Defining the 811 Centers' role in reducing damages

July 10th, 2025 || 10:30 - 11:30 AM CDT

For many years, 811 executives and board members debated the highest and best use of an 811 system. Was it just to take calls and notify utility members or did the industry need it to be an advocate for reducing damages? Because of its unique position, being neither utility nor excavator, it thrives in a neutral environment. Can this position of neutrality allow the contact center to reduce conflicts, coordinate communication and lead legislative efforts for more effective damage prevention programs. Finally, do stakeholders trust their 811 center to take on that role?

Moderator:
Bill Turner, President, Tennessee 811

Panelists:

Jim Collins, Duke Energy

Craig Hardin, Congruex
Annette Bowman, Alabama 811

Tim Vaughn, Kentucky 811

“Can you Dig it?”: A Case Study in Excavation Readiness

September 12th, 2025 || 10:30 - 11:30 AM CDT

This town hall, facilitated by Roger Cox, will allow panelists to discuss in more detail the recent white paper, “‘Sound and Fury Signifying Nothing’: Moving Excavation Readiness Beyond Rhetoric and Toward Truth Through a Call for Dialectic,” published by the Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure. While the paper was sparked by the use of certain rhetoric related to excavation readiness, the case study on excavation readiness allows examination of broader themes related to data and using data in damage prevention. Within this broader context, the panel will call for all stakeholders to be transparent with their data and to be sensitive to the limitations of data – especially in relation to bias, incomplete data sets, and preconceived assumptions about topics being analyzed. Overall, through the sharing of data related to excavation readiness in Virginia juxtaposed to assertions about national excavation readiness, the panel will reinforce the role interpretation plays in data analysis. In short, data is not truth, it is fluid and is only as strong as the interpretations that give data a voice.

Moderator:

Roger Cox, President, ACTS Now

Panelists:

B. Scott Crawford, President & CEO, Virginia 811

Kenny Spade, Manager of Data Analytics & QA/QC, Virginia 811

Benjamin Dierker, Executive Director, Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure

Mike Sullivan

Utility Safety Partners

President

Jeff Mulligan

ASTEC Safety Inc.

Chief Operating Officer

Debbie Shelley

Global Training Centre

CEO - Director of Training

Cliff Meidl

Cliff Meidl Enterprises, LLC

President

These Town Hall meetings have been great! I am pretty sure I have never seen less than 100 people on any of these calls. People from all walks of life tied to Damage Prevention are on these calls and there are always good collaboration going on! Personally, I have picked up a good idea from every town hall meeting. 😉

Raymond Sonnier, Louisiana 811

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Seize the opportunity to become a sponsor for our monthly ACTS Town Halls, held on the second Thursday of each month at 10:30 AM CST. Since their inception in April 2022, ACTS Town Halls have been going strong, connecting the excavation safety industry's thriving virtual community. Our mission is to provide unparalleled open discussions that address common challenges and share innovative solutions that drive the industry forward. Fill out the form below and have details sent straight to your inbox.

Enforcement vs. Effective Enforcement

May 8th, 2025 || 10:30 - 11:30 AM CDT

Enforcement is nothing more than the basic act of making sure people adhere to a set of rules or laws to be compliant. Whereas effective enforcement goes beyond compliance and penalties. It involves strategies and practices designed to achieve desired outcomes. If you can't tell me your strategy, your enforcement may not be effective.

Moderator:
David Appelbaum, Senior Transportation Specialist, PHMSA

Panelists:
Matt Smith, Assistant Director Safety and Reliability Division, Illinois Commerce Commission
Annette Bowman, Executive Director, Alabama 811
Kyle Coggins, Director of Operations, CenterPoint Energy
Shane Alexander, Director of Damage Prevention, Public Awareness & Meter Reading, CenterPoint Energy