Business Forum Schedule
This is the 2025 schedule for reference.
NOTE: The below schedule is tentative. Times and locations may change.
Monday, July 21, 2025
8 a.m. – CTPMA Golf Tournament
7-9 p.m. – Reception in the Exhibit Hall
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
7 a.m. – Continental Breakfast in Exhibit Hall
8-8:30 a.m. – Welcome from our CTPMA President, Vincent D. Sullivan, Sullivan Petroleum Company
8:30-10 a.m. – A Sit Down with Kevin McCarthy, the 55th Speaker of the House of Representatives (moderated by Bill Kent, President, The Kent Companies )
10-10:30 a.m. – Refreshment Break in Exhibit Hall
Session 1:
10:30-11:15 a.m. – Washington Update and an Advocacy Call to Action (Jason Larrabee, Manager, Federal & International Affairs, Chevron Americas Products and Nathan Crum, Valley Pacific Petroleum Services)
11:15 a.m.-Noon – Ways to Buy Your Insurance (Jeff Mount, Federated Insurance)
12:00-12:30 p.m. – Anti-human Trafficking Within the Energy and Petroleum Marketers’ Industry (Louis Greek, TAT)
Energy industry and petroleum marketer employees are uniquely positioned to combat human trafficking in the course of their everyday jobs. While carrying out everyday duties, following routes and routines and interacting with the transportation sectors, they can be a key touchpoint for reaching vulnerable populations for prevention, identification and intervention. How human trafficking takes place within this field and how frontline employees can potentially save a life. Learn more about how the energy industry and petroleum marketers intersect with human trafficking and how you can play a role in combating this heinous crime.
12:30-1:30 p.m. – Lunch in Exhibit Hall
Session 2:
1:30-2:30 p.m. – Disaster Planning – From Preparation to Clean Up, a Panel Discussion (moderated by John Irving, Federated Insurance)
The cornerstone of every strong risk management plan is preparing for unexpected events, such as fires, severe weather, losses of key staff members, power outages, and more. Disaster Planning will focus on steps a business should take to help expedite recovery and resume serving customers as quickly as possible. This presentation covers operations, employees, key contacts, IT resources, finances, and more as essential considerations for a proper plan.
2:30-3:30 p.m. – From Numbers to Action: Economic Insights to Drive Business Success (Tressa Throgmorton, Study Groups)
Economic data is only valuable if it leads to informed decision-making. In this session, we’ll break down key financial and economic indicators affecting petroleum marketers and translate them into actionable business strategies. Learn how to interpret economic trends, benchmark performance, and use data to enhance operations, manage risks, and drive growth in an unpredictable market.
3:30-4:00 p.m. – Break in Exhibit Hall
4-5 p.m. – Retail Townhall – Chevron Retail Management
6-8:30 p.m. – President’s Reception and Dinner
6:00-6:45 p.m. – Reception
6:45-8:30 p.m. – Dinner and Presentation
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
7:45-8:30 a.m. – Continental Breakfast in Exhibit Hall
8:30-9:30 a.m. – Lubricants Townhall Seminar- Chevron Lubricants Management
Session 3:
9:30-10:15 a.m. – Fuels Distribution & Convenience Retail Industry M&A Update (Cedric C. Fortemps, CFA, Matrix Capital Markets Group, Inc. )
This session provides an update on the M&A market for fuels distribution and convenience retail businesses as well as an outlook for activity in 2025 and what’s driving activity and valuations.
10:15-10:45 a.m. – Refreshment Break in Exhibit Hall
10:45-11:30 a.m. – Cyber Security – Navigating Digital Threats (Dean Rhoades, Federated Insurance)
11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. – Navigate Three Talent Hurdles to Long-Term Success (James Berner, Meridian Associates, Inc. )
To thrive in today’s competitive landscape, businesses must find solutions to three key challenges: recruiting & hiring, labor costs, and retention. By leveraging proven and new recruitment strategies, innovative labor cost options, and creating a strong company culture that fosters growth and well-being, organizations can build a workforce that drives long-term success.
12:15 – 1:00 p.m. – Understanding the Vital Elements Of The Most Used Jobber Contracts – and A Brief exposition on last year’s Supreme Court removal of the, “ Chevron Deference “ (Robert Bassman, Of Counsel, Bassman, Mitchell, Alfano & Leiter Chtd.)