Leadership
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Kaushal Shah, PE, PMP, MBA - Chair
Kaushal Shah is a Senior Project Manager for ICF Consulting based in Houston, TX. Kaushal has been in the gas pipeline industry for the eleven years and has managed various large diameter natural gas transmission pipeline and compressor station projects across North America. Kaushal now supports pipeline operators with market studies, pricing curves, mergers and acquisition and new energy venture development projects. Kaushal is a licensed Mechanical Professional Engineer (PE) and Project Management Professional (PMP). Previously, Mr. Shah served as the Community of Practice workgroup lead for YPP USA, and then become Secretary before taking on Vice Chair responsibilities. Kaushal recently completed his MBA at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business.
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Lauren Tipton - Vice Chair
Lauren Tipton is a Principal and co-founder of Elemental Compliance which specializes in providing PHMSA compliance support to hazardous liquid and natural gas operators. Lauren supports clients through the application of custom compliance strategies, engineering analyses, and process development. Lauren has been a member of YPP USA since 2016 and previously held the Membership Engagement and Coordination Work Group Lead, and the Secretary Leadership role and is currently serving as the Vice Chair. Lauren received her Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering & Management from Oklahoma State in 2011.
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Ian Kornfeld P.E - Secretary
Ian Kornfeld is a Lead Engineering Supervisor in National Grid’s Melville NY office. Ian has been in the gas pipeline industry for over 7 years and has spent most of his career in the construction industry. He has design, engineered and managed numerous large diameter high pressure gas pipeline and regulator station projects across the New York City and Long Island regions. Ian successfully aided in the design, construction, commissioning and completion of a 10 mile multiyear, 30 inch diameter high pressure gas main through the urban streets of Brooklyn New York. He has held numerous engineering roles with National Grid, now leading a team of engineers on large scale capital work and through the aggressive gas energy transition of the state. Ian is a licensed Mechanical Professional Engineer in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, holds his Project Management Professional Certification as well as his Institute for Asset Management certification.
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Matt McCutchen - Treasurer
Matt McCutchen is an Energy Economist at Phillips 66 in Houston, TX, helping to influence the company’s long-term corporate strategy. Matt previously worked as a Midstream Project Manager, Operations Engineer in the Gulf Coast Region, and a Leak Detection and Control Center Engineer at Phillips 66, both in Houston and Bartlesville, OK. With a passion for giving back, Matt has served in numerous volunteer and leadership positions among the Terry Foundation, United Way of Greater Houston, YPP USA, ASME LEAD, and in Phillips 66 Employee Resource Groups and University Recruiting. Matt received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas Tech University in 2016, a Master of Business Administration from Texas Tech University in 2017, and obtained a Project Management Professional certification in 2021.
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Blake Villarrubia - Industry Chair
Blake is a passionate advocate for the oil and gas industry and has spent over 10 years in various technical and project management roles in the midstream sector. He currently works for Audubon Companies in New Orleans, LA as a Project Manager. He received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Louisiana State University in 2014, his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Houston in 2018 and is a certified PE in several states. Blake is known for his enthusiasm and dedication to sharing his positive messages and insights with others. He is an active leader of Young Pipeline Professionals (YPP) USA and has been engaged in several other young professional organizations throughout his career. Blake is also active within the INGAA Foundation, the Southern Gas Association’s Multi-Generational Leadership Committee and serves on SGA’s Executive Council. Blake’s passion for the industry and his commitment to knowledge transfer and young professional advancement have earned him respect and recognition both within and outside of his organization. He is a valued member of the industry, and his contributions continue to make a positive impact on the industry and the communities he serves.
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Zach Booth - Community Chair
Zach Booth is a senior engineer based out of DNV’s Columbus, Ohio office. Since joining DNV, Zach has gained experience in various pipeline integrity aspects, including, but not limited to, ILI response and seam and crack integrity support. Recently, Zach has been working on several joint industry projects focused on the improvement of crack detection in-line inspection technology and in-the-ditch material testing. Through YPP USA, he has previously served as the Community of Practice work group lead and the Treasurer. He is also an active member of ASME B31.4 managing multiple projects.
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Tyler Tunic, PE - Leadership Advisory
Tyler manages the Air Compliance and Emissions Reduction (ACER) team in Williams’ Environmental Services group in Houston, TX. His team is tasked with the “E” of Williams’ ESG efforts and ensuring Williams hits its emissions reduction targets. Before joining Williams’ Environmental team, Tyler held various Pipeline Engineering roles within the organization, spent three years in the Pipeline Control group learning everything he could about the day-to-day physical gas flows on the system, and the last year in the Eastern Interstates Commercial group where he helped Williams explore new ways to make revenue while improving our historical revenue streams. Tyler also sits on the Public Policy and Communications Committee within the INGAA Foundation where he has managed over $200K worth of pipeline industry advocacy projects. He received his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Penn State University in 2014 and has worked for Williams ever since. Tyler is a certified professional engineer in the state of Texas and obtained his MBA from Louisiana State University Shreveport in 2020.
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Bailey Sartori - Trade Organization Lead
Bailey Sartori is the Stakeholder Engagement and Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Specialist at ROSEN, located in Washington, D.C. As the Stakeholder Engagement specialist, Bailey collaborates with regulators, policymakers, trade associations, and other stakeholders to raise awareness of ROSEN’s capabilities and support the industry’s common objectives. In her roles as ESG Specialist, Bailey is responsible for serving as the ESG point of contact for the United States, conducting assessments, guiding local teams on requirements, and integrating ESG strategies and policies. Bailey’s previous roles with YPP USA include leading the Media and Marketing and Membership Engagement workgroups.
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Jonathan Hardy – Symposium Planning Lead
Jonathan Hardy is the Global Data Analysis Manager at T.D. Williamson. Jonathan is a professional engineer and co-founded TDW’s Integrity Engineering Solutions department.
Prior to leading the Global Data Analysis team, Jonathan gained experience with field technician work, data analysis, manufacturing engineering, research and design engineering, and integrity engineering. He has been with TDW for more than 11 years and became a member of YPP in 2016. He has published industry papers and was featured in the “Rising Stars in the Pipeline Industry” series by ABN Resource. Jonathan’s greatest aspirations are to be a good husband and father to his wife and three children. His professional aspirations include continuously improving the integrity solutions available for the pipeline industry. One of Jonathan’s hidden talents is playing handbells in the nationally renowned Tabernacle Choir handbell ensemble.
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David Gregory - Local Chapter Lead
David Gregory is the Marketing Lead for Energy at Kleinfelder. He is a licensed professional engineer and MBA. Prior to Kleinfelder, he worked at Flex Steel USA where he led the Technical Services Engineering team supporting global sales and internal operational objectives. He leveraged broad understanding of energy value chain to direct business development efforts into adjacent markets – Carbon Capture, Hydrogen, Distribution, & Municipalities.
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James Crandall - Membership Engagement Lead
James Crandall, currently holding the position of Commercial Optimization Lead at Williams Companies in Houston, TX, plays a pivotal role in supporting the operational aspects of natural gas transmission pipelines across the United States. Prior to his current role, James has held key positions, including Senior Engineer in Project Development, Commercial Technology Representative within the Transmission and Gulf of Mexico Commercial Group, as well as a Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) Engineer in the Tactical Projects Group. Preceding his tenure at Williams Companies, James contributed his expertise as a Research and Design Engineer in the Sperry Drilling Product Service Line at Halliburton. Beyond his professional commitments, James has been actively engaged in various volunteer and leadership roles, notably within the United Way of Greater Houston Young Leaders. He has also spearheaded efforts as a fundraiser lead for the Williams United Way campaign and the INGAA Foundation, where he leads a pioneering initiative in Leadership Mentoring
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Mafe Correa - Membership and Marketing Lead
Mafe Correa is the Event and Marketing Specialist at ROSEN USA, based in Houston, TX. In this role, Mafe manages and coordinates a variety of events such as exhibitions, conferences, and webinars, ensuring successful execution and comprehensive reporting. Responsibilities include project management, overseeing exhibition booths, content creation for internal communications, and supporting marketing initiatives to strengthen the ROSEN brand. Mafe has actively contributed to YPP USA for over two years, including previous experience with the Membership Engagement team, and organizing several events in partnership with ROSEN.
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Lauren Jackson - YPI Liaison
Lauren Jackson is a Facilities Engineer for Williams. She supports their Eagle Ford assets in their gathering and processing area. Lauren has been a member of YPP USA since 2019 and previously held the position of Mentorship Work Group Lead, and is currently serving as the YPI (Young Pipeliners International) Liaison. Lauren received her Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University in 2018 (Whoop!). In her free time, she enjoys playing music with her family, staying active in sports and the outdoors, and learning through books and podcasts
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Amber Gronski - University Relations Lead
Amber Gronski is an Integrity and Field Services Project Manager for WHC Energy Services. She supports the eastern area sector and has successfully managed projects for clients throughout the southeastern US. Amber is actively involved with both project estimation and execution. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Florida in 2015 and Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Central Florida in 2022. Within YPP, Amber previously served on the Industry workgroup and as the workgroup lead for the Diversity and Inclusion workgroup. In her free time,Amber enjoys instructing fitness classes at Pure Barre and competing in local CrossFit competitions.
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Kirby Kunka - Community of Practice Lead
Kirby Kunka is a Welding Engineer for Williams based out of Tula, OK. He is responsible for welding and NDE compliance across all of Williams’s assets. He has been a YPP member since 2019 and previously held the position of Tulsa Chapter Lead. He graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf, hiking, travelingand trying new foods.
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Ahmed Hassanin - Mentorship Lead and Corporate Support & Advisor Relations
Ahmed Hassanin is an engineering associate at ADV Integrity, Inc. based in Magnolia, TX. Ahmed has been in the engineering consulting business for over 5 years and has been providing engineering support to clients ranging from pipeline operators to technology companies throughout the years. His primary focus has been on numerical modeling and analysis to design, asses and interpret complex problems associated with the oil and gas industry, specifically related to pipelines. Ahmed has been passionate about validating results from Finite Element Analysis with experimental testing ranging from sub-scale to full-scale testing. Designing destructive and non-destructive tests with an analysis background has been a key aspect in Ahmed’s role as an engineer with ADV Integrity.
Ahmed is newly involved with YPP and is serving his first year as the Mentorship Lead to partner current members with experienced individuals in the pipeline industry across the United States.
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Alyssa Schultz - D&I Lead
Alyssa Schultz is a dedicated Field Technician at Rosen, where she combines her hands- on expertise with a passion for innovation and problem-solving. Currently pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering, she is committed to expanding her technical knowledge and skills to contribute even more effectively to her field. Her role at Rosen involves performing critical field assessments and ensuring the integrity of various systems, showcasing her ability to tackle complex challenges in dynamic environments. Alyssa's adventurous spirit drives her to seek out new experiences and embrace creative solutions in her work, making her a valuable asset to her team. Outside of her professional pursuits, Alyssa's love for adventure and creativity reflects her well-rounded character. A unique aspect of her personality is her cherished collection of Star Wars Legos, which reflects her imaginative side and fondness for storytelling. She thrives on exploring new opportunities, whether in nature or through innovative projects, continually seeking to grow both personally and professionally. With a unique blend of practical experience and academic ambition, Alyssa Schultz is poised to make a significant impact in the engineering industry.