Donald D. Clarke

I was surprised to be asked to stand for office. I've been involved with AAPG for many years. I have led many field trips and run conventions. But I have also been to many conventions and attended many field trips. I had always thought of myself as a nuts and bolts kind of geologist. I share what I know and absorb as much geology as possible from my fellow geologists. Yes, I was surprised to be asked. But most of all I was honored to be asked to serve my association. My fellow geologists who nominated me for Chairman of the House of Delegates must have felt that I had more to offer than geology. I will try to not disappoint them. So I hope to share many of my ideas for the future of AAPG. To be a geologist in the energy industry today is truly an international job. AAPG is the best medium through which to share this international wealth of knowledge. In the end it means that I have been one of the voices that was heard. I hope to hear your voice too.

My 8th-grade science class was on Astronomy and Geology. My teacher, Sterling Prior, was a geologist by training. I didn't give a schist about the geology but I did want to go into space. I learned plenty that semester. By the end of the semester I really knew my schist. When I brought rocks home my father said that they were leaverite. Leaverite where you found it. Years later, as a sophomore in college, I took a geology class with Barry Haskell. I aced it and took another geology class from him. The spark was rekindled. I decided to take classes from Dick Casey and Gene Fritsche. I was hooked. My passion for geology is still strong 40 years later.

I have many other interests. Physically, I play volleyball competitively both on the beach and in the gym. I played in USA Volleyball Nationals last year. I ride my mountain bike and hike. I've biked Brian Head and hiked the entire John Muir trail. I collect fossils. I spend a good amount of time doing community outreach. I've visited most of the local schools and I talk about geology to social groups. I love to travel with my daughter, Holly (13), and my wife, Cynthia.

Gerald M. Friedman

Serving as an AAPG officer is, for me, part of my life style. In 1984-85 I served as AAPG Vice President; that year 12,000 graduate students were enrolled in geology and 7,000 degrees were granted. Before that, in 1973, record numbers of students were entering geology in colleges and the earth sciences topped the lists of the best career chances in popular magazines like Time and Newsweek. Earth scientists could write their own ticket to outstanding careers in the petroleum industry. In contrast, in 2000 there were only 5,000 students enrolled and 1,100 degrees granted. Famine replaced feast in the exploration business.

As an officer or Officer Candidate, my plans are to help turn this cycle around. My greatest satisfaction in life is to see young people become successful earth scientists. Geoscientists will be in demand for the foreseeable future as the world seeks to meet its need for energy. Yet we have to improve our approach. As an example, a large geology department recently closed its doors, and other departments try to emulate this shocking approach.

One of the principal tasks of the geologist is to determine the depositional environment in which sediments and rocks are deposited. This task includes field work, which attracted me to geology. As a student and professional geologist I visited all 50 states and 62 countries worldwide. Since my family was a shareholder of a famous large zoo, I became interested in geology at a very young age in connection with the habitat of the animals.

As a teen-ager I became interested in Judo. I studied and taught Judo for many years, especially at the YMCA, where I received awards for "Devoted Service". I rose to be a Third Degree Black Belt. My greatest achievement was to get my brother away from boxing. He rose to be the highest "judoka" in the world who was not Japanese. My other non-geological interest is my lovely wife, Sue, who helps me in the field, manages our computers, and keeps the books. She is also our manager for children and grandchildren.

Ronald L. Grubbs

To be an Officer Candidate means a chance to help shape a more balanced, more service-oriented, and fairer society for my profession. I have been working overseas projects for the last ten years or so, and I value highly our foreign members, but we must remember that we are the American APG and keep our attention and focus on our primary constituency.

As a kid, I was always struck with wanderlust and a need for understanding the unseen world. This led to devotions to astronomy, geography, and all the other sciences. As a teenager, I got into backpacking and mountaineering and it was a natural step to tie it all together with geology. When I got my first job offer, I couldn't believe these people were going to pay me to play geology. I continue to enjoy that amazement.

Naturally, my central interest is my young, brilliant, and beautiful spouse of 29 years, my three kids, and my grandkids. I've spent quite a bit of time with Scouting and taught several different merit badges. I still teach outdoor safety classes for the State of Texas. Evelyn and I do a lot of birding, stargazing, and hiking in the warm months. Study of politics and societal trends and playing with machinery take up a lot of my time. One of my kids is finishing a PhD in history and she feeds our thirsts in that broad subject. I still get to do a lot of travel, which I still love, and that helps with the wanderlust itch. I'll admit to shades of maturity, on occasion, but the wide-eyed kid still runs the show.

Carroll L. Kinney

I have served my local society since 1979 in capacities ranging from Reservations Chairman to President. The contacts and friends that I have gained have been beyond value, but there is a certain joy to doing volunteer work that goes beyond the professional gains. Having been a delegate for many years, I would like to further my commitment to AAPG. I consider it a privilege to be nominated for a House Office and would apply my experience in the House and with my local society to further the goals of the House in the coming year.

My father was a hobbyist in "rock collecting" and owned a shop for a time.

He was a member of the local mineral society that I joined as a junior member at age ten. I continued the hobby through high school, winning a Science Fair Award from the Oklahoma City Geological Society in junior high. I never considered any other major in college, but didn't intend to enter the oil industry. Wanting to stay closer to my mineral interests, I worked uranium exploration for five years before changing to oil and gas.

I enjoy doing many kinds of needlework and reading English mystery novels. I volunteer for several organizations including my church, the St. Patrick's Day Parade, Friends of the OKC Library, and I try to use the skills that I gained from helping my mother, to aide the handicapped whenever I can. Although I do not play myself, I oversee golf tournaments for several organizations.