b'2021-2022Officers and DirectorsCEOs MessageOn the RoadAgainWeve finally been back on the roadandAfter a very busy June our team moved have enjoyed meeting with our marketers again,on to our first conference with the Oregon now that the government overreach is near theFuels Association. We were met with open end (I hope); but time will tell.arms by Gabriel Zirkle, OFA President andWPMA ChiefSince March 2021 WPMA and our eight state Tracey Anderson, the new OFA Execu- Executive Officer associations have been able to move forwardtive Director. The Oregon conference had(CEO)again with some sense of normalcy. In May, therecord attendance and a great lineup ofGene InglesbyBig Dogs event was held in Las Vegas, Nevadaspeakers, including OFA lobbyist Mike and had record attendance. The Big Dogs bowledFreese, who gave an in-depth review of the for $2 bills the first night, followed by a golf tour- legislation issues affecting petroleum marketers nament the next morning. Everyone had a greatin Oregon. Andrew Schpak of Barran Liebman time. Bowling is a lot of fun where networkingLLP gave the marketers an update on new laws can take place in a relaxed atmosphere.and continuing pandemic-related expectations.From Nevada we jumped into our June events,Our team returned home for two days to reload starting with the Montana Petroleum Market- and then head to Sun Valley, Idaho for the Idaho ers and C-Store Associations annual conven- Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Storetion at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, located inAssociations annual event. The Idaho market-Fairmont, Montana. Brad Longcake and Dirkers were fortunate to have a Meet and Greet with Cooper planned and organized a great conferenceIdaho Governor Brad Little, who then sat in on with outstanding speakers. They were able to gettheir Board of Directors meeting to get informa-Montana Governor Greg Gianforte and Attorneytion on the fuel sector of business in the state of General Austin Knudsen to speak and give theIdaho. They also had a Cybersecurity and Supply marketers some insights into how MontanasChain Disruption seminar, giving the members government is working with the industry to valuable information they could take back to their move forward. business concerning What to do in a Crisis.After the Montana show the WPMA Board of Still to come, our team is looking forward to Directors convened our Spring Board Meetingattending the New Mexico Petroleum Marketers in Snowbird, Utah, where the WPMA Executiveevent in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the Utah Committee officers for the 2021-22 fiscal yearPetroleum Marketers and Retailer Association were voted in. One of the action items proposedconvention in Park City, Utah. during the meetings was to see what it wouldWe have been planning for our next WPMAEXPO take to create a specific WPMA scholarship forsince we had to cancel our 2021 show due to a student to earn a Commercial Drivers Licensegovernment overreach. We have a great lineup (CDL) for transporting petroleum products, withplanned. New in 2022, were hosting a Top Golf an emphasis on working for a marketer member.event on Monday February 21, 2022, and a fun The next week we were in Cle Elum, WashingtonWelcome Back Party on Tuesday, February 22. for the Washington Independent Energy As usual, our speakers and trade show will beDistributors convention and trade show. Thereexceptional. I invite you, your businessagain, the attendance was up, and attendees andassociates, and families to the WPMAEXPO,exhibitors were happy to be allowed to meet faceFebruary 22-24, 2022, in sunny Las Vegas.to face for the first time in over a year. S6 www.wpma.com / Autumn 2020'