At the IMAGE conference in Houston, held in August 2026, the newly appointed President of AAPG, John Casiano, spoke on his plans for his term at the helm of the organization. Here are some key takeaways from his vision and intention.

The vision: Casiano plans to make AAPG more relevant, forward-looking, and focused on developing the next generation of geoscience leaders.

Key Strategies

1. Hone in on strengths—and accelerate.
AAPG’s core strength is geoscience: questioning assumptions, following the evidence, advancing technical knowledge, and turning ideas into discoveries. The goal is to lean into that identity rather than getting distracted by political or industry cycles.

2. Make ideas AAPG’s greatest resource.
Casiano believes: “We run out of oil when we run out of ideas.” AAPG should be the place where ideas are shared, challenged, developed, and put into practice. Ideas are renewable and contagious.

3. Grow the organization.
AAPG needs more talented geoscientists, particularly as the world demands expertise in oil and gas, critical minerals, geothermal, hydrogen, storage, and water. The organization should actively welcome new members and demonstrate the value of belonging.

4. Invest heavily in the next generation.
A major priority is developing future technical experts and leaders through:

  • Mentoring students
  • Supporting young professionals
  • Creating opportunities to build technical expertise
  • Encouraging leadership development
  • Connecting people across countries and generations

5. Reinvigorate volunteerism.
AAPG has been built, grown, and continually fostered by members who volunteer their time and expertise. AAPG needs to restore that spirit by getting members actively involved in committees, meetings, papers, field courses, mentoring, and other activities that strengthen the profession.

6. Protect high standards.
AAPG should remain an organization defined by technical excellence, ethics, professionalism, and trust. High standards aren’t about exclusivity; they’re about maintaining credibility and leadership in the geoscience community.

7. Make AAPG a global platform for collaboration.
AAPG should connect geoscientists globally to exchange ideas, expertise, technology, and professional standards. The goal is to help people and countries turn geological potential into real opportunity.

Leadership philosophy:

  • Steady through the cycles. Bold about the future.
  • Casiano says AAPG shouldn’t chase commodity prices, politics, or prevailing narratives. It should stay focused on its enduring mission: advancing geoscience and the people who practice it.

Bottom line:

  • Casiano’s plan is essentially to rebuild momentum around AAPG’s core strengths: ideas, people, technical excellence, volunteerism, and leadership development.
  • The objective isn’t simply to preserve AAPG’s legacy. It’s to make AAPG the organization that prepares the next generation to create the next chapter of that legacy.

You can hear Casiano’s full speech here.