I remember well when I joined the AAPG. I had been a floundering dual-degree undergraduate, spent a little time in the U.S. Navy, just started grad school at Vanderbilt and became a graduate research assistant on a corporate-sponsored program looking at the Mississippian in the Illinois Basin. I went to the ACE in Dallas at the suggestion of our corporate sponsor. It was a fresh world for me with a sense of newly discovered intellectual belonging. My wife and I discussed and adjusted our budget for several weeks to come up with the $40 necessary to join the AAPG in 1984. For me, I had found a body of like-minded, professional scientists who studied the earth I so loved. The beginning of my professional, research, academic, management and leadership career began with me joining the AAPG.

I have several key strengths to offer the AAPG. First, I have a very broad experience base that touches all futures for the AAPG. I have experience as a production and exploration geologist and fully understand the science and technology, agony and ecstasy of the search.

Second, I have considerable practical and research experience in energy, environmental and engineered earth sciences ranging from coal, underground storage and rare-earth elements to managing the research support to major national programs in CO2 sequestration, storage risk assessment, deep borehole nuclear storage, nuclear cleanup, ultra-high pressure/high temperature deep earth reservoirs, and much more. I have a growing and abiding experience in space sciences, lunar and Martian geology and astrogeology research. All of these are in the future mix for the AAPG.

Finally, I have considerable experience in leading national and international programs, projects, teams and people, all unified in globally meaningful scientific and forward-looking goals that support the strategic aims of the AAPG. I have the business and management skills necessary for the success of the AAPG. Importantly, this has always been with joint commercial, academic and governmental programs and teams.

For me, to serve and to lead are synonymous. The AAPG continues to serve as a global leader in the geologic understanding of our planet in petroleum, but also in energy mineral resources, advanced environmental knowledge, stewardship and sustainability, and a growing role in adapting our skills to advanced earth engineering. Our highly trained and skilled membership has a growing voice in educating and advising international leaders in technologically advanced energy production in an environmentally friendly process. Additionally, our unique understanding of the complex nature of the surface and crust of the earth supports important global development in areas of water resources, environmental risk assessment, sustainable development and global hazard safety.

More importantly, I believe that the scientific thought processes and philosophies that are taught, learned and are common within our AAPG membership are highly valuable for a reasonable approach to our mutual global future. The AAPG has added value to our past, adds value to our present and will add new vale to our future.

After 40 years of progressive and amazing work, I have developed an appreciation for the Greek philosopher Heraclitus. I am particularly fond of two of his statements:

“Nothing is permanent except change.”

“Those who wish to know about the world must learn about it in its particular details.”

For me, these two statements are the sum of human philosophy and global science we in the AAPG experience every day, every minute. Personal service, organizational leadership and a combined success are why I am willing to serve.

Humans will always need fundamental geoscience knowledge on Earth and any other place we go. The AAPG is critical to that knowledge and to our human success!