Meet Our Staff
The staff of AOPL represents the industry in the nation's capital and helps to coordinate the pipeline industry's ongoing Joint Environmental Safety Initiative.
Andrew J. Black, President
Andy Black became President and CEO of AOPL in September 2009. He leads outreach to Congress, the Department of Transportation, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), other government agencies, trade associations, and key stakeholder groups. Andy testified before Congressional committees on behalf of AOPL and its members in 2010 and 2011. Andy participates in industry discussions about performance improvement and discusses pipeline issues regularly with members of the media. He also manages the talented AOPL staff and reports to the AOPL Board of Directors.
Andy previously served as Director of Federal Government Relations for a natural gas pipeline and producer. Prior to that, he was FERC's Director of the Office of External Affairs, where he managed relations with Congress. He spent a combined thirteen years on Capitol Hill as a staff member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and for Congressman Joe Barton. He also spent time directing an association of government relations firms in state and national capitols.
Mr. Black has a B.S. in Economics from Texas Christian University and an M.B.A.from the University of Maryland. He lives in Brambleton, Virginia, with his wife and elementary school age daughter and son.
Contact: (202) 292-4500; ablack@aopl.org
Steven M. Kramer, General Counsel
Steve Kramer joined AOPL as General Counsel in October 2008. Mr. Kramer is AOPL's chief legal officer responsible for legal issues affecting AOPL and its members. He represents AOPL on a variety of legal, regulatory and policy matters before Federal agencies and courts, works with AOPL committees on legal, regulatory and policy issues, makes presentations to and participates regularly in meetings with AOPL member executive leadership and the AOPL Board of Directors, and ensures that Association activities and operations comply with applicable law.
Mr. Kramer has almost 25 years of experience working in the field of energy law. Upon graduation from law school, Mr. Kramer was an attorney-advisor in the Office of Administrative Law Judges at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and he later served as an attorney in FERC's Office of General Counsel. Beyond his experience at FERC, Mr. Kramer has been in private practice, representing energy clients on a wide range of regulatory, policy, strategic, and transactional matters. Prior to joining AOPL, Mr. Kramer was in private law practice with the international law firm Milbank, Tweed, Hadley and McCloy LLP. During the course of his career, he has worked on such diverse matters as cost-based, market-based, index-based and incentive ratemaking, pipeline and public utility tariffs, pipeline safety, legislative development and strategy, electric and natural gas industry restructuring, development and financing of electric and natural gas infrastructure projects, the formation of independent electric transmission companies, and domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions.
Mr. Kramer earned an undergraduate degree in business from the University of Maryland and his law degree from the University of Richmond. He is an active member of the Energy Bar Association, having served as an officer, on the Board of Directors and on various committees. Mr. Kramer has also published many articles and made numerous presentations on energy issues.
Contact: (202) 292-4502; skramer@aopl.org
John Stoody, Director, Government and Public Relations
John Stoody joined AOPL as Director, Government Relations in January 2012. Mr. Stoody represents the interests of AOPL and its member companies on an industry-wide basis before Congress, its committees and individual members. Mr. Stoody works with AOPL members and staff to develop and execute legislative, regulatory, and communications strategies.
Mr. Stoody came to AOPL with 20 years of Washington legislative and policy experience. He spent 13 years as a U.S. Senate aide, serving as Legislative Director for U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Counsel for U.S. Senator Kit Bond and Majority Staff Director of the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee. Previously, he served 7 years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), including time as an attorney-advisor in EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. He began his federal government service as a Presidential Management Fellow at EPA and the White House Office of Management and Budget.
Mr. Stoody has a Bachelor of Science in Science and Technology Studies from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a Master of Governmental Administration from the University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctor from George Mason University School of Law.
Contact: (202) 292-4509; jstoody@aopl.org
Heather Keith, Director, Programs and Administration
Heather Keith joined AOPL in February 2007. Prior to joining AOPL, Ms. Keith worked for a number of associations in a variety of government relations roles. Most recently, she spent ten years as a Manager, State Issues at the American Chemistry Council. She was responsible for a number of environmental issues, including environmental justice and the Clean Air Act. She served as a liaison to the National Conference of State Legislatures, National Governors Association, National League of Cities and US Conference of Mayors. In addition, she lead three in-state coalitions during her tenure at ACC.
In 2010, Ms. Keith completed the US Chamber of Commerce Institute of Organization Management Program and is a candidate for the ASAE CAE. Ms. Keith serves on the Institute of Organization Management West Board of Regents. Ms. Keith maintains a Realtor license in Washington, DC and Virginia.
Contact: (202) 292-4507; hkeith@aopl.org
Rekha Chandrasekher, Industry Analyst
Rekha Chandrasekher joined AOPL in November 2011. Prior to joining AOPL, Ms. Chandrasekher worked at Verizon Communication where she was responsible for researching wireless and wireline issues. She also served as a law clerk at the National Association of Broadcasters and for Commissioner Mignon Clyburn at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Ms. Chandrasekher holds a J.D. from The Catholic University of America and a B.A. from The George Washington University.
Contact: (202) 292-4508; rchandrasekher@aopl.org
Andrea Tzamaras, Administrative Assistant (Part-time)
Andrea Tzamaras joined AOPL in November, 2011. Prior to joining the Association, she worked as Recruiting Coordinator and Administrative Assistant for Marriott International at their Headquarters office in Bethesda, MD for over five years. She has also worked for Jacobs Engineering Inc. as Marketing Coordinator and prior to that, Executive Administrative Assistant. Ms. Tzamaras has a Bachelors Degree from Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland) in German and French.
Contact: (202) 292-4506; atzamaras@aopl.org
