CEMA Elects Officers and Board; Honors Marketers

The Connecticut Energy Marketers Association held elections for the 2021-2022 term for board of directors and officers at the CEMA Annual Meeting, June 14-15 at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Board Members
Apple Oil Company: Ms. Sharon Peterson
Bantam/Wesson: Mr. Peter A. Aziz
Benvenuti Oil Co., Inc.: Mr. Charles Mazzella
Cetane Associates: Mr. Fred Lord
Daniels Energy: Mr. David Daniels
Dominick Fuel: Mr. Joseph J. Dominick
F.F. Hitchcock: Mr. John Bowman
F. Perrelli & Sons: Mr. George Perrelli
Gault Family Companies: Mr. Samuel M. Gault
Global Partners, L.P.: Mr. John McCusker
Gottier Fuel: Mr. Eric Gottier
Gulf Oil, L.P.: Mr. Matthew Harrison
Guy’s, Inc.: Mr. Richard B. Gada, Sr.
J & A Waterville: Mr. David Sousa
Jennings Oil: Mr. Jeffrey Jennings
Leahy’s Fuels, Inc.: Mr. Stephen G. Rosentel
Mercury Fuel Service, Inc.: Mr. Michael J. Devino
Norbert E. Mitchell Co.: Mr. Matthew Mitchell
Peterson Oil Service: Mr. Howard Peterson, Jr.
Petroleum Heat & Power: Mr. Michael Matarese
Ryan Oil: Mr. Edward Ryan, III
Sack Energy: Mr. Stephen H. Sack, Jr.
Santa Energy, Inc.: Mr. Peter Russell
Sippin Energy: Mr. Gary Sippin
Standard Oil of Connecticut: Mr. Royce Friedman
Tracey Energy Services, LLC: Ms. Jennifer Tracey-Carlo
Troiano Oil Co.: Mr. Frank Troiano
Tuxis-Ohr’s Fuel Co.: Ms. Kate Childs
Westmore Fuel Co., Inc.: Mr. Rick Bologna
Wilcox Energy: Mr. David G. Foster

Officers
Chair Ms. Kate Childs, Tuxis-Ohr’s
Vice-Chair Mr. Stephen Sack, Sack Energy
Treasurer/Secretary Mr. Fred Lord, Cetane Associates
Immediate Past Chair Mr. Gary Sippin, Sippin Energy

In Memoriam
Also, the association held a special recognition for members and industry notables who passed away over the past two years. “An association is only as strong as its members, and we wanted to recognize those members who supported the industry over the years, but who are no longer with us. These included the following (we apologize if we missed someone that you know of):”

Katherine Aziz, Bantam Energy
Sidney Berson, Energy Unlimited Group
Robert Blaine, Blaine Heating
Domenick Bologna, Westmore Fuel
Walt Brickowski, Gulf Oil LP
Pete Caruso, Total Energy Solutions
Sadie Devino, Mercury Fuel
Edward Faneuil, Global Partners LP
Rick Foy, Superior Oil
Steven Goldman, Star Gas
Charlie Isenberg, ICPA
Al Jennings, Jennings Oil
George Kane, Global Companies
Richard Lynch, Newgate Oil
Vincent Massey, Massey Oil
Anthony and Phyllis Matarese, Matco Fuel
John Mitchell, Sr., Mitchell Fuel
Frank Perrelli, Sr., F. Perrelli & Sons
Joe Russo, City Oil
George Santa, Santa Energy
Mary Ann Tracey, Tracey Energy
Paul Winiarski, Stanley Oil

The Marketer of the Year Award went to three Danbury members: Jeff Jennings, Jennings Oil; Matt Mitchell, Norbert E. Mitchell Co.; and Stephen Rosentel, Leahy’s Fuels. The June 17 issue of CEMA’s Pipeline newsletter says of the three marketers: “Over the years they developed a strong relationship with a young legislator, David Arconti. This paid ‘dividends’ when he became the chair of the legislature’s Energy Committee. When the bill came up that gradually increased the amount of low-carbon renewable fuel into heating oil, he asked for advice from the three people he knew best in our industry. They advised him it would have only positive benefits and helped him understand it better. As a result, he was able to shepherd the bill through his committee, despite the strong opposition from both environmentalists and the Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection, and their amendments designed to derail the bill. Ultimately the bill passed unanimously through both the Senate and House. And so we presented the awards to these three members, as exemplars of what grassroots lobbying can do.

The Associate Member of the Year Award went to Federated Insurance. We’ve endorsed them for members since 2003, and during that time they have saved members collectively millions of dollars compared to their prior insurance. Few other associates, if any, can make such a claim. In addition, they continue to help insureds save money through a robust risk management program designed to reduce losses. Moreover, they reduced their insureds auto premiums last year because they felt that because of COVID, there would be fewer vehicles on the road and hence fewer claims (in actuality, while there were fewer claims, their severity increased). Accepting on behalf of Federated was Jon Medo who flew in from their headquarters in Minnesota, and local representatives Matt Gunn and Dan Schlatz.

Source: CEMA Pipeline newsletter, June 17, 20221

Photo on home page: CEMA Annual Meeting reception on Monday, June 14, 2021, at Mohegan Sun. (Fuel Oil News)