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Hall
of Distinction |
Updated:
06/24/07
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R.
William Jewell
Energy has always been important
to Bill Jewell. He has certainly put his own considerable supply to
good use. He pursued an education in engineering and business, and then
became a leading authority on energy use and efficiency. Choosing engineering
meant following his father's career path, although he was never pushed
in that direction. Mr. Jewell described his father as "a superb
civil engineer and a good man, so trying to follow him seemed a good
course."
Two of his father's accomplishments
were particularly inspiring. He was project manager for Missouri River
diversion tunnels as part of the Fort Randall Dam, an achievement that
left fourth-grader Bill greatly impressed. A few years later, another
project -- a tunnel under the Harvey Canal in New Orleans -- was equally
memorable.
With those inspirations, Bill Jewell enrolled in the University of Kentucky
College of Engineering. The family had moved to Lexington from Louisiana
after his senior year in high school. UK seemed like it would be a good
fit -- and it was.
His UK experience was highlighted by foundations and soil mechanics
courses taught by Professor Bobby Hardin, as well as a technical writing
course with English professor Michael Adelstein. Mr. Jewell earned a
Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering in 1963 and sought to
broaden his prospects with a Master of Business Administration degree
from the University of Chicago, which he earned in 1965.
He joined Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan and put both degrees
to use as he worked in operational, planning, financial, systems and
marketing positions. That led to an opportunity with Dow's U.S. Area
Hydrocarbons and Energy (HC&E) Department as a business analyst.
He was named business and financial services manager in 1978 and in
1984 became commercial development director for HC&E. He was an
important contributor to small teams of key individuals that negotiated
and established several critical projects, including Dow's coal gasification
project with Synfuels Corporation.
Mr. Jewell led teams that planned and launched Dow's ethylene plant
projects in Freeport, Texas and Alberta, Canada. Both plants are still
well known for size and efficiency. His success led to his appointment
as business director for Dow's U.S. Area Energy Business in 1992. By
the end of 1994, he was overseeing Canadian business as well, and in
1996, he was named business vice president for energy with worldwide
responsibilities. He handled large-scale projects and transactions,
including the sale of Dow's refinery in Oyster Creek, Texas. He started
and directed Dow's successful natural gas hedging program, a financial
strategy designed to reduce risk in the market.
Mr. Jewell moved Dow's hydrogen sales from $3 million per year to more
than $200 million. He also led the establishment of high efficiency
power projects to serve Dow facilities in Texas, Michigan and California,
Canada, the Netherlands and Spain.
As liquefied natural gas (LNG) gained importance as a prime energy source,
Mr. Jewell established relationships and investments in the first new
LNG terminal in the United States since the 1980s. The facility, in
Freeport, Texas, will begin delivering gas in mid-2007. Dow will be
one of two customers for the Freeport terminal over the next 20 years.
As the ties with the Freeport terminal were developed, Dow's Energy
Business, under Mr. Jewell's leadership, launched and led the company's
energy efficiency and conservation program.
Capitalizing on opportunities in the Chinese market, Dow called on Mr.
Jewell in 2005 to become its vice president, hydrocarbons and energy,
for greater China. Based in Shanghai, he launched several major projects
for Dow with Chinese and Middle Eastern companies.
His career at Dow led him to appreciate the opportunity to do interesting
work with people he genuinely liked. The close teamwork on projects
often led to lasting friendships.
"We visualized and studied the alternatives," he said. "We
scoped the projects and found creative ways to cause them to happen...I
loved the teamwork we developed between the operations and technical
people and my business group."
Mr. Jewell has shared his knowledge in other ways. He was a member of
a National Petroleum Council group that conducted a study of natural
gas; testified on natural gas issues before House subcommittees; was
a member of the Governor's Texas Energy Taskforce; and was a frequent
speaker at major energy conferences.
Mr. Jewell retired from Dow in July 2006. He resides in Houston, Texas
and Big Fork, Montana and is an active fisherman, hunter, skier, golfer,
hiker and reader. He and his wife, Barbara, have two children, Mark
and Andrea.
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