The Professional Land Management Industry Advisory Board (IAB) provides oversight and guidance, reviews curricular changes, and advises on areas of need in the industry. IAB members also serve as mentors to students. The advisory board meets twice per academic year. Current projects include expanding employment opportunities for students and raising regional and national awareness of the program among land professionals.
Jon Wilcox, Chair
A native of Casper, Wyoming, Jon graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1980 with a BS in Industrial Management. Jon started his career with Marathon Oil Company in 1980 as an entry level Landman and over the next 34 years worked in various locations and capacities in the Bakken, Rockies, Permian, Mid-Continent, Alaska, Gulf of Mexico & International before retiring from his role as the US Western Land Manager in 2014. Upon retirement Jon was recruited by Nine Point Energy to be the Vice President of Land for their Bakken Operations which were based out of Denver, CO. He retired from that role in 2019.
Rob Balsam, III, Vice-Chair
After graduating from the University of Wyoming, Rob went to work in banking, following a path that would take him into underwriting home loans. After several years Rob returned to academia to pursue a degree in professional land and resource management. Rob then moved to Houston where he worked deep-water Gulf of Mexico assets for Petrobras America Inc. as land and regulatory analyst. In 2014, Rob joined Wave Petroleum Operating, LLC as a Landman. In addition to oil and gas land work, Rob serves as the President of Montana & Wyoming Oil Company and he is a Partner at Sovereign State Title Company in Cody, Wyoming.
Zachary Barr
Zach Barr is a Senior Associate at Kearns & West with six years of experience in the collaborative solutions practice focusing on energy, water, environment, transportation, and land use issues. He has used his knowledge of land and title research, developed at University of Wyoming, to help federal agencies identify and engage stakeholders around land use and other natural resource issues. Zach’s understanding of energy issues at a national and local scale are representative of his role as Project Manager for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Waterpower Technologies Office (WPTO) MHK Environmental Toolkit for Permitting/Licensing and his support of the U.S. Department of Energy Geothermal Office (GTO) Interagency Geothermal Task Force. He’s also had the privilege of teaching the graduate and undergraduate Negotiations course at the University of Wyoming in the spring of 2022. He is an alumni of the School of Energy Resources at University of Wyoming, earning his bachelors in Energy Resource Management and Development, concentrating on Professional Land Management, and holds a concurrent Bachelor of Science in Environment and Natural Resources.
Doug Brooks
Executive with over 42 years of experience in the upstream oil and gas sector including public and private company Chief Executive positions and multiple board-ships. Deep experience in ‘turn-arounds’ of troubled businesses both pre and post-financial reorganization; mergers and acquisition; cultural and strategic realignments. Successful record of executive intervention in public and private enterprises with positive outcomes for stakeholders. In-depth knowledge and established record of strategic re-alignment and successful monetization or mergers of troubled companies.
Record of (re)establishing a culture of execution; accountability; cost focus; disciplined capital allocation; commercial analysis, risk management, investor relations and awareness with a focus on security instrument appreciation (equity and debt).
Experience in reorganizing, and realigning boards of directors to establish new board culture and focus.
Strongly embraced the energy transition including proactively advancing ESG initiatives: Led in gender diversification of board memberships and professional advancements; creation of positively received sustainability reporting; installed progressive board governance and executive compensation programs; strong focus on environmental protections; intense safety performance focus and expectations. Active mentor of prospective, current and former C-suite executives.
Deep experience in Nominations & Governance, Audit, Compensation and ESG committees and experience as a Lead Independent director.
Named top 100 Public Company Board members by NACD, April 2022.
Graduate of UW Casper with a BS in Business Management and a MBA in finance from Our Lady of the Lake University.
Fred Eden, RL
A native of Powell, WY, Eden graduated from a military high school in Germany before embarking on a military career of his own. He spent 14 years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force before working for Boeing for eight years. Eden later decided to return to school and is one of the very first graduates from UW’s School of Energy Resources. He is the Environmental Land Manager for DISA Technologies in Casper, WY, responsible for managing land operations for mine reclamation. His responsibilities include determining ownership, developing and managing landowner relations, drafting agreements, initial site inspection, and preliminary sampling. Eden works closely with the legal, engineering, and regulatory components of DISA’s reclamation business. Prior to joining DISA, he was the Senior Manager Land-West, for Peabody Energy, responsible for the management of land and leases at seven different mine sites in four states. Before joining Peabody, he was a Realty Specialist with the General Services Administration (GSA) in Fort Worth, TX, and a Subject Mater Expert with Boeing in the field of Hyperspectral Imagery. Eden is a Registered Landman with the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL).
Preston Farnsworth, J.D.
Preston Farnsworth is a fourth-generation Wyomingite and dedicated energy provider. Born in Laramie and raised in Newcastle, where he completed his high school education. Before pursuing higher education, Preston gained valuable hands-on experience working in local oil fields and coal mines. He then attended the University of Nebraska-Kearney, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Journalism in 2003. Continuing his education, he graduated with a Juris Doctor from the University of Wyoming College of Law in 2007.
For the past 15 years, Preston has served as an Advising Landman at Devon Energy Production Company, L.P. In this role, he has played a key part in the planning and execution of Surface-disturbing activities within the Powder and DJ Basins, as part of the Rockies Business Unit. Additionally, Preston is an active board member of the Wyoming-Montana Safety Council, and the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources Professional Land Management degree. He currently resides in Sheridan, Wyoming.
Mary Ann Green
Mary Ann Green works at AES Corporation as a Renewable Energy Strategic Development & Land Acquisition Project Manager. Mary Ann is responsible for ensuring the viability of renewable projects, managing a team of project managers and independent contractors, and furthering Western Land’s business development. Prior to Western Land, she spent 8 years at Occidental Petroleum as a Senior Land Negotiator and was responsible for long-term planning, execution, lease preservation and business development in the DJ Basin. Mary Ann has experience in upstream, midstream and full-cycle land management responsibilities. Recently, Mary Ann was tasked with becoming a subject matter expert on all rule and regulation-making at the State level. She was instrumental in representing energy producers’ negotiations with the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission’s most recent rule changes. Mary Ann holds two degrees: one from Montana State University and one from the University of Wyoming.
Joseph C. Icenogle, CPL
Joe is an oil and gas land and regulatory consultant. He has experience working as a Land Manager for Wave Petroleum in Wyoming and as Surface Land Manager with Apache Corporation in Tulsa. Previously, he was the Director of Environmental Affairs for Fidelity Exploration & Production Company, after completing nearly 19 years of service with Marathon Oil Company working in positions of increasing responsibility in land management, environmental and regulatory affairs. Joe was raised in Casper, Wyoming and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, in 1981 with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree majoring in Petroleum Land Management.
Samuel Mallory
Samuel Mallory works at Shell Oil Company as a Valuation Analyst, leading economic and financial analysis to support new business development projects across the Shell portfolio. Since joining in 2018, Sam has been in Shell’s Upstream and Integrated Gas commercial leadership development program working roles across the business to develop a broad knowledge of the energy industry and a comprehensive skillset to become a future leader. Sam holds a bachelor of science degree, graduating summa cum laude, from the University of Wyoming in Energy Resource Management and Development with a concentration in Professional Land Management and minor in the Honors Program. He was the recipient of the American Association of Professional Landmen’s Outstanding Graduate award and a finalist for the University of Wyoming’s Tobin Memorial Outstanding Graduate award.
Kendra Quick, CPL, MBA
Originally from Colorado, Kendra Quick has amassed more than 25 years of experience working as a professional landman in Wyoming, working as an independent landman, an in-house landman for an oil and gas company, and working up through the ranks of a coal company from Senior Land Agent, Land Manager and finally Senior Manager Land West. Prior to taking early retirement from Peabody in 2020, Kendra was responsible for all lands/minerals and leases (coal and oil/gas) owned or controlled by Peabody at in and around their mining operations located west of the Mississippi River. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Marketing as well as an MBA from the University of Mary, and obtained her Certified Professional Landman (CPL) designation in 2009. A founding board member for the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources PLM Program Advisory Board, she has remained involved with the program over the years as well as the professional landman organizations in the state. She is a Past President of the Wyoming Associate of Professional Landmen (WAPL) and current a member of WAPL and the Montana Association of Professional Landmen.
Randy Reed, Esq.
Randall Reed is a partner in the Wyoming law firm Long, Reimer, Winegar and Beppler, LLC. Randy has over 27 years of experience in real property, oil and gas, mineral tax, regulated utility and business law. Randy’s agricultural background has led him to focus his practice on Real Estate and Land Use and Oil and Gas Law. He is a graduate of the University of Wyoming College of Business, and earned his law degree from UW in 1991.
Lindsey Stinson
Lindsey Stinson is an accomplished professional with 22 years of experience as an independent landman. She has a wealth of knowledge in contract/deal and trade negotiations, acquiring leases, title verification, appraisals, curative, due diligence, lease and contract analysis maintenance and compliance. She is also experienced in federal, state and fee title practices.
Lindsey is a third generation landman who started her independent landman career in 2002 throughout the Rockies. In 2012 she started her own land brokerage, DKS Land Services, LLC. Through the success of her brokerage, she bought Pacer Energy, LLC in 2018, with Tessaro Energy Consultants, LLC as partners. Pacer Energy, LLC maintains an office in Gillette and through continued success in the Rockies and other regions has opened a second office in Cheyenne. Pacer Energy, LLC is now the largest landman brokerage doing business in Wyoming serving surface owners, mineral owners, attorneys, and companies involved in oil and gas, midstream operations, mining, timber, solar, wind, and carbon sequestration.
Katelyn (Katie) Schwieger
Katelyn (Katie) Schwieger is a landman working for Delray Energy Partners, LLC, a privately held, non-op company focused in the Powder River Basin. With over five years of land management experience, Katie has broad knowledge of lease and agreement acquisitions, title examinations, abstracting, negotiations with mineral and surface owners, and the drafting and monitoring of oil and gas exploration and surface use contracts. Additionally, Katie is involved with the Casper College Foundation and Alumni Association, where she assists with mineral asset management and consulting. A Wyoming native, Katie attended Casper College, where she earned an associate degree in business administration in 2013, and the University of Wyoming, earning her bachelor’s degree in Energy Resource Management and Development with a concentration in Professional Land Management in 2017. A proud UW alumna, Katie has remained involved with the School of Energy Resources, participating in alumni and educational events and town halls.
Katie is a member of the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL) and an active member of the Wyoming Association of Professional Landmen (WAPL), currently serving as an executive committee member. She has previously served as President (2021-22), Treasurer (2020-21), an education committee member, and as the WAPL liaison to the UW PLM program.
Marc Strahn, CPL, Chair Emeritus
Marc Strahn is the recently retired President of The Wolf Haven Corporation and High Story Ventures, Inc., oil and gas acquisition and divestiture companies specializing in mineral and production properties in the Rocky Mountain Region. Marc has also served as the Executive Counsel to Hoover & Stacy, Inc., of Cheyenne, Wyoming, a Rocky Mountain Land Brokerage Firm. He has forty-one plus years of field landman and management experience. Marc served three two-year terms as the Wyoming Director to the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL) and finished in 2015-2016 as the American Association of Professional Landmen's (AAPL) National President.
Jacob Haseman, Esq., Chair Emeritus
Jacob (Jake) T. Haseman is a Shareholder Attorney at Beatty & Wozniak, P.C. in Sheridan, WY. He maintains an active energy and natural resource-based legal practice and has practiced law since graduating from the University of Wyoming College of Law in 2007. Jake’s legal practice has traditionally focused on oil, gas, and water; particularly regulatory and administrative work in front of various state regulatory bodies, title examination and curative, litigation surrounding oil and gas, real property, contracts, and title issues, real estate transactions, eminent domain, and various title and contractual surface issues for a variety of parties in the energy and natural resources sector.