Why I Accepted the Invitation to be a Candidate for an AAPG Office
By Martin D. “Marty” Hewitt

It is a privilege to be nominated for the position of treasurer of AAPG; and I would like to thank my colleagues in the Canada Region and members of the Advisory Council for this nomination. I have recently retired from a 30-plus year career focusing on exploration, development and business planning for a series of companies working in basins throughout the world. I have been an active participant in AAPG governance since graduation, primarily with the House of Delegates, Division of Professional Affairs and Canada Region leadership. The AAPG has recognized my service to the Association through presentation of its Distinguished Service Award in 2006 and Honorary membership in 2014.

I joined AAPG shortly after graduation from McMaster University, in Hamilton, Canada, in 1982 and attended my first ACE in June of that year in my newly adopted hometown of Calgary, Canada. That meeting introduced me to the best of AAPG – relevant science, state of the art technology, educational opportunities, leading publications and professional and network development. What made AAPG significant throughout my career still applies today. As we move into our second century of existence, we must continue to evolve the value proposition of membership in our Association to meet the needs of members both today and in the future.

Our industry and membership are currently experiencing a demanding professional and economic environment as we navigate this latest downturn. Each of us has faced, and will continue to manage, the turbulence of industry cycles as we build our careers. One constant, however, as we go through both good and bad times, is AAPG. If elected, I will work with the Executive Committee to address the challenges the Association faces, such as diminishing conference and publications revenues, diverse member expectations in our Regions and Sections, pertinent continuing education, volunteerism and competitor threats are managed to ensure our AAPG remains a strong and viable entity.

The AAPG has provided immeasurable value to me throughout my career and as your elected treasurer, I assure you I will steward to the AAPG’s mission, vision and values articulated in our strategic plan. Every decision in which I participate will be based on the value proposition to our membership, focusing on continuing to deliver superior science and member programs.

I am excited for the opportunity to further serve the AAPG and its membership. I believe my past industry experience, at both a technical and managerial level, in addition to my active involvement in AAPG and local society leadership have prepared me well for this challenging role. As treasurer, I will be committed to building an AAPG that is as meaningful to our current membership and the next generation of geoscientists as it has been to me.

I would be honored to have the opportunity to contribute to the AAPG’s growth as your Association’s treasurer for the next two years.