Meet our 2024 Presenters

John Laursen - Commissioner, Uintah County

Anne Hyre - Executive Director, Bettering Human Lives Foundation.

Anne Hyre is a certified nurse midwife who spent 30 years working for Johns Hopkins University to improve maternal and newborn health in developing countries. Serving in a variety of roles, she lived and worked in over 25 countries across the former Soviet republics, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. Anne joined the Bettering Human Lives Foundation upon its launch in January 2024, driven to make a bigger impact by addressing the root of the problem—energy poverty. Anne holds bachelor’s degrees from University of California-Davis and Johns Hopkins University, and master’s degrees from Emory University and Georgetown.

Stephanie Carter - V.P. of Marketing and Communications, UBTech

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Rikki Hrenko-Browning - President, Utah Petroleum Association

Rikki Hrenko-Browning is the President of the Utah Petroleum Association (UPA). UPA is a Utah based, statewide petroleum trade association representing companies involved in all aspects of Utah’s oil and gas industry focused on the responsible development of Utah’s natural resources and manufacture of fuels that drive Utah’s economy. Prior to leading UPA, Rikki lived in Estonia and came to Utah as the CEO of Enefit American Oil, the Estonian company’s oil shale project in Eastern Utah. Rikki has a Masters in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon and an undergraduate degree in botany and environmental science. She has been appointed by the Governor to the Utah Watersheds Council, the SITLA Nominating Committee, serves on DNR’s Endangered Species Mitigation Fund, the US Global Leadership Coalition, and other boards and advisory panels. Rikki was honored as a Utah Business 2020 Woman of the Year and in their 30 women to watch series in 2014.

Ryan Roger - V.P. Asset Manager, XCL Resources

Matt Kovich - Senior Manager, Facilities/Construction/Infrastructure/water, OVV

Jason Lechance - Surface Technical Manager, Finely Resources/ Uinta Wax

Dan Brooks - Land Manager, Uinta Basin, Crescent Energy

Mr. Brooks is a seasoned Land Professional with experience across the entire Land/Business function.  He has extensive experience with Tribal, Federal, State, and Fee ownership.  Mr. Brooks began his career on contract with BP America, later joining El Paso/EP Energy where he navigated change and took on roles of increasing responsibility.  Mr. Brooks joined Crescent Energy, through Javelin Energy Partners, a Crescent Company’s, transaction with EP Energy.  Mr. Brooks is currently Land Manager and Community Liaison focusing on the Uinta Basin.  He enjoys spending time with his wife, Ashley, boys, Everette and Dean, fishing, golfing and enjoying family time. He and his family attend RPC Church in Missouri City, Texas.

Rob Zaback - Reservoir Manager, Koda Middle Fork

Ron Winterton - Utah State Senate

Andrew Browning  - President, Western States and Tribal Nations

Andrew Browning is one of principal founders and President of the Western States and Tribal
Nations (WSTN) Natural Gas Initiative. WSTN is a unique public/private partnership between
western states, counties and tribal governments, and natural gas industry stakeholders with a
focus on building comprehensive and effective regional collaboration under a formal MOU to
advocate for and develop local and global markets for Rockies natural gas. The MOU is signed
by the States of Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Baja California, Mexico, the Ute Indian Tribe, the
Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the Jicarilla Apache Nation and the counties of western Colorado
including Garfield, Mesa, Moffat and Rio Blanco.
Andrew is also a Partner with HBW Resources. He head’s HBW’s Denver office where he
provides strategic counsel, issues management, grassroots, and advocacy expertise to oil and
gas, utility, renewable energy, government, and manufacturing clients. 

With over 25 years of experience in both the private and government sectors, Andrew
Browning was previously Director of Government Relations at Methanex –the world’s largest
methanol producer and distributor- and a White House appointee to the U.S. Department of
Energy during the Clinton administration where he served as a special assistant in the Office of
Fossil Energy. 

Andrew served as an adjunct professor in the Energy Management Program at Norway’s Bodø
Graduate School of Business at University of Nordland, which is a collaborative program with
the International Institute of Energy Politics and Diplomacy (MIEP) at MGIMO University in
Moscow, Russia.
Andrew holds an M.A. in International Affairs with a focus on Energy and Environment and
International Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

(SAIS) and a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Economics from the University of Texas-
Austin.

David Gattie - University of Georgia

David Gattie is an Associate Professor of Engineering in the University of Georgia’s College of Engineering, and a Senior Fellow in the University of Georgia’s (UGA) Center for International Trade and Security and School of Public & International Affairs. He earned his B.S. and Ph.D. from UGA and has 14 years of private industry experience as an energy services engineer and

environmental engineer. His research is in the area of energy policy and integrated energy  resource planning for the power sector and he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in energy systems, energy policy and energy security. David has led the development of UGA’s Energy Security Studies Program in collaboration with his colleagues in UGA’s Center for International Trade and Security. The program is focused on the geopolitical and U.S. national security implications of energy and energy technologies within the challenges of 21st century great power competition. In particular, the impacts of a transition away from conventional energy resources on the U.S. industrial base and U.S. competitive advantage. He has provided testimony before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee on energy, climate and nuclear power policy, and before several U.S. state legislative committees.

David has been married to his high school sweetheart, Zoe, for over 43 years. Together, they have three happily-married children and six grandchildren.

Scott Chew - Utah State House of Representatives

Allen Fore - V.P. Public Affairs, Kinder Morgan

Allen Fore has more than 30 years of experience in

public policy at the local, state, and national levels. At

Kinder Morgan, Mr. Fore manages corporate public

affairs, state government relations, and special projects throughout the United States.

Prior to joining Kinder Morgan, Mr. Fore served as an

Assistant Attorney General of Illinois, general counsel to the Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, and with the U.S. Department of Education.

Mr. Fore served as a Captain and Judge Advocate

General in the Illinois Army National Guard and was

elected to the Belvidere, IL City Council. Mr. Fore

received his B.A. from Eureka College and a Juris

Doctor degree from Valparaiso University.

Brian Bawden - Senior Commercial Development Advisor, Western Midstream

Mr. Bawden has been with Western Midstream since July 2022, where he is responsible for managing the commercial efforts related to Western’s assets within Utah and southwest Wyoming.

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Brian began his career over 30 years ago as a summer intern working for a mid-sized exploration and development company and has held various roles within the industry since that time.  Most of his experience has centered around roles where he was responsible for managing and leading midstream and marketing activities on behalf of exploration and production companies, which optimized netbacks for existing and planned production, provided strategic insight and guidance in support of future development, and served as a subject matter expert during acquisition and divestment activities.

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He is currently enjoying the benefit of being part of an exciting time in the Uinta Basin and appreciates the opportunity to work with producers from the other side of the table to relieve takeaway concerns and offer market solutions that facilitate continued success in the basin.

Meghan Billis - Advanced business Development Advisor, MPLX

Meghan Billis is a Business Development Advisor at MPLX, an MPL formed by Marathon Petroleum. She has been with MPLX, formerly MarkWest Energy, for 19 years.  With a foundation in financial analysis and economic modeling, she previously served as a Supervisor of Financial Analytical Services, Corporate Development Senior Analyst, and Marketing Analyst at MarkWest. Meghan holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Regis University in Denver, Colorado.  

Mike Molenaar - Business Development Rep Sr., Williams

Mike Molenaar is a business development representative for MountainWest Pipeline, which is
part of Williams’ FERC-regulated interstate pipeline assets. Williams handles approximately
one third of the natural gas in the United States that is used every day to heat homes, cook
food, and generate electricity. Mike has been with MountainWest Pipeline, formerly Questar
Pipeline, for 26 years. He holds a bachelor's degree in Geological Engineering from the
University of Minnesota and an MBA from Colorado State University.

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Christine Watkins - Utah State House of Representatives

Christine was born in Logan, Utah, living in Logan and Lewiston.  Living in Lewiston she helped her Grandpa Hyer haul hay, thin and hoe sugar beets, and milk cows.  She graduated from high school in California and quickly returned to Utah State University to get a BS Degree in Elementary Education.  Christine married and had four sons and one daughter.   She has always lived in rural areas and loves the lifestyle country living affords. Christine and her late husband built a home and life on 2.5 acres in Carbon County.  Christine, her son and grandson now take care of their home and continue to love living there.

Christine has served 12 years in the legislature. She is the House Chair of the Business, Economic Development, and Labor Sub-appropriation Committee, House Chair of the Child Welfare Sub Committee, House Chair of the Native American Liaison Committee and member of the Judicial and Natural Resources Standing Committees.  She is also a member of the Rural Physician Loan Program.  Christine is a board member of the Castle View Hospital in Price.  

Dr. Seth Lyman - Director, Bingham Research Center, Utah State University

Seth directs Utah State University’s Bingham Research Center and is a Research Professor in USU's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. He has a doctoral degree in Environmental Science and Health from the University of Nevada, Reno, and his expertise is in atmospheric measurements, instrumentation, and analysis.  His research focuses on the environmental outcomes of energy production. 

Dr. Mary Lou Dunzik-Gougar - Associate Dean, College of Science and Engineering, Professor of Nuclear Engineering, Idaho State University

Mark Michel - Chairman & CEO, Integrated Rail and Resources Acquisition Corporation

Greg Miles - Commissioner, Duchesne County

Keith Heaton - Executive Director, Seven County Infrastructure Coalition

Keith Heaton is the director of the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition.  He graduated from the University of Utah in 1989.  He spent 6 years in the private sector doing property management and 26 years working in Community Development for the State of Utah. . Keith has served as President of both the state and national Certified Public Managers Associations (CPM) and President of the Washington DC based Council of State Community Development Agencies (COSCDA). He and his wife Debbie have been married for 35 years, have 4 children, 3 grandchildren and live in Bountiful, Utah. When not in meetings he can be found riding or hiking in our beautiful state.

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Dr. Brian Steed - Executive Director, JQL Institute of Land, Water, and Air

Brian Steed currently serves as the Executive Director of Utah State University’s Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air and as the Inaugural Great Salt Lake Commissioner appointed by Governor Spencer J. Cox. His role focuses on linking USU researchers and programs with government and public partners to address natural resource concerns.

Previously, Brian was the Executive Director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources. His background includes serving as Deputy Director for Policy and Programs at the U.S Bureau of Land Management and as Chief of Staff to Utah Congressman Chris Stewart. He also served as Deputy County Attorney for Iron County and taught Political Science and Economics at USU.

Brian holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Political Science from USU, a Ph.D. in Public Policy with a focus on Environmental Policy from Indiana University Bloomington, and a J.D. from the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law, specializing in Natural Resources and Environmental Law.

Steve Lund - Utah House of Representatives

Michelle McConkie - Executive Director, Trust Lands Administration

Michelle E. McConkie serves as Executive Director of the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration. Michelle leads and directs all administrative and operational functions of this independent state agency, including oil and gas, mining, renewable energy, surface resources, and real estate development projects. The Trust Lands Administration manages over 3.4 million acres of combined surface and mineral estate and an additional 1.5 million acres of severed mineral estate of trust lands. All revenue generated from these lands benefit 12 state institutions, the largest of which

is Utah’s public school system. McConkie has more than 20 years’ experience in natural resource and real estate development issues. As an attorney, she worked for private law firms and as Senior Legal

Counsel for the Trust Land Administration. She has also worked as the Managing Director for the Trust Lands Administration’s Surface Resource Group, the division responsible for managing and generating revenue from nearly 3.4 million acres of surface

estate held by the trust. Michelle holds a Juris Doctorate Degree from the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Utah.

Mick Thomas - Executive Director, Utah Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining

Mick Thomas serves as the Director of Oil, Gas, and Mining within the Utah Department of Natural Resources. The Oil, Gas, and Mining Division provides regulatory support and enforcement for Oil and Gas, Coal, Abandoned Mine Reclamation, and Minerals. The Division also serves as the administrative arm of the Board of Oil, Gas, and Mining for the state of Utah.

As the Director, Mick serves as the Utah representative to the Interstate Mining Compact Commission, the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, and as a board member for the Ground Water Protection Council.

He received his undergraduate degree and graduate degree in geochemistry from the University of Indiana. He began his career as an overnight mudlogger in north central Oklahoma. Mick has worked in most of the major and minor plays in the U.S. and ultimately worked his way up to team lead over mid-content geologic operations with Devon Energy. After leaving industry Mick served in similar leadership roles in Hawaii and Idaho before joining the OGM team in Utah. Mick and his wife have five adult children, two dogs – a lab and a pointer mix, and are happy to call Utah their home.

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Jeremy Pearson - Director, San Rafael Research Center

Dr. Jeremy Pearson serves as the Director of the Utah Office of Energy Development’s Utah San Rafael Energy Lab in Emery County where he works with universities and industry to research and commercialize groundbreaking energy technologies including nuclear, fossil, hydrogen, battery, water and other technologies.  Dr. Pearson received an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering in 2002 from Brigham Young University and worked in manufacturing and process development at Amgen prior to returning to school to pursue a graduate degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Irvine.  During his graduate work, Dr. Pearson studied the backend of the nuclear fuel cycle and used nuclear fuel recycling.  In 2015 Dr. Pearson worked in Senator Hatch’s office as a AAAS Congressional Science and Engineering fellow advising the office on science and energy policy and briefly as an Energy Security Fellow for SAFE (Securing America’s Future Energy).  Following his time in D.C. and prior to joining the State Energy Lab, Dr. Pearson moved to Utah to work as a Development Scientist at Red Leaf in the fossil fuel industry pursing economical solutions to synthetic fuels development.  Dr. Pearson is from Los Angeles California has enjoyed the mountains and outdoors in both California and Utah. 

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Ed McGinnis - Chief Executive Officer, CURIO

Edward (Ed) McGinnis, is an accomplished senior U.S. government executive with over 30 years of proven experience in the fields of national and international nuclear energy policy and technical cooperation, national and international nuclear security and nonproliferation, science and technology policy and programmatic activities, international relations and global energy policy and cooperation.

Ed's experience includes serving at the White House as the Executive Director of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), as Assistant Secretary (Acting) and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE); leading DOE’s international nuclear energy policy and cooperation for over 10 years as Deputy Assistant Secretary; serving as the founding Chair of the 65-nation International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation (IFNEC) and its predecessor Presidential initiative – the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP); as founding Director of the Secretary of Energy’s Global Nuclear and Radiological Threat Reduction Task Force, and serving over 10 years in nuclear nonproliferation, including countering the global threat of nuclear weapons proliferation and serving in DOE’s Office of Foreign Intelligence.

Rob Simmons - Energy Policy Director, EGI, University of Utah

Rob Simmons is Energy Policy Director at the University of Utah’s Energy and Geoscience Institute
(EGI) focused on advancing the development and commercial deployment of EGI’s energy research
portfolio. An attorney, Rob has over 20 years of energy policy experience, including serving as former
Utah Governor Gary Herbert’s Energy Advisor. During his seven years with Governor Herbert’s energy
office he provided strategic energy planning and analysis, and informed legislation to advance more
affordable, reliable and cleaner energy supplies, and responsible energy development. He also crafted
state comments, legal arguments and strategies to address a variety of energy issues and proposed federal actions.

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Before joining OED, Rob was the Associate Director of the Utah Technology Outreach & Innovation
Energy Program where he provided legal, policy and business support for the University of Utah’s
advanced energy programs.  Prior to USTAR, Rob was the Vice President of the Oquirrh Institute, a
public policy think-tank founded by former Utah Governor, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Administrator, and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, Mike Leavitt.

Cristian Rabiti - CEO, NuCube Energy

Dr. Cristian Rabiti is currently the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of NuCube Energy. He currently leads the development of NuCube reactor design and is building the company from the ground up to revolutionize the way in which we use nuclear energy.

Before joining NuCube Energy, Dr. Rabiti worked at Ultra Safe Nuclear Technology as the US market
Business Development VP, where he pioneered the development of market opportunities for advanced
micro nuclear reactors.
 

When in 2021 he joined Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation he already had several years of experience at the US national laboratory complex, Argonne first and then Idaho, where he developed software to address several needs of the nuclear industry. He worked on large parallel simulation for nuclear core design, risk analysis, reactor simulation, fuel cycle optimization, nuclear energy economic optimization and several other topics relevant to the nuclear industry.

Dr. Cristian Rabiti received his PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Stuttgart and an
executive MBA from IE Business school in Madrid.

Thom Fronk - Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Engineering, Utah State University

Dr. Thomas H. Fronk received his BS degree from Utah State University, his MS and PhD from Virginia Tech all in Mechanical Engineering.  He has been a professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at Utah State University since 1990.  His teaching and research interests are in numerical modeling and composite materials and structures.  

Steve Evans - Chairman, Vernal Area Chamber of Commerce Legislative Impact Committee

Nate Zilles - Economic Development, Uintah Basin Association of Governments

Ryan Goodrich - District Manager Ashley Valley Water & Sewer Improvement District 

Scott Hardman - Director, Uintah County Roads Department

Aaron Weight - President, UBTech

Mike Duniway - Research Ecologist/ Soil Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey

Dr. Mike Duniway is a research ecologist and soil scientist with the US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center in Moab UT. Mike’s research is focused on soils and dryland ecosystems of the Colorado Plateau and southwestern US and informing sustainable land use decisions.

Mike has been with the USGS since 2011. Prior, he was a Research Soil Scientist with the USDA and received his PhD in Soil Science from New Mexico State University in 2006.

HD Sanderson - Office of U.S. Rep. John Curtis

Kent Wilson - U.S. Senator Mitt Romney

Joel Brown - U.S. Senator Mike Lee

Adam Gaus - Within My Reach

Adam Gaus is an accomplished leader with a strong background in marketing, nonprofit management, and community service. With an MBA from the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh, Adam honed expertise in strategic marketing, notably as the assistant director of marketing at the University of Pittsburgh, where they contributed to award-winning initiatives such as a bystander intervention film and the It's On Us campaign.

For the past five years, Adam has served as the Executive Director of Friends Against Family Violence (FAFV), where they have been instrumental in expanding grant funding by over five times, significantly bolstering the organization’s capacity to support survivors of domestic and sexual violence. In 2023, they were honored with the "Above and Beyond" award in recognition of their leadership and dedication to domestic violence services.

Adam also plays an active role in the local community, serving as the FY 24 President of the Vernal Rotary Club and continuing as the Public Relations Chair. Their passion for service and advocacy reflects a commitment to creating safer, more supportive environments for all

Doni Arnold - Education Coordinator, Within My Reach

 Since 2010, Doni Arnold has been active in advocacy work. In 2021, she became the Education Coordinator for Friends Against Family Violence, where she initiated a platform to promote awareness of healthy relationships. Currently, there are six successful classes across the tri-county area. Additionally, Doni leads a course called Winning the Workplace, which employs a research-based method to impart healthy and effective communication skills for the workplace. The curriculum equips coworkers with the necessary skills to enhance team efficiency and success, manage conflicts without harming relationships, and foster a congenial work environment. The ultimate outcome of fostering strong relationships at work is a more stable, productive, and satisfied workforce