Pilko & Associates | J. T. Dibble

"Innovation, streamlining,
making things happen"

J. T. Dibble

Position: Senior Advisor
Office: Houston, TX
Email: jt@pilko.com
Phone: 832-444-0679
Fax: 713-357-0990

Biography
“It’s funny,” says JT, “but during my whole career at Texaco, I never had a job I inherited from anyone else.”

JT joined the Texaco Port Arthur Research Laboratories fresh out of Rutgers University as Texaco’s first microbiologist, became the company’s first Manager of Environmental Research, set up the first EHS organization for Texaco Lubricants, and finally moved to Houston headquarters as the first Director of EHS for Texaco E&P.

JT is a whiz at figuring out how to create management systems from scratch. One of his first opportunities came in 1988 with an appointment as a Presidential Exchange Executive in Washington, where he served for a year with the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service. The government had stored grain for farmers in the 60's and now their fumigating chemicals were being discovered in the groundwater of small Midwest towns.

“I put the whole thing on a program and got them organized,” JT says, “no one there was familiar with this kind of situation.”

Returning to Texaco, JT continued to innovate. Taking on the new job of EHS Director for E&P, he found 14 separate business units that he had to represent as a single entity. Instead of importing experts to headquarters, JT designated Issue Managers and kept them where they were. Working with each Issue Manager were prime contacts from within each business unit. “The teams acted as a collective intelligence,” JT says. “It was streamlined and unique– and it worked for over 10 years, until Chevron bought us. We strived to do things once and do them right."

“Policy, planning and resources were my three big hits at Texaco,” JT continues, “innovation and streamlining and making things happen effectively and efficiently.”

Assuming the role of a consultant was an easy transition for JT. "I want to help our clients succeed, not just give them advice"

Away from work, JT likes hunting, fishing, and cooking the results – he used his ‘retraining’ package from ChevronTexaco to attend the LeNotre Culinary Institute. “My specialty is ducks and pork and fish,” he says. “I have a freezer full – I have to do something with it!” In keeping with his hobbies, JT is an active advocate for The Nature Conservancy.

JT is married and has three grown children, two daughters and a son.

Pilko Projects

Corporate Governance: Provides assistance on Management Systems, Management System Assessments, Compliance Management Systems, and Organizational Issues to super-major and independent energy companies in both the US and Canada. Employs a unique process to design and implement systems that complement the client's operations and culture, maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of assurance programs, and advance the client's competitive position.
Transactions: Evaluation of environmental liabilities associated oil and gas producing fields, gas plants, pipeline systems, and a chemical manufacturing plant. Provides advice to both sellers and buyers on managing EHS issues during a transaction and during the transition period.
Waste Management: Assisted client in dealing with mercury in feedstocks to a natural gas plant in Latin America. Provided guidance on waste management, worker safety, and regulatory status.

Previous Experience

Responsibilities as Director – SH&E, Texaco Worldwide E&P

Directed SH&E activities from the headquarters level, reporting to the Vice-President.
Provided leadership, policy, planning, and resources for SH&E in the North Sea, Eurasia, Middle East, and US Business Units.
Responsible for the Performance Improvement, Health Services, and Environmental Technology service groups for Texaco Inc’s worldwide operations.
Member of the corporate SH&E Leadership Team and other governance teams including Auditing, Remediation, Emergency Response/Crisis Management, and Corporate Center.

Executive Accomplishments at Texaco

Established an innovative, distributed SH&E organization and workflow (see above).
Championed the SH&E Management System development at Texaco, integrating Compliance Audits and Management System Assessments.
Directed the environmental due-diligence and contract negotiations for divestitures and acquisitions valued at over $2 Billion.
Established a unified system of Safety Operating Procedures, resulting in a ten-fold improvement in safety performance.
Established an Intranet system of performance reporting and electronic publishing.
Directed an annual remediation budget of $15 million.
Established an alliance with The Nature Conservancy as an NGO Partner.

Technical Accomplishments at Texaco

Developed and implemented effective, efficient solutions for wastewater and solid waste management.
Provided technical, regulatory, and managerial direction of remedial activities within facilities and residential areas, and in farmland, wetland, desert, estuarine, and riverine environments.
Responsible for the Hazardous Waste Management segment of RCRA Permits for U.S. refineries.

Publications and Professional Accomplishments

Author of more than 20 technical papers and presentations, holder of one U.S. patent.
Charter member, Petroleum Environmental Research Forum, 1986.
Co-author, “The Oil Pollution Act of 1990: Issues and Solutions” for the National Petroleum Council, 1994.
Keynote Speaker, Petro-Safe ‘93, and Program Committee Chair of Petro-Safe ‘94.
Safety Session Co-chair for the SPE International Conferences, 1995-99.
Industry Advisory Board, Texas Hazardous Waste Research Center, 1996-2001.
Sponsor, Environmental Solutions Program, University of Texas, 1993-2001.
Invited Speaker, Houston Bar Association, 1997.
Member, API Executive Committee on Environmental Conservation, 1997.
Plenary Session Speaker, SPE/EPA/DOE Environmental Conference, 2001.
Invited Speaker, Long Island University 2004.

Community Involvement

Member, Advisory Board, The Nature Conservancy of Texas, 1996-present.
Director, Texaco Tree Grow-out Center, 1998-2001.
Judge for the Engineering and Science Fair of Houston, 1992-2001.
Member, Board of Trustees, Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, 1998-1999.
Sponsor, San Jacinto Monument Park Erosion Control, 1996 and Expansion Project, 1998.
Former Little League Coach and Scoutmaster.

Education

BS, Biology, Honors, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 1972.
MS, Biology (Micro), Western Kentucky University, 1974.
PhD, Microbiology, Rutgers University, 1978.