Board of Directors

GMF Board of Directors in Florida Keys The Gulf of Mexico Foundation’s Board of Directors met in Key Largo, Florida, August 29-31 to discuss GMF business, goals and projects.

To start off the two-day meeting, the Board members, associates and staff took a ride aboard the Key Largo Princess Glass Bottom Boat (PHOTO RIGHT), observing the coral reef at Molasses Reef which is part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS).

That afternoon, Dr. Billy Causey, FKNMS Regional Director, gave a presentation to the Board of Directors about the Keys ecosystem and the threats that it faces.

Other speakers included Paul Kelly, Retired VP of Rowan Industries, and Dr. Larry McKinney, Director of the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies. Dr. McKinney spoke about the Gulf Summit which HRI is organizing, with help from the GMF, for Houston this December.

To wrap up the meeting, GMF President/CEO Dr. Quenton Dokken will give a presentation to the Board with an update on the GMF’s programs and progress.

Dr. Quenton Dokken – President/CEO

GMF’s President and CEO Dr. Quenton Dokken is uniquely qualified to lead the efforts of the Gulf of Mexico Foundation. Formerly, he was Associate Director of the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Center for Coastal Studies and the Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Gulf of Mexico Regional Marine Research Program. As a marine scientist, Dr. Dokken has an extensive publication record relating to the study of the ecosystems and fauna of the Gulf of Mexico.

Wayne Johnson – Chairman, Founding Member

Wayne Johnson is an attorney with over 30 years experience in the practice of law in Dallas, practicing primarily in the transactional, business formation and governance and regulatory law areas. During his career in both law and business, Mr. Johnson has been general counsel, executive officer, director and owner of various public and private enterprises. As a co-founder of Siro Wireless, a prepaid wireless telephone company, he currently serves as executive vice president and general counsel. Mr. Johnson has an undergraduate degree in finance and a law degree from Southern Methodist University.

Dr. Ian Hudson – Vice Chairman

Dr. Ian Hudson is the currently Corporate Director of Quality, Health, Safety & Environment at Transocean, the world’s largest offshore drilling contractor. Ian leads a global team of QHSE professionals providing strategic support to the company’s 18,000 people across operations in over 30 countries, on over 120 installations. The QHSE function at Transocean covers all aspects of QHSE including corporate responsibility, verification and compliance as well as occupational health. Ian holds a BS in Marine Biology from the University of Newcastle (UK) and a PhD. in Ocean Ecology from the National Oceanography Center (UK). He is Vice Chairman of the Gulf of Mexico Foundation and sits on a number of other boards from industry and academia.

Michael Kieschnick – Treasurer

Michael Kieschnick graduated Magna Cum Laude from Texas A&M University Kingsville (TAMU-K) with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting and a Masters of Public Accountancy. Mr. Kieschnick was the Distinguished Honor Graduate from the College of Business Administration. He joined Guerra, Kieschnick, Cross & Lovvorn, LLP part-time in August 1998, becoming a partner January 1, 2005. He received his Certified Public Accounting Certificate in September 2002.

Eric Adams – Member

Eric L. Adams is Vice President of Business Development for Oceaneering International, Inc., an advanced applied technology company that focuses on deepwater engineered products and services for the oil and gas industry worldwide. With 23 years of industry experience, he has held technical and commercial roles with increasing levels of responsibility in the midstream and upstream sectors of the industry.

Joseph Dial – Founding Member, Former President

A native Texan, Joseph Dial is a founding member and former president of the Gulf of Mexico Foundation. In 1989 he was elected by 24 gubernatorial appointees from the five Gulf coastal states to serve as the first Chairman of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Gulf of Mexico Program.

Colie Donaldson, GOMF Board Meeting 2007, Rancho Viejo, Brownsville, Texas

Colie Donaldson – Founding Member

Colie Donaldson is a founding member and former president of the Gulf of Mexico Foundation. His management experience in economic and community development spans more than 25 years.

J. Gary Ellis – Member

J. Gary Ellis is president and publisher of Compass Marketing, Inc., parent company of Southern Breeze magazine. Ellis, a lifelong resident of coastal Alabama, believes in preserving resources and promoting that concept.

Rick Fowler – Member

Richard L. “Rick” Fowler is vice president Deep Water Projects for LLog Exploration Company L.L.C. Prior to joining LLog, Mr. Fowler was General Manager of Gulf of Mexico operations for Dominion Exploration & Production based in New Orleans.

Paul Kelly – Director Emeritus

Paul L. Kelly is an internationally recognized consultant on energy and ocean policy and is a retired Senior Vice President of Rowan Companies, Inc. For four administrations, he was a member of the U.S. Secretary of Interior’s Outer Continental Shelf Policy Committee, serving as chairman of the committee from 1994 to 1996. In 1991, President Bush appointed him to serve on the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy established to examine the major issues affecting America’s coasts and oceans.

Terri G. King – Member

Terri G. King is the Manager of Gulf Coast Operations in ConocoPhillips’ L48 Region. Her career experience spans asset management, operations, planning, strategy and portfolio management, and reservoir engineering. Prior to her role in the Gulf Coast, King managed E&P assets in the North Sea.

John LaRue – Member, Former President

With a career of public service spanning more than 25 years, John LaRue brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the Gulf of Mexico Foundation. He is the Executive Director of the Port of Corpus Christi Authority. His responsibilities include day-to-day operations of the port including the departments of Engineering, Finance & Administration, Government Affairs, Operations, and Trade Development. He offers the Foundation his broad experience in commerce, management, and development, as well as his knowledge of effective collaboration with government agencies.

David J. McBride – Member

David J. McBride is Vice President of Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) for Anadarko Petroleum Company located in The Woodlands, Texas. Anadarko operates globally, with a major focus area being the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

Dr. Gene Meier – Member

A member of the board since 2002, Dr. Gene Meier has 31 years of experience in basic and applied research related to health and environmental science. He brings to the Foundation experience in: developing methods of analyzing environmental samples, developing hazardous waste, environmental monitoring, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), environmental monitoring, and remote sensing programs.

Greg Simmons – Member

Dr. Gregory Simmons is Vice President Deepwater Gulf of Mexico for Devon Energy. Dr. Simmons has more than 25 years of energy industry experience and with an emphasis on deepwater exploration along the North and South Atlantic continental margins.

Hasting Stewart – Member

Hasting Stewart is Senior Communications Manager – Deep Water at Shell EP Americas business. In this role, he has responsibility for providing public, social performance, reputation, stakeholder and local government relations’ support for Shell’s exploration and production operations and new business ventures in the US Lower 48 states and Gulf of Mexico.

Larry Thomas – Member

Larry Thomas is the General Manager of Government and Public Affairs for the Gulf of Mexico and Mid and Southern Continent performance units for BP America. He has served in a number of key roles for BP since joining the company in 2000.

Geir Solli, Member

Geir Solli is the Asset Team Manager for Marathon Oil Corporation’s production operations in the Gulf of Mexico. Prior to that he was the Asset Manager for Marathon’s Alvheim floating production unit on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. He came to Marathon in 2004 after an 18-year career at BP where he worked in offshore oil production off the coast of Norway, UK and the US.

Mary Yturria – Director Emeritus

Mary Yturria is a founding member and former president of the Gulf of Mexico Foundation. She is a civic activist and visionary community leader who is well known in South Texas. Her legacy of contributions to a multitude of public services organizations has gained her recognition in both the United States and Mexico. She is a recipient of numerous civic and humanitarian awards. Yturria’s foresight, organizational skills, and leadership are an immeasurable asset to the Gulf of Mexico Foundation.

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