American Oil and Gas Reporter - July 2019 - 45

Industry In Motion
Work And Play
Yes, attendees of The Energy Summit
will have thoughtful conversations with
industry leaders and participate in some
weighty sessions about our energy future.
But they also will get to enjoy a day of
golf at the Bear Dance Golf Course and
sip cocktails at the Opening Night Party.
This year, attendees also can close out
their Energy Summit experience with Industry Night at the Rockies at Coors
Field, cheering on the Colorado Rockies
as they take on the Boston Red Sox. We
recommend people register for these events
early because they sell out every year.
"The chance to network with peers
and get to know leading service providers
is the perfect complement to the intellectual
rigor of the daytime sessions and speakers,"
assesses The Energy Summit Co-Chairman
John Harpole with Mercator Energy. "The
golfing and the opening night party are
really where you get to make those peerto-peer connections that last well beyond
the conference."
The Summit Up Close
Raw, hard-hitting topics set The Energy
Summit apart this year. Colorado always
has prided itself on being a national leader
in both energy production and regulatory
oversight, and the state has undergone an
unprecedented political transformation in
the last year.
Leading Colorado political consultants
Josh Penry and Ted Trimpa will explore
what the influx of new residents and
changing demographics mean for Col-

orado's political and energy landscape.
Never has it been more important for the
oil and natural gas industry to engage the
"moveable middle," and nobody knows
more about that than these two speakers.
Although they hail from opposite sides
of the political aisle, they at least can
agree on one thing: In an age of political
extremism, connecting with the hearts and
minds of those who are willing to listen is
essential. They will talk about how exactly
to do that and offer insights into who is
persuadable and how we reach them.
The following day, COGA Chief Executive Officer and President Dan Haley
will take things one step further by
asking: "Can You Still Drill for Oil in a
Blue State?"
Colorado's shifting political alignment
resulted in SB 181, described as the
most sweeping oil and gas legislation in
60 years. It also gave rise to worries
about the future of responsible oil and
natural gas development in a state that
also has been ground-zero for environmental activism.
Haley will dive into considering the
path forward, politically and socially, for
a blue-leaning state with exceptional geology and a dedicated workforce. Governor
Jared Polis has been invited to participate
in this conversation.
With all the changes taking place in
Colorado, local officials are facing unprecedented responsibility and attention.
One can't-miss session will be "Local
Control, the Final Frontier! An Oil & Gas
Perspective from the Viewpoint of the
Local Elected Official." The presentation

will feature local leaders with advice
about how and when to engage with them
in the most effective way possible.
Other sessions during the two-day experience will cover the "Future of Natural
Gas in an Emerging Renewables Economy." Natural gas has been held up as
coal's successor, but the power sector's
examination of alternative and renewable
fuel choices raises questions about the
implications for natural gas.
Britt Howard, group director of assurance at Worley, and Eric Jacobsen,
senior vice president of operations for
Extraction Oil and Gas, will lead a conversation about building social capital
and "How Safety and Health Culture Affects Public Image."
Meanwhile, those in managerial or
hiring roles should check out the "Workforce Transitions: Shifting Realities and
Expectations" session. Attracting new
workers and retaining talent are ongoing
challenges for every company. Caley
Van Cleave, vice president with Iridium,
and Elizabeth Garner, state demographer
with the Colorado Department of Local
Affairs, will talk about how to re-shape
the work environment to meet millennial
demands for meaningful work and social
responsibility.
We encourage everyone in the oil and
gas industry to sign up for The Energy
Summit before it sells out. They can connect with peers from across the country,
discover new technology that will help
their operations and gain tools for navigating the complex political environment
in which we operate.
❒

Sara Reynolds is vice president of operations for the Colorado Oil & Gas Association,
where she oversees its daily operations, including financial management, membership development, programs and events. Reynolds has 15 years of association management experience,
including serving as executive director of Housing Colorado, a membership-based association
serving the needs of the affordable housing industry in Colorado, and membership services
manager at the Colorado Municipal League, representing municipal interests throughout Colorado. Reynolds has a master's degree in public administration from the University of Colorado, and currently serves on the advisory board for the School of Public Affairs at the
University of Colorado.

SARA
REYNOLDS
JULY 2019 45

American Oil and Gas Reporter - July 2019

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