Nov 10, 2017 IPAA Board of Directors Elects Mike Watford as Chairman and Steve Hinchman as Vice Chairman
NAPLES, Fla. – At its 88th annual meeting yesterday, the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) Board of Directors elected Michael Watford as IPAA’s 43rd Chairman of the Board and Steven Hinchman as Vice Chairman. Watford is the chairman, president and CEO of Ultra Petroleum (NYSE:UPL), a publicly traded upstream oil and gas company based in Houston. Watford previously served as IPAA Chairman during the 2013-2015 term. Hinchman has over 35 years of experience in the upstream industry and is the president and CEO of Houston-based Scala Energy.
“We’re pleased to welcome back Mike Watford and welcome Steve Hinchman to lead IPAA forward during the next two years,” said IPAA President and CEO Barry Russell. “Both Mike and Steve bring strong industry leadership to our board. Their roles within the upstream industry reflect the diverse nature of independent oil and natural gas producers — with Mike as leader of a publicly traded company and Steve as the founder of privately-held, technical oil and gas company. These distinct but complementary backgrounds combined with strong records of civic engagement will amplify IPAA’s voice as we advocate for America’s independent producers in Washington and beyond.”
Russell also thanked Mark Miller for his leadership as IPAA’s 41st Chairman of the Board, who during his tenure ensured the industry’s voice was represented at all levels of government. Miller will remain active on the association’s Board of Directors.
Watford’s experience in the industry includes working for many companies in both upstream and downstream sectors. Prior to Ultra Petroleum, Watford was CEO of Nuevo Energy Company. He also has experience in managed product marketing, processing, pipeline, and the chemical business. Watford is on the boards of Axip and America’s Natural Gas Alliance. He is also an appointed member of the National Petroleum Council, an oil and natural gas advisory committee to the Secretary of Energy. Watford lives in Houston, Texas. He received his B.A. from the University of Florida and his MBA from the University of New Orleans.
Prior to founding Scala Energy, Hinchman served as CEO of HighMount E&P, COO of Callon Petroleum, and Executive Vice President of Marathon Oil Company. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Interfaith Care Partners, an educational, nonprofit organization helping congregations, businesses and individuals within the United States. Hinchman lives in Houston, Texas. He received a B.S. in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering from Penn State University and an M.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Colorado School of Mines.
IPAA Board officers are Michael Watford, Chairman; Steven Hinchman, Vice Chairman; Diemer True, Treasurer; Barry Russell, President & CEO; and Mark Miller, Immediate Past Chairman.
IPAA’s Board of Directors for the 2017-2019 term were also approved during today’s meeting. A complete list is available on IPAA’s website.
About the Independent Petroleum Association of America
The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) is a national upstream trade association representing thousands of independent oil and natural gas producers and service companies across the United States. Independent producers develop 90 percent of the nation’s oil and natural gas wells. These companies account for 54 percent of America’s oil production, 85 percent of its natural gas production, and support over 2.1 million American jobs. Learn more about IPAA by visiting www.ipaa.org and following @IPAAaccess on Twitter.
