Gov. Hickenlooper Announces Appointments to State Oil and Gas Conservation Commission

Gov. John Hickenlooper announced today eight appointments to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission promotes the responsible development of Colorado’s oil and gas natural resources by balancing the efficient exploration and production of oil and gas resources, the prevention of waste and the protection of the public health, environment and mineral owners’ rights.

“Different voices and a united spirit of collaboration are key to the success of the commission,” Hickenlooper said. “We are confident this group will help serve the industry, land owners and the environment well as it navigates through issues that are important to both the state’s economy and protection of Colorado’s beautiful landscapes.”

The new commission members replace members whose terms expired July 1, 2011. They must be confirmed by the Colorado Senate and will serve terms of four years, expiring July 1, 2015.

The new commission members are:

Mayor Tommy E. Holton of Fort Lupton
Holton will serve as a local government official and as a Republican. He has extensive land use experience and once served as Chairman of the Weld County Planning Commission. Holton currently serves on the Weld County Land Use Review Committee and is a past member of the Technical Advisory Committee in Weld County and the Weld County Fair Board. He was previously self-employed as an outside consultant for land use issues; owned a company called Advanced Insulation Systems; owned a company called Rocky Mountain Airparts; worked at Farley Machine as a welder and fabricator for oil field equipment and trucks; worked at Caribou Creek Mining Co.; and worked at B.C. Airmotive as a pilot. Holton earned a bachelor’s degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

John H. Benton of Littleton
Benton will serve as a member with substantial experience in the oil and gas industry and with a college degree in petroleum geology or petroleum engineering and as a Republican. He is vice president and general manager for the Rockies Division of Rex Energy Corp. in Denver. He previously worked as vice president for the Western Division of El Paso E&P Corp. in Denver; as asset manager for Whiting Oil and Gas Corp.; as CEO of Calver Resources Inc. in Calgary, Alberta; as chief engineer and later as asset manager for the South Region of ConocoPhillips Canada in Calgary, Alberta; as production manager for West Wyoming and West Texas and later as manager of acquisitions and dispositions for Westport Oil and Gas Co. in Denver; and as operations manager for Orbis Engineering in Denver. Benton earned both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Colorado School of Mines.

W. Perry Pearce of Denver
Pearce will serve as a member with substantial experience in the oil and gas industry and as a Democrat. He is manager of state government affairs for ConocoPhillips/Burlington Resources. He previously worked as an attorney with Montgomery & Andrews in Santa Fe, N.M.; as general counsel for the Oil Conservation Division and Energy and Minerals Department in New Mexico; and as an attorney with Bigbee, Stephenson, Carpenter & Crout in Santa Fe, N.M. Pearce earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of San Francisco and a juris doctorate from Hastings College of Law at the University of California.

Andrew Lawrence Spielman of Denver
Spielman will serve as a member with formal or substantial experience in environmental or wildlife protection and as a Democrat. He is an attorney at Hogan Lovells in Denver and has federal, state and local government experience with natural resources, land use and Western public lands law to assist energy developers, ski areas, water suppliers, ranchers, tribes and others with obtaining regulatory approvals and permits from governments across the United States. Spielman currently serves as Chairman of Colorado’s Regional Air Quality Council and served earlier in senior positions at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., including acting Associate Director of the Office of Sustainable Ecosystems and Communities. He previously worked at the Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget; in staff positions in the U.S. Senate; and with local governments in parks, open space, utilities and housing and economic development. Spielman earned both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a juris doctorate from Georgetown University.

Thomas L. Compton of Hesperus, reappointed
Compton will serve as a member actively engaged in agricultural production and also a royalty owner, west of the Continental Divide, and as a Republican. He is the owner and manager of Compton Cattle Co., a commercial beef cattle enterprise. Compton previously worked as adjunct faculty at Fort Lewis College; as a legislative aide to former U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell; and as a professor of biology and chair of the Division of Natural Sciences at LeTourneau University in Texas. He is also vice president of the Colorado Rural Electric Board of Directors and serves on the LaPlata Open Space Conservancy Board and the Governor’s Task Force on Colorado Roadless Areas. Compton earned a bachelor’s degree from California State University at San Jose, a master’s degree from the University of Alaska and a doctorate from the University of Wyoming.

Richard D. Alward of Grand Junction, reappointed
Alward will to serve as a member with formal training or substantial experience in soil conservation or reclamation, west of the Continental Divide, and as a Democrat. He is a principal ecologist and environmental scientist at Aridlands Natural Resource Consulting in Grand Junction and works as an adjunct instructor of environmental science at Mesa State College. He previously worked as an ecologist at the U.S. Geological Survey – Biological Resources Division in Moab, Utah; as associated director at Cedar Point Biological Station at the University of Nebraska; and as a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Nebraska. Alward earned both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Nebraska and a doctorate from Colorado State University.

The governor also appointed Mike King, Executive Director of the Department of Natural Resources, and Dr. Chris Urbina, Executive Director of the Department of Public Health and Environment, to the commission.

A ninth member of the commission, Dolly Ann “DeAnn” Craig of Denver, serves as a member with substantial experience in the oil and gas industry and a college degree in petroleum geology or petroleum engineering and as a Republican. Her term expires July 1, 2012.

Source: CO WEB PORTAL



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