Untitled - American Association of Professional Landmen

Pamela D. Feist, CPL
David W. Miller, CPL
Jeff Niemeyer, CPL
Midland, TX
Jackson, MS
Denver, CO
President
First Vice President
Second Vice President
Trinidad M.
Hernandez, CPL
San Antonio, TX
Third Vice President
W. Russell Shaw, CPL
Oklahoma City, OK
Secretary
James “Jim” R.
Bourbeau, CPL
Conneaut Lake, PA
Treasurer
2016-2017
AAPL Officer Nominations
A Review of the Nomination Process
The nomination process for AAPL’s officers is achieved through the nominating subcommittee chaired by an AAPL former president who
is appointed by the current AAPL president. The chairman of the nominating subcommittee names representatives from the 10 AAPL regions
to serve on the committee. Only the chairman is known, and all other committee members are kept confidential.
Chairman for the 2016-2017 nominating process was M. Don Key, CPL, Oklahoma City, OK.
The proposed slate of officers was submitted by the nominating subcommittee and approved by the AAPL board of directors at its March
meeting held in Tucson, Ariz.
In compliance with the AAPL Bylaws, a ballot was distributed to every Active AAPL member with a deadline of May 18, 2016, for completed
ballots, and the process of ratification determined by the membership.
Landman
O f f i c e r N o m i n a t i on s
President
Pamela D. Feist, CPL
P
Midland, TX
amela D. Feist, CPL, is land manager of Lakewood
Exploration and vice president of Lakewood
Operating Ltd. in Midland, Texas. She joined Tucker
& Baumgardner in 1979 and continued her career with
George Tucker when he formed the Lakewood entities. She
is responsible for the “cradle to grave” management of all
land functions in all areas of Lakewood’s operations that
have covered Texas, Ohio, Michigan and Wyoming. Prior to
that, she held various positions with the land departments of
several Midland oil and gas companies after attending Texas
Tech University.
An active member of the AAPL since 1983, Feist became a Certified Professional Landman in 1989. She served
as AAPL director (Region V, Permian Basin) from 2008 to
2011 and on the Executive Committee as first vice president
from 2015 to 2016 and secretary from 2011 to 2012. She
is chair of the Strategic Planning Committee (and served
on the committee for 2010-2011), chair of the Investment
Advisory Council (serving since 2012), chair of the Finance
Committee, a board member of NAPE Management LLC and
a NAPE Operating Committee member since 2014. She was
chair of the Membership Committee for 2010-2011 (serving on that committee since 2008), an Awards Committee
member, a NAPE ambassador in 2012, a Building and Land
Committee member for 2012-2013 and a Santa Fe Land
Institute Committee member from 2009 to 2015.
(from left to right) Marc Strahn, Richard Fisher and Pamela Feist at
the 2016 NAPE Summit Decision Maker’s Breakfast.
(from left to right)
Peggy Worthington,
Linda Hicks, Pamela
Feist and Sean Bell
at a recent PBLA
luncheon.
Cheers to NAPE: Pamela Feist and Trinidad
Hernandez at the NAPE Summit Sponsor
Reception.
Feist received the 2013 TIPRO Texas Top Producers
Award in Best Landman category. An active member of
the Permian Basin Landmen’s Association for many years,
she has served as director, treasurer, secretary, second vice
president, first vice president, president and AAPL director. She also chaired and served on numerous committees
throughout the years and was named PBLA Director of the
Year in 2002.
A graduate of Leadership Midland, Feist is past president of the Uptown Business & Professional Women’s Club
and the Midland Country Club Ladies’ Association. She is
president of the Ladies of the Petroleum Club of Midland and
a member of the Midland Wildcat Committee and Women’s
Energy Network Permian Basin Chapter.
She and husband Gary share their home with very spoiled
cats. She enjoys playing golf, pistol shooting, gardening and
traveling with friends and family.
Landman
O f f i c e r N o m i n a t i on s
Pamela Feist and husband Gary.
Personal Statement:
What an incredible honor to be the
2016-2017 president of the American
Association of Professional Landmen.
My involvement in this association
has enhanced my career in many ways
and has afforded me an abundance of
valuable friendships. It is my privilege
to have the opportunity to “pay it
forward” to this association and its
deserving members.
Much has changed in our profession thus presenting challenges for
our members and the AAPL. My
focus is to ensure that our members
are given the tools needed for the
transition to new opportunities and/or
unexpected changes in their careers.
The leaders, volunteers and staff of
the AAPL continue to explore ways
to promote the welfare of the AAPL
and its members. The challenges we
face require a transition from the status quo to a new, innovative standard.
We have a great team of staff, committee chairs, committee members,
the Executive Committee, members
and volunteers who have set the
groundwork and continue the commitment to make positive change. I
am very proud and excited to be part
of this team.
Feist and Rudy Giuliani at the 2016 NAPE
Summit Charities Industry Luncheon.
Landman
O f f i c e r N o m i n a t i on s
Viva la France: David
and Sheila enjoy a
vacation in France.
First Vice President
David W. Miller, CPL
D
Jackson, MS
avid W. Miller, CPL, is the owner and managing member of Miller Land Professionals LLC, a full-service
land company located in Jackson, Miss. After graduating from Mississippi State University in 1975 with a degree in
geology, he began his 40-year career as a landman working for
his father. Then in 2003, he formed Miller Land Professionals
and expanded his business to more than 20 states.
Miller became a Certified Professional Landman in 1986
and a Registered Professional Geologist in 1999. In addition to serving as treasurer of AAPL from 2006 to 2007, he
also served three years as AAPL director for the Mississippi
Association of Petroleum Landmen; chaired the Certification
Committee, Education Committee, Awards Committee and
Educational Foundation Task Force; was a member of the
Ethics Committee, Nominating Subcommittee and several
accreditation task forces; and served as a NAPE ambassador. Currently Miller serves on the AAPL Educational
Foundation board of directors, the Financial Advisory
Council and the Tax Issues Committee. In 2011, he received
an AAPL Special Award.
Miller has served his local association as president,
secretary, treasurer and director and was named the MAPL
Landman of the Year in 2001. He has spoken at numerous
seminars over the years. He currently serves as a member of
the Executive Committee of the U.S. Oil & Gas Association,
Overlooking the harbor in beautiful downtown Seattle, David and John visit
David’s daughter Catherine and son-in-law Blake.
David and Sheila taking
in the sights of Paris in
the spring of 2015.
MS & AL Division, and has membership in NALA, HAPL,
NHAPL and AAPG.
In addition to being a sponsor of Newspapers in
Education, a cooperative effort to put newspapers in schools
to encourage literacy, Miller also assists Habitat for Humanity
in preparing abstracts and title certificates and resolving title
problems on property being acquired for new home construction and on homes scheduled for improvement loans. He also
regularly prepares mineral appraisals for Medicaid patients
entering extended care facilities.
An Eagle Scout, Miller served as a cubmaster for five years
and received the Award of Merit from the Andrew Jackson
Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
Celebrating their 38th anniversary this year, he and Sheila
have four children: John F. Miller, RPL, and Elizabeth B.
Landman
O f f i c e r N o m i n a t i on s
Go Bulldogs! Sheila and David cheer on their
beloved Miss. State Bulldogs at a football
game with their children Elizabeth and John.
The Bird Whisperer: David appreciates
the little things in life and enjoys birdwatching regularly in his backyard.
Second Vice President
Jeff Niemeyer, CPL
J
Denver, CO
Miller, both work with Miller Land, Dr. Catherine M. Sanders of
Seattle is a cancer researcher for Adaptive Biotechnologies and
son-in-law Blake Sanders is a Boeing design engineer. Active
members of St. James Episcopal Church since 1985, Miller and
his wife enjoy art, music concerts, bridge and travel.
Personal Statement:
I truly appreciate the honor of being nominated to serve as
first vice president of AAPL and look forward to working with
Pamela Feist, her Executive Committee and the board of directors to help AAPL continue to be the champion of landmen.
The oil industry is experiencing one of the most difficult times
in its history, and as a result, landmen are currently faced with
many challenges. It is imperative for AAPL to provide landmen
with all of the support and services that it can muster as we navigate through this period. While the number and quality of educational sessions offered by AAPL has greatly increased over the
last few years, we should continue to explore new ways to offer
more educational opportunities while reducing the cost. In addition, AAPL must vigilantly fight legislative and judicial attempts
to regulate our industry and prevent us from doing our jobs.
It has been a privilege to work with the landmen and staff
involved with AAPL over the last 10 years, and I will strive to
help and to serve all landmen to the best of my ability as your
first vice president.
Jeff celebrates
Grayson’s graduation from the
University of
Oklahoma with
his wife Shawn
and son Shay.
eff Niemeyer, CPL, has worked for Anadarko Petroleum
Corp. the last 16 years. As the regional project advisor for
Anadarko’s Northern Division land department in Denver, he
is responsible for reviewing and improving the land department’s “back office operations,” accelerating the receipt of
production and partner revenues and guiding the professional
development of Anadarko’s Northern Division land personnel. Prior to that, he managed Anadarko’s Powder River Basin
land department, which drilled over 1,500 CBM wells, maintained 21 federal units and managed approximately 1 million
leasehold acres. Before transferring to Denver in 2006, he held
several land positions in Anadarko’s Woodlands, Texas, office.
Niemeyer began his career with Gulf Oil Corp. in 1979 after graduating with a petroleum land management degree from
the University of Oklahoma. In the mid-’80s he moved to
Houston and worked for Pennzoil Exploration and Production
Co., Amerada Hess Corp. and Swift Energy Co. prior to
joining Anadarko. He also was active with the Boy Scouts of
America and served the Sam Houston Area Council as an assistant scoutmaster and scoutmaster of Troop 479.
Currently, he is a member of the Denver Association of
Petroleum Landmen and Wyoming Association of Professional
Landmen. Since becoming a member of the AAPL in 1978,
he has served on the Awards Committee, Publications
Committee and as a NAPE ambassador. He was chairman
of the AAPL Awards Committee for 2011-2012 and AAPL
Publications Committee for 2013-2014.
He and wife Shawn have been “gloriously” married for
29 years and have two wonderful sons. In his spare time, he
can usually be found rooting through antique stores on the
Front Range collecting early 20th century art deco items and
American folk art.
Landman
O f f i c e r N o m i n a t i on s
Jeff pictured with his sons Grayson and Shay.
Fresh off an
airboat in the
middle of the
Everglades.
how important it is that all of us invest in our local organizations and the AAPL and focus on making a difference in our
business and communities — especially during these challenging and emotional times. Another topic we discuss is the
importance of communication and effectively sharing the
knowledge that you have gained. The AAPL has “world-class”
publications with the Landman and Landman2 magazines. I
cannot tell you the number of times I have learned or gained
an idea from these publications that has elevated my career or
profited my company. During these down cycles, it is imperative that we continue communicating our knowledge through
these publications and share this knowledge with our peers,
co-workers and communities. Together we will come out of
this down-cycle stronger, more profitable and wiser.
Finally, no landman can experience a successful career without the guidance and support of a few special people who help
you develop and grow as an individual and professional. So here
is a special shoutout and thanks to Mike Vick, Mike Scribner,
Tom Bachtell and Richard Kimberlin. Without each of you, my
land career would not have been as rich and rewarding.
Thank you for your confidence in me and I look forward
to serving you and the American Association of Professional
Landmen.
Swimming with
stingrays.
Personal Statement:
I am truly honored and privileged to have been nominated
to serve the American Association of Professional Landmen
and its membership as the second vice president. I look forward to serving the organization that has afforded me so many
opportunities since I first joined in 1978. Working with the
board of directors, Executive Committee, committee chairmen, regional directors and the immensely talented AAPL
staff is an assignment that I do not take lightly!
Part of my job at Anadarko Petroleum Corp. is to mentor and guide some of the younger landmen during their first
few years with the company. One of the first topics we always
discuss is the importance of networking and the opportunities that our local and national organizations lend us in that
regard. We discuss particular opportunities that are afforded
us and our company simply by networking at various events
organized by our local organizations and AAPL. I often stress
...and he lived beneath
the waves in his yellow
submarine.
Landman
O f f i c e r N o m i n a t i on s
Third Vice President
Trinidad M. Hernandez, CPL
San Antonio, TX
T
rinidad M. Hernandez, CPL, is an independent field landman from San Antonio. His 19-year career in the oil and gas
industry started in 1997 in Rio Grande City, Starr County,
Texas. As a senior associate and crew chief for J. Mark Smith &
Associates Inc., he has managed oil and gas projects consisting of
directing and coordinating mineral title research, oil and gas leases
negotiations, lease checks, seismic shoots, runsheets, rights of way,
curative and due diligence projects. He has managed projects in
Starr, Zapata, Web, Willacy, Hidalgo, Cameron, Duval, Refugio,
Gregg, Reeves, Gaines, Andrews, Dawson, Pecos and Howard
counties in Texas. He has developed and managed projects for such
companies as Rock Oil, Sanchez Oil & Gas Corp., EOG Resources,
Chesapeake Energy Corp., Forrest Oil, Nobel Energy, Samson
Exploration and Edge Petroleum, to name a few.
Hernandez received his bachelor’s degree in biology from St.
Mary’s University in San Antonio. He has held an active Texas
Real Estate Broker License since 1987.
An active member of the AAPL since 1998, he earned the
CPL designation in 2009. He currently serves as Accreditation
Committee chairman and is a member of the Education
Committee. He served as San Antonio Association of Professional
Landmen president in 2012, first vice president in 2011 and treasurer in 2010 and now serves as the SAAPL Region IV director.
Trinidad, his nephew Max Magallanes and brother Fernando Magallanes
take a break from urban living to help work on the San Pedro Ranch in
Dimmit County, Texas.
Board of Directors Reception in Austin, Texas.
Pictured from left to right: Cindy and Russell
Shinevar, Zach Anderson, Trinidad Hernandez
and Richard Ryan
Surrounded by his nieces and nephews, Trinidad celebrates his niece Gabriela Magallanes’
graduation from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C. Pictured with Trinidad
from left to right (front row): Miguel, Natalie Watkins, Fiona, Gabriela, Paloma and Max.
Growing up on a small ranch south of San
Antonio, Hernandez learned to love nature.
He enjoys playing golf, fishing, hunting and
traveling. He helps run a family cow/calf operation on two small ranches in South Texas as
well as a deer operation on his Dimmit County
ranch. One of the many benefits he enjoys as
a field landman is the opportunity to interact
with other ranchers and with the outdoors.
Serving the SAAPL and AAPL keeps
Hernandez busy, but he still spends time with
his sister and brother-in-law in San Antonio
and visits his brother, nieces and nephews
in Raleigh, N.C. He has traveled to Prague,
Paris, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Hawaii.
He also remains active in his college fraternity, Tau Delta Sigma.
Landman
O f f i c e r N o m i n a t i on s
Executive Committee. When I started my career in the
industry, I worked under the supervision of Zach Anderson,
CPL, who mentored me. He instilled professional values and
a good work ethic. He believed that a CPL certification (an
education) and hard work would get a landman through good
times and bad times. I guess I took it to heart easily because
my parents believed the same thing. They believed in a good
education and hard work. I have followed this formula for
success my whole life and it has served me well. I am committed to being an example for all landmen and showing them
that they too can be successful in this industry by taking
advantage of the educational opportunities provided by the
AAPL and all the local associations. I will stress the importance of earning a certification. I will stress the importance of
working hard and developing a reputation as a “good hand.” I
will stress the importance of landmen continuing their education to keep up with the ever-changing laws and regulations
in our industry and the necessity to think “outside the box”
as our business expands and contracts. We are entering a
challenging time in our industry, and many of our members
have not experienced times like these. I am committed to
leading by example and helping all our members get through
these trying times. I am committed to working with the
AAPL staff and my fellow officers to keep this association
as the leader in the oil and gas industry. Thank you for this
great opportunity.
Trinidad spends time with one of his father’s last surviving brothers,
Rodolfo Hernandez, on the family ranch in Zaragosa, Mexico.
Personal Statement:
I am honored and blessed to
be nominated to the Executive
Committee of the AAPL and very
proud to have the opportunity to serve
the members of the AAPL. I define
a leader to be someone who serves
the people who have afforded him
the opportunity as their leader. I am
committed to serve all the members of
the AAPL. My policy as president of
the SAAPL was to be available to all
our members to address their concerns
and provide recommendations to issues that may arise. I will follow the
same policy as a member of the AAPL
Executive Committee. My door will
always be open to our members.
I have been an independent field
landman for my whole career, and I
will strive to represent the concerns
of field landmen as a member of the
At a luau in Maui, Hawaii.
Landman
O f f i c e r N o m i n a t i on s
Secretary
W. Russell Shaw, CPL
Oklahoma City, OK
W.
Russell Shaw, vice president of Dudley Land Co.,
began his land career in 1980. The son of an
architect, he completed his bachelor’s degree in
architecture from the University of Arkansas in 1979. After a
short stint with two different firms, it became clear he wasn’t
cut out for a life behind the drawing board.
A landman cousin arranged for a trainee position with Jim
Hutchinson in Edmond, Okla. Shaw worked for two other
brokers before striking out on his own in 1983 establishing
Formation Land Company. He operated as a small broker until 1989 when he began to partner with geologists putting together drilling projects under the name of Shaw Exploration.
Shaw joined Dudley Land Company in 2004 as a field
landman and accepted the position of prospect manager that
same year. Willing to tackle whatever came in the door, he was
tapped by Tom Dudley and Tom Havenstrite to establish a presence in Eastern States. In 2006 his efforts led to establishing
offices in Charleston, W. Va., which relocated to the Pittsburgh
area in 2009. Shaw served as area manager-Eastern States from
2006 until 2013 when he was promoted to vice president of
operations in Dudley’s headquarters in Oklahoma City. During
his time at Dudley, Shaw has been heavily involved in the
evolution and maintenance of its software system, directing the
modifications necessary for it to be utilized in every basin.
In 1980 Shaw joined the OCAPL where he has a constant
presence at association meetings and served as chairmen
Marilyn, Russell,
Marty, and Brandon
at the Lowcountry
Hunt Ball in Spring
Island, S.C.
Hitting the Slopes:
Austin, Marilyn and
Allie ski Santa Fe.
of its golf and sporting clays events. He joined the AAPL in
2004 and achieved his CPL certification in 2006. He served as
co-chairman and chairman of the Field Landman Committee,
where he joined others in the push to expand certification
to landmen who have distinguished themselves as outstanding title specialists. He currently serves on the Certification
Committee, where he joins other committed professionals who
understand the importance of certification.
In addition Shaw serves on the board of the Rocky
Mountain Legal Foundation and is a founding member of
the charity organization Hunting Dakota with Roosevelt.
He worked with the University of Oklahoma’s School of
Architecture to establish a scholarship devoted to the preservation of hand drawing — the essence of architecture.
Shaw and wife Marilyn have been blessed with three
wonderful children: Marty and husband Brandon have their
granddaughter Emma of Bluffton, S.C.; Allie is in medical
school in Seattle; and Austin is a chemical engineer in Borger,
Texas. As a group they participate in hunting, fishing, horseback riding, cooking and various other activities.
Personal Statement:
Russell and his wife Marilyn enjoy a horseback ride in the Canadian Rockies.
I have benefited over the years from the friendships and
relationships I developed through my participation in local
associations such as the OCAPL, TAPL and MLBC. In joining the AAPL and serving on its committees, I have had the
pleasure of surrounding myself with others who take seriously
their professional obligations as a landman. It was an honor
Landman
O f f i c e r N o m i n a t i on s
to travel the country as chairman of the
Field Landman Committee and present
to others the benefits of our association and to encourage professionalism
and pride in those who claim the title
professional landman. As a member
of the Certification Committee, I join
others who strive to continue to raise
the bar for what passes as a Certified
Professional Landman.
Russell “PawPaw” helps granddaughter
Emma catch one of her first fish.
Family Vacation: Russell and his
wife Marilyn, son Austin, daughter
Marty, son-in-law Brandon and
daughter Allie relax in St. John.
Treasurer
James “Jim” R.
Bourbeau, CPL
J
Conneaut Lake, PA
im Bourbeau, CPL, was born and raised
in Lincoln Park, Mich. He received an
athletic and academic scholarship to
play baseball at Central Michigan University,
where he was a three-year starter for the
Chips baseball program and earned a bachelor’s degree in education. He earned a master’s degree from Eastern Michigan University
and attended Western Michigan University
and Edinboro University in Pennsylvania for
additional postgraduate studies.
Following graduation, Bourbeau signed as a
free agent with the Detroit Tigers. His baseball
dreams were put on hold in 1969 when he was
drafted by the United States Army. After two
years in the service, he returned to baseball
only to be released in the spring of 1971 to
begin his career in teaching and coaching.
Jim and his sidekick Chloe enjoying a walk on
the beach in Surfside Beach, SC.
It is with great pride and humility that
I accept the position of secretary of our
association. I consider this appointment
a crowning achievement in my efforts to
give back to an industry that has provided such wonderful opportunities for both
me and my family.
I regularly share with young landmen
that one of the most important aspects
of success in this industry is establishing
and maintaining relationships. You won’t
achieve success unless you count among
your friends and running mates other landmen! With that being said, I can’t share
the story of my career without mentioning
a few members of our association who have
befriended me, encouraged me, assisted
me and impacted my career and personal
life. Jim Hutchinson, Marty Byrd, Allen
and Jane Fouty, Don Key, Russell Shinevar,
Leslie Irish and, of course, Tom Dudley
and Tom Havenstrite. I want to include
my wife, Marilyn, as I thank all those who
have supported and believed in me, which
has resulted in a very gratifying career.
Bourbeau taught and coached in
Michigan for several years before beginning his oil and gas career in October
1978 with CEMPCO Inc. in Denver
as an independent field landman. He
spent his first 11 years working the
Rocky Mountain Region as an independent contractor throughout Montana,
Wyoming and Colorado. In January
1989 he accepted a crew chief position with High Plains Energy working a
Medina play for Cabot Oil & Gas Corp.
in Meadville, Pa. Continuing his oil and
gas career east of the Mississippi, in 1994
he started his own oil and gas brokerage
company — Jim Bourbeau Land Service
LLC, now known as Jim Bourbeau Land
Service Inc. — in Conneaut Lake, Pa.
He also launched Surfside Abstracting
Inc. in 2010 to accommodate and utilize
the massive amount of leasehold, HBP
and open acreage information JBLS has
accumulated over the 27 years it has
been working New York, Pennsylvania,
Ohio and West Virginia.
An AAPL member since 1991,
Bourbeau became a Certified Professional
Landman in 1994 and again in 2000. He
currently serves as assistant chairman
Landman
O f f i c e r N o m i n a t i on s
for the Industry/Public Relations Committee after serving
as assistant committee chairman and then chairman for two
years each for the Legislative/Regulatory Committee and the
Tax Issues Committee. One of the founders of the Northern
Appalachian Landman’s Association, Bourbeau served as
a past president and director. He is an active member of
the NALA, Michael Late Benedum Chapter, Michigan
Association of Professional Landmen, Montana Association
of Professional Landmen, Denver Association of Petroleum
Landmen and the Wyoming Association of Professional
Landmen.
Personal Statement:
I am very honored, privileged and humbled to have been
nominated to serve as AAPL’s treasurer for 2016-2017. I look
forward to serving our organization during this difficult time
in the industry.
I have experienced four distinct downturns in the oil and
gas industry during my career, while for most of our current
membership this is their first. In order to survive such downturns, independent contractors must first educate themselves
correctly through the many courses offered by AAPL and
not rely solely on the person working next to them for their
education. Second, work as if this industry is your career and
not simply a job. Lastly, be sure to put aside enough money to
carry you and your family for at least six months; the industry
always turns around.
My experience with AAPL has been extremely rewarding,
and I am excited and thankful for the opportunity to serve
once again.
Jim pictured next to the sign outside his office in Conneaut Lake, PA.
Jim enjoying the sun in Sarasota, FL.
Family Time: Jim pictured with his twin daughters and grandkids. From left: daughter Jentry holding grandson
Pryce; (center) Jim holding granddaughter Peercyn; (right) daughter Johna holding granddaughter Winstynn.