Nominated by: Robert W. Phillips, Pacific OCS Region

James Cospolich, David Stewart and Francis Stone are all senior electrical engineers for their respective companies. They are all involved in the American Petroleum Institute's standard writing committees for Recommended Practice 14F, 14FZ, 505, and 500. These standards deal with offshore electrical topics, and provide the foundation for the MMS’s offshore electrical safety requirements.

During each Committee meeting, Mr. Cospolich and Mr. Stewart have accepted a lion’s share of action items to be completed before the next meeting. In most cases, the members asked them to take the action item because they were the most qualified individuals for the job.

Experts from the petroleum and other industries develop the standards and, on occasion, have varying and opposing opinions. As chairman, one of Mr. Stone’s responsibilities is to bring each committee to consensus. Knowing that these standards will become regulation, Mr. Stone has always ensured that the MMS position is heard and given an appropriate level of consideration and support. For example, a section of RP 14FZ dealing with dual classified facilities had been rewritten four times. Committee members were still not satisfied, and wanted to simply delete it and remain silent on the entire topic. Knowing the ramifications of being vague or unclear in this topic area, the MMS objected. Mr. Stone assigned himself the action item, and by the very next meeting he had simplified the National Electrical Code regarding this subject. After the requisite amount of discussion and minor wording changes, the committee accepted it.

Similarly, Mr. Cospolich and Mr. Stewart also have been excellent facilitators and voices of reason. Many times, their research of referenced standards clarified stalemated arguments and discussions. Their many contributions to the MMS’s offshore electrical safety mandate have been of great service and very worthy of recognition.

Their efforts and support of the MMS mission and objectives are exemplary. Clearly, their service to the MMS throughout the standards writing process is worthy of a Corporate Leadership Award.