EMA Journal • Fall 2024 • Cementing Their Legacies

For Mark Morgan, his path out of school seemed clearcut — a career in environmental law. He graduated from law school and quickly transitioned into working for a large law firm in Washington, D.C. However, Mark soon realized that the big corporate law firm setting wasn’t quite right for him. Luckily, his work at the firm had brought him into contact with the trade association world, which he knew little about. What he did know, however, was that working for a trade association versus a law firm was like night and day. After a two-year search for the right association, Mark found his home at Petroleum Marketers Association of America (PMAA), now Energy Marketers of America (EMA). The chance to work with small, family-operated businesses was enticing to Mark after saying goodbye to the corporate law world.

Mark’s job at EMA was in regulatory compliance, something he already had expertise in and a passion for. EMA colleagues know Mark for being dedicated, competent, trustworthy and relatable, which aren’t easy attributes to replace. “I’ll miss all the friends I’ve made in the industry over the past 30 or so years — the EMA staff, the association executives and the marketers,” said Mark. “I’ll miss working and socializing with them at association gatherings, going out to dinner with them and having a good laugh. I’ll also miss working with the regulators I’ve met at the various agencies, many of whom I’ve known for over 20 years. … Rarely have I met a regulator who didn’t welcome and value industry input on regulatory issues.” Lastly, Mark said he’ll miss the satisfaction that came from helping marketers and association executives, answering questions and providing information on regulatory compliance.

Mark also fondly remembered the specific individuals who were there for him throughout the years, whose impact on both Mark and the association hasn’t been forgotten. “I think a lot about the many people I worked with who are no longer with us — association executives and marketers who supported when I was on my own and who advocated for me along the way: Jerdy Gary, Bob Krogman, Ron Marr, Lynton Allred, Davis Cosey, Jack Sullivan, Jan Vineyard, Roger Dreyer and John Maniscalco. Also, included among this list are those who are still with us thankfully: Roger Lane, Bart Fletcher and Dan Gilligan. I will never forget the support and encouragement these people gave to me. The collective memory of these folks are my favorite I’d have to say.

“To me, the energy marketing industry is about reliability and security for every American who drives a car,” continued Mark. “The energy marketing industry heats homes and businesses and makes itself available 24/7 to ensure the heat stays on in the dead of winter — potentially saving lives in the process. It is a vital industry that continues to innovate by supplying cleaner burning fuels with lower greenhouse gas emissions with a goal of achieving a carbon-neutral liquid fuel that will continue to play a vital role in everyday life for many years to come.”

After a long career, Mark is looking forward to retirement. He and his wife, Kelly, recently bought a home on Cape Cod, where Mark grew up and has deep roots. “My family came here from Wales in 1636, so it’s always been important for me to come home where I have family, old friends, familiar surroundings and people who talk just like me! I am going to sit on my porch with my dog, look out at the water for a while and think about what comes next.”

"I ’ll miss all the friends I’ve made in the industry over the past 30 or so years — the EMA staff, the association executives and the marketers ... I will never forget the support and encouragement these people gave to me.”

The year was 2005, and a job posting in the newspaper caught Susan Isard’s eye. The job in question was for director of programs and administration at PMAA, now EMA. The past 18 years, Susan has built a legacy amongst her colleagues for her diligent and detailed work. While Susan was a stranger to the industry when she started, she wasn’t a stranger to hard work. She had previously worked in the hotel and insurance sectors, and that experience helped her navigate the tricky world of event planning and administrative work at EMA. During her time, she was also instrumental in EMA’s magazine as the editor. Many of Susan’s colleagues describe her as “a pleasure/joy to work with,” “very detailed” and “a hard worker.” She is known for always having a smiling face around the office and at events and for her willingness to help anyone.

A portion of Susan’s job revolved around meeting management and planning. Dealing with any type of event planning can be a challenge, but Susan made it look easy. There are always hurdles when it comes to event contracts of any nature, and it is doubly challenging being a smaller association trying to book events at hotels in bigger cities like Atlanta, Las Vegas and Chicago. Susan is grateful to EMA’s legal counsel who reviewed contracts, as well as Connections Housing who helped contract the hotels and look for meeting space.

Susan’s skills in communication, perseverance and collaboration ultimately helped her overcome the many challenges of event planning. If the association needed a different room layout, or if a current space wasn’t working, she’d step in to troubleshoot the problem. She always made sure to request room diagrams before signing any contracts. Many aspects of event planning can be out of someone’s control, and unforeseen circumstances would always arise. Susan learned how to properly pivot to ensure that EMA always had successful events. Her patience was instrumental to years of impactful conferences.

Susan said she’ll miss “the relationships I’ve made with the staff and the state execs and all the members, and I plan to maintain them in retirement, but they have really been special. I really have never had this type of rapport with any other industry. … It’s just a really nice, close-knit group, and I will definitely miss that.” Eighteen years lends itself to a lot of memories. Susan fondly recalled the staff holiday lunches where she got to spend extra time with her colleagues. One of her favorite memories was Dan Gilligan’s retirement party in Las Vegas in 2015, which was filled with laughs, memories and plenty of camaraderie.

“I love this full circle of life, and I’ve had a lot of those. I used to work at hotels in the very beginning of my career, and I always wanted to be on the sales side of putting the different sessions in a room that is going to fit it best.” Another full circle moment for Susan: her first and last meeting for EMA in Las Vegas.

As for her retirement plans, Susan and her husband, Michael, moved to an active retirement community last summer where she quickly became engaged in their committees and activities. She also plans to become more involved with her college alumni group, volunteer in the local community, travel, and spend time with friends and family.

EMA thanks both Mark Morgan and Susan Isard for their dedication to the association. They wish them both the best in retirement!