We are fortunate to have so many colleagues who spend most or all of their careers at our company, including Duane Cave, our Senior Public Affairs Manager who is now celebrating 45 years. Duane, who joined the company in 1977, has held numerous positions at both SDG&E and SoCalGas, from Field Operations to Training, Human Resources, Claims, and finally Public Affairs.

“I have had the pleasure of working all over Southern California for both SoCalGas and SDG&E. I've worked from the Mountains (Rim Forest) to the desert (Palm Desert) to the sea (San Clemente), including the Gas Company Tower and Century Park,” said Duane. “It has been a great ride and I have met and worked with some amazing people. One highlight was hosting Debra Reed, former CEO of SDG&E, and several local elected officials for a meet-and-greet breakfast at my home.”

Throughout his time with the Sempra utilities, Duane has worked on many key projects, including the South Orange County Reliability Enhancement (SOCRE) project and the undergrounding of a 138kV transmission line in Laguna Niguel. At SoCalGas, Duane was part of the team that brought a gas transmission line to Mentone where the natural gas was used to power engines to move rocks and earth to build the Seven Oaks Dam, which was the largest earthen dam at the time. He’s also made a big impact on his colleagues over the years, with his experience providing a strong example for them. 

“Duane has held many positions within the company, and I’ve been fortunate to see and learn from him in the government affairs space,” said Warren Ruis, Director of Supply Management, who previously worked with Duane in Public Affairs. “He takes extraordinary care of his elected officials and city managers and sets the bar for how government and public affairs should be handled. Cheers to you Duane on 45 extraordinary years and thank you for always putting our company first!”

"Duane Cave has been an exemplary ambassador for the company in Orange County," said Mitch Mitchell, SVP of diversity and community partnerships for Sempra. "He has always been a positive fixture in the communities he operates within and he has become well known for his creative problem-solving knack. He has been a wonderful colleague since the day I met him." 

Duane’s work in the community

Aside from Duane's major milestone anniversary with our company, Duane has held leadership positions in many organizations, including serving as chair of the South Orange County Regional Chambers of Commerce and the Irvine Valley College Foundation. He also served on the boards of the Orange County Taxpayers Association, Boys and Girls Club of Capistrano Valley, Sustain SoCal, City of Mission Viejo Foundation, and Laguna Niguel Chamber of Commerce, to name a few. He currently serves as an elected Director and Board Vice President for the Moulton Niguel Water District.

He has more than 30 years of service as a volunteer umpire for Little League Baseball and in August will umpire in the Little League World Series Senior Division Tournament in Easley, South Carolina. He is also a high school baseball umpire and a high school football referee.

Thank you, Duane, for all that you do for our company and the community!