Business

API’s Energy Research Collaborative Focus is on Diversity

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Elia Quintana, the director of Stakeholder Relations for API , Dr. Carlos Rodriguez, and Stewart joined the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s (NNPA) Midwinter Training Conference in Orlando, Fla., in January

Published

7 years ago

February 3, 2019

Oakland Post

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent

The capacity of petroleum to power transportation and manufacturing has proven a game changer that marked America’s first Generation Energy, according to American Petroleum Institute (API) President and CEO Mike Sommers.

Today’s energy is made up of innovators, problem solvers and disruptors – in the sense that American energy is changing the country’s narrative and altering its trajectory in historic terms, Sommers said.

That America’s Generation Energy supplies the foundation for modern life – it provides the fuel, power and products which make everyday life safer, healthier, and more comfortable –probably could not have been summed up better than by what Frank M. Stewart said.

“The energy workforce opportunity could lead to an economic emancipation for many in our community,” said Stewart, a consultant for API and president of Frank M. Stewart & Company.

Elia Quintana, the director of Stakeholder Relations for API , Dr. Carlos Rodriguez, and Stewart joined the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s (NNPA) Midwinter Training Conference in Orlando, Fla., in January

It’s Quintana’s department that will lead API’s Energy Research Collaborative (ERC) with strategic partners focused on workforce development and engagement with nontraditional allies.

With alliances with NNPA, – the Black Press of America with more than 215 African American owned newspapers and media companies – and the National Association of Hispanic Publications, the American Association of Blacks in Energy and others, API hopes to encourage minorities and women to be petroleum engineers, geologists, welders, electricians, accountants, business managers and fill other necessary posts.

The ERC also includes Asian Americans in Energy, the Environment and Commerce, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Hispanics in Energy, National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, The Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers, United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and others.

The group meets regularly and continues to provide feedback and recommendations to API.

“The Black Press, probably more than any organization in the nation has a history of communications with the Black community, reaching policy leaders in the community as well as young folks,” Stewart said.

“We believe we have a unique opportunity and the way to reach the community is by [aligning] with the people they trust,” he said.

Rodriguez said the same can be said about America’s Hispanic community.

“The analogy is also with the Hispanic Press,” he said.

“We have a big presence in cities where we have Latino and Black press and from an API perspective, we want to figure out how we leverage that power,” Rodriguez said.

API counts as the only national trade association representing all facets of the natural gas and oil industry in support of 10.3 million U.S. jobs and nearly 8 percent of the American economy.

With at least 40 percent of the industry’s worker base on track to retire by 2035, ERC’s research has shown that a vast number of those positions will be filled by women and minorities over the next decade and beyond.

“API is specifically prioritizing on ensuring that the future workforce of tomorrow is being able to impact a diverse community,” Quintana said.

“The oil and gas industry represents 10 percent of the workforce and within that we have 50 percent of the current workforce who will be retiring so we’re making sure to create allies and strategies so that we can fill those jobs,” she said.

Quintana, Stewart and Rodriguez agreed that the talents of all are needed to fill jobs –many of which carry a near six-figure income to start.

Particularly through the ERC, API is working with its partners to increase the awareness of the industry in underrepresented communities.

The company has noted that there’s an industry-wide recognition of how imperative it is to equip more students for those jobs – especially African Americans, Hispanics and women –all of whom historically have been underrepresented in the natural gas and oil business.

“The issue of awareness has to translate into an action issue for penetration into communities of color,” Rodriguez said. “We will study to see if the numbers that we have still hold and how it’s distributed among people of color and what are the implications.”

The industry supports 10.3 million jobs, according to a recent study.

Additionally, an IHS Market Study estimates that a total of 1.9 million direct job opportunities – STEM-related and those of other skill sets – through 2035.

The study projects that Hispanic workers will hold 576,000 of those jobs while African Americans account for 131,000.

Women are projected to fill nearly 300,000 jobs in the industry through 2035.

“What is the nature of those jobs? Are we only talking about PhD’s? No, we’re looking incredibly wide range from high school training to post doctorate training,” Stewart said.

“We’re looking at Houston, Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio and other areas where our communities are within reach of these opportunities.”

Said Rodriguez: “You get a high school degree, stay drug free and get a certification, you can start making $85,000 or $90,000. It’s incredible.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

FIRST NATIONAL TOUR OF THE HIT BROADWAY MUSICAL ON YOUR FEET! CONGAS ITS WAY TO CINCINNATI

Don't Miss

FILM REVIEW: An Acceptable Loss

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of May 6 – 12, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of may 6 – 12, 2026

Published

4 days ago

May 10, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Up to the Job: How San Francisco’s PRC Is Providing Work Opportunities That Turn Into Lasting Stability

Each year, PRC serves more than 5,000 clients through a wide range of programs. These include housing navigation, legal advocacy to ensure access to health and public benefits, supportive housing, job and life-skills training, and residential treatment programs.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 26, 2026

Oakland Post

Black Leadership Council (BLC) Advocacy Day in Sacramento. BLC works to advance meaningful change through policy engagement to unlock the full potential of Black and low-income communities. Photo courtesy of PRC.

By Joe Kocurek, California Black Media

Seville Christian arrived in San Francisco in the 1990s from Kansas City, Mo., a transgender woman coming from a time and place still hostile to who she was.

San Francisco offered a deeper LGBTQ+ history and a more visible community of people like her, but even in a city known for acceptance, building a stable life from scratch was no small task.

After arriving in the city, she turned to Positive Resource Center (PRC) looking for work — and for a foothold — in a new place.

“PRC gave me my first job,” Christian said. “A simple gig — passing out magazines at the San Francisco Pride Parade.”

That first opportunity marked the beginning of a decades-long relationship with PRC, one that has seen Christian grow from client to valued employee, and eventually to policy fellow.

“Today, I’ve been with PRC for 27 years, going on 28,” she said.

Seville Christian’s decades-long relationship with PRC includes as a client, fellow and beloved employee. Photo courtesy of PRC.

Helping people access employment and build sustainable careers has been a cornerstone of PRC’s mission since its inception nearly four decades ago. In its most recent annual impact report, PRC served 443 clients through workforce development services, including career counseling, educational programs, hands-on training, and job search assistance. The average wage earned by PRC clients is $26.48 per hour — approximately 38% above San Francisco’s minimum wage.

To advance this work, organizations like PRC have benefited from funding through California’s Stop the Hate Program, which provides direct support to community-based organizations leading anti-hate initiatives.

Christian’s path was not without challenges. During some rocky years, she experienced periods of housing instability and struggled with addiction. Through PRC, she enrolled in a life-skills program that emphasized using her own lived experience as a means of helping others. The program helped set her on a path toward completing an associate’s degree and ultimately launching a career in case management.

“Today, whether someone is new to the city or has lived here their whole life, I know how to help them navigate to where they need to be,” Christian said.

Members of PRC’s Black Leadership Council meet with a lawmaker in Sacramento. Photo courtesy of PRC.

While PRC was founded to serve people living with HIV, its mission has expanded over the decades to meet the needs of people with disabilities, individuals experiencing homelessness, and those facing mental health and substance use challenges.

According to PRC’s Chief of Public Policy and Public Affairs, Tasha Henneman, some of the organization’s earliest programs remain as vital today as they were at the start.

“Our emergency financial assistance program helped more than 1,200 people this year pay rent, cover medical bills, and keep the lights on,” Henneman said. “And over 1,400 people reached out for legal advocacy, resulting in more than $2.5 million in retroactive benefits unlocked.”

Beyond direct services, PRC is deeply committed to community empowerment and policy change. Programs such as the Black Leadership Council support community leaders in advocating for systemic reform, while the Black Trans Initiative focuses on addressing the unique challenges faced by Black transgender individuals.

A recent study from the Williams Institute highlighted findings that 71% of transgender homicide victims in the U.S. between 2010 and 2021 were Black and that nearly a third of the transgender homicides during that period were confirmed or suspected hate crimes.

PRC’s direct and indirect services can be a lifeline for people experiencing hate and are an example of the resources people can get connected with through the state’s CA vs Hate hotline.

PRC is now also producing a film project that centers the lived experiences of Black trans clients, including individuals like Christian.

PRC welcomed guests to their annual Open House in April, an evening dedicated to connection, reflection, and learning more about the programs and people working every day to support San Franciscans experiencing housing instability, unemployment, and behavioral health challenges. Photo courtesy of PRC.

“Our film highlights the health journeys and lived experiences of some of PRC’s Black trans clients,” Henneman said. “Our goal is to give voice, visibility, and agency to the participants — and to bring their stories, both harrowing and inspirational, to policymakers and the broader public.”

The film, expected to be released later this year, is directed by Yule Caise, with assistant director Zarina Codes, a Black transgender San Francisco resident.

Today, Christian continues her relationship with PRC as an ambassador, reflecting on a journey that began with a single job opportunity and grew into a lifelong commitment to service.

“Sometimes I’ll be riding the bus or standing in a grocery store, and someone will come up to me from a women’s shelter,” she said. “They’ll say, ‘Oh, Miss Seville, I just want to thank you. You really helped me with what I was dealing with.’”

She paused, smiling.

“And in those moments,” Christian said, “I think to myself, “Well!.”

A single word that sums up pride in a journey to find the best in herself.

Get Support After Hate:

California vs Hate is a non-emergency, multilingual hotline and online portal offering confidential support for hate crimes and incidents. Victims and witnesses can get help anonymously by calling 833-8-NO-HATE (833-866-4283), Monday to Friday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. PT, or online at any time. Anonymous. Confidential. No Police. No ICE.

This story was produced in partnership with CA vs Hate. Join them for the first-ever CA Civil Rights Summit on May 11, 2026. More information at www.cavshate.org/summit.