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Diana Chance started her career serving Rucker Pharmaceuticals as assistant to the Vice President during which time the company went public in a merger with Boots Pharmaceuticals. She then joined the oil and gas industry where she acquired a broad knowledge of land, legal and governmental issues over the next forty years, primarily, as the Managing Director of Donner Properties, LLC in Shreveport, LA. She has spent thirty-eight years overseeing 500,000 acres for the company in Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. She periodically serves as an outside consultant and works actively in the industry with oil and gas companies, landowners, organizations and politicians on energy related matters.
Chance serves on the board of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association (LOGA). During her twenty-four years on the board, she was elected as the first and only female LOGA Chairman of the Board. Chance’s articles were frequently featured in the Oil & Gas Journal while serving as chairman, as well as articles in other magazines including American Association of Petroleum Geologists Explorer, May 2006. The 50th Anniversary issue of The American Oil & Gas Reporter featured her as one of a few emerging females in the industry. Chance was described as “the cheerleader” for the development and promotion of coal seam natural gas exploration in Louisiana. She was surprised to see this article prominently displayed at a booth at the North American Prospect Expo. Through LOGA and other organizations, Chance has served within the political process on a variety of bills and issues affecting the fossil fuel industry.
Chance currently serves on the executive board of directors for the National Association of Royalty Owners, the Domestic Energy Producers Alliance and the Council for a Secure America. She is a member of the Independent Petroleum Association of America, Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association, Texas Land & Minerals Owners Association, Shreveport Geological Society, the American Association of Professional Landmen, the Ark-La-Tex Association of Professional Landmen. Chance serves on the board for the State of Louisiana Oil City Oil and Gas Museum and participates in her local community and church affairs. She is the widow of Wilton Chance and the mother of two adult children and has one teenage granddaughter.
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Stephanie Canales is a young professional based out of Denver, Colorado with nearly 10 years of oil and gas, environmental, and energy industry related experience. Stephanie currently serves as Senior Business Development Executive for Cougar Drilling Solutions offering downhole drilling tools and technical services throughout North America. In 2017, she joined the Domestic Energy Producers Alliance (DEPA) as a board member under the Membership Committee and has recently accepted a role as an Executive Board Director. Stephanie has also recently been appointed as Ambassador for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Equity in Energy program out of the office of Economic Impact and Diversity.
Following a lifelong aspiration, Stephanie embarked on a career path in the environmental industry. This goal set her up for a career with BP after graduation as an Environmental Scientist following America’s largest remedial effort in history out of southern Louisiana and offshore GOM. While working on BP’s 2010 response effort, she accepted a variety of positions ranging from deck hand to lead scientist. This position eventually led to an opportunity in North Dakota during the “Bakken Boom” as a field sales representative in the oil and gas sector. Stephanie continued gaining experience and eventually entered the corporate world with executive level positions at Schlumberger, Weatherford, BOS Solutions, and more recently Cougar Drilling Solutions.
Stephanie is active in contributing ideas and a voice to publicize the benefits of American energy independence as well as highlighting educational perspectives regarding oil and gas related issues. She believes there is a great deal of history to share and an encouraging outlook ahead for the energy industry. Stephanie enjoys connecting with people and strives to communicate new ideas and fresh perspectives to solve problems while bringing value to the affiliations she’s involved with.
Stephanie has a Bachelor’s from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in Geography and Environmental Science with a minor in Communications. She is also working towards a Graduate Certificate from Stanford University in Energy Innovation and Emerging Technologies.
DEPA Press Release – January 29, 2020
The Domestic Energy Producers Alliance (DEPA) congratulates the Trump administration on the threat of U. S. sanctions causing ALL of the international companies working on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to cease work. (Nord Stream 2 is a natural gas pipeline that runs from Russian gas fields to Germany.) This action tells the world that the U.S. is the world’s economic and energy superpower.
The Administration has repeatedly encouraged Germany to not accept the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. The Russians have used their natural gas as a political tool and have limited supply and manipulated prices to several European countries. Additionally, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is being laid under the Black Sea bypassing several Baltic countries as a political ploy by Moscow.
The U. S. is more than able and anxious to supply Germany and all of our allies with American natural gas and oil. We are reliable and can be trusted on our pricing.
This week the Russian pipeline parent company, Gazprom, announced it will attempt to finish the Nord Stream 2 project without the international companies they had been relying on up to this point. We believe the administration deserves congratulations on their ability to redirect construction partners on this project. This move away from the project by international companies indicates that the U.S. is THE economic and energy superpower.
DEPA Press Release – March 19, 2020
It is time for Secretary Wilbur Ross and the Department of Commerce to step up and launch a Section 232 investigation into Saudi Arabia and Russia dumping crude oil on the world market while also selling their crude below market value. This action was undertaken during the current Coronavirus Pandemic and resulted in a collapse of world crude oil prices.
On March 18, 2020 Senator Jim Inhofe sent Secretary Ross a letter requesting just such an investigation. As Senator Inhofe stated in his letter to Secretary Ross. . .” This manipulation of markets has roiled the economy, causing severe trauma to the American energy industry. It is essential that the American government respond with swift, decisive action . . . these actions taken by Saudi Arabia and Russia have added unprecedented hardship on American oil and gas producers and the thousands of blue-collar workers they employ.”
Section 232 and the Mandatory Import Program: Since 1955, Section 232 and its predecessor statute have been used on numerous occasions to address energy security concerns. Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan have all invoked Section 232 as a basis for restricting oil imports or for modifying existing restrictions thereon. Section 232 investigations are initiated to determine the effects of imports of any articles on U.S. national security.
The Domestic Energy Producers Alliance (DEPA) support Senator Inhofe’s request completely as the Saudi’s and Russian’s have been very open with their crude oil “price war” and desire to drive U.S. producers out of the market and out of business. We urge Secretary Ross and the Administration to undertake a Section 232 investigation ASAP.
DEPA Press Release – March 26, 2020
The Domestic Energy Producers Alliance (DEPA) Commends Senate Majority Leader McConnell in his steady leadership to providing American workers, families, hospitals and employers a “clean” stimulus package free from partisan giveaways.
The original bi-partisan Senate proposal included filling up the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) with domestically purchased crude. While not a solution to the Saudi/Russian attack on US energy independence the SPR purchase would have provided the US additional strategic reserves of low-cost petroleum and some relief to already struggling US producers being pushed over the edge by the economic shutdown.
Sadly, this desperately needed assistance for workers, families, hospitals and employers was held hostage in an effort to extort Green New Deal giveaways that harken back to the “shovel ready” boondoggle of 2008 and reeks of the kind of cronyism last seen with the Solyndra scandal.
Thankfully Majority Leader McConnell had the courage to reject this cynical game of blackmail, trading the purchase of low-priced US oil for America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve in return for handouts and subsidies to renewable energy companies that are historical unprofitable.
The core of the problem for the U.S. oil and gas industry is the dumping activity of Saudi Arabia and Russia.
When negotiations on a plan for Saudi Arabia and Russia to collude in an effort to raise oil prices broke down both countries began a dumping effort aimed squarely at US oil producers. Russian dumping is pay-back for tough US sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would complete the Russian energy stronghold on Europe. In 2014 the Saudi’s launched similar campaign, flooding the market with crude oil to drive U.S. domestic producers out of business. That effort failed due to the innovation and resilience of America’s energy workforce and industry. However, with the compounding problem of the global economic shutdown that resiliency is being desperately tested.
Saudi Arabia and Russia are acting like energy superpowers, conspiring in illegal dumping, in an attempt to crush US energy independence and restore their ability to hold the US and the world hostage to high energy prices.
To be clear, there is nothing free market about the collusion of two foreign states to break the back of US energy producers. Equally, there is nothing protectionist about the Trump Administration using the tools that Congress has provided to defend US companies against foreign aggression and anti-competitive activity. Any such claim is reckless and foolish.
If the Saudi and Russian governments do not immediately cease anti-competitive dumping aimed at the US energy industry the only choice for the Trump Administration is to promptly initiate a 232 trade action against both countries.
Failure to defend US energy producers against aggressive anti-competitive actions by Saudi and Russian state energy monopolies will result in the collapse of the US energy industry and any hope for economic recovery and will ultimately lead to higher energy prices for American consumers as US energy independence fades and the OPEC monopoly regains control of global energy markets.
DEPA Press Release – April 9, 2020
The Domestic Energy Producers Alliance (DEPA) is happy to see that the crude oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia has apparently been resolved with all OPEC countries and Russia agreeing to cut production by at least 10 million barrels per day in May and June.
Harold Hamm Executive Chairman of Continental Resources and Chairman of DEPA said “We applaud today’s decision by OPEC to cut production. It’s a good and necessary first step to restore some sanity to the global markets and we hope signals the recognition that dumping excess oil into the U.S. market is a losing proposition for all concerned. However, we also all know that demand remains out of sync with supply. The world has lost almost 30 million barrels a day of demand. Here, in the United States, we are rapidly adjusting production to these new realities. We hope that the oil producing nations take additional steps soon to better align demand with supply. We also want to thank President Trump for his steadfast leadership protecting our millions of oil and gas workers, our industry and our energy independence. We are confident that he and the Administration will take the necessary steps to preserve one of America’s most important industries.”
DEPA Press Release – April 22, 2020
Continental Resources, Inc. is requesting an immediate investigation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) of WTI crude oil futures traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) for possible market manipulation, failed systems or computer programming failures in the WTI prompt month May (20), and oil futures contracts on the CME. Continental has also lodged a complaint with CME. As shown below, the unprecedented, historical event of WTI crude oil trading at negative prices for the first time in history and the circumstances surrounding the trading shows the system failed, negatively impacting a significant part of the American economy. Not only did WTI crude futures trade negative, they settled at a bizarre minus $37.63.
The WTI prompt month May (20) contract price settled at $18.27 per barrel on April 17, 2020. On April 20, 2020, the WTI prompt month May (20) crude oil contracts closed down $55.90 or 306% at a minus $37.63 per barrel. Notably the CME chose to announce on April 8, 2020 that it had been testing plans to support the possibility of negative options such that if any month, WTI oil futures settle at a price between $8.00 and $11.00 a barrel that it could switch to a different pricing model that would allow for negative pricing.
Specifically, the CME stated:
“If WTI Crude Oil futures prices settle, in any month, to a price between $8.00 /bbl
And $11.00/bbl, CME Clearing may switch its pricing and margining options models from the existing models to the Bachelier model, currently utilized in numerous spread options products where negative underlying prices and strike levels are a regular occurrence. If any WTI Crude Oil futures prices settle, in any month, to a level below $8.00/bbl, CME Clearing will move to the Bachelier model for all WTI Crude oil options contracts as well as all related crude oil options contracts effective the following trade date. CME Clearing will send out an advisory notice with one day notice before any implementation occurs with all appropriate details.”
At approximately 10:50 a.m. on April 20, 2020, the CME reiterated that WTI futures can trade negative which sent the May contract plummeting to approximately $4.00 a barrel. Trading volume was low prior to the CME announcement but became more active after the announcement. Prior to the CME’s announcement regarding negative settlements, the contract was trading positive. The WTI futures price for the May contract remained positive until approximately 1:08 p.m. CDT when it began dripping precipitously almost $40.00 in the last 22 minutes of trading. The price dropped approximately $25.00 a barrel in a 3 minute span between 1:24 p.m. and 1:27 p.m. CDT.
As noted, this is the first time in history the WTI crude oil price settled below zero with most, if not all of the price decline occurring in the last 22 minutes of trading. This fact, combined with 1) the CME’s unusual announcement only hours earlier, 2) the sudden change in computer models during a time of increased volatility to the Bachelier computer model, 3) the $40.00 drop in the last 22 minutes with a $25.00 drop in a 3-minute span just before trading closed to settle is unprecedented, historical and materially impacts the Calendar Monthly Average (CMA) pricing of the physical barrel and strongly raises the suspicion of market manipulation or a flawed new computer model. The sanctity and trust in the oil and all commodity futures markets are at issue as the system failed miserably and an immediate investigation is requested and, we submit, is required.
In addition to a review of practices at the CME, we strongly urge the market to change to a daily weighted average price to reflect the trading value experienced
DEPA Press Release – April 16, 2020
The Domestic Energy Producers Alliance (DEPA) supports the request made by the Governors of Texas, Utah, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Wyoming formally asking U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler for an expedited waiver of the renewable volume obligation (RVO)* under the Renewable Fuel Standard RFS consistent with Section 211(o)(7) of CAA in order to address severe economic harm compounded by the current national emergency.
There is no question that currently there is a clear threat to the industry and its supply chain. We wholeheartedly agree that an expeditious answer to this request is needed as sweeping economic impacts to industrial employment, consumer interests, and all aspects of the economy will be compounded by any delay.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has cut its 2020 growth forecast for global oil demand, predicting the first quarterly contraction in more than 10 years. The IEA has also revised down the outlook for global refinery runs. As the world economy responds to measures adopted to contain COVID-19, demand for refined products for air transportation, global delivery of goods, and petrochemicals decline – and any rebound of necessity will occur only after containment restores predictable economic growth. In the interim, the U.S. refining sector will face real and substantial difficulty.
We are confident the Administration will take the necessary steps to preserve one of America’s most important industries. Our industry is critical to the health, security, and stability of the United States. EPA action is vital.
* as authorized under Section 211(o)(7) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) (42 U.S.C. §7545(o)(7)) as amended by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
Mr. Schmitz has served as Executive Chairman of Select Energy Services since November 2017. Prior to this he served as Select Energy Services Chief Executive Officer and Chairman beginning in November 2016 and served as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of SES
After Mr. Schmitz founded Peak, he led the transformation of our assets and operations through a series of strategic acquisitions designed to enhance the company’s total water solutions offerings.
Prior to founding Select and its predecessors, Mr. Schmitz served as the North Texas Division Manager for Complete Production Services, Inc. (“Complete” (formerly NYSE: CPX) before its sale to Superior Energy Services, Inc. (NYSE: SPN) in February 2012). Mr. Schmitz’s involvement with Complete originated when his initial oilfield services holding company, BSI Holdings, Inc., was recapitalized by SCF Partners in 2003 and was rebranded underneath the Complete Energy Services, Inc. umbrella. Mr. Schmitz founded Brammer Supply, Inc., the predecessor to BSI Holdings, Inc., in 1983 and spent the 20 years thereafter growing the company, both organically and through acquisitions, into an integrated wellsite service provider with over 16 locations in North and East Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. Mr. Schmitz was also responsible for the founding and subsequent recapitalization of Allied Production Solutions, LP, a production surface tank equipment manufacturer, which ultimately merged into Forum Energy Technologies, Inc. in August 2010.
Mr. Schmitz is the founder and President of: (i) B-29 Family Holdings, LLC, the family office representing the business interests of John and Steve Schmitz, (ii) B-29 Investments, LP, the private equity arm of Mr. Schmitz’s family office, and (iii) Sunray Capital, LP, a subsidiary of B-29 Investments, LP that contains privately-held interests in various oil and gas investments. Through Mr. Schmitz’s oversight of these investment holding companies, he has been instrumental in the successful closing of numerous upstream and midstream transactions including the sales of property packages across the Barnett, Eagle Ford, and Fayetteville basins to EOG Resources, Chesapeake Energy, and XTO Energy, respectively, and the sale of Cimmaron Gathering, LP, a natural gas pipeline company, to Copano Energy, LLC (formerly NASDAQ: CPNO). Mr. Schmitz has served on the Board of Forum Energy Technologies (NYSE: FET) since September 2010 and serves on the board of multiple private oil and gas companies.
Ron Ness is President of the North Dakota Petroleum Council. He has held that position since 1999; his primary function is governmental relations in North Dakota. He serves as the industry spokesperson and manages the association which represents more than 500 companies involved in all aspects of North Dakota’s oil and gas industry.
Ness was previously President of the North Dakota Retail and Petroleum Marketers Association. Prior to that he spent ten years with the State of North Dakota, most of which as the Deputy Commissioner of Labor.
Ness is a Tolna, North Dakota native, a graduate of North Dakota State University in Business and Economics, and received his masters in management from the University of Mary.
Ness was appointed by Governor’s Schafer, Hoeven, Dalrymple and Burgum to the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, the Oil and Gas Research Council, the Empower North Dakota Commission and the Governor’s Revenue Advisory Committee.
Ness also serves as the Chairman of the Board for the Energy Environmental Research Center’s Foundation. He is on the Board of Directors for the Mule Deer Foundation, Sanford Health Bismarck, the Domestic Energy Producers Alliance, the North Dakota Kids First Foundation, the Missouri River Advisory Council and the Board of Regents at the University of Mary. Ness is also a partner in Bismarck Partners a commercial real estate group.
Ness and his wife Becky have three children and are avid outdoorsmen, who enjoy golfing, fishing and hunting.
Ben Shepperd serves as the President of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association based in Midland, Texas, since 2006. In that role he represents oil and gas interests before legislative and regulatory bodies in Texas, New Mexico and Washington, D.C. He has more than twenty years working on state legislative and regulatory issues. His Austin experience includes staffing several Texas House members, including David Swinford, Harvey Hilderbran, and Buddy West. He served as committee counsel for the House Energy Resources Committee under Chairman West. He also served as Chairman Hilderbran’s water policy advisor in the 79th Legislative Session focusing on issues before the Natural Resources Committee.
He also worked for three different state agencies over those years, including the Department of Agriculture, director of Rural Affairs for the Department of Economic Development, and as Legislative and Policy Director for Commissioner Charles Matthews at the Railroad Commission. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science from Texas A & M University in College Station. Mr. Shepperd is a board member of the John Ben Shepperd Public Leadership Institute Foundation at the University of Texas at the Permian Basin, as well as on the Advisory Council for the UTPB School of Business.
Simmons served as the federal lobbyist for the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association (OIPA) from 2008-2015. He served on the executive committee of the board of directors for the Oklahoma Oil & Gas Association (OKOGA) from 2015-2019 and helped merge the organizations into the Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma.
From 2015 until its acquisition by Encana (now Ovintiv) in 2019, Brook Simmons managed federal, state and local government affairs for Newfield Exploration, and worked in Oklahoma with frequency. Since then, Simmons has represented private clients on federal issues in Washington, D.C.
Simmons has served on the board of directors for the Western Energy Alliance (WEA), North Dakota Petroleum Council (NDPC), Royalty Owners & Producers Educational Coalition (ROPE), and the Utah Petroleum Association (UPA). He also served on Utah Governor Gary Herbert’s Energy Advisory Council.
Simmons is a graduate of Ardmore High School and the University of Oklahoma. A former journalist, he worked in Congress from 1991-2004 – serving U.S. Senator Don Nickles, R-Okla., and U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-Ky. – while taking breaks to work on campaigns and to serve as spokesman for the American Sportfishing Association.
Mr. Mullennix attended New Mexico State University with a major in Business Administration. During spring, summer, and winter breaks from NMSU, he worked for Four Corners Drilling in Farmington, New Mexico as a roughneck on various drilling projects in the San Juan Basin of New Mexico and Colorado. Before graduating, Berry left in 1983 to form a construction/remodeling company in Dallas, TX which was sold in 1988. In 1989, Mr. Mullennix re-entered the oil and gas industry marketing oil and gas joint ventures for a Dallas based broker/dealer. In mid 1992 he formed Mullennix Consultants, Inc. which acted as an independent consultant and broker to investors and oil companies, consulting on financing (bank, institutional, and private) mergers, acquisitions and investments. He has worked on project financing (including senior debt, equity, VPPs, mezzanine, etc.) from $100M-$1B. In December 1995, Roy Grossman and Mr. Mullennix formed their first of five companies Mannix Oil Company that became an early pioneer of horizontal CBM development. In September 2001, Mannix was sold to Williams Production Company. In mid 2003, Mr. Mullennix, Mr. Grossman and key former employees teamed up to form Cannon Energy. Cannon was sold to form Panther Energy Company, LLC (Panther) in 2005 which is majority owned by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe Growth Fund. Panther had over 100 employees and operated in Texas, Oklahoma, California, North Dakota, and Montana. Panther was sold in 2013 for $625MM and Panther 2 was formed the same year. It was sold a short 36 months later for $863MM. Panther 3 was formed in November of 2017 and the company is currently looking for new areas of interest. Mr. Mullennix is a member of multiple states’ oil and gas associations including serving on the Crude Oil Committee of the IPAA (Independent Petroleum Association of America), the board of the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association (OIPA) and as Secretary/Treasurer/Board Member of the Domestic Energy Producers Alliance (DEPA), and The Council for a Secure America. He also serves on the board of the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center at University of Oklahoma Medical Center.
Jerry R. Simmons is currently the President and CEO of the Domestic Energy Producers Alliance (DEPA) headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Before joining DEPA he spent the previous twelve years as Executive Director of the National Association of Royalty Owners (NARO). Prior to that, Jerry was President of EnergyTech Group, Inc. in Bartlesville, Oklahoma providing technical support services to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Strategic Center for Natural Gas and Oil. Jerry was previously employed with TRW/BDM as Principal Environmental Engineer/Regulatory and Policy Analyst. He also served as Associate Executive Director of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission.
Mr. Simmons served as Chairman of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Health Safety and Environment Technical Committee in 1993 and on the SPE Reprint Series Committee from 2003-2006. He is author of two SPE technical papers and numerous studies on state oil and gas environmental regulatory programs.
Jerry holds a degree in Geology from the University of Oklahoma and has worked as an exploration and production geologist for Hamilton Brothers Oil Company, O.I.L. Energy, Texas Oil and Gas and BHP Americas. Jerry has served on the Board of Directors of the Council for a Secure America, as Executive Vice President to the Royalty Owners and Producers Educational Coalition, and is a veteran of the US Air Force. Jerry has been a frequent presenter and panelist for industry events since 2006. He was presented with the International Energy Advocates 2012 “Energy Advocate of the year” award.
Rock Zierman is the Chief Executive Officer for the California Independent Petroleum Association. He has worked with CIPA since October 2002. Prior to being appointed CEO, Rock served as both the Director of Public Affairs for CIPA, and the Executive Director of the California Natural Gas Producers Association (CNGPA), a wholly owned subsidiary organization of CIPA.
Rock recommends and implements policy for the Association’s 50 member Board of Directors. He serves as chief spokesperson for the Association and coordinates all of its state and national legislative activities. Rock also serves on the Board of Directors of the Domestic Energy Producers Association (DEPA) and the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA).
Prior to joining CIPA, Rock served as Chief of Staff to Assemblyman Mike Briggs (Fresno). Rock has also served in the offices of Assembly members Chuck Quackenbush (San Jose), Tom Bordonaro (Paso Robles), and Robert Prenter (Hanford).
Rock graduated from Santa Clara University with a business degree in economics.
Dan Boren is the Oklahoma President of the First United Bank. He joined First United Bank October 2019 after being the Corporate Development for the Chickasaw Nation. Based in Oklahoma, Dan helps to drive the Nation’s business diversification strategy. In his capacity, Dan serves on numerous boards within the Nation that cut across the technology, health, financial services and energy sectors.
Before joining the Nation, Dan represented Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives for four terms before retiring in 2013.
While in Congress, Dan played a leadership role on Native American issues, serving as the Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on Indian Affairs. Dan helped shape key national economic recovery policies as a member of the House Financial Services Committee. Dan also served on the House Armed Services Committee and House Select Committee on Intelligence and earned a reputation for being able to work with members of both parties to pass laws that strengthened U.S. defense and national security.
Before election to Congress in 2004, Dan served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives and was the first freshman state lawmaker ever to be elected as Caucus Chairman.
Dan continues to find ways to contribute to his community. He currently serves on the boards of the Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum, National Rifle Association, Seminole State College Educational Foundation, OU Children’s Hospital Foundation, IBC Bank, Canterbury Voices, Oklahoma Academy, OKC Boathouse Foundation, Domestic Energy Producers Alliance, Sovereign Asset Management (Chairman), Walnut Creek Property Investments and the Last Frontier Council (Boy Scouts of America), the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and Stella Nova.
Dan earned his B.S. in Economics at Texas Christian University and a M.B.A. in International Business from the University of Oklahoma. Dan currently resides in Edmond, OK with his wife, Andrea, and their two children, Janna and Hunter.
Bill Stevens is currently President of WindRiver Associates, LLC. His clients include interests in oil and gas companies, a statewide oil and gas trade association, groundwater owners and producers, and brackish and seawater desalination and financial services.
He was a founding officer of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers and served as its government affairs officer and Executive Vice-president from 2000 – 2011. The Alliance represents more than 3,000 independent producers, service companies and their employees in Texas. He continues to represent the Alliance in Austin and Washington, D C as a government affairs consultant/Chief Lobbyist.
In his role with his clients, Stevens regularly testifies before various legislative and congressional committees in Austin and Washington, D C. He serves as an official representative of the Texas delegation to the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission on the Environment and Safety Committee, and is a member of the Pipeline Safety Committee of the Independent Petroleum Association of America. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Domestic Energy Producers Alliance (DEPA) and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Council for a Secure America, a coalition of domestic and Israeli advocates for U. S. independent oil and gas interests.
Stevens experience in the oil and gas industry began in the Austin Chalk boom in 1980 running a trucking operation for small refinery supply. He has also worked in exploration fundraising, management and operations.
He is a staunch advocate of the the domestic oil and gas industry.
Don D Montgomery, Jr. grew up in the oil and gas business in Eldorado, Arkansas. His father was a geologist and his grandfather was a lawyer heavily involved in the legal aspects of the oil business. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma where he majored in Petroleum Land Management and Accounting. Don obtained his JD Degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law in Dallas, Texas and pursued graduate studies in law at the University of London, University College.
Don is the Owner of Montgomery Exploration Company, founded in 1970, and Monexco, LLC, founded in 1978. Both companies are engaged in acquiring, developing and operating oil and gas properties. He is President, Chairman of the Board, and Owner of Fairfax Oil Company, which has been incorporated in Texas since 1984.
Don’s grandfather served as District Attorney in Union County, Arkansas and cousin Jodie Mahony served 36 continuous years in the Arkansas State Legislature. Don is active in the Democratic Party on the local, state and national levels. He served at the pleasure of Governor Ann Richards of Texas on the Interstate Oil Compact as a member of the Regulatory Practices Committee. He served on Carter’s Energy Task Force in 1976. He served as Texas Finance Chairman for Gary Hart in 1984 and 1988. He was Co-Chairman of the Romer for Governor Finance Committee in Colorado in 1990 and subsequently served as Finance Co-Chairman for Ben Nighthorse Campbell in his first term as U.S. Senator. He also served in the capacity of Finance Chairman for Congressman Martin Frost in all his campaigns. He served as a Board member of the National Committee for an Effective Congress. Don is currently Vice President of Domestic Energy Producers Alliance, “DEPA”.
Don was a member of the Board and Treasurer of the Isthmus Institute, a forum to explore interactions between scientific and spiritual approaches to everyday life. He is a founder of High Frontier, a residential psychiatric care facility for 48 mentally and physically abused adolescents located in the Davis Mountains.
Edward Cross serves as President of the Kansas Independent Oil & Gas Association (KIOGA) where he responsible for public policy advocacy and interaction with external stakeholders including elected officials, regulators, government decision-makers, and community leaders. Cross has served in this position since September 2003. At KIOGA, Cross is director of staff, editor of the Association’s publications, serves as an industry spokesperson for media and other forums, and is an industry advocate as a registered legislative agent. On behalf of KIOGA members, Cross lobbies in both Topeka and Washington, D.C.
Cross serves as an executive board member to the Domestic Energy Producers Alliance (DEPA) and a board member of the Council for a Secure America (CSA). He is an active member of the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) and serves as an advisory committee member to the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC). In addition, he serves as an advisory board member to the Tertiary Oil Recovery Program (TORP) and the Chemical & Petroleum Engineering Department at the University of Kansas.
Cross also serves as Secretary/Treasurer of the Liaison Committee of Cooperating Oil and Gas Associations, a network of state and regional trade associations that represent the independent oil and gas exploration and production industry in the U.S. where he is responsible for coordinating the organization’s efforts.
Cross is a Kansas appointed Associate Representative to the Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC). The IOGCC is a national organization representing the Governors of 37 oil and gas producing states. At IOGCC, Cross has served as Chair of the Public Outreach Committee, one of eight standing IOGCC committees.
In April 2015, Cross was recognized for his national leadership by being honored with the Distinguished Leadership Award from the National Stripper Well Association. In January 2013, Cross was named by Ingram’s, a Kansas City business magazine, as one of the “50 Kansans You Should Know”. Cross has published 8 peer-reviewed papers on economic, environmental, and energy education issues facing the independent oil and gas industry. He is a licensed professional geologist and holds a B.S. in Geology and an M.B.A. from Southern Illinois University.
Mike McDonald is the President and co-owner of Triad Energy, Inc., an oil and gas exploration and production company that he co-founded in 1981, which is based in Oklahoma City, OK. McDonald is a graduate of the University of Mississippi and New York University. He holds the following degrees B.B.A (Accountancy), J.D., and L.L.M. (Taxation). McDonald served our Country in the United States Air Force from 1976-1980 as a member of the Judge Advocate General Corps. During this time he was also an Adjunct Professor at Phillips University from 1977-1978. He is a former Chairman of the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association and a former President of the Wildcatters Club of Oklahoma and currently serves as the Chairman of the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board and as President of the Domestic Energy Producers Alliance. He has testified before Congress on issues relating to the regulation and taxation of the oil and gas industry and is the recipient of the Distinguished Leadership Award from the National Stripper Well Association and has been inducted into the Wildcatter’s Hall of Honor.
Harold Hamm is the Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Continental Resources. Growing up in rural Oklahoma, he was the last of 13 children born to sharecroppers. He went to work in the oil fields as a teenager and established Continental Resources in 1967 at the age of 21. Today, Continental Resources is a top-10 oil producer in the United States and is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange.
Mr. Hamm serves as Chairman of the Domestic Energy Producers Alliance (DEPA). Through DEPA, Mr. Hamm is widely recognized as the man who worked tirelessly to help lift America’s 40-year-old ban on U.S. crude oil exports. He also serves on the board of the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation and America First Policies.
Platts Global Energy Awards honored Mr. Hamm with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his legacy of leadership, innovation and commitment to bringing America to energy independence. He has also been named one of TIME Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” and was inducted into the Horatio Alger Association.
Mr. Hamm’s global perspective on the geopolitics of oil and gas, his commitment to U.S. energy independence and his legacy of U.S. job growth has led to numerous awards and recognitions, including the U.S. Steel Tubular Products “Chief Roughneck Award”, Oil and Gas Investor magazine’s “Executive of the Year,” Western Energy Alliance’s “Wildcatter of the Year,” and the Platts Global Energy Awards “CEO of the Year” (while Continental Resources was also named “Energy Company of the Year.”)