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AAPG Explorer AS SEEN IN THE SEPTEMBER 2001 ISSUE
Ballots will be mailed in the spring.
Results will be posted May 15, 2002.

Officer Candidates:

President-Elect 2002-03
Editor's note: Candidates for AAPG office have been given the opportunity to respond briefly to the subject: "Why I Accepted the Invitation to be a Candidate for AAPG Office." Their responses - and brief biographical information on each candidate - will be published in the EXPLORER for three issues. Responses also will be available through the election on the AAPG Web site.

Here are the responses from president-elect candidates Susan M. Landon and Stephen A Sonnenberg. Candidates were asked to limit their responses to 500 words.

Candidates:
  President-Elect
Vice President
Treasurer
Candidate Election Rules

Susan M. Landon, a candidate for president-elect of AAPG, is a Denver independent geologist affiliated with Thomasson Partner Associates.

A native of Mattoon, Ill., she received a bachelor's degree in geology from Knox College and a master's from State University of New York at Binghamton.

Landon's professional career began with Amoco Production in Denver and later in Houston as exploration training manager. She has been an independent and consultant in Denver since 1990.

A member of AAPG since 1975, Landon is a Certified Petroleum Geologist.

A member of the House of Delegates since 1995, she also has served terms in 1979-82 (RMAG) and 1988-93 (Houston). She has served on the Group Insurance Committee since 1994, serving as vice chair in 2000-01. Landon has been in the Visiting Geologists Program since 1980, serving as chairman in 1985-86.

She has served on the Distinguished Lecture, Membership, Public Information and the Headquarters Management committees. She also was a member of the Select Committee on the Future of Petroleum Geologists in 1985-86, and was on the AAPG Advisory Council from 1991-92.

She was elected AAPG treasurer for 1994-96.

AAPG awards include Honorary Membership, the Distinguished Service Award and the Certificate of Merit.

Landon was editor of AAPG Memoir 59, Interior Rift Basins, published in 1994, and has published articles and given presentations and seminars, including a course in petroleum geology for non-technical persons for AAPG.

Affiliated society activities include serving as 2001 president of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists, and the Houston Geological Society.

Other professional activities include serving as president of the American Institute of Professional Geologists in 1990 and as president of the American Geological Institute in 1999. She is receiving the AIPG Ben H. Parker Memorial Medal for 2001. She is chairman of the Committee on Earth Resources at the National Research Council and served on the Colorado Geological Survey Advisory Committee from 1992-97.

Stephen A. Sonnenberg, a candidate for president-elect of AAPG, is exploration manager for North American Resources, a Pan Canadian company, in Denver.

A native of Billings, Mont., Sonnenberg received bachelor's and master's degrees in geology from Texas A&M University, and his doctorate from the Colorado School of Mines in Golden.

Sonnenberg began his career with Gulf Oil in Oklahoma City and was a teaching and research assistant at Texas A&M before joining Exxon USA as exploration and development geologist. He was a research assistant at Colorado School of Mines and later became exploration geologist for Bass Enterprises in Denver from 1981-90 before becoming an independent consultant in 1991.

Sonnenberg joined North American Resources in 1997.

A member of AAPG since 1975, Sonnenberg is a Certified Petroleum Geologist and served as president of the Division of Professional Affairs in 1998-99.

He also served as DPA vice president in 1990-91, on the DPA Advisory Board from 1987-90 and on the DPA Continuing Education Committee, serving as chairman from 1994-97. He received the DPA Distinguished Service Award in 2001.

A member of the AAPG House of Delegates since 1998, he also served House terms in 1983-86, 1989-91 and 1991-95. As a House member, Sonnenberg served on the Rules and Procedures, Constitution and Bylaws, Resolutions and Credentials committees.

He was elected AAPG vice president 1995-96.

Sonnenberg also has served on the following AAPG committees: Education, Geologic Computing, Marine Geology, Reservoir Development, Treatise of Petroleum Geology, Sample Preservation, Finance and Budget Review, Mentoring (chairman), Ethics (chairman) and Convention Coordination (chairman). He served as general chairman of the 2001 annual meeting in Denver.

A member of the Advisory Council in 1997-99, Sonnenberg is an AAPG Foundation Trustee Associate.

He received the AAPG Distinguished Service Award in 1999, and has received the Certificate of Merit and Certificate of Appreciation.

Active in the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists, he served as president in 1991. He also served as president of the Rocky Mountain Section of AAPG in 1994.

Other affiliated society memberships include the Society of Independent Professional Earth Scientists, Wyoming Geologic Society, Geologic Society of America, Houston Geologic Society, Colorado Scientific Society, Oklahoma Geologic Society and the American Institute of Professional Geologists.

Why I Accepted the Invitation To Be a Candidate For AAPG Office

By SUSAN M. LANDON

As I considered whether or not to allow my name to be submitted as a potential AAPG officer candidate, I thought about the reasons to say yes (and to say no).

There are many reasons, both pragmatic and idealistic, to serve our profession.

Pragmatically, I believe that volunteer activities have been good for my career. I gained valuable management experience and dramatically expanded my professional network beyond what my job with a major company would have provided. As my mother was fond of saying, "It's not just what you know, it's who you know!" When I made the transition from the relatively "safe" home that Amoco provided to being a consultant, it was the people that I had met in my outside activities that helped make my new career possible.

During my career, I have had challenging projects that involved interesting geology. I have had the opportunity to conduct helicopter-supported fieldwork, experience field seminars, take educational courses and attend conventions. Ironically, while I was a graduate student, I thought that I did not want a career in petroleum because my perception was that it was boring. I have learned that it is NOT boring, but that the thrill of exploration and discovery is incredibly exhilarating.

Idealistically, I would like to be able to give something back to my profession. The courses, seminars and conventions were generally the hard work of many volunteers, and I believe it is important to be one of those volunteers. I had mentors who helped make many of the opportunities during my career possible. I now enjoy being a mentor to others.

My experience in service began as charter member and president of my high school science club. Therefore, I had no doubt in my mind when I joined RMAG and AAPG that I would volunteer. My first responsibility at RMAG was to manage the projectors at the luncheons -- a thankless job but someone had to do it. As my career has developed, so has my ability to contribute to our profession.

There are goals that I would like to see achieved by AAPG. My experience on AAPG committees and as treasurer has provided me with an understanding of how AAPG "works." I would like to use that experience to continue a trend of fiscal responsibility while increasing appropriate services to the membership. Although it is easier to lead the organization during good times, we must continue to look forward to future cycles in our industry. Fiscal health will allow the Association to continue to provide the membership with the latest concepts of petroleum geology and leading edge technology through meetings, courses and publications. Dissemination of accurate information about our industry is also important, and I have a particular interest in public outreach and education. Our industry would benefit from an educated population that understands the basics of energy.

Although AAPG would be well served by each of the candidates, I look forward to the opportunity to continue to serve the membership of AAPG.

Why I Accepted the Invitation To Be a Candidate For AAPG Office

By STEPHEN A. SONNENBERG

Being a candidate for president-elect of AAPG is a tremendous honor. I accept this honor with humility, and if elected will do my best to ensure that AAPG moves into the 21st century with proper insight, plans and vision. I believe I have the necessary experience, background and knowledge to be president, and I look forward to the opportunity to lead the organization.

The foundation of AAPG lies in its scientific excellence and member services. These make AAPG the premier geologic organization. Our scientific excellence is illustrated by the dissemination of scientific and technical information through a myriad of publications, seminars, field trips and conventions. The current member services advance the well-being of members and provide professional support for members. These services greatly exceed those of any other scientific organization. AAPG has the opportunity to continually improve its services to meet changing conditions and needs of its diverse members.

The future will require a greater education of the public about the importance of geology as it pertains to petroleum, natural gas, other subsurface fluids and mineral resources. The needs of an energy-hungry world will increase with increasing population. To achieve and maintain a high standard of living requires that energy resources be developed.

In addition, energy companies need less government regulation and easier land access to meet future energy demands. Conflicts between population growth (e.g., urbanization) and oil and gas development will also increase in the future. Strong attention needs to be given to the promotion of using advanced technologies to develop these resources in an environmentally sound manner in order to mitigate these conflicts.

One of our greatest challenges is to enhance and improve the image of petroleum geologists. Geologists must be willing to get involved in public affairs and articulate their views. This improves the overall image and enhances the profession. They also need to be willing to continually upgrade their credentials to maintain credibility. In addition, geologists must embrace high standards of professional conduct.

The Divisions of AAPG offer members additional opportunities and benefits. The certification programs of DPA provide the public with means to recognize adequately trained and professionally responsible members. EMD offers members information on energy resources other than traditional oil and gas. DEG promotes environmental awareness and provides a scientific voice in this arena.

All the Divisions are extremely important, and I encourage AAPG members to consider becoming members of them.

AAPG's membership is diverse. Attention must be given to the good of the whole and not specialty groups when formulating position papers and policies. The position papers adopted by AAPG to date are excellent and represent the interests of the majority of the members. The proactive stance taken by AAPG in recent years must continue.

Students are the future members and leaders of AAPG. To ensure this future, we need strong programs to support, nurture and cultivate these students. Our student chapter and mentoring programs are expanding and need member support.

I have been extremely active in AAPG and its affiliated societies. I have participated in all levels of AAPG governance: Advisory Council (three years); House of Delegates (five terms); president of a Division (DPA); Executive Committee (vice president); and numerous committees. In addition, I have served as president of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists and the Rocky Mountain Section of AAPG. My most recent activity was being general chairman of the 2001 AAPG annual meeting in Denver. Each of these experiences -- along with a lot of other professional society work -- has added to my knowledge base as to how to run scientific organizations effectively and efficiently.

There are many opportunities and challenges for AAPG in the future. I welcome the chance to be part of the future, and thank you for your consideration.

AS SEEN IN THE SEPTEMBER 2001 ISSUE
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