I have stood for office several times within AAPG, and every time my baseline reason has been my desire to “give back” to an organization that has served me so well since my days as an undergraduate geology major. My professors all encouraged us to join AAPG as student members, and I graduated to full membership shortly after beginning my career in the petroleum industry in 1982.

The networking opportunities that go along with attending conferences at the sectional and national level, in judging presentations and posters, in planning conferences – all of these have connected me to my career even when I transitioned to teaching geology and environmental science in 1999. I established AAPG student chapters at two universities, bringing new students “into the fold.” As VP of Sections I would encourage Sections and their member societies to engage with active student chapters, and to identify opportunities to revive dormant chapters and establish new ones.

When my name was submitted for consideration for vice president of Sections, I felt both humbled and proud. Now that I am a nominee, I feel inspired and eager to serve. I have lived and worked in four AAPG Sections, and I realize that all Sections have their own perspectives, history and diversity of member societies. During this time – when not only our industry but also our organizations are facing changes and challenges – drawing on the strength, experience and wisdom of our Sections’ leadership is critical. The committees in each Section, and the groups like the Young Professionals, will also offer important perspectives.

I envision the VP of Sections focusing on identifying ways to support the Sections in sustaining their services to their members and their member societies, as they move in new directions and recruit new members. Sections and member societies are on the frontline for identifying new issues facing the energy industry, diversifying membership into related fields, and providing services to all members.

In particular, I want to work with Sections and member societies in developing accessible messaging that our members feel comfortable and capable of sharing with teachers, students, faculty and community organizations. We need to effectively communicate about the ongoing energy transition in a realistic – and fossil-fuel inclusive – context. We are all community members, and we have something critical to share about how we use energy, and which approaches actually constitute practical and realistic ways to move forward. The general level of ignorance about this is appalling. I believe this to be a primary challenge for our organization at this time. We have the resources to bring this information to our communities, including our elected officials. We just need to make it available in easily presentable, flexible formats. I’ve been learning from the transition experts, honing my message, and delivering it to educators and students at multiple levels for over a decade.

As VP of Sections, I would share what I have learned, including great resources, hard questions and rational answers. I would keep on learning, too, from all of you!