President’s Column: Energizing Tomorrow: Let’s Keep Doing It!

As I write this column, the last of my year as SPE President, I have naturally been reflecting on what I want to leave you with in this final communication. I’m not quite at the end of my journey; in fact, I still have 3 months left until I hand the gavel over to the most capable C. Susan Howes, the 2027 President, at the Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE) in Houston in October (and there is a lot to do in these 3 months). But given that this is my final direct correspondence, please allow me some reflection, a few updates on where the Society is, and some extremely important thank-yous.

When asked to introduce myself this past year, I have frequently done so with the words “I have the honor and privilege to serve as the 2026 SPE President.” I have never meant a statement more in my life. Students frequently ask, “Did you always want to be SPE President,” and my answer has been a solid “No, it was never on my radar.” This generally leads to a great conversation about volunteerism and the opportunities that it can provide.

But my point is that it truly has been an honor and a privilege to serve in this role, and I want to thank each of you for the opportunity to so. I hope that I have done right by the office.

I have shaped my presidency around SPE’s tagline, “Solutions. People. Energy.” My discussions with students, members, industry, government leaders, and any group that asked me to speak focused on the increasing need for energy and how SPE is made up of the people that can provide the solutions for that energy in safe, secure, and sustainable ways.

We are the Society of Petroleum Engineers, but we are so much more than petroleum alone, and SPE membership consists of far more than just engineers. SPE is made up of professionals whose experience will help solve the world’s energy needs in our core areas of oil and gas, low-carbon technologies such as CCUS and emissions reduction, and emerging areas such as geothermal, hydrogen, and critical minerals. I have never been more convinced that SPE is the catalyst and platform to bring together the technical knowledge needed to solve the energy trilemma.

When I started my presidency, I asked in a LinkedIn post what people might want to hear about in these columns, and I want to thank all of you who responded, both then and since, with comments and requests. I have tried to address as many of these topics as possible, covering topics such as SPE’s value proposition, transparency in SPE operations and the Board of Directors, supporting young professionals and students, rethinking membership needs, artificial intelligence, sections’ best practices, and how we can all have conversations with the general public about the importance of our industry. I’m sorry if I couldn’t get to everything asked, but hopefully, all found value in at least some of these topics.