American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 104

ConventionSection: Western Energy Alliance
government on public lands access issues,"
says Alliance Vice President of Development and Operations Brian Fakharzadeh.
"Lately, we have gained several new
members from outside the region with
no public lands in their operations. They
see our presence at the lease sale protests,
our stand against the 'Keep it in the
Ground' movement, and our defeat of
the BLM fracturing rule in court as representing everybody's best interests."
Despite the industry downturn,
Fakharzadeh reports, the Alliance has enrolled 23 new members in 2016. "We
knew this year would be challenging for
our members," he acknowledges. "When
we cut our operating budget 30 percent
this year, our members thanked us for
paying attention, for being cognizant for
how they are impacted, and for being in
line with what is happening around the
industry."
According to Fakharzadeh, the cutback
also led the Alliance to postpone its
annual Wildcatter of the Year event that
traditionally has been held in September.
The event raises money for Alliance activities, but the group's leaders agree the

time is not right to host a formal event at
a downtown hotel.
"We are planning to bring the Wildcatter back in 2017," he says. "With the
industry still shrinking this year, an event
such as that just did not look right, so we
thought it better to hold off for a while."
Nevertheless, social gatherings, networking and sporting events remain a very
important part of the Alliance's mission,
he assures. "We have to provide opportunities for the service providers to network
with producers," Fakharzadeh says. "Events
such as our wine tasting, golf outing,
sporting clays, and the car show are a significant part of our budget."
The Alliance also hosts quarterly socials
for little or no admission cost to members,
Fakharzadeh notes. "The board agrees
these regular, informal gatherings are
more important than ever," he relates.
Annual Meeting
Fakharzadeh indicates that this year's
abbreviated annual meeting agenda also
has earned the support of the board and
membership. With a single day to cover

104 THE AMERICAN OIL & GAS REPORTER

industry issues and provide informative
speakers, Alliance leadership has selected
a keynote speaker whom members should
find interesting, he says.
Charlie Kirk is founder and executive
director of Turning Point USA, "a national
student movement dedicated to identifying,
organizing, and empowering young people
to promote the principles of free markets
and limited government," the group's
website describes.
Fakharzadeh indicates Kirk has been
selected for his ability to speak about
political issues from the perspective of a
young person who often "does not agree
with the direction Millennials are taking
the conversation."
The theme of this year's Alliance
annual meeting, Fakharzadeh describes,
is "telling our story to the end-user. That
is something we don't do very well. It is
something Chairman Ottoson is very passionate about."
The annual meeting's first day, Wednesday, Aug. 17, includes the family dinner
and reception, which will feature remarks
by Heidi Gahnal, founder of Camp Bow
Wow and a candidate for the University
of Colorado Board of Regents, who will
discuss efforts to fight the fossil fuel divestiture movement at major universities.
Along with Kirk's remarks, speakers
on Thursday, Aug. 18, include Colorado
Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, who
will discuss the state's challenge of the
Environmental Protection Agency's Clean
Power Plan, and Sean Tonner, R&R Partners' Denver president, who will discuss
how the industry can improve how it markets to its everyday customers. Other highlights include membership and Board of
Directors meetings, and a passing of the
chairman's gavel from Ottoson to incoming
Chairman Daryll Howard of Fuse Energy.
Over the past year, Wigley says, special
programs such as last autumn's weeklong
Fossil Free Challenge event, active engagement in the political process, and a
responsive calendar of social networking
have positioned the Alliance to endure
the market slump, retain an engaged
membership, and continue its work once
the market recovers.
Politics will continue to play a featured
role as the Alliance prepares for the
future. "This year's election is unlike
anything I have seen before," Wigley
muses. "Our transition planning is already
under way, and we hope to be ready for
whatever comes our way."
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American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016

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