American Oil and Gas Reporter - June 2014 - 169

ConventionCoverage: Texas Alliance of Energy Producers
that shut the expansion down completely.
These other things are serious issues, but
this one could put you out of business."
Scholarships
For the first time, the Texas Alliance
presented two scholarships at its annual
convention:
* Gregg Mrotzek, a junior at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin,
received the Joseph King McMahon Petroleum Engineering Scholarship. The
award was established in 2006 by the
family of Joseph King McMahon. In addition to carrying a full academic load
majoring in petroleum engineering with
a minor in geology, Mrotzek works full
time for Capstar Drilling Co.
* Elizabeth Ferguson was the recipient
of the first scholarship from the Benzol
Group of Edmond, Ok. The scholarship
is dedicated to students in the oil and gas
production technology program at North
Central Texas College in Bowie, Tx.
The Expo, held inside and outside the
Clymer Exhibit Hall in Wichita Fall's
Multi-Purpose Event Center, attracted
more than 350 exhibitors.
Board Action
During the Alliance Board of Directors
meeting that closed the annual event, directors approved a series of measures,
including working with the Texas Railroad
Commission to implement current regulations regarding flaring.
Tinterra told the board the Alliance
took action when it heard the RRC was
considering issuing new flaring regulations
that were going to be tighter and more
restrictive. "The Alliance made a significant effort to talk to the people that make
those decisions about flaring, and instead
it was an effort to take the rule the commission had, and make sure it was being
enforced, rather than changing the rule,"
he said.
The Board of Directors also approved
a measure creating the position of chairman emeritus. Alliance Chairman George
Rogers, president of Bettis, Boyle &
Stovall Inc., who assumed the leadership
position at the Wichita Falls meeting,
told the board he envisioned the emeritus
post as one to be filled when the chairman
decided he had a specific task to be undertaken. The voluntary, nonpaying post
will serve at the pleasure of the chairman.
He asked the board to change Article 3
of the association's bylaws to add the
position. After the board approved the

measure, he announced the appointment
of outgoing Chairman Townes G. Pressler.
Rogers announced he was changing
the position of vice chairman. He pointed
out the Alliance always has had a vice
chairman, but the position always became
vacant when he moved into the chairmanship. Rogers added because there
was no change to the Alliance bylaws,
no action by the board was required, just
the selection of a nominating committee,
which he said would take place in the
near future.
"The chairmanship of the Alliance has
become a really big job," he allowed. "A
vice chairman could go to a lot of meetings, whether it is in Washington or
Austin, and represent our organization
when I can't be there."
The board did approve a change in
the bylaws to add the position of secretary.
Rogers pointed out most companies had
such a person responsible for keeping
accurate records of all meetings and activities. Previously, he said the association
president had been handling those responsibilities.
Alliance President Alex Mills added
that the association had voted to elect Jo
Ann Baker as Alliance secretary of the
past meeting, but needed a change in bylaws to make the position official.

The Board debated a proposal to begin
endorsing political candidates, after receiving one request in this election cycle.
Members declined any such move, pointing out the Alliance had to work with
elected officials from all political parties,
and making a public endorsement would
eliminate much of the association's bipartisan efforts.
Leadership Change
As he gave up the position of Alliance
chairman, Pressler reflected that the past
two years had been an incredible experience for him, saying, "It has opened new
vistas to me, vistas that I did not know
existed."
Looking at the Alliance's mission
statement, Pressler said it meant more
than the association working to develop
a good working climate for independent
oil and gas producers.
"We are about freedom, about preserving our capitalistic system, about
controlling government and reversing
creeping socialism," he asserted. "These
are the things that stand in the way of
having a robust and dynamic economic
environment in which to conduct our
business. What the Alliance means to me
is trying to preserve our values and economic environment for our membership
here in Texas."

Benzol Environmental Services President Sabih Kalidy (right) and Vice President Billy
Nichols (left) present a scholarship to Elizabeth Ferguson, a student at North Central
Texas College, during the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers' annual meeting, held
April 22-23 in Wichita Falls, Tx. Established in 2014 by the Benzol Group, the scholarship
aids students enrolled in the oil and gas production technology program at the college.
In a second ceremony, the Joseph King McMahon Scholarship was presented to Gregg
Mrotzek, a student at the University of Texas at the Permian Basin. Mrotzek could not
attend, but a video was shown with Gretchen Davis, a daughter of Joseph McMahon,
presenting him the scholarship on the UTPB campus.

JUNE 2014 169

American Oil and Gas Reporter - June 2014

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