The Petroleum Convenience Alliance for Technology Standards (PCATS) has appointed Thomas Oare as its new executive director and CEO, effective Feb. 1, 2009.
Oare replaces the present executive director and CEO, John Hervey, who announced his retirement effective Jan. 31.
“We are extremely pleased to have found someone with the background and experience of Tom Oare to lead the organization into the future,” said Jenny Bullard, chair of the PCATS Board of Directors. “The search committee interviewed a number of excellent candidates for the position and the interest shown demonstrates the value to the industry placed on PCATS.”
Bullard said Oare will begin the transition to his new role in early January, and he’ll be actively involved in planning for the 2009 PCATS Annual Conference.
“We are grateful to John Hervey for his leadership during these formative years of the organization and wish him and his wife of almost 42 years, Hettie, a long and rewarding retirement,” Bullard said.
Oare has been serving as senior vice president for MetroSplash Systems Group Inc. for the past year and a half, initially with responsibility for sales and marketing and most recently for strategic industry relations.
Prior to MetroSplash, Oare spent 35 years with CITGO Petroleum Corporation in a variety of marketing management positions, the last 20 of them in payment card operations.
Oare was PCATS’ first treasurer and was a member of its founding board of directors. He and his wife, Susan, live in Tulsa, Okla., and he will be directing the work of the organization by splitting his time between the PCATS office in Alexandria, Va., and his home office.
“I am very excited to have been given the opportunity to lead a great organization such as PCATS, one that I was able to help launch right at five years ago,” Oare said. “I am pleased to have Ann Zecca, Scott Wood and Susan Hilaski as seasoned staff members able to continue their diligent efforts towards fulfilling the goals and objectives of PCATS and am anxious to begin to effectively interact with each of them.”
Oare said he’ll we working closely with outgoing director John Hervey, who he credited with “accomplished a great deal in his five years at the helm.”
