The opening chapter of a book holds such promise. The expectation – the hope – is that you’re about to experience something new. In some cases, it’s for fun and adventure. In others, it’s to learn and grow. Put yourself in the hands of a skillful author and the opening chapter is the beginning to a journey of discovery.
And it’s been quite a journey for AAPG this year. As we turn the page on FY2021, there is the recent announcement that AAPG and the Society of Petroleum Engineers are exploring the benefits and opportunities of merging to create a new organization focused on meeting the needs of energy professionals in the coming decades. This leads each of us to ask, “What happens next?”
We will spend the next six months developing and refining the proposal – taking the concept and actually doing the hard work to assess what a new organization would look like, both in terms of programs and services, value to members, and governance – and presenting that to the respective governing bodies of AAPG and SPE.
Our goal over the next six months is to engage with you, our members, our broader stakeholder community, and the organizations whose financial support enables us to serve you and achieve our mission, and to demonstrate how this bold move benefits our members and profession.
In-Person Events
But that isn’t the only task on which we’ll be focused. In fact, as we turn the page on the pandemic, our staff team is preparing for the resumption of in-person events.
First up, from July 26-28, is the Unconventional Resources Technology Conference, a cooperative effort by AAPG, SPE and the Society of Exploration Geophysicists. URTeC is the integrated event for unconventional resource teams and we’ll be gathering in-person in Houston at the George R. Brown Convention Center. We will also be offering online access to the conference.
We will kick off with an opening plenary session featuring Vicki Hollub, president and CEO of Occidental, Bob Bracket, senior vice president and senior research analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein, Scott Tinker, director of the Texas Bureau of Economic Geology, Texas State Geologist and AAPG past-president, and Jeremy Sweek, co-founder and managing partner of Darcy Partners.
The opening session will be followed by three days of technical sessions, luncheons with special speakers, an exhibition full of technology and services, and numerous networking opportunities to meet with your fellow industry professionals. We’ve even got pre- and post-event short courses for you to attend.
Then, get ready, in September we are working with SEG to launch the International Meeting for Applied Geoscience and Energy – IMAGE. This is the new joint annual meeting for AAPG and SEG, and from Sept. 26 to Oct. 1, we’re headed to the Mile High City for this inaugural event.
Details are still shaping up, but from short courses and field trips, to technical sessions and special plenaries, and much, much more, we’re committed to delivering an unparalleled convention and exhibition experience. We’ll be offering this event both in-person and online, so whether you are able to join us in Denver or will be connecting online, we look forward to seeing you!
For both URTeC and IMAGE we are working closely with local authorities to assure that we are complying with CDC and local health authority guidelines and industry recommendations. Your health and safety are our top priority.
Thanks to the Outgoing EC, Welcoming the New EC
With the beginning of a new fiscal year, we welcome new officers to the AAPG Executive Committee and say goodbye to those officers departing.
When Rick Fritz was named president-elect it was the first time in AAPG’s history that a past executive director was tapped to serve as president. How fortuitous that was, as we’ve dealt with both the effects of the pandemic and the resulting strategic conversations within the Executive Committee and with SPE and SEG. We’ve all benefited from his deep knowledge of the Association – its business realities and inner workings – as we’ve navigated a tough situation. Rick, thank you for your leadership and support.
I’ve sincerely enjoyed working with Stephanie Nwoko, our outgoing secretary, as she provided me with input and feedback on the operations of AAPG and we worked together to address those issues. She also had the task of documenting the discussions of each EC meeting – and there were a lot. Thank you, Stephanie, for your service.
This was the second time that Bob Shoup, our outgoing vice president of regions, served on the Executive Committee during my tenure as executive director, and he has continued to provide wise counsel as we’ve navigated the past two years and I specifically want to thank him for his work to assure professional conduct among our members remains a hallmark of our Association.
Similarly, this was Steve Brachman’s second tour on the Executive Committee over the past decade, this time as chair of the House of Delegates. Picking up where John Kaldi left off, Steve has navigated another challenging year of remote work for the House. Personally, I have benefited greatly from Steve’s business acumen and strategic perspective – whenever we talk he helps me see the forest, not just the trees.
I’m excited to welcome Jonathan Allen (secretary), Elvira Gomez (vice president-regions) and Kristie Ferguson (HoD chair) to the Executive Committee. They’ll be serving alongside Linda Sternbach (vice president-sections), Denise Stone (treasurer) and Bob Merrill (editor) as Gretchen Gillis takes the helm as president.
AAPG’s story continues, friends. It’s time to turn the page; a new chapter begins.