1. Gas operations leadership development program (GOLD)
Mark Lowe, Vice President, Gas Supply Operations and Engineering
July 26, 2016

3. Washington Gas OVERVIEW
Chartered in 1848
Franchise area covers 6,213 square miles
Distribution system in District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia
Over 1.1 million customers
Approx. 13,500 miles of distribution main & 998,800 services
Approx. 1,600 Employees
Approx. 1,800 Contractor Personnel
Construction
Line locating
Leak survey
Premise work

4. System Growth over the Years
Green – until 1969
Red – 1970 – 1979
Green – until 1979
Red – 1980 – 1989
Green – until 1989
Red – 1990 – 1999
Green – until 1999
Red – 2000 – Today
Green – until 1959
Red – 1960 – 1969
Green – until 1939
Red – 1940 – 1949
Red – Until 1879
Green – until 1879
Red – 1880 – 1899
Green – until 1899
Red – 1900 – 1929
Green – until 1929
Red – 1930 – 1939
Green – until 1949
Red – 1950 – 1959

5. Workforce challenges Hiring Pressures
Growth, particularly related to accelerated pipe replacement programs
Creates Need for Additional Contractor Crews and Washington Gas Employees
Employees retiring: in the next five years, over 40% of our employees are eligible for retirement
Hiring has more than doubled in the last five years
Unemployment in the DC area is low
Finding qualified and interested applicants is taxing
Contractors are also having a difficult time finding qualified employees
Need to Shorten the Learning Curve in Technical and Leadership Skills
Losing experienced, long-tenured employees
New employees being promoted more quickly
Jobs at all levels require more skills
More diverse workforce (generational, gender, race/ethnicity, age) creates team and leadership complexity

6. Focus on Operations’ supervisors
Critical positions
60% eligible to retire
Knowledge and experience gaps between tenured supervisors and the pipeline to replace them
Difficulty attracting the best candidates into supervisory positions
Employees didn’t feel prepared for the jump to supervisor
Employees felt there was a lack of support once promoted “sink or swim”
One of the most critical roles that is ‘at risk” is the supervisor role in Operations. These include field operations, gas supply operations and construction. The number of supervisors who are eligible to retire is aprox 60%.
We recognized this as one of our highest workforce risks in 2008; we held focus groups with employees and supervisors and asked them what we could do to make the supervisors’ role more attractive.

7. Gas Operations’ leadership development (GOLD) program
In August 2009, we launched the first GOLD program, as a “supervisors’ pipeline”
GOLD is 12-month cohort program
Structured Learning plan includes classroom and on-the-job components
Technical training classes are developed and delivered by the WGL technical training team
Leadership Development and other programs (i.e., computer skills, time management) are facilitated by the WGL L & D team and local community college
We added “specialist” level positions, management positions, but, not supervisory.
While participants in the program could apply for a supervisor position at any time during the program, they remained in the program for the full year.
Most classes have been 8-11 participants. We also allow those not in the program to attend specific sessions. (for example: we have had some engineers attend some of the technical training classes)

8. Gas Operations’ leadership development (GOLD) program
Our 6th class graduates August 18, 2016
On that date, we will have graduated 62 participants
80% have been promoted
One union employee who was in the 1st class in 2009 is now a station manager
Our 7th class begins August 15, 2016 with 16 participants.
For the class beginning in August 2016, we had 63 internal applicants and 75 external applicants for the 16 openings
When we started the program, we had to actively solicit participants. Now, we have far more qualified applicants than we have openings. Of the 63 internal applicants, we hired 8; we hired 7 of the 75 external applicants. We are actively trying to hire external candidates for these roles so we don’t deplete our senior technician and crew leader ranks.
12 construction, 3 field ops, 1 gas supply ops

9. Summary Crew leader development program (CLDP)
The WGL GOLD program is an important piece of a larger strategy to accelerate learning in Operations’ leadership roles
Crew leader development program (CLDP)
Started the program in 2010
18-month program
Prepares employees to move into a crew leader positions; periodic assessments along the way include promotions and pay increases
Internal candidates; union-eligible position
Service technician development program (STDP)
Started the program in 2012
24-month program
Prepares employees to move into a service technician positions; periodic assessments along the way include promotions and pay increases
Senior technician and crew leader roles also have a high level of retirement eligible employees. We have developed programs to support accelerated learning for those roles, too. These programs also include structured on-the-job and classroom training.

10. QUESTIONS?
Dori Ramsey, Director Organization Effectiveness:
Stephanie Briggs, Manager Talent Acquisition & Development,