Stakeholders Council
December 2005
Vernon Asper
CURRICULUM VITAE
VERNON L. ASPER
Department of Marine Science
University of Southern Mississippi
Stennis Space Center, MS. 39529
ProfessionalPreparation
Messiah College,Biology/ChemistryB.A., 1978
Grantham, Pennsylvania
University of Hawaii,OceanographyM.S., 1981
Honolulu, Hawaii
Massachusetts Institute ofOceanographyPh.D., 1986
Technology / Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution,
Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Appointments
7/97 – PresentProfessor, The University of Southern Mississippi
7/02 – 7/03Dean of the College of Marine Sciences, The University of Southern
Mississippi
4/00 – 7/02Associate Dean for Research and Sponsored Programs of the College of
Marine Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi
7/92 – 6/97Associate Professor, The University of Southern Mississippi
9/86 – 6/92Assistant Professor, The University of Southern Mississippi
3/86 – 9/86Research Associate, The University of Southern Mississippi
12/85 – 3/86Post-Doctoral Study, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Publications
5 Related Publications:
Asper, V.L., and W.O. Smith (2003) Abundance, distribution and sinking rates of aggregates in
the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Deep-Sea Research, 1 50 pp 131-150
Asper, V.L., and W.O. Smith. (2003) The Distribution of Particulate Organic Carbon and its
Dynamics in the Southern Ross Sea. Antarctic Research Series, vol. 78 pp235-242.
Honjo, S., K. Doherty, Y.C. Agrawal and V.L. Asper, (1984) “Direct Optical Assessment of
Macroscopic Aggregates in the Deep Ocean.” Deep-Sea Research, vol. 31 pp 67-76.
Asper, V.L., W.G. Deuser, G.A. Knauer, and S.E. Lohrenz (1991) Rapid Biogeochemical
Coupling Between Surface and Deep Ocean Waters via Particles. Nature 358, pp 670-672.
Smith, W.O., Jr. and V.L. Asper (2000) A balanced nitrogen budget for the surface layer of the
Southern Ross Sea, Antarctica. Geophysical Research Letters 27 pp 2721-2724
5 Other Publications:
Asper, V.L., S. Honjo and T.H. Orsi, (1991) “Distribution and – Transport of Marine Snow
Aggregates in the Panama Basin”, Deep-Sea Research 39(6) pp 939-952.
Smith, W.O., Jr. and V.L. Asper (2001) Spatial and temporal variations in phytoplankton
Biomass in the Ross Sea polynya. Deep-Sea Research I 48 pp 137-161.
Lohrenz, S.E., G.A. Knauer, V.L. Asper, M. Tuel, A.H. Knap and A.F. Michaels (1991)
“Seasonal Variability in Primary Production and Particle Flux in the Northwestern Sargasso Sea: U.S. JGOFS Bermuda Atlantic Time Series:”, Deep-Sea Research 39(7/8) pp 1373-1391.
Diercks, A-R. and V.L. Asper (1997) Vertical Distribution of Marine Snow Aggregates at the
Equator at 140°W: An Estimate of Settling Speeds from the Marine Aggregate
ENUMerator camera (MAGENUM) and Comparison with the Water Column Structure
During the JGOFS EQPAC Study 1992. Deep-Sea Research. 44(3) pp385-398.
Walsh, I.D., W.D. Gardner, M.J. Richardson, S-P. Chung, C.A. Plattner and V.L. Asper, (1997)
Particle dynamics as controlled by the flow field of the Eastern Equatorial Pacific. Deep-
Sea Research II 44 pp 2025-2047.
GCOOS-Related Funding:
Asper, V.L., S.M Gallager, R.C. Beardsley, and K. von der Heyt, Collaborative Research: Establishing a Polar Remote Interactive Marine Observatory (PRIMO) near Palmer Station on the Western Antarctic Peninsula. National Science Foundation, Major Research Instrumentation, $1,989,687 ($727,531 USM, $1,262,156 WHOI).
Collaborators & Other Affiliations:
Collaborators:
Wilford Gardner, Texas A&M UniversityMonty Graham, Dauphin Island Sea Lab
Cynthia Pilskaln, Bigelow LaboratoryMarc Slattery, The University of Mississippi
Walker Smith, William & Mary Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Robert Woolsey, The University of Mississippi
Graduate and Postdoctoral Advisors:
Susumu HonjoWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution
David KarlUniversity of Hawaii
Thesis Advisor and Postgraduate-Scholar Sponsor:
Shuvobroto BrahmachariMSU-CAST
Arne-R. DiercksOcean Technologies
Joseph TegederUniversity of Washington
Stuart P. Burbach
Stuart P. Burbach
11 Autumn Crescent
Woodlands, TX 77381
Employment
Pogo Producing Company, Houston, Texas 1991 to 2004
Executive Vice President
The position entails the development and implementation for all exploration and development activities within the company’s four divisions, including both domestic and international divisions. I report directly to the CEO, Chairman and President on a daily basis and work in conjunction with a four person corporate team responsible for planning and the implementation of drilling, budgets, corporate planning, acquisitions and divestitures. In addition I and deliver analysis presentations with the CEO and CFO on the company’s financial road shows to debt and equity investors, market and bank analysists.
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Tricentral Oil & Gas (later to be named Norfolk Holdings), Houston, Denver, Calgary 1982-1991
Senior Geologist to Exploration Manager to Corporate Staff to Vice President
The position was responsible for United States and Canadian exploration and development of oil and gas assets in the Rocky Mountain and Gulf of Mexico regions. This position developed and drilled both exploration and development projects. Norfolk Holdings was the result of a Leverage Buy Out (LBO) of North American assets from the parent company. I was one of four principles and officers that implemented the LBO and was involved with the assets until the time at which the company was sold.
Pogo Producing Company, Houston, Texas 1979-1983
Senior Geologist
The position was responsible for oil and gas exploration and development in the Western and Central Gulf of Mexico OCS Federal Waters and Texas State Waters reporting to an exploration manager. The majority of work entailed both geological and geophysical mapping of prospects for OCS Federal Leases sale. Wellsite evaluation and regional prospect development was an important component of this position.
Mobil Oil Corporation, Houston, Texas 1975-1979
Geologist
The position included geological and geophysical mapping projects for OCS Federal Lease Sales in the Gulf of Mexico. Regional stratigraphic mapping and wellsite work was included in the training
Public Service
Multiple Sclerosis Society 1993 to Present
Board Member
Chair Positions:
-Vice Chairman of Board
-Fundraising
-Client Services
-Board Development
-Camp for All
South Montgomery County YMCA 1987-1993
Board Member
Chair Positions:
-Vice Chairman of Board
-Fundraising
-Capital Building Program
-Sports Youth Chair
-Vision Committee
Lord of Life Lutheran Church 1987 to Present
Member of Church Counsel
Committee Positions:
-Board Long Range Planning
-Chaired Building Fundraising Committee
-Chaired Pastor Search Committee
YMCA and Little League 1985-1998
Coach
Coached or Managed:
-40 boys and girls teams
Education
Univ. Wisconsin – Milwaukee BS Geology 1974
Texas A&M - College Station MS Oceanography 1977
Family
Born April 3, 1952, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Married 28 years (Pam)
3 Children, Kristen (24), Aaron (22), Tamara (17)
2 Dogs, Kia (8), Woodie (3)
Society/Club Memberships
Association of American Petroleum Geologists
Houston Geological Society
Rocky Mountain Assoc. Geologists
Montana Geological Society
Canadian Geological Society
Alaskan Geological Society
Petroleum Club
Houstonian
Woodlands Ballet Company
Woodlands Bike Association
YMCA, South Montgomery County
Team Anadarko Cycling
Leisure
Tour Cycling
Basketball
Coaching
All ocean and mountain sports
Relaxing with the family
Dave Buzan
Dave Buzan is the team leader for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Coastal Studies team. This team works with other organizations to develop sound recommendations for freshwater inflows to estuaries. Other major areas of emphasis for the team include describing aquatic life use of tidal streams, coordinating response to harmful algal blooms, increasing public awareness of coastal ecosystems, and participating in the state's Total Maximum Daily Load process for impaired waters.
Dave is a member of the department's Kills and Spills team and helps respond to fish kills, wildlife mortality incidents and pollution incidents including oil and hazardous chemical spills.
While previously employed at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Dave managed the agency's surface water quality monitoring program which included scheduling, quality assuring and helping conduct physical, chemical and biological sampling of the state's surface waters. Dave helped create and operate Texas Watch, the state's volunteer water quality monitoring program at the time.
THomas Chance
Tricia Clark
Ms. Tricia Clark graduated from Cloudcroft, NM, High School in 1975. She spent two years at New Mexico State University, when her ambitions to become a marine biologist took her to Texas A&M University @ Galveston in 1977. She graduated from Texas A&M with a BS in Marine Biology in 1979. While completing her studies in Marine Biology she became patently aware of the limited jobs in her chosen field, so Ms. Clark elected to pursue a separate course of studies which would allow her to attain her USCG 3rd Mates License in 1980. Upon receiving the unlimited tonnage 3rd’s license, Ms. Clark proceeded to sea working with ARCO Marine as one of the first female merchant marine officers. During the next 10 years Ms. Clark could be found operating the tankers as they plied the waters of the East and West Coasts gaining extensive knowledge of tanker operations and fleet management. She advanced her license to that of Chief Mate – unlimited tonnage.
In the summer of 1990 two large, high profile oil spills impacted the Texas Coast which prompted the Texas Legislature to pass legislation giving the Texas General Land Office jurisdiction over coastwise oil spills. Realizing that if the Land Office was going to begin to regulate the shipping industry a person with ties to the industry and knowledge of the operation was needed, Ms. Clark was brought on board in early 1991 to interface with the soon to be regulated community. She was immediately recognized for her industry expertise when a short 8 months later she was accepted by the USCG to come to Washington DC for a year to assist in promulgating the regulations required under the newly passed OPA ’90 legislation.
During her year in Washington DC. Ms. Clark served as the Coastal States Liaison and in that capacity was responsible for tracking coastal oil spill legislation, which at the time was flying fast and furious in the wake of the Exxon Valdez as coastal states rushed to protect their environments. She also participated in the negotiated rulemaking for the facility and vessel response plan requirements; participated on rulemaking teams for the lightering equipment requirements, carriage requirements for response equipment; and assisted with promulgation of the Deepwater Ports Study.
Upon completion of her year in Washington DC, Ms. Clark returned to the Texas General Land Office where she resumed the duties of Maritime Affairs Coordinator. In that position, she was responsible for promulgation and implementation of regulations for vessel response plans. She also chaired many industry/government committees as the Texas General Land Office worked closely with the regulated community to ensure response, preparedness, and prevention of spills. She was a member of the Regional Response Team for Region VI and assisted in developing preapproval plans for dispersant use and in-situ burning, making the Gulf of Mexico the first area of the United States to have such approvals in place in the event of a spill. She represented state and environmental interests on the National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee from 1995 to 1999 and worked on such safety issues as collisions between merchant vessels and offshore exploration and production structures. In 1997 she was chosen to participate on the National Research Council’s Marine Board Committee on Oil Spill Risks From Tank Vessel Lightering, which issued their report in 1998. In recognition of her continued leadership she was chosen as one of the seven most outstanding women in Texas State Government in 1998.
Late 1998 found Ms. Clark rejoining the private sector with Skaugen PetroTrans, a Houston-based company providing lightering services on all coasts of the United States, as the Manager of Quality Assurance and Emergency Preparedness. In this capacity Ms. Clark has ensured the safety of ship-to-ship operations - seeing that over 2 billion barrels of crude oil has been successfully transferred during the offshore operation and ensuring the continued safety of the service vessel while she makes her transit to/from port. The practices continued, developed, implemented and measured under her tutelage were instrumental in Skaugen PetroTrans being named runner-up for the Admiral Benkert Award for the second time in 1999. Through her efforts Skaugen PetroTrans has become recognized as an industry leader in conducting lightering operations – always finding new ways to “raise the bar” higher; the first to embrace a hose and fender life policy, development of multiple simulator courses for all aspects of the offshore operation; innovative solutions for proper secondary fender placement, sourcing a third party for accurate offshore pipeline information (for which a USCG Public Service Commendation was received)– to list a few.
With the events of 9/11 Ms. Clark has been at the forefront of ensuring that the lightering operation is as secure as it is safe. She has actively participated in many of the USCG’s initiatives through Area Maritime Security Committees and serves as a member of the Houston Port Coordination Team for the offshore sector.
As a part of ensuring high levels of safety throughout the Gulf of Mexico area, she actively serves on HOGANSAC, recently being appointed by the Secretary of HomeLand Security to a third term and elected chairman; is the past chairman for the Galveston-Texas City PSAC, and co-chairs the Industry Task Force on Offshore Lightering (ITOL) (an industry organization ensuring safety during offshore operations.) Ms. Clark continues to stay active in the oil spill preparedness, response and prevention arenas.
Ms. Clark has authored and presented papers for the Marine Technology Society Conference, International Oil Spill Conferences and Clean Gulf Conferences. She also spends time at her alma mater and other forums giving lectures on oil spill and lightering issues.
Cort cooper
Cort is an oceanographer in the energy technology company of ChevronTexaco. He is also a ChevronTexaco Fellow, one of 15 scientists and engineers chosen for their technical contributions to the company. The Fellows serve as consultants to upper management on technology issues and play a lead role in mentoring of technical talent within the company.
Cort has been actively involved in ocean research and development since receiving his BSc and MSc in Engineering at MIT in 1977. He later returned and obtained his PhD from the University of Maine in 1987. His research efforts have included leading the first comprehensive velocity surveys of the Loop Current in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 1980s and developing a hurricane current model whose results were later adopted as the industry standard. He has initiated and lead six Joint Industry Projects (JIP) one of them included 32 companies and another 25. These JIPs have successfully resolved major technical questions and established industry standards in some cases.
Cort has been a contributing author of three books, published 13 journal articles, and 2 and5 conference papers. He has served on a National Academy of Sciences committee and Board, and has been a frequent advisor to government agencies including NOAA, USGS, U. S. Navy, and the Minerals Management Service (MMS). In recognition of these latter efforts he has twice received MMS’s “Corporate Citizenship” Award.
DaVE DONALDSON
James w. feeney
President, Horizon Marine, Inc.
Tom fry
Tom Fry is president of the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA), the only trade association representing all facets of the offshore energy exploration and production business. Prior to joining NOIA, Fry served as the Director of the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Lands Management. Fry first joined the Department of Interior as the Director of the Minerals Management Service, where he was responsible for regulatory oversight of the exploration, development, and production of oil, gas, and other minerals on the nation’s Outer Continental Shelf. A long-time Texas resident, Tom earned a law degree from Southern Methodist University Law School in 1969, and a bachelor’s degree from Trinity University in 1966.
Tom Gustafson
Tom Gustafson serves as the Director of Government Relations at Nova Southeastern University's Institute of Government and Public Policy. Prior to his coming to the Institute, Mr. Gustafson practiced law in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from 1974 to 2003 and also served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1976 to 1990. After several legislative assignments (Majority Whip in 1978-80 and Chairman of the Insurance Committee in 1980-82, the Transportation Committee in 1982-84, the Health Care Committee in 1984-86, and the Criminal Justice Committee in 1986-88), Mr. Gustafson was elected Speaker of the House for the 1988-90 legislative term.
Mr. Gustafson has been a featured speaker at state and national conferences related to many different subject matters (i.e., insurance, transportation, health care, children initiatives, environmental sciences, etc.). In his capacity as a professional facilitator, he has successfully undertaken consensus building over a wide variety of subject matters.
In 1971, Mr. Gustafson graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. degree. He received his J.D. degree from the University of Florida in 1974. Mr. Gustafson is a Trustee of the Museum of Discovery and Science and remains active in various governmental matters.
paul kelly
Paul L. Kelly is Senior Vice President of Rowan Companies, Inc., with responsibility for special projects and government and industry affairs. Rowan is a major provider of international and domestic offshore contract drilling and through its subsidiary, LeTourneau Services, Inc., manufactures mobile offshore jack-up drilling rigs and oilfield equipment.
Mr. Kelly represented the oil service/supply industry on the U.S. Secretary of Interior’s Outer Continental Shelf Policy Committee during the past four administrations, serving as chairman of the Committee from 1994 to 1996, and is a director of the International Association of Drilling Contractors and the National Ocean Industries Association.
From 1985 to 1987 Mr. Kelly served as managing director of British American Offshore Ltd., London, Rowan’s main contracting entity in the North Sea. He has written widely on the subject of energy policy and is a member of the Editorial Board of World Oil. He has appeared on behalf of industry in numerous Congressional and federal agency hearings dealing with offshore oil and gas issues. Most recently he was appointed by President Bush to serve on the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, the first commission of its kind in over thirty years tasked with examining the major issues affecting America’s coasts and oceans.