In 1976, fresh out of high school in South Texas, Huggins looked for work with a phone book and persistence. He called every business he could find. One of them was Transco.

The company, now Williams, called him back and hired him as a pipeliner, launching a career that would span 50 years and become part of company history.

A classmate later told him, “Man you got a job for life.” At 18, Huggins was focused on work, not the long term. But 50 years later, the line feels prophetic. What began as a first job became a career defined by perseverance, field experience and a belief that safety is about people.

Day one

On his first day, Huggins drove about 250 miles, launched pipeline pigs on two different systems, and spent part of lunch hunting for arrowheads.

He remembers thinking, “This job is not going to be boring!”

Over the next five decades, Huggins worked across the Cypress division, at compressor stations, on pipelines and offshore facilities in the Gulf. He worked in operations, construction, measurement and later safety.

“Early on, there were no computers, no cell phones and no GPS,” said Huggins, now a safety and health specialist. “You took ownership of every situation and figured things out yourself. Then, just like now, our leaders trusted us to make the right decisions.”

Huggins said he loved every minute of his offshore years.

“I really did, especially the adventure of it all. I loved flying in helicopters every day and riding the boats,” he said.

“I was fortunate to inspect the ships and barges that laid nearly all of Williams’ pipelines off the Texas coast. I was also on several deepwater spar platforms for their initial gas flows to Williams.”

Those experiences shaped his understanding of risk and responsibility and helped define his approach to safety.

Trust through a calm, steady approach

Huggins has become a trusted sounding board for employees, especially when safety decisions carry risk.

That trust was built through consistency and a calm, steady approach in high-pressure environments, said Glen Jasek, SVP, Transmission, Power & Gulf.

“What I appreciate most about Meredith is his calm, steady approach, especially in high-pressure situations. He has a way of keeping his cool and bringing a sense of calm when people need it most,” he said.

Jennifer Elliott, VP of Eastern Interstates, said Huggins’ approach is rooted in teaching, not directing.

“He does a tremendous job of asking questions that make people think instead of dictating safety,” she said. “I’ve always appreciated that because he teaches all of us to look at our work differently.”

Meredith genuinely cares about his work and the teams he supports. He shows all of us how easy it can be to simply be a good person.

Jennifer Elliott, VP of Eastern Interstates.

Making safety personal

As Huggins moved into safety roles, he worked to make safety meaningful for field employees by tying decisions to what mattered most outside work. His goal was simple: help everyone get home safely each day.

“Rules without reasons lead to rebellion,” Huggins said. “If you explain why we do things a certain way and remind people there’s someone at home who loves them, it changes how they think.”

His approach emphasized being fully present, both mentally and physically: helping shape plans, reviewing them for gaps and working alongside team members during the job.

For Huggins, the most meaningful part of 50 years at Williams is not the milestones or projects. It is the people.

“Williams is a company with real honor and integrity, one that cares deeply about its employees, the public, the environment and its assets,” he said.

“Williams people are some of the finest people on Earth, and it’s an honor and a privilege to work alongside them.”