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Agenda

Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Summit Golf Tournament | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

DPC of Texas

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Damage Investigation Workshop | 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Speaker: Roger Cox, ACTS Now

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Utility Locator Training Workshop | 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Speaker: Bob Nighswonger, Utility Training Academy

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Utility Mapping with GIS Training & Ground Penetrating Radar Training | 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Speaker: Dan Bigman, Bigman Geophysical LLC
 
 

Positive Response Training | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Speaker: Tiffany Harmon, Texas811
 
During this 1-hour instructor-led workshop, participants will learn how Positive Response works, where excavators view responses, how to register to submit responses, and best practices for providing accurate and timely information. Participants will also gain a better understanding of how Positive Response supports safer excavations through improved communication and collaboration.
 

Portal Training | 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Speaker: Tiffany Harmon, Texas811

During this interactive 2-hour workshop, participants will learn directly from Texas811 trainers how to navigate the Portal, accurately search for and identify work locations, understand available ticket types, and apply best practices for entering ticket information. Participants are encouraged to ask questions throughout the session and gain practical knowledge they can immediately apply in their day-to-day work. 

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Summit Welcome Reception | 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Thursday, October 8, 2026

Welcome & Opening Remarks | 7:50 AM - 8:00 AM

Speaker: Chris Stovall, Texas811

Precision and Partnership: PHMSA’s Strategy for Reducing Third-Party Damage | 8:00 AM - 8:50 AM

Speaker: Tom Correll, Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety, PHMSA
 
As the U.S. modernizes and expands its energy infrastructure to meet rising demands, safeguarding our Nation’s underground and underwater pipeline networks remains a critical priority. Excavation and marine damage continue to pose severe risks to infrastructure integrity, reliability, and public safety, as well as costing the U.S. billions of dollars per year. This address outlines PHMSA’s strategic roadmap to eliminate preventable pipeline incidents by advancing technology, enforcing regulatory accountability, and deepening cross-sector collaboration. Attendees will gain clear insight into how emerging regulatory updates, AI-driven predictive tools, and proactive excavation and marine damage prevention practices will shape the future of safe infrastructure development on land and at sea.
 

Before You Start the First Engine on the Jobsite, Your Culture Is Visible | 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM

Speaker: Trey Crawford, Grady Crawford Construction
 
At the end of the day, the best excavation companies build more than trenches, roads, and utilities. They build a reputation. And that reputation is built on the culture adopted within the company. An example would be when we come into an area, we develop a relationship with the locators in the area.  We bring the donuts and tell them what we’re going to do.  If we agree that they can stay ahead of our crews with 2 or 3 boring machines. We're committed! Our client comes back to us and wants us to bring in 2 or 3 more boring rigs. My response is “No, and here’s why.”

Reducing Damages from Excavations Without an 811 Ticket | 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM

Speaker: Kyle VanLandingham, Texas811

Excavation without an 811 Ticket remains the largest cause of damage to underground utilities. In Texas metro areas, damages due to excavation without an 811 ticket cause 40% of damages. Those excavations occur in a blind spot; without a ticket there are no locates, without locates there is no protection.
 

A Comprehensive Look at the Private Utility Locates | 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM

Speaker: Bobby Iadanza, Mason Private Locating
 
This session explores the differences between public and private utility locates, why both services are essential, and how understanding what lies beneath can improve safety, reduce risk, and keep projects on track.

From Launch to Impact: The Next Chapter of the Texas811 Mobile App | 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM

Speaker: Sarah McTee, Texas811
Join us for an interactive look at the Texas811 Mobile App one year after its launch. This session will highlight adoption trends, key accomplishments, and the enhancements delivered over the past year to improve the user experience and support damage prevention efforts. We'll also explore what's ahead and invite attendees to share feedback, insights, and ideas that will help shape the next phase of the app's evolution. Whether you're a frequent user or just getting started, your input will play an important role in guiding future improvements.
 

Managing Locates: Enhancing Safety and Productivity Before Every Job | 11:00 AM - 11:50 PM

Speaker: Eli Pagel, B&H Construction, LLC

Locates are often treated like a burden for contractors when planning their job, but what if they were a key element of your safety and productivity in the field? How you manage locates says a lot about the rest of your work. Learn to manage locates in the most efficient, productive way possible.  Leverage this part of every job to enhance safety and productivity. 
 

Lunch Buffet/Awards | 12:00 PM - 1:20 PM

DPC Board of directors - champion awards and introduction

One Call Board of Texas Meeting | 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Protecting Critical Waterway Crossing Utilities - MarineSafe811 | 1:30 PM - 2:20 PM

Speaker: Ed Landgraf, Texas811

Explore industry best practices for protecting critical marine infrastructure and pipelines to reduce risk and improve safety across the value chain. Gain access to free resources, guidance and training to equip teams with practical tools and support continuous improvement. Discover proven strategies to help save lives, protect the environment and enhance the reliability of critical assets.

Understand Confined Space Rules - End Confined Space Incidents | 1:30 PM - 2:20 PM

Speaker: Holly Eshliman, United Rentals

The average number of deaths due to confined spaces is about 100 each year. Regardless of the statistics, far too many people die each year in entirely preventable incidents. So, why are these tragedies still happening?  Attend this session to learn more about why and how they can be prevented.

Experience The Dig Clinic: Reinventing Damage Prevention Education  | 2:30 PM - 3:20 PM

Speaker: Brandon Soukup, Texas811
Traditional classroom training has value, but people often remember experiences more than presentations. Learn how Texas811 designed the Dig Clinic to create immersive, hands-on learning experiences that help educate students, homeowners, and industry partners to better understand the importance of safe digging.
 

Lone Worker Safety | 2:30 PM - 3:20 PM

Speaker: Doug Beck, WTG
What can happen to your employees who work in geographically remote areas? What can you do to save their lives?
 

Railroad Commission Session | 3:30 PM - 4:20 PM

Speaker: Ricardo Gamez, RRC

Updates and Q&A with the Railroad Commission

Closing the Coverage Gap: The Economic and Technical Case for Satellite Asset Monitoring | 3:30 PM - 4:20 PM

Speaker: Jim Horton, Orbital Advisors
 
For damage prevention and asset integrity teams, the core constraint has always been coverage — field drive-bys and fixed-wing patrols can't monitor every mile as often as risk demands, and stretching them further strains already-tight budgets, even as public tolerance for incidents keeps shrinking and energy demand accelerates with AI and data center growth. Satellite monitoring changes that equation directly, delivering more frequent asset intelligence than drive-by or aerial patrols can sustain, at a cost structure that holds up under scrutiny — this isn't a tradeoff between economics and performance, it's both at once. With DOT-PHMSA now pointing to satellite technology as a viable compliance enhancement, and monitoring capabilities mature enough to deliver on that promise, this session shows how the technical barriers have been overcome. Attendees will see real examples where satellite-based threat detection identified risks sooner, isolated leaks earlier, and caught right-of-way activity violating dig ticket requirements across North America.

Texas811 Reception with Door Prizes | 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Exhibit Hall
 

Texas811 Networking Event | 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Upstairs
Friday, October 9, 2026

Continental Breakfast in Exhibit Hall 7:00 AM - 9:00 AM

The Bold Gold Standard | 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Kevin Elko

Success always leaves a signature, and that signature is boldness. The bold don’t see the past as failure; they see it as preparation. They don’t wait to be chosen; they choose themselves. They ask, they act, and they take ownership because they know the future doesn’t happen by chance. It happens because someone is bold enough to create it. So the question isn’t whether opportunity exists. The question is whether you’re willing to ask, to step forward, and to own what comes next.

Before You Dig: Excavation Fundamentals | 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM

Facilitator: Ruben Mendez, Texas811
 
Do you know what OSHA requires before excavation begins? This course covers the general OSHA requirements for excavation and trenching to help ensure safe and compliant jobsite practices.

Closing the Loop: Eliminating Communication Breakdowns | 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM

Speaker: Daniel Radabaugh / Derek Boyd, One Shot Growth
 
This presentation focuses on identifying where communication gaps occur within our organizations and how they impact efficiency, accountability, and results. We’ll explore practical strategies and systems that create clear, consistent communication across teams, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. By implementing the right processes, we can improve alignment, streamline workflows, and communicate better with our employees, vendors, and customers.

What if the Goal of Reducing Damages Is Not the Right Goal? | 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM

Speaker: Roger Cox, ACTS Now
 
Damage prevention is often talked about in terms of tools, processes, and compliance — but at its core, it is a cultural issue. The incidents we see are rarely caused by a lack of rules or technology. More often, they stem from habits, assumptions, communication gaps, or competing priorities that shape everyday decisions in the field. Attend this session to learn about the Damage Prevention Innovation Lab (D PIL), a new initiative with the goal of challenging the current culture of damage prevention.

Door prizes and Grand Prize Give Away | 12:00 PM - 12:15 PM

Contact us for any questions:
Email: thesummit@aligningchange.com  Phone: 501-548-6363