Key Points

• Nate Lloyd’s career journey has taken him from electrician to a vice president of operations, demonstrating perseverance, adaptability, and a commitment to leadership and safety.
• His career path includes hands-on field experience, continuous education, and a focus on empowering teams through distributive leadership and real-time feedback.
• Lloyd balances professional success with strong family values and community involvement, emphasizing environmental stewardship and inclusive workplace culture.

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Nate Lloyd's career is a testament to the power of perseverance, adaptability and a clear vision. Starting his professional life as an electrician, Lloyd has climbed the ranks to become the Vice President of Operations West for Gathering and Processing (G&P) at MPLX, the midstream master limited partnership formed by Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC). His story is about growth, leadership, family and commitment to safety and environmental stewardship.

Career Journey

"I began my career as an electrician, which was a good fit for me," said Lloyd. “I still carry a master electrician’s license in Wyoming. I don’t use it much now, but I keep it current.”

He started as an electrical apprentice in the late 90s and worked to support his family. His wife finished her degree in education and became a teacher. He started with the company 15 years ago as an instrumentation and electrical technician in Pinedale, Wyoming, where he was promoted to maintenance supervisor.

“I tell folks that every decision I make, I think about our employees in the field, because I have been that person,” said Lloyd. “I was on call for almost 20 years of my career.”

In 2017, he moved his family to North Dakota for a role as an operations manager where he helped integrate three facilities that were acquired. It was during this time that he decided to further his education with the company’s support.

"I completed a bachelor's degree in Energy Management from Bismark State in North Dakota while working for MPC," said Lloyd. “I did all four years using MPC’s educational reimbursement program. It’s a great benefit that MPC offers its employees.”

In 2020, he took on a role in Oklahoma and later West Texas as a frontline leader, moving to operations manager and eventually to maintenance manager and director positions. In his current role as VP of Operations West, he oversees assets from the Canadian border to West Texas.

“Every decision I make, I think about our employees in the field, because I have been that person,” said Lloyd. “I was on call for almost 20 years of my career.”

Leadership Style

His colleague Sarah Terrill, Reliability Analytics Manager for G&P, has worked with Lloyd for ten years.

“Nate has been at all levels of leadership,” said Terrill. “He’s worked in the field, in the office, and everywhere in between. And he cares about the folks in the field. Whenever he asks what my team is seeing in the data, he always starts with ‘what’s calling people out at night?’ He cares about folks’ safety, and he cares about work life balance.”

They collaborate and share ideas for continuous improvement in team culture, safety and growth.

“We always discuss ways to keep our folks safe and engaged. How do we keep the equipment healthy? How do we encourage and help folks to take ownership over their part in the business?” said Terrill.

Lloyd describes his leadership style as distributive, focusing on empowering his team to make decisions within a clear framework.

"I build teams that are all focused on a clear vision, and we work together toward that goal," he said.

He believes in setting up his teams with good decision-making skills and providing real-time feedback.

"My team always knows exactly where they stand with me, because I provide candid and timely feedback," he said.

One of his co-workers and friends said he’s learned a lot from Lloyd during their 15 years of working together.

“I adopted much of my leadership style and attributes from working directly for Nate,” said Jake Radakovich, Maintenance Supervisor with MPLX. “Nate is a very people-oriented leader. He strives to build open and trusting relationships with those who work for him directly.”

Lloyd is passionate about the energy industry’s role in providing clean energy.

"The most exciting thing for me is our focus on environmental stewardship and keeping our hydrocarbon in the pipes," Lloyd said. "Let's provide clean energy and leave the planet in a better spot than where we found it." 

Balancing Career, Family and Community

One of the biggest challenges Lloyd has faced is balancing his career with family life. Married to his high school sweetheart, CoriAnn, Lloyd has always prioritized his family's needs alongside his career ambitions.

"It would be easy to just focus on my career and move all over the country, but you can't do that and stay happily married and keep the kiddos happy," he reflects.

Lloyd and his wife have three adult sons, each with their own unique paths, and two grandchildren who bring immense joy to their lives. His oldest son is an electrical engineer, his middle son is a K-9 sheriff’s officer, and his youngest, who just turned 21, is part of the special education community and works at the local grocery store.

Lloyd is also deeply involved in his community and an original member of MPC’s Disability Employee Network Group, ADAPT (Abled and Disabled Allies Partnering Together). His commitment to both his professional and personal communities underscores his holistic approach to leadership and life.

"I build teams that are all focused on a clear vision, and we work together toward that goal," he said.

He believes in setting up his teams with good decision-making skills and providing real-time feedback.

"My team always knows exactly where they stand with me, because I provide candid and timely feedback," he said.

One of his co-workers and friends said he’s learned a lot from Lloyd during their 15 years of working together.