Secretary 2003-05

• 1976 -- Emory University, Atlanta, B.S., geology
• 1977 -- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, M.S., geology

• 1978-present -- West Virginia Geological & Economic Survey, Morgantown, W.Va. (Petroleum Geologist, 1978; Assistant Head, Oil and Gas Section, 1992-97; Head, Oil and Gas Section, 1997-present)
• 1982-present -- West Virginia University, Department of Geology and Geography (Adjunct Assistant Professor, 1982-92; Adjunct Associate Professor, 1992-98; Adjunct Faculty Member, 1998-present)

• Member since 1984; member of EMD
• 1978-1984 -- Co-coordinator, Appalachian Basin, COSUNA (Correlation of Stratigraphic Units of North America) project
• 1982-1989 -- Committee on Statistics of Drilling
• 1997-2003 -- House of Delegates
• 1999-2000 -- HoD Nominations Committee
• 2000-2002 -- HoD Honors and Awards Committee
• 2002-2003 -- HoD secretary-editor
• 2000-2003 -- Youth Education Activities Committee
• 2000-2003 -- Mentoring Committee
• 1999-present -- Faculty Sponsor, West Virginia University Student Chapter

• 1996 -- Technical Program chair, Eastern Section meeting
• 1996-2000 -- Eastern Section Officer
• 2001 -- Eastern Section Nominations Committee chair
• 2002-present -- Eastern Section Honors and Awards Committee
• 1998 -- Logistics and Special Events Coordinator, Southeastern Section Geological Society America Meeting
• Member: Geological Society of America, SEPM, Appalachian Geological Society, Pittsburgh Association of Petroleum Geologists, Pittsburgh Geological Society, Society of Petroleum Engineers

• 1988-1993 -- West Virginia University Chapter Sigma Xi Officer; Member, National Speleological Society

• Eastern Section Distinguished Service Award
• Eastern Section Special President's Award
• Eastern Section Certificate of Merit
• Eastern Section Public Service Award

• 2000-present -- Cheat Lake Environmental and Recreational Alliance (CLEAR) board member

• Authored or co-authored 19 abstracts and 9 papers on unconventional gas resources, reservoir characterization and heterogeneity, fractured reservoirs and bedrock geologic mapping.

• 1973 -- California State University, Northridge, B.S. geology
• 1977 -- University of California, Los Angeles, M.S. geology

• 2001-present -- Geological Advisor, Occidental Oil Co., Bakersfield
• 1999-2000 -- Consulting Geologist; Bakersfield
• 1987-1998 -- Development/EOR Geologist; Chevron USA, Bakersfield
• 1984-1987 -- Stratigrapher, Venezuela Task Force, Chevron Overseas Petroleum.
• 1979-1984 -- Exploration & Production Geologist; Production Geology Supervisor; Gulf Oil Company, Bakersfield.
• 1977-1979 -- Research Geophysicist, UCLA, South Pole, Antarctica.
• 1973-1976 -- Industrial Minerals Geologist, Tenneco Oil Co., Nevada.

• AAPG Certificate of Merit -- 1995 & 1999
• AAPG Distinguished Service Award -- 2001
• Honorary Membership; Pacific Section-AAPG -- 2000

• California Registered Geologist #4868
• AAPG Certified Petroleum Geologist # 5786
• Certified Earth Scientist (SIPES) #2799
• Member: National AAPG, SIPES, GSA, Houston Geological Society, Pacific Section AAPG & SEPM.

• Pacific Section AAPG Foundation -- Secretary and Trustee (1998-2005)
• Pacific Section AAPG -- President/President-elect (1993-95), vice-president (1992-93), secretary (1990-91); Membership Committee chair (1996-2002); Directory Committee chair (1996-2000); Chair, co-chair, or member on numerous Pacific Section AAPG committees, conventions, short courses and other activities.
• San Joaquin Geological Society: President/president-elect (1984-86); vice president (1983-84); Editor, SJGS Selected Papers, Vol. 7.

• Member since 1973; Certified Petroleum Geologist.
• 1991-present -- AAPG House of Delegates member representing the SJGS, (Delegate Chair; 1992-98); Vice-Chairman (1996-97); Member Resolutions Committee (1999-2000); AdHoc Committee on Membership (1997-98); Member Credentials Committee (1995-96); Member Nomination & Election Committee (1993-94; 2001-02, 2002-2003).
• 1997-2000 -- Advisory Council Member; served on a number of Ad Hoc committees and Ethics reviews.
• 1996-present -- Membership Committee; Vice Chair (1998 -- 2000); Chairman (2000 -- present).

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

By KATHARINE LEE AVARY

I consider it an honor to be asked to run for AAPG secretary. I believe that I can contribute to the organization from which I have received so many benefits, and welcome the opportunity to do so.

AAPG has provided me with many resources both tangible and intangible over the last 18 years I have been a member, and before that as a student and early in my working career. The publications, short courses, field trips, meetings, distinguished lecturers, Web site and the digital library are all tangible benefits that I have used. The intangible benefits are the connections I have made over the years with other like-minded people in our international organization.

I have been involved in local societies, AAPG committees, Section meetings, Section offices, the House of Delegates as a delegate, committee member and as secretary-editor, but I think the most rewarding activity for me in recent years has been as a student chapter faculty advisor. Students are the future of our organization and our profession, and I encourage all members to locate a student chapter near you and volunteer or contact a university or college about starting a student chapter near you if there isn't already one in place.

If elected, I intend to do what I can to assist in continuing development of programs for all members, with a particular emphasis on those for students. I believe that AAPG is providing more and more benefits to every member, from undergraduate student members to emeritus members. Access to the digital library is a remarkable asset to all members wherever they are located if they have access to the Internet. I believe communication is the key to any group's success, and I think that an important part of the role of the AAPG secretary is to foster communication among members of the Executive Committee as well as between the Executive Committee and the membership of the AAPG. The increased ability to communicate electronically and reach every corner of the globe rapidly provides tremendous opportunities to all members of AAPG, and I want to continue to use this resource as effectively as possible.

I think my experience as an officer of a Section and the House of Delegates will be beneficial to me if I am elected secretary. As I attend various meetings in the next year, I look forward to expanding my network of AAPG members.

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

By ROBERT L. COUNTRYMAN

Being asked to stand for an AAPG office is obviously a great honor, and one that I deeply appreciate being extended to me. But more than an honor, its an opportunity to give something back to the society and the geological community that is so important to me. It is an opportunity to be part of the long continuum of volunteers that have kept AAPG close to its roots.

I first joined AAPG shortly after attending a Pacific Section AAPG field conference held in the hills overlooking the Coalinga Oil field in 1972. After hiking through the outcrops for two days, I came away extremely impressed with the many oil company geologists I met. Their knowledge, camaraderie, enthusiasm and willingness to share what they knew with a bunch of rookie student geologists really amazed me. This was my first real introduction to AAPG, and it convinced me that I wanted to be a part of this organization.

Because of this experience, I've always felt that one of the principal things AAPG needs to do, at all levels, is to provide these kind of low cost opportunities to geologists everywhere. It is at this one-on-one level that people decide to join and to become "lifetime members" of AAPG. The opportunity to get to know and work with other petroleum geologists is one of the greatest benefits of AAPG membership and also one of the most rewarding.

During my career, I have been very involved in the San Joaquin Geological Society and Pacific Section. I have served as president of both societies, as well as on numerous committees and in many other roles. Over the past decade, I've become more involved with the national AAPG where I have served on the Advisory Council, in the HoD and as membership chairman. I've enjoyed every minute of it and this wide background and experience has educated me in how the AAPG operates while allowing me to get to know many of the people, both staff and volunteers, who make AAPG work.

AAPG, and society in general, is undergoing rapid change -- much of it driven by changes in technology and expectations. While change is generally a good thing, it sometimes creates frictions. The past few years in AAPG have been tumultuous ones with much debate and discourse on what changes to make and which directions to take. I have had the opportunity to be involved in some of these debates, and it has convinced me that, in addition to good ideas, anyone involved in an AAPG leadership position needs to maintain a calm demeanor, a sense of humor, a willingness to listen to and to respect the opinion of others, combined with the ability to negotiate and compromise in order to meet the greatest needs of our membership.

If given the opportunity, I would very much like to continue to apply my experience and personal skills toward finding the solution for the problems that will face the Executive Committee in the coming years.