By Mike Aldax
Greg Reed’s connection to Richmond is generational, rooted in a time when North Richmond was one of the few places in the Bay Area where African Americans could own property. His father worked at Chevron Richmond for 35 years, a career launched in 1973 through a program at Neighborhood House designed to provide employment for local youth. His great-grandmother, Doris Williams, was a gifted musician for the North Richmond Missionary Baptist Church. Because of her prominence, she met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and both John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy during a time when North Richmond was a political hub.
Reed’s grandmother served as the first black librarian for the Richmond Unified School District for 31 years. Additionally, his uncle, Dr. McKinley “Mack” Williams, served as dean of Contra Costa College and collaborated with the refinery on educational outreach. Reed notes that these deep roots inspire him “to tell the story of how the refinery and my family are really interconnected.”
Two decades of technical expertise
While Reed grew up in Fairfield, he visited often during his childhood and has spent 21 years of his professional life at Chevron Richmond. After a few years in Salem, Ore. to obtain a bachelor’s degree in communications from Willamette University, Reed returned home to begin his career as an operator in the cracking division, specifically working on Alkylation and Liquefied Petroleum Gas units. He later moved into a special assignment as an Operations Maintenance Coordinator, acting as a liaison between operations and maintenance to ensure routine work and major turnarounds were handled effectively.
Reed’s career includes significant time in environmental compliance and oils planning. During his six years in compliance, he managed the Title V permit, a document exceeding 3,500 pages. This role required working with the Bay Area Air District, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the U.S. Coast Guard, among other agencies. In the oils planning department, he spent four years focused on the supply chain for jet fuel and diesel, managing inventory for major hubs including SFO, Oakland, and San Jose.
Emergency response and safety training
Beyond his primary roles, Reed served on the Chevron Richmond Fire Department’s fire brigade. He earned certifications as a hazmat technician and confined space rescue.
“I was able to get certifications and be exposed to a whole different line of work,” he said. “I was able to be trained in CPR, confined space and rescue among other skills.”
Today, Reed is the Operations Maintenance Execution (OME) Lead back in the cracking division. He focuses on “midterm scheduling” to improve routine maintenance. He uses this technical expertise to address misconceptions in the community, such as explaining that visible plumes from cooling towers are water vapor rather than smoke.
Strengthening community connections
Reed believes that hearing directly from employees helps “remove the mystique around the refinery” and dispel rumors. He points to his own family’s longevity as evidence of the facility’s high standards, noting, “I have a grandfather who lived to be almost 90 years old, and he lives literally, two or three miles around the corner.”
Reed proudly recalls memories of his father, who was also a musician. Before the rise of San Francisco’s nightlife, North Richmond was a center for live entertainment where Reed’s father and his siblings performed in a band called Reed and Company. They played at local landmarks like Oasis Club, an afterhours lounge behind Mini Lou’s resturant, another popular spot mentioned in historical documentaries about the city. Reed recalls the pride his father took in his work at the refinery, which provided the means to support his family.
“There’s no city of Richmond without it,” Reed says regarding the refinery’s founding before the city’s incorporation. “Folks who are actually here and have experience with Chevron know we’re an important part of this city and leading the world in refining.”
