Bud Rains

Bud Rains joined Williams in 1990 in the Engineer Development Program. He has held positions in plant design, construction and operations. Rains has nearly 30 years’ experience in the engineering, design, construction and operation of natural gas facilities, including both onshore and offshore facilities.  

He has filled key leadership roles in both operations and engineering as well as construction.  He moved back to the Houston area with his wife Rose and son Dustin in January 2017, to lead Williams’ construction management group in the Atlantic Gulf Eastern Interstates Operating Area, which focuses on building natural gas infrastructure on the Transco pipeline system and Gulf Coast region.

Rains served active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years in the early 1980s. His accomplishments include several meritorious promotions, including achieving the rank of Sergeant (E-5) at 2? years’ time in-service, while serving in light attack helicopter squadron HML/A-267.

“My MOS [military occupational specialty code] was a 6324/6344 Avionics technician/electrician, but for the last year and a half I was flight crew on the UH-1N Huey and AH-1J Cobra providing support on command and control missions, test flights and various other sorties,” Rains said.
 
After leaving the Marine Corps, he attended Texas A&M University graduating with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.
 
Rains’ support of veterans has been exemplary, both within and outside Williams. He has led the Williams’ Veterans Business Resource Group as the executive sponsor since inception for the past eight years, providing guidance and leading annual planning of recognition and veteran onboarding across the company.  
He also has been involved with serving veteran communities in both Houston and Pittsburgh while located there with Williams.

Some examples of veteran support provided are leading linen drives in Pittsburgh for homeless veterans and enabling one of his team who is am Army veteran to develop a veteran recruiting and training program for construction inspectors at Williams.

His colleagues agree that Rains’ can-do attitude in supporting veterans is truly an inspiration and example for all other veterans to follow.
 
Rains comes from a long line of veterans. His grandfather served in the Navy during WWI, his father in the Army during the Korean Campaign era and now Bud’s son, Dustin Rains, is currently serving in the Navy. He just left on November 19th for boot camp.

—Faiza Rizvi