Being connected is a necessary human condition; being connected and being challenged is necessary for growth. Being connected, challenged and held accountable while at the same time finding ways to create lifelong friendships is something truly unique and thus, worth finding ways to share.

I have found that the AAPG has, as a professional association, connected me to more outstandingly knowledgeable people then I could ever have found on my own – and once these connections were made, these same individuals could review my work, question my research, challenge my assumptions and, in the process, make me a much better geoscientist. When I have allowed myself to be challenged by some of the brightest minds in the world, I have found I have opened myself up to wonderful friendships and become better for it as a person.

Yet every one of us has seen the data and knows the trends of both decreasing membership and sponsorships in AAPG. There is not one single reason driving these trends, but the AAPG that I joined when I was in college and the industry that hired me when I left university is not the same as it was; nor should it be. The world has changed and is still changing – thus, for any organization to stay relevant, there are parts of it that must change as well. The key is knowing what are things that must change and what are the parts that are foundational.

AAPG will continue to be relevant if it stays true to the purposes as spelled out in its Constitution:

“The purposes of this Association are to advance the science of geology, especially as it relates to petroleum, natural gas, other subsurface fluids, and mineral resources; to promote the technology of exploring for, finding and producing these materials in an economically and environmentally sound manner; to foster the spirit of scientific research throughout its membership; to disseminate information relating to the geology and the associated technology of petroleum, natural gas, other subsurface fluids, and mineral resources; to inspire and maintain a high standard of professional conduct on the part of its members; to provide the public with means to recognize adequately trained and professionally responsible geologists; and to advance the professional well-being of its members.”

Over my career I have had to adapt to change, from salt domes to shale gas and now to helium, hydrogen and carbon capture and storage. I have learned that, in this special association, we are uniquely trained and skilled for the characterization of pores in sedimentary strata and how fluids (liquid or gas) move through them. These skills apply to hydrocarbons, helium, carbon dioxide, water, lithium brines and any number of other fluids.

We, the AAPG, need to promote this message across the academic community as we combine the science, the technology and the economics. We, the AAPG, need to promote the message to businesses that it is in their best interest to have certified, well-trained geoscientists who have large networks with deep connections to help unravel the next level complex problems that will arise. We need to build our Association during which hydrocarbons will still play a major role and our skills will still be needed – but so will our skills be needed in so many other areas.

And it is not just our individual skills but also our collective abilities, for we accomplish much more together than as individuals, and what we do is critical for the well-being of society. Therefore, it is incumbent on us to do this in the most professional manner possible.

To me that means finding ways to return our Association to a sound financial status in order that it can better support our membership in both its scientific and professional endeavors.