Nov 17, 2011 IPAA appoints Chairman Virginia “Gigi” Lazenby and Vice Chairman Mike Watford
Washington DC – The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Virginia “Gigi” Lazenby as the latest Chairman of IPAA and Mike Watford as the new Vice Chairman of IPAA. Chairman Lazenby is CEO and 100 percent shareholder of Bretagne LLC, an oil and gas production company she founded in 1988. Since 1999, Vice Chairman Watford has been the Chairman and CEO of Ultra Petroleum (NYSE:UPL), a publicly traded upstream oil and gas company based in Houston.
IPAA is a Washington, D.C.-based national association that has represented America’s 6,000 independent oil and gas producers, who drill 95 percent of the nation’s wells, since its inception in 1929.
IPAA President and CEO Barry Russell commented:
“We are honored to welcome Gigi and Mike as Chairman and Vice Chairman of IPAA. Their different backgrounds in the industry – Gigi as founder of a small oil and gas operation in Kentucky and Mike as head of a large publicly traded company – give them a unique perspective in addressing the issues facing America’s independent producers.
“Their lifelong and diverse experience in the oil and natural gas industry combined with their passion for policies that promote American energy will make them a dynamic force to be reckoned with in the fight for America’s independent producers in Washington.”
Lazenby and Watford were approved to their positions at the association’s board meeting on November 10.
For decades, Lazenby and Watford have led the oil and gas industry at IPAA. Most recently, Gigi served as Vice Chairman alongside former Chairman Bruce Vincent. Lazenby has served on the Board of Directors and chaired the Political Action Committee. She has also testified before Congress on behalf of IPAA and was awarded the IPAA Leadership Award in 2001. Watford has been a member of the Board since 2005.
In addition to IPAA, Chairman Lazenby has served as President of the National Stripper Well Association and currently serves on the Board of Directors at the American Petroleum Institute (API). She was appointed by the Secretary of Energy to the National Petroleum Council (NPC). Prior to founding Bretagne in 1988, she worked her way up through the ranks to become president of Transatlantic Exploration LTD.
Watford’s experience in the oil and natural gas industry has been rich and varied, working at many companies in both upstream and downstream sectors. Prior to heading Ultra Petroleum, he served as CEO of Nuevo Energy Company. He also has experience in managed product marketing, processing, pipeline, and the chemical business. Like Lazenby, Watford is also member of the National Petroleum Council. He currently serves on the Boards of Valerus and America’s Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA).
Chairman Lazenby is a proud, life-long resident of Nashville, Tennessee. She holds a BA and an MBA from Vanderbilt University. Vice Chairman Watford lives in Houston, Texas. He received his BA from the University of Florida and his MBA from the University of New Orleans.
