Michael Eaves Named President of the California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition

    SACRAMENTO, Calif.--Oct. 3, 2002--Industry veteran Michael Eaves has been named President of the California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition, a statewide organization advocating for wider use of natural gas vehicles (NGVs) to promote a healthier environment and freedom from petroleum dependence.
    Eaves comes to the Coalition from Southern California Gas Co., where he played a key role in natural gas vehicle technology development, demonstration, and commercialization. He was involved with the NGV industry for 15 of his 21 years with Southern California Gas, most recently as NGV Program Manager, a post he held since 1997.
    In addition to his duties at Southern California Gas, Eaves has played an active role in the Coalition, an association of more than 40 natural gas fuel providers, automobile and engine manufacturers, technology companies, vehicle dealers, fleet operators, and public agencies that support the use of NGVs. He is currently Chairman of the Board, a position he will resign when he takes over as President.
    "Mike has made many important contributions to the growth of the NGV industry, and it has been my privilege to work with him from the earliest development of this growing industry," said Andrew Littlefair, California NGV Coalition Board Member and President and CEO of ENRG, a leader in designing, building and operating natural gas fueling stations. "He is a respected figure in our industry who will work effectively with government, industry and the environmental community to advance NGVs as today's alternative for reducing pollution and our dependence on foreign oil."
    Eaves noted that there are approximately 19,000 NGVs on California roads, served by an expanding network of more than 200 public and private fueling stations. NGVs are widely used as fleet vehicles, including transit and school buses, garbage trucks, airport shuttle vans, utility trucks and taxis.
    "I am looking forward to focusing my efforts on raising the awareness of policymakers and other stakeholders about NGVs, which are today's best-developed alternative-fuel option capable of meeting our environmental and fuel security needs," Eaves said. "Equally important, deployment of NGVs helps pave the way to zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and an all-clean-vehicle future."
    Eaves will officially take over day-to-day operation of the Coalition on Nov. 2, 2002.
    Over the course of his career, Eaves has planned, executed and managed $30 million in transportation research. He served as Co-Chairman of the Gas Research Institute's NGV Project Advisors Group for six years and held a variety of leadership positions with the Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition's Technology Committee. He was appointed to the Environmental Protection Agency's Mobile Source Review Committee for 1998 and 1999.
    In addition, Eaves served for nine years as Chairman of the NGV Task Group of the Gas Industry's RD&D Initiative, which sets national priorities for NGV research. He helped develop the industry's NGV R&D strategic plan and participated in efforts to establish industry-wide standards in the growing NGV marketplace.
    Eaves joined Southern California Gas Co. in 1981 after spending 12 years in R&D in the chemical and food processing industries. He is a graduate of the University of California, Davis with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry.
    For more information about the California NGV Coalition, visit www.cngvc.org.