2025 Education
See below to learn more about this year’s education sessions and our esteemed presenters
Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act
By Alexandra Rosen
For many years, costly and duplicative background checks have been placed on CDL holders who are required to undergo a Security Threat Assessment (STA) in order to obtain a credential like a hazardous materials endorsement. Instead of being able to quickly obtain these credentials and start driving for your business, drivers were essentially being forced to pass a STA that they had already passed. This was happening because there is more than one endorsement or credential that checked the same things, and in many cases, they had already been checked.
This presentation will go into detail on how this situation was created, and what has been done recently to rectify it.
Alexandra Rosen
Vice President of Legislative Affairs
American Trucking Association
Alex Rosen is the Vice President of Legislative Affairs for the American Trucking Associations, developing and leading advocacy strategies to influence Congress, specifically the U.S. Senate. She was recently promoted from her role as Director of Legislative Affairs in ATA’s Capitol Hill office, where she spent four years advancing legislative priorities, including increasing truck parking capacity, reducing credentialing challenges, standardizing base access protocols, and protecting the independent contractor business model.
Rosen serves as co-chair of the Advocacy Subcommittee for ATA’s Women In Motion council and is the chief architect of the council’s legislative and regulatory advocacy. Before joining ATA in 2019, she worked for the Committee on Homeland Security in the U.S. House of Representatives, specializing in transportation and border security. Originally from Los Angeles, Rosen graduated summa cum laude from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, later earning a Masters Degree in Government from Johns Hopkins University.
Federal Requirements for Safe and Secure Transportation of Heating Fuels
By Steve Piwowarski
Home heating fuel providers and related businesses transport essential products that are used to keep our homes warm during the winter. While these products are essential, they are also hazardous materials. They need to be handled safely and securely at all points during the supply chain, by qualified individuals.
Nobody wants to have an accident that involves these essential hazardous materials, nor do they want an individual with nefarious intentions to compromise the security of our operations.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Division Administrator for NH, Steve Piwowarski, will present on federal requirements that are in place to help home heating fuel dealers and related businesses stay safe and secure as these products make their way through the supply chain.
Steve Piwowarski
Division Administrator
USDOT Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Steve Piwowarski is currently the Division Administrator for the New Hampshire Division of the USDOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a modal administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation whose mission is to save lives and reduce crashes involving commercial motor vehicles on our nations highways.
In addition to his responsibilities as the DA in NH, he has taught all discipline in his agency to incoming employees at the FMCSA Academy as well as to fellow federal, state and local law enforcement agencies developing and delivering training in all areas of CMV Safety, including Commercial Vehicle Criminal Interdiction since 1992. He is a 1990 graduate of Norwich University, cum laude, and in 2006 he earned his Master of Justice Administration also from Norwich University.
Federal Update
By Jim Collura & Rob Underwood
More information coming soon!
Jim Collura
President and CEO
National Energy & Fuels Institute (NEFI)
With over two decades of experience in advocacy, government relations, and non-profit management, Collura leads NEFI in promoting the interests of America’s heating fuel dealers and home comfort providers. NEFI’s focus is advancing U.S. energy security, reliability, and affordability through market innovation, energy efficiency, and adoption of renewable and alternative fuels.
Throughout his career, Collura has championed national energy policies that strengthen American energy independence and economic security while supporting practical, cost-effective solutions for reducing emissions. This vision guided him as he launched NEFI’s in-house government relations division in 2005 and continues to drive our organization today.
Career highlights include securing historic commodity trading reforms, developing policies to encourage renewable fuel infrastructure investments, and establishing tax credits for high-efficiency home heating systems. Collura is also a recognized leader in preserving consumer choice in home energy and appliances, ensuring Americans can make decisions that best suit their needs and family budgets.
His expertise spans federal advocacy, policy development, grassroots organizing, and comprehensive association management, including operations, communications, and membership development. In 2021, Collura established a federal PAC dedicated to supporting the goals and interests of our industry’s small businesses.
Looking ahead, Collura is committed to advancing policies that promote energy choice, innovation, and diversity while ensuring America’s mostly small, family-owned home comfort businesses have a strong voice in Washington. Under his leadership, NEFI continues to expand its reach, grow its membership, and enhance its range of member benefits and services. This includes the development of their educational foundation to support workforce development and technical training for the next generation of home comfort professionals.
Rob Underwood
PRESIDENT
Energy Marketers of America (EMA)
Rob Underwood is the President of the Energy Marketers of America representing energy marketers on Capitol Hill. He joined EMA in July 2007 as the Director of Government Relations and took over as President in 2015.
He played a key role in reauthorizing the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA). NORA was signed into law in February 2014 and again in 2018 for ten years which resulted in over $100 million for research and development and education and training to the heating fuels industry. Underwood also led EMA’s efforts negotiating with the EPA on a costly underground storage tank proposed rule that resulted in a reduction in compliance costs while achieving equally protective environmental standards. He also steered the organization’s name change from the Petroleum Marketers Association of America (PMAA) to the Energy Marketers of America in October 2020.
Underwood serves as the chief spokesperson for EMA. He is frequently quoted in Politico, Washington Post, Reuters, Oil Express and CSP Daily News. Underwood also serves as a liaison to EMA’s wholly owned subsidiary, the Petroleum Marketers Oil Company, LLC (PMOCO) known as the Spirit Brand®, and currently chairs the Small Business Legislative Council (SBLC). He oversees and leads contribution decisions for EMA’s Small Business Committee – Political Action Committee (PAC).
The most important role as EMA President is serving its 49 state and regional trade associations before Congress and the federal agencies. Underwood is a native of Georgia where he earned a BA degree in Political Science from the University of Georgia. Prior to joining EMA, He worked for U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA).
Locking in Your Margins and Eliminating Your Risk: A Transformative Approach to Fuel Purchasing
By Coleman Shear
Running a heating oil or propane business is not for the faint of heart. Many a fuel company leader has lost sleep or gone bald (or both!) attempting to figure out how to time the markets, how to protect themselves and how to secure the necessary volumes to cover their commitments all while making a reasonable profit. But it doesn’t have to be this way. With a deeper understanding of the markets and awareness of new tools and technology, company leaders can bring stability to their businesses and ensure they can meet the needs of their customer base.
In this session, Coleman Shear of Apis Point Energy will pull back the curtain on energy markets so that fuel dealers will be prepared to achieve profitability without all of the usual headaches. An expert in fuel purchasing and risk mitigation in the energy markets, Coleman will share critical insights with attendees including:
- Understanding basis risk and the outlook on basis
- External factors that are likely to fuel market movement and basis risk positions
- Strategic methods to mitigate risk and in some cases, eliminate basis risk entirely
The companies that manage their risk and position themselves to maximize their profitability will be the ones that rise above the rest. This can’t-miss session will set business leaders on the right path to doing so for the next heating season.
Coleman Shear
CFA and Founder
Apis Point Energy
Coleman Shear began his career as an Analyst at Citi in their Commodities Sales and Trading Group, after which he received his MBA at Columbia Business School.
He was a Vice President at Morgan Stanley in the Project, Commodities, and Infrastructure Finance group, where he specialized in energy and infrastructure asset level leveraged finance, early-stage equity raises, mezzanine and preferred structures, commodities prepays, and structured finance transactions.
Prior to founding Apis Point Energy, he was Director of Capital Markets at Synonym, an A16Z backed startup, looking to develop infrastructure for the green materials and chemicals space. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and a CFA Charterholder.