American Oil and Gas Reporter - April 2021 - 28

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blockchain network for conducting transactions with service companies.
" That offers operators a way to ease
their back office and contracting costs by
using blockchain-driven smart contracts
to speed up billing payment, " he describes.
" Data Gumbo has some interesting solutions
that we are making available to our members
so they can trim their costs and possibly
grow their drilling and production plans. "
New President
The Alliance hired Modglin as president
in June 2020. Before that, he worked for
the Texas Railroad Commission and Commissioner Christi Craddick, Texas House
Energy Resources Chairman Drew Darby,
R-San Angelo, and Texas Agriculture
Commissioner Todd Staples. Wagner,
who was early in her tenure as the Alliance's top officer during the hiring
process, remembers well her first impressions of Modglin.
" I had the privilege of interviewing
Jason in the search's early rounds, " she
recounts. " His skills as an advocate for
our industry were unparalleled. He is
knowledgeable and has the rare ability
to understand complicated legislative or
regulatory language, then communicate
its essential meaning to a broad audience.

During the interview, I also noticed that
he is a fantastic listener, which is important
when you lead more than 3,000 people.
In his position, there are no more important skills than being a wonderful listener
and communicator. "
Moreover, Wagner reflects, the Alliance
recognized that Modglin could help maintain the association's positive relationship
with the RRC and provide it with appropriate support. " His background allows
him to be very in tune with the RRC's
needs, and his understanding of the
agency's inner workings has been a blessing, " she affirms. " He is a pleasure to
work with, and I have not met anybody
who does not think we have made a fantastic hire. "
Modglin recalls considering the Alliance an effective voice for independent
producers during his work in the legislative
and regulatory arenas. That impression
has only strengthened since he has joined
the association, he says.
" Whether I was at the Capitol or RRC,
I always enjoyed working with the Alliance, " he says. " I always valued its
members' perspectives, so it has been an
honor to come work here. "
As for what the experience has been
like since he took the helm, Modglin ac-

knowledges that starting the job a few
months into the COVID-19 pandemic entailed challenges above and beyond those
associated with taking a new position.
" We all faced the reality of adapting to
Zoom and other digital formats if we
wanted to continue delivering a high level
of service to our members while we lacked
the ability to get together, " he details.
" Much of my chairmanship has been
about telling people on Zoom they are
muted, " Wagner quips. " But now with
the increase in vaccinations and the decline
in COVID numbers, I think it is going to
be a great year for the Alliance, one that
is more like the first one I had envisioned.
However, we have learned some wonderful
lessons and emerged as a stronger group
by going through the pandemic. "
To illustrate the association's improvements, Modglin notes that shortly
after his arrival, the Alliance revamped
its daily and weekly member communications, which now include a series
of video interactions with legislators,
regulators and industry leaders. " We
push these conversations, which have
run about half an hour to an hour, out
to our members, then add them to
YouTube so they can live forever on the
Internet, " he says.

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American Oil and Gas Reporter - April 2021

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