National Petroleum News (NPN) has been the independent voice of the petroleum industry since 1909 as the opposition to Rockefeller’s Standard Oil. So, motor fuels marketing and retail is not just a sideline for us, it’s our core competency.
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BY KEITHREID NPN Magazine announces the 2012 winners of its awards honoring those who champion the industry legislatively LEGISLATIVE LEADER AWARD WINNERS I S THERE AN INDUSTRY THAT FACES MORE LEGISLATIVE and regulatory challenges? From the forecourt to the convenience store, there are numerous touch points that attract the attention of people in Washington or the local statehouse and more often than not that attention tends to be disruptive. As we at the magazine state regularly, this indus- try benefits from aggressive and highly compe- tent trade associations and their members fighting against overreach in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. NPN Magazine's Legislative Leader Awards was developed to give involved industry members the much needed recognition they deserve for their hard work, while at the same time encourage oth- ers in the industry to step up and join the effort. With all of the work the various associations do at the staff level, both in Washington and at the state level, just how important is it to have the members involved in the process? Critically important. "Any lobbyist who tells you that he or she has clout is one or both of two things—dishonest or delusional," said Tim Columbus, a partner in the D.C.-based law firm Steptoe and Johnson and the general counsel of the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America and the National Association of Convenience Stores. "Political people care about their constituents. It's my job to help people understand what assets they have and how they can bring them to bear. And I can help somebody by explaining this is the policy debate, here's what's involved, here is why we feel the way we do and here's why it's the right thing to do. But, nobody tells that story as well as a constituent." That viewpoint is common among association professionals at both the national and state levels. "Tip O'Neill said it best about 35 years ago when he stated that all politics is local," said Gene Guilford, president of the Independent Connecticut Petroleum Association. "Lobbyists 20 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 and lawyers do not get bills passed nor do they necessarily stop bad bills from passing nearly as effectively as the people who have businesses in the districts represented by public policy officials. That is political science 101. You have to have people on the ground who go to work everyday, employ people, pay taxes, build businesses and serve consumers. There's nothing that can take the place of a highly motivated and articulate spokesperson on behalf of his or her business." This year's winners exemplify the hard work and dedication of our previous recipients. WINNER, FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP Wendy Chronister, President and CEO Chronister Oil Company, Springfield, Ill. Chronister Oil Company has been a trusted supply source for fuel distribution for over 40 years and today provides an extensive supply of fuels and bio-fuels. The company operates Springfield Truck Lines as a subsidiary fuel transport operation. Grady and Linda Chronister opened their first Qik-n-EZ convenience retail site in 1967. The business today flourishes, continuing to carry its family-minded principles with a focus on quality employees and outstanding customer service as one of the most recognized convenience store brand in Central Illinois. In 2009 Wendy Chronister took over the reigns and she immediately became involved in supporting the industry locally and nationally. "I stepped forward when I first became involved in the industry," said Chronister. "I became involved with SIGMA at the same time and legis- latively and on behalf of NACS as well. Getting to know our business, the obvious, biggest issue to NPN Magazine n www.npnweb.com