As this year draws to a close, I find myself reflecting not only on organizational challenges we’ve faced, but also on the tremendous contributions AAPG members and volunteers have made across our organization. As president I want to say thank you to all our members and staff.
Change is inevitable. In moments of uncertainty, our shared commitment to collaboration and innovation is the cornerstone of new opportunities and shared progress. This seems to be particularly true in our industry, and industry cycles appear to be on a higher frequency as we move forward.
While the “energy transition” dialogue has dominated the headlines and boardroom discussions for the past four to five years, the shape and direction of the transition has pivoted as people “doing the math” have finally received their voice and have been able to provide a balanced scientific analysis. Energy density matters and that is correlative with energy cost.
I hope we can move away from the framing of “good” and “bad” energy sources and instead start focusing on how we can provide inexpensive and reliable energy to the world. I know many of us think about energy in terms of “barrels of oil” or “millions of cubic feet” as a metric – that is the nature of our industry. However, it is apparent to me that, as an industry, we need to talk about energy on a broader scale. I agree with Energy Secretary Chris Wright that, “Energy is not part of the economy, energy is the economy!”
The Journey
I recently met with the AAPG Student Chapter at the Colorado School of Mines. It was an informal discussion – they didn’t need to hear another technical talk. I found a group of intelligent, motivated and engaged students with a desire to make a difference and looking for guidance and advice – the same as I had been in the 1990s when I was a graduate student.
University students want to make an impact on a personal, professional and societal level and are looking for ways to make a difference in society and the world. I encouraged them with some sage career advice from Yogi Berra: “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” That is, a geoscience career is not a path; it’s a journey and, as Jean de la Fontaine realized, we often find ourselves and what we believe to be most important at the end of the journey, not the start. It is not so much about the goal, it’s the process that matters. I try to remind myself of this when things seem to be happening at a glacial or hyper-sonic pace!
AAPG’s ‘Transition’
The industry is shifting quickly, and AAPG is shifting along with it. What encouraged me at Mines is that while the landscape changes, the core spirit of curiosity and drive remains unchanged. Students have access to a world of information at internet speed, research is accelerated, but so is the volume that must be digested. The inquisitive mind combined with AI-enhanced search engines are agents of change that positions us for the future.
AAPG is currently in transition. We are having to adjust to the realities of the changes in our industry and new opportunities in delivering new forms of energy to society. I also have sensed an underlying tide of uncertainty in our industry’s future. This is not new to any generation; it is really a fact of being alive. The lyrics of a song by David Wilcox read, ”The only thing for certain is that nothing stays the same.” As geoscientist we know this intuitively; it’s just that we view it on a longer time scale..
As an organization we are going to make changes. The Executive Committee is focused on delivering better and more useful member benefits to the organization. In the short-term, we will upgrade our systems and “engine room” in a manner that will put the customer first. We intend to remove many of the barriers members encounter in doing simple tasks (for example, paying annual dues, auto renewal on subscriptions and memberships) and provide new avenues for our members to access AAPG digital content easily.
We are already seeing early wins. The House of Delegates continues calling lapsed members to encourage renewals, and staff are preparing a “Give the Gift of Membership” campaign for the holiday season. These are early signals of the customer-first mindset we are building. You will also see changes coming to the EXPLORER as we transition it into a more digital-first experience, allowing us to deliver content more quickly and in more flexible formats. The Bulletin is improving every month; we are working on shortening time to publication. I encourage all our members to share their research.
The Executive Committee, along with the IMAGE Oversight Committee, is exploring new ways to improve the annual IMAGE meeting. This includes creating more opportunities for attendees to focus on key areas of interest and engage directly with speakers and authors. We will also look to move the dates from August in Houston starting in 2028, which is something many members have voiced clearly.
While much is changing across our industry, the qualities I saw in the Mines students – such as curiosity, resilience and a desire to contribute are the same qualities that have always defined AAPG. As always, I am open to hearing from members regarding their ideas and suggestions to make AAPG more relevant and provide the best possible product for our members.