American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2015 - 121

ConventionSection: Colorado Oil & Gas Association
Serve as a National Model for Bipartisan
Energy Leadership?" panel with U.S. Senators Michael Bennet, D-Co., and Cory
Gardner, R-Co., moderated by Politico's
senior congressional reporter, Manu Raju;
* The three "midstream-to-market"
panels, covering oil, gas, and natural gas
liquids on Aug. 25, 26, and 27, respectively; and
* The second annual "Emerging Technologies Half-Day" exposition, a "shark
tank"-like event with 10 companies presenting their newest technologies.
She adds that there are several keynote
speakers and diverse session topics, but
clarifies that the association is excited to
host Governor Hickenlooper, who will
give his opening remarks during the Aug.
27 luncheon.
Landry emphasizes that the summit is
unique in that it hosts speaker "meet and
greets" to give attendees plenty of time
with energy leaders. "So often, speakers
come in, give their presentations, and
then leave to catch their planes," she
comments. "We want to facilitate opportunities for attendees to continue that dialogue with the speakers, and meet these
industry leaders."

Answering Questions
Ultimately, Landry says, COGA hopes
the summit will provide members and
attendees with answers to some of the
industry's bigger questions. "What is
going on at the core of the industry?"
Landry lists. "What is coming in terms
of policy on the local and national levels?
How is midstream and downstream infrastructure changing and evolving to
meet demand?
"We have invited the Rocky Mountains' heavy hitters of industry to give
their deep, but comprehensible perspectives on where the industry is, and where
it could go, depending on present and
possible social, political, and economic
conditions," she continues. "We hope to
provide attendees with high-level conversations about regulations, and be a
leader in the national dialogue on where
the oil and gas industry fits in the global
energy puzzle."
COGA Chairman Alan Harrison, former vice president of drilling operations
at WPX Energy, describes the Rocky
Mountain Energy Summit as "very informative and relevant to the Rockies."
It also showcases every aspect of Col-

orado's oil and natural gas sector, which
he says is creating "more and more
positive impacts on the United States
every day."
"We want attendees to see exactly
how Colorado and the Rocky Mountain
region fit into the nation's energy equation
and to see what we have been able to accomplish because of their hard work and
perseverance," he says.
Harrison adds that he hopes the summit
will attract members of the public, as
well as area politicians to see the industry's
latest innovations, and how energy leaders
expect the industry to change in the
coming years.
"Denver is the epicenter for the Rockies," he affirms. "There are tremendous
basins in Colorado, and they tend to be a
great proving ground for new technologies.
This state has prolific resource plays in
the technological forefront, and that is
what we are showcasing at the summit.
"Denver is a great city, and full of innovations, big and small," Harrison continues. "It is a great place for a conference,
and I know the COGA staff and I pride
ourselves on putting it together. I hope
that shows when people see it."
❒

COGA Tour Promotes Understanding

DENVER-The Colorado oil and natural gas industry has a great story to tell
of job creation, widespread economic
impact, and environmental conservation.
That is the heart of the message the Colorado Oil & Gas Association wants Coloradans to hear, whether they be for,
against, or neutral to the industry and its
development activities.
Dan Haley, who joined COGA in June
as its president and chief executive officer,
says he is beginning his new outreach
campaign through a statewide tour, in
the hopes that he and other COGA leaders
can spend time listening to various stakeholders' questions, concerns, and ideas.
Before joining COGA, Haley says he
was vice president of communications,
development and strategy at EIS Solutions,
a public affairs firm where he served as a
consultant for numerous corporate and
political clients, including oil and gas interests. Before that, Haley spent more than
20 years in the communications field, including 13 years at The Denver Post including time as the editorial page editor.
"One of my goals is to spend a lot of

time listening to industry stakeholders,
citizens, and state and local elected leaders,"
he reveals. "I really want to talk with
them about the industry. We hope to find
out how oil and gas are impacting their
lives, and how COGA can play a role in
that discussion and their communities."
COGA Chairman Alan Harrison comments that Haley "brings credibility to
the association" because of his journalism
background, and will continue the momentum the association has built over
the past several years.
"Dan is not an industry guy, per se,"
Harrison states. "He didn't grow up in the
industry or work in it, like many COGA
members did. His background is in journalism and public relations. I think that
speaks volumes; he is not an industry member, but he sees the importance of oil and
gas, and its story that needs to be told."
Harrison says that Haley's abilities
and background will help COGA continue
to evolve and become more visible among
the public. "Dan and the COGA staff are
giving people tools and educational resources so as to change perceptions," he

adds. "That is his goal, and that is COGA's
goal."

Hearing Them Out
Haley says COGA's "statewide tour"
started earlier this summer in Weld County,
Co., which is home to the Denver-Julesburg
Basin. "That basin is the heart of Colorado's oil and gas activity," he describes.
"Weld County accounts for more than 80
percent of Colorado's oil production. It
is a very important area for oil and gas in
Colorado, so it is necessary that COGA
maintains good, understanding relationships
with all the communities and stakeholders
in Weld County."
During their visit to Weld County,
Haley comments that he and his staff
met with county commissioners, mayors,
and citizens' groups. After Weld County,
the COGA leaders visited Adams County,
Co., which includes eastern Denver and
beyond. There, he says, they met with
similar local leaders, chambers of commerce, and groups of interested citizens.
"Even in our first two stops, we got to
meet with the whole variety of stakeholders
AUGUST 2015 121

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