Chairperson's message for October 2011
New Hand takes the Wheel
Dear Fellow SPE Members,
I am both pleased and greatly honored to ascend to the position of the 2011 - 2012 Chairperson of the SPE Los Angeles Basin Section. In last month’s Chairperson’s message, Mike Utt included my biographical sketch to introduce me to the membership, but for those of you that were not able to read the article I would like to share a few highlights. I hold a mechanical engineer degree (Ph.D., Rutgers), and have over 30 years experience in the upstream oil and gas industry. I have enjoyed working for both large oil companies, such as ARCO and Unocal, independents like Cities Service, Plains Resources and Breitburn, and services companies including Baker Hughes and my current employer, PTS Laboratories.
Reflecting on these experiences, I feel that over the years I have worked with some outstanding people that I have crisscrossed with over time. Looking back, it is no wonder to me that several of these exceptional people (ex-Unocal) have risen to become Chairs of the LASPE, including our now Junior Past Chair Mike Utt, and Scott McGurk (2006-2007).
This year we are in the enviable position of having received the prestigious SPE President’s Award for Section Excellence two years in a row (2010 and 2011)! These recognitions were achieved through the efforts of many volunteers and support from our membership. The award is based upon, in part, our Section’s demonstration of exceptional programs in technology dissemination, communication, membership development, student interaction, and innovation. Our opportunity to “stake our claim” is captured in the Section Annual Report which is filed with SPE headquarters (around June 1st). For me, continuing this recognition by capturing a third President’s Award for 2012 is of highest priority. We have set the bar high, especially for ourselves, and reaching this goal depends on the efforts of volunteers that contribute their time and turn ideas into actions.
As the incoming chairperson, I would like to express my personal appreciation to the 2011-2012 Board of Directors, and thank those that have served in the past. In particular, I would like to thank Mike Utt for skillfully “piloting” the ship through the past year, and thank him – in advance – for his continued consultancy on Section matters. A warm welcome is offered to the new board members, Serge Baghdikian, Steve Cheung, Baldev Gill and Adi Varma. I look forward to working with the Board of Directors, committees, young professionals, and student organizations, with strong support of the general membership to ensure a very successful year.
Eric Withjack
Chairperson 2011-2012
dremmw@yahoo.com