Annual Report 2007: FY July 1, 2006-June 30, 2007
Rocky Mountain Section
The Rocky Mountain Section of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists represents the more than 3,000 AAPG members residing in the states of Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. The Section has 11 affiliated geologic societies throughout the Rocky Mountain region. Current Section officers are: Steve Schamel, president; John Robinson, president-elect; Kim Parsons, secretary/treasurer; and Tom Ann Casey, secretary/treasurer-elect.
Annual Section Meetings
The Rocky Mountain Section is chartered to hold annual technical meetings focused on the oil and gas developments in the Rocky Mountain and Williston basins. These conventions are organized and hosted by one or several of the 11 affiliated societies. The venue for the meeting moves around the region to draw attention to the exciting new developments in different Rocky Mountain basins and to offer a broad array of field trip opportunities. The 2006 RMS convention, themed Undaunted Exploration of the Rockies and hosted by the Montana Geological Society, was held June 10–13 in Billings, Montana. The 2007 56th Annual Rocky Mountain Rendezvous was held at Snowbird, Utah, near Salt Lake City, on October 7–9.
The schedule for future annual conventions of the Rocky Mountain Section is as follows:
2008: Denver July 9–11 in the Colorado Convention Center co-hosted by RMAG and COGA; Donna Anderson is the general chair.
2009: Denver June 7–10; RMS is co-hosting the AAPG Annual Convention in the Colorado Convention Center; Randy Ray is the general chair.
2010: Durango, Colo. in early June 13–15 at Fort Lewis College hosted by the Four Corners Geological Society; James Fassett and Kimberlee Gerhardt are the general co-chairs.
2011: Casper, Wyo. June 25–29 hosted by the Wyoming Geological Association.
Web Site
Over the past half-year, Section officer Tom Ann Casey has worked with an outside consultant, Doug Briggs, to develop a Web site for the Section. The result of their efforts is both informative and attractive. The site is intended to update Section members and others on current petroleum activities in the Rocky Mountain region and serve as a forum for exchange of information. Additionally, there is a light-hearted section where members and affiliated societies can post photographs of recent events, outcrops, and glorious Rocky Mountain scenery.
Rocky Mountain Section – AAPG Foundation
The Rocky Mountain Section AAPG Foundation is run by a board of dedicated volunteers whose mission is to provide financial support through grants and gifts to geological societies, schools, colleges and organizations promoting the geologic sciences. In FY 2006–2007 the Foundation made 12 Grants-in-Aid totaling $18,100. The Rocky Mountain Section periodically transfers funds to the Foundation to further its good works.
Teacher of the Year
The Section sponsors an annual Earth Science Teacher of the Year (TOTY) competition to honor outstanding earth science educators in our secondary schools. The Section encourages participation and solicits nominees from all of our eleven affiliated societies. Our 2006–2007 TOTY, nominated by the Utah Geological Association, is Candace Penrod, an enthusiastic eighth grade science teacher at the Hillside Middle School in Salt Lake City. She will receive her cash award at the 2007 RMS convention in Snowbird in October. Information about Candace and her teaching methods can be found on the Rocky Mountain Section Web site.