Each month, ILTA will be featuring a piece on our amazing staff! For August, we are highlighting our Membership Coordinator, John Ferri.
What do you find most rewarding in your role with ILTA?
My role as Membership Coordinator means I get the opportunity to correspond with all ILTA’s different members across several industries, including petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and more. They also come in all sizes, from small, family-owned companies to large international firms, like Saudi Aramco and CITGO. It’s very rewarding to serve at a small not-for-profit with an outsized impact, generating value for its members with offerings such as research, promotional campaigns, lobbying, and events, which members then use to advance the industry. It is also quite rewarding to be a part of the energy industry since it is such a crucial component of the national economy and a necessity in everyone’s daily lives!
What was your college major? How does it help you in your work at ILTA?
As someone who’s always loved communications and other cultures, I majored in Italian. It was an excellent way to stay connected to my Italian-American roots, too, since my father is from Pontassieve, near Florence. I minored in French and earned certificates in Public and Professional Writing, West European Studies, and Transatlantic Studies.
The skills that I needed to learn and develop for those programs come in handy every day in my work for ILTA. Communications is a key part of maintaining strong, healthy member relations. Having studied and interned abroad in France and Italy, I am comfortable putting myself in other people’s shoes, helping me better understand a member’s goals and needs. I also have a passion for cultural diplomacy. Since ILTA spans a diverse array of countries, industries, and company sizes, working here absolutely fosters cultural diplomacy at the grassroots level!
What is something that you have learned about the terminal industry that has surprised you?
I’ve come to learn a lot about liquid terminals and the energy industry at large throughout my time with the ILTA. One thing that I still find fascinating is just how many different liquids can be stored in a terminal facility. A terminal could hold anything from petrochemical compounds or pharmaceuticals to olive oil! I also get to see first-hand just how much effort and passion it takes to operate liquid terminals or offer supplies and services to a terminal facility. There are many important considerations, including constructing and maintaining the facilities, hiring qualified staff, developing procedures for safety and efficiency, using special processes and technology to keep the environment clean, and constantly performing research to discover and develop the next set of industry innovations.
What is your busiest part of the year in your role for ILTA?
Every year, ILTA puts on the premier conference and trade show for the liquid terminals industry in North America. Managing the pieces of the puzzle that you need to run a successful event is certainly challenging, but it’s also rewarding! This year’s event will be a wonderful experience when we get to see all the exhibitors and guests at Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center October 4-6 for the ILTA 2021 Conference and Trade Show. That’s an especially sweet reward and great change now that we’ve all gotten through this pandemic!