Principals

John S. Zurcher, Principal
John has over 35 years in the gas pipeline industry, actively involved in pipeline safety. He served as Vice president of the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company, Pipeline Group, consulting to natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline operators, trade associations and research organizations, Previously, he worked for Columbia Gas Transmission Company as Manager of Field Services, responsible for company compliance with Federal Regulations, management of capital budget program, and development of the corporation’s risk management program.

At Tenneco Energy, he was Director of Pipeline Services, overseeing corrosion control, geographic information system development, applied systems, and pipeline rehabilitation, integrity and safety projects. With PanEnergy Corporation, Coastal Corporation and Colorado Interstate Gas Company, his duties included design and operations, codes and standards, corrosion control, telecommunications, geographic information systems, and facility design and construction.

John is presently a member of NACE and ASME and serves on the B31.8 Section Committee. John has been Chair of the INGAA Pipeline Safety Committee and the GRI System Integrity and System Operations Committee. He was a member of the DOT Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, the DOT Risk Management Quality Action Team and their Mapping Quality Action Team. He has testified on behalf of the industry before the Congress of the United States on several occasions on matters relating to pipeline safety.

Mark L. Hereth, Principal
Mark has over 30 years of experience in the energy, chemical and environmental industries as well as the oil and gas insurance industry. He has worked in the areas or risk management, management system development, pipeline operations, project management, process plant design and environmental and pipeline safety legislation and regulations. At the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company, he was the Senior Vice President and General Manager in their pipeline division. In this capacity he has worked with pipeline companies, industry trade associations and research organizations to develop and improve the management of risk and maintenance of the integrity of pipeline systems in order to improve safety and environmental impact as well as improve the cost structure and reliability of these systems.

Mark presently serves as a board member for the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America Foundation and is on the Faculty at the Transportation Center at Northwestern University. Mark has received numerous awards and recognitions from the Department of Transportation for his contributions in risk management and improvements to the Pipeline Safety Regulations. Mark has testified to the Congress of the United States on issues relating to pipeline Safety.