Note from the Chairperson, May 2004
Activity Update:
Report from the Chair
Each year, SPE International asks Sections to provide an activity report. The report is due on June 1 covering April through March. LASPE’s report is on our website for your review. Here is a synopsis of an active, productive year.
Petroleum Technology Forum – Nine meetings were held with total attendance of 273. The championship attendance meeting (52) was Dalton Lockmann’s report on the Inglewood field seismic program. SPE’s current President, Kate Baker, a past President, Lyn Arscott and our Western Regional Director, Behrooz Fattahi spoke at or attended our Forums this past program year.
Conferences – The joint 2003 LASPE- AAPG-Pacific Section Conference was held, on May 21-23, 2003 at the Hilton Hotel in Long Beach, California. Total attendance was nearly 800. This was a very good meeting with excellent talks and exhibits. The work of setting it up and running it was shared between local AAPG and SPE membership under the joint leadership of Sam Sarem and Dalton Lockmann.
Website – Larry Gilpin, webmaster, keeps our website up to date and interesting with photos of activities and new reports supplementing LASPE archives. The website also serves as a convenient link to industry resources.
Newsletter – Thais McComb, editor, is working hard to get the newsletter out at the start of each month and include items of interest, including photos.
Community Outreach – Our annual budget targets $16,000 for six outreach programs including FSEA after school science clubs, the summer COMET program at USC introducing high school students to the energy industry, student and teacher field trips throughout the year and judging and prize sponsorship for Long Beach, LA and Orange County and the California Science Fairs. Any worthwhile community activity pertaining to the energy industry of interest to LASPE members will be considered by the Board of Directors for budget funding.
Scholarships – $7,000 is being provided to 12 college and high school students supporting their academic goals. $8,000 was budgeted, leaving $1,000 on the table. It is our goal for next year to award all allocated funds by targeting local high schools making them aware of our criteria.
Golf Tournament – This was not held last year, but will be this year on June 18th at Los Serranos Country Club. Mark Shemaria chairs the tournament committee and his team has put together a great event. The golf tournament is our major fundraiser and makes all the above possible.
Interested members coordinate LASPE activities with mutual benefit from a professional and community involvement standpoint. Please consider participating and setting our future agenda.
Rick Finken 2003-04 Chairperson
Richard_finken@longbeach.gov