being surrounded by smart coworkers, contractors and regulators. He enjoys being busy, training others and being a team supervisor, an environmental coordinator and the Incident Management System’s Environmental Unit Leader for Prince William Sound.

Lawlor's been around for some of TAPS biggest triumphs and significant incidents. He's also updated countless environmental manuals, played roles in hundreds of exercises, shutdowns and new hire trainings, and overseen line-wide audits with the Environmental Protection Agency.

Despite all the responsibilities, he feels energized by the people and the variety that comes with working along all 800 miles of TAPS and beyond, from the North Slope to Prince William Sound to the OCC.

"I work with everyone from the guy with the shovel to a pump station manager to contractors and regulators of all sorts," he said. "And I really appreciate all of those relationships and the trust they have in me."

Ezequiel “Zeke” Cervantes is a mechanic and operations technician for Alyeska Pipeline Service Company at Pump Station 1 in Prudhoe Bay. Zeke loves his work, but because of PS1’s remote location, very few people know exactly what he does and what it’s like to work on the North Slope. Zeke recently shared stories and photos about his work as the guest host of Alyeska’s social media sites. Click here to Zeke’s first Facebook entry and then travel through the timeline to see more of his stories and images.

Lori Day, a Technical Development Coordinator based out of Valdez, recently celebrated her 20th year with Alyeska.

"Twenty years -- the time has really flown by," said Day. "But it's never felt like work. It's a part of my life."

Lori has spent her career in Valdez, a place she loves surrounded by people she loves and doing work she loves. She helps train TAPS technicians, from educating new techs just coming onboard to helping experienced techs learn new equipment and advance in the next steps of their careers.

"Having well-trained people is very critical in this line of work," Day said.

Well-trained technicians and leaders like Day are also essential for the operations and sustainability of TAPS and the learning, improving and innovating for so many of Alyeska's frontline workforce.

In her 20 years, Lori has visited every pump station, trained more than 100 new technicians, and provided additional training for hundreds of other technicians along TAPS.

"These technicians come from diverse backgrounds – some straight out of college, some with different experience elsewhere – but they are all proud and excited about their jobs and working for Alyeska," Day said. "And I'm also just so proud to work for this company."