In the Oil Patch Podcast: Featuring Nick Deiuliis

Nick was a recent guest on Shale Magazine’s “In the Oil Patch.” Nick discusses his western Pennsylvania roots and career at CNX Resources. He highlights the more than 155-year history of CNX and its modern-day evolution to becoming one of the largest independent natural gas exploration, development and production companies in the Appalachian Basin.

Responding to a question on his outlook for the natural gas industry in 2022, Nick says, “it goes back to the fundamentals…there’s always going to be twists and turns…I think Appalachia, via the Marcellus and Utica, is clearly the low-cost basin not just within the United States but positioned very well across the globe.” Nick explains how massively impactful the natural gas industry is for quality of life both domestically and across the world.

Nick goes on to address CNX’s philosophy on being in the business of manufacturing free cash flow, his views on ESG investing, and why he feels there’s a moral responsibility as a CEO to advocate for domestic energy and counter fabricated mistruths.

Sensing a Trend

This week, the male students from the CNX Foundation Mentorship Academy toured the Eaton Power Systems Experience Center (PSEC). This week’s visit to PSEC followed the female class’ visit earlier this month. We once again thank our hosts Eaton, Ferry Electric, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 5.

Dan Carnovale of Eaton and team once again delivered an impactful day of hands-on experiences for the students; illustrating the type of work and technologies encountered in the power industry and electrical fields. I thought tour hosts couldn’t exceed the female class experience, but I was proved wrong. And glad for it.

The second visit to the Experience Center got me reflecting on our prior site visits and a consistent, common theme that has developed.

Through the Mentorship Academy program, we heard from Steamfitters Local 449, Iron Workers Local 3, Carpenters Local 432, Shell, Community College of Beaver County, Deep Well Services, Evolution, IBEW Local 5, Eaton, and Ferry Electric. Very different enterprises and organizations, but all resonating a singular message.

That message is powerful: a student graduating high school with decent grades and not desiring to attend college can fill out an application, perhaps pay a nominal $25 filing fee, prepare for and take an assessment exam and/or interview, and then enter an apprenticeship/training program where they immediately start earning money.

When the apprenticeship or training program is completed, the individual begins to earn a family-sustaining wage and is well on their way to a challenging career and financial independence. The time required to reach this status might be as short as a few weeks to as long as a few years, but the rewards are consistently striking: high hourly wage rates, generous overtime rates, 401k plans, healthcare, and tuition reimbursement for those looking to attend college while working. All in, the total compensation package for most of these professions is above $100,000 a year.

Better yet, every site, company, building trade, and institution we’ve visited are all eager to hire the next generation of workers to drive their effort. The path is established, the money and opportunities are there, and the job openings need filled.

And best of all, each of these career paths offer advancement into related but higher levels of responsibility, whether it be salaried positions in management or design/supervisory roles in operations. All kinds of options to choose from in how one’s career path unfolds.

This is an awesome and massive opportunity for the students in the Mentorship Academy. So, we are pivoting toward resume building, deeper dives via job shadowing, and interview/exam prep. By the time summer rolls around, Academy students are going to enter the workforce prepared.

There is one final thought when reflecting on the Mentorship Academy to date. Why aren’t these realities more well known throughout our region, our schools, our communities, and our minds? Where is the beating of the drum when it comes to our regional leaders vocalizing these lucrative professional paths for our young adults? It’s especially perplexing considering that the eternally promoted path of a college degree in a non-STEM field simply cannot compete economically.

The middle class is calling. Let’s answer the call.

Visit eaton.com to learn more about Eaton, and follow them on Twitter at @eatoncorp, at @ETN_Electrical, and on Facebook and on YouTube.

The Mentorship Academy is an initiative of CNX Foundation and part of CNX’s commitment to investing in its local community. Designed for high school students who do not plan to immediately attend a four-year college, the Academy is focused on providing urban and rural youth from economically disadvantaged regional Appalachian communities with greater opportunities—helping provide these young adults a bridge to family-sustaining careers. Following the mentorship program, students will have developed new relationships with peers and business leaders across western Pennsylvania, a new excitement for the region’s career opportunities and an understanding of how to pursue those careers.

Forbes: ESG-Critical Shale CEO Feels An Ethical Duty To Speak Out

Forbes Senior Contributor David Blackmon profiled Nick DeIuliis’ unique leadership and advocacy, as well as CNX Resources’ history of being at the forefront of domestic energy production, in the January 26, 2022, column, “ESG-Critical Shale CEO Feels An Ethical Duty To Speak Out.”

Blackmon writes, “Two years ago, Nick Deluliis, CEO of CNX Resources, had no social media accounts – ‘I had no idea what to do with social media,’ he told me with a laugh during a recent interview. Today, he is all over Twitter and other social media platforms, advocating for his company and his industry. He has his own podcast. He has authored a book that is coming out soon. It is the complete opposite approach you see taken by most CEOs in the energy business.

“I asked him why he has chosen to become such a vocal advocate, given that it will inevitably make him a target to so many who oppose fossil fuels in any form. ‘I feel there’s an ethical duty, a leadership responsibility, there’s a social purpose of a business to accurately, rationally advocate for what you do on behalf of society and why what you do is not in the past, it’s not a bridge that’s going to go away; it’s the present and it’s the future. Particularly when mistruths are used to vilify what you do.’ he answered. ‘When you think about what’s behind that, the domestic energy industry doesn’t produce a widget of methane: What it does is provide quality of life. That’s what we do as an industry. It’s not that complicated.”

In the column Nick explains the good, the bad and ugly of the ESG arena; examines the role of energy and geopolitics; discusses domestic energy flows and energy resiliency, and much more.

“CNX Energy is an interesting company led by an even more interesting CEO. I wish Nick Deluliis well. Because he’s right, you know,” concludes Blackmon.

For more on Nick’s ESG thoughts, check out his essay on “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of ESG.”

2022-Jan-Academy-Session

Things Are Starting to Get Real

This week, the CNX Foundation Mentorship Academy held two sessions over two days at CNX Center to teach students about the importance of resumes and to start building theirs. Our friends at Dress for Success provided an overview on the general format of a strong resume and how to prepare for a career search and interview process.

Resumes are an individual’s passport and first impression that potential employers will review to make hiring decisions. Good resumes lead to interviews, and good interviews lead to job offers. Thus, it is crucial to sport a strong resume when pursuing professional paths.

Resumes should also be viewed as a continual work-in-progress: students develop the resume but then instantly start to think about how to strengthen it with new activities, skills, and accomplishments. If you aren’t constantly working toward improving your resume, you’re missing the bigger picture.

It was impactful to see a common sequence with students. First, some natural apprehension about starting a resume for the first time. Then a bit of fear of not having enough items to list to make an impressive resume, followed by discussions with mentors about what the students wants to emphasize about themselves. This led to the realization that there is quite a bit to fit within a page or two of a resume. A journey from anxiety to confidence in a few short hours.

Best yet, students began to think about what they want to work on to bolster their resumes. The Academy resume sessions have likely opened the door to many new adventures for the students. I expect students, individually and with their Academy peers, will be seeking additional volunteer opportunities and other new experiences to add skills to their newly created resumes.

The young men and women quickly grasped how a good resume integrates its different sections: the skills tying to the accomplishments which link to the references make for a convincing story of the individual. A potential employer reviewing the resume will not only be drawn in but will also want to learn more about the person, which leads to an interview.

This week felt like a turning point, a new chapter of sorts, for the students, the mentors, and for the Mentorship Academy. We are evolving from the chapter of seeing and learning about industries and professions and now pivoting to the next chapter of working on activities and skills to add to the resumes.

Changing times. And exciting times.

2022 Eaton Visit

Learning About Super-Charged Careers in Power

Last week, the female students from the CNX Foundation Mentorship Academy convened north of Pittsburgh to spend the day at the Eaton Power Systems Experience Center (PSEC).

Eaton’s Pittsburgh Experience Center is a state-of-the-art facility allowing visitors to see firsthand the latest advances in electrical power quality, energy management, and safety. The facility is an impressive example as to why Eaton is the world leader in all things power related. And make no mistake about it, power and companies like Eaton make the world run.

It was immediately obvious the Eaton culture starts with the tone at the top.

Students were greeted in the morning with welcoming comments from the company’s President – Americas, Brian Brickhouse. Then Dan Carnovale, Eaton’s lead instructor at the PSEC, held court throughout the day; consisting of everything from short talks by employees who spent their careers at Eaton and in the power industry, to hands-on sessions throughout the facility where students had the opportunity to train on technologies and processes in power systems.

Eaton’s partners at the PSEC were also key participants through the day.

Regional electric contractor Ferry Electric built, maintains, and continually updates the constantly evolving PSEC so that it remains best-in-class. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 5 spoke to the students about apprenticeship programs and career paths as electricians that are available. The hosts for the day represented a virtuous regional economic circle: from professional electricians (IBEW Local 5) to dedicated electrical contractor company (Ferry Electric) to a global power systems giant (Eaton).

The day was a busy and lively one, with the students clearly engaged and taken in by the PSEC and the passion of the hosts for their careers, companies, and industry. After watching the students’ interest and listening to their engaged questions at the various training stations, it’s a safe bet that a couple of these young women will be starting their professional journey in the power industry or as electricians.

Next week the male students will visit the PSEC, and we can’t wait to see a repeat of what we saw with the young women. Eaton’s roots trace back over a century and much of it is planted in western Pennsylvania with one of its predecessor companies, Westinghouse. Seeing Eaton, Ferry Electric, and IBEW Local 5 leading the charge for this great region into the next hundred years makes this native proud.

Visit eaton.com to learn more about Eaton, and follow them on Twitter at @eatoncorp, at @ETN_Electrical, and on Facebook and on YouTube.

The Mentorship Academy is an initiative of CNX Foundation and part of CNX’s commitment to investing in its local community. Designed for high school students who do not plan to immediately attend a four-year college, the Academy is focused on providing urban and rural youth from economically disadvantaged regional Appalachian communities with greater opportunities—helping provide these young adults a bridge to family-sustaining careers. Following the mentorship program, students will have developed new relationships with peers and business leaders across western Pennsylvania, a new excitement for the region’s career opportunities and an understanding of how to pursue those careers.