Donald E. Welch, Managing Partner

As Co-founder and Managing Partner of MidPoint, Don Welch brings 45 years of experience in the pipeline industry. He builds on a broad base of expertise drawn from various roles at Phillips Pipeline Company, Superintendent of the Pasadena Pipeline Terminal, and Vice President of Operations for Oiltanking Houston where he was responsible for creating a joint venture with Shell Pipeline Company to manage their Colex Terminals in Pasadena, Texas.

Well-known in the industry, Mr. Welch has been active in the Association of Oil Pipelines (AOPL), International Liquid Terminals Association (ILTA) and The Greater Houston Port Bureau, where he served as Chairman of the Board from 2001 to 2006. He remains on the Board of Directors.

Stephen Senter, Partner

Midpoint Co-founder and Partner Stephen Senter has been involved in the terminal and transportation sector for 15 years, handling products ranging from chemicals to crude oil and involving all modes of transportation, expansion and efficiency projects.
As Sales Manager for Vopak Corporation, he was responsible for marketing nationwide marine terminal services to the petrochemical industry. While managing sales and marketing for Amerada Hess, he was responsible for 14 million barrels of Gulf Coast tankage. He continued in that role after the sale of assets to The Williams Companies (now Magellan Midstream Partners), where he negotiated and secured both private and government contracts exceeding $150 million. Mr. Senter successfully originated numerous expansion and efficiency projects in excess of $100 million, performed due diligence for acquisition efforts and was instrumental in greatly improving the company’s financial performance.

Mr. Senter earned a BS in Sociology from The University of Houston.

Blake Trahan, Partner

Co-Founder and Partner Blake Trahan has over 17 years experience in the petroleum marine transportation, pipeline and storage logistics.

He spent the past nine years with Chevron/Unocal Pipe Line Company in a variety of asset management, commercial and business development functions. Just prior to MidPoint, he was focused on commercial efforts around Chevron’s Gulf Coast Terminal assets in Nederland, Texas and Forked Island, Louisiana.

As Sales Manager for Oiltanking Houston, Inc., Mr. Trahan marketed approximately 10M barrels of capacity located in Houston, Pasadena and Beaumont, Texas. All terminals had deepwater access and significant pipeline connections for refined products and crude oil. Prior to Oiltanking, Mr. Trahan brokered inland barge transportation throughout the U.S. waterway and river systems with L & R Chartering, Inc., a marine brokerage firm in Houston, Texas.

Mr. Trahan has a BA in Economics from the University of Texas.