EPM outsources all functions not critical to its core competencies of field acquisition, operations control and finance. Accordingly, we employ a small headquarters staff, while outsourcing well pumping, oilfield regulatory compliance, human resources, property accounting, IT, product marketing and other back office functions. Since July 1, 2004, our general accounting and related property administrative activities have been performed by an independent group that meets the requirements set by EPM for SAS70 Type II internal audit and financial process controls. Since July 1, 2008, we have been compliant with SOX 404(a) controls over financial reporting.
Robert S. Herlin, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, & Co-founder
Mr. Herlin is a co-founder, serving as our President & CEO since EPM’s inception in September 2003. He has 28 years of experience in development, mergers and acquisitions, operations and finance. Previously, Mr. Herlin served as CEO, following his tenure as CFO, for an oil and gas exploration company focused on 3 D seismic exploration. He also served as Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for Enron Liquids prior to 1997 and Director of Acquisitions for several independent oil and gas companies, including leading a consulting group focused on acquisitions and strategy. Mr. Herlin earned his B.S. and M.E. degrees from Rice University and his MBA from Harvard.
Mr. Herlin has been involved in numerous transactions totaling more than $800 million. In the course of his oil and gas acquisition work, he has evaluated properties along the Gulf Coast, Mid-Continent, Rocky Mountains and Los Angeles basins while leading numerous evaluation teams of professionals. Mr. Herlin created and led an operating group that initiated and successfully completed a conventional horizontal drilling program with 28 wells in the Giddings Field in central Texas during the early stages of horizontal drilling by industry. He was the lead consultant and manager for a $65 million manufacturing company leveraged buy-out and turn-around. Mr. Herlin previously served on the Board of Directors of Boots and Coots Group.
Sterling H. McDonald, Chief Financial Officer
Mr. McDonald joined EPM as our Chief Financial Officer in 2003. Since then, he has also been responsible for the administrative functions of the Company. From 1999 to 2003, Mr. McDonald served as an independent consultant and interim Chief Financial Officer to various companies, predominantly in the petroleum sector. From 1997 to 1999, he served as Chief Financial Officer for PetroAmerican Services, a subsidiary of an integrated NYSE-traded oil and gas company. Previously, he served as Chief Financial Officer of PetroStar Energy, an independent exploration and production company, and Treasurer of Reading and Bates Corporation, an NYSE-traded international offshore drilling services, exploration and production company.
Mr. McDonald holds an MBA with highest academic achievement from the University of Tulsa and holds an associate certification as an Accredited Petroleum Accountant. He is an active member and former Chapter Committee Chair of Financial Executives International (FEI) and serves the Financial Executives Networking Group (FENG) as its national Chairman for Energy and Natural Resources.
Daryl Mazzanti, Vice President for Operations
Mr. Mazzanti joined EPM in mid-2005 to oversee all of our field operations. He previously served Anadarko Petroleum as Manager of U.S. Business Development. As Production Manager, Austin Chalk for Anadarko and its predecessor, UPRC, he managed 1,200 wells with 65 employees and 25,000 boe of daily production. Mr. Mazzanti previously managed operations in the Carthage Field in East Texas and fields in west and south Texas. He pioneered the adoption of drilling opposing laterals in the Austin Chalk. Mr. Mazzanti holds a B.S. degree with distinction in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Oklahoma and has more than twenty years of oil and gas operations experience.
Eddie Schell, General Manager for Drilling and Unconventional Gas
Mr. Schell joined EPM in late 2006 to oversee all drilling activities and to pursue our unconventional gas projects. He previously served Anadarko Petroleum as their Manager of Drilling and in other capacities. During his tenure, Mr. Schell drilled more than 800 wells, approximately one third being horizontal wells and most of the balance being in unconventional gas reservoirs in Texas. Mr. Schell holds a B.S. degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Texas and has more than 25 years of oil and gas operations and drilling experience.
David Joe, Controller & Corporate Secretary
Mr. Joe joined EPM in March 2005, to manage our outsourced accounting services with P2 Energy Solutions (P2), perform financial reporting activities, coordinate our audits and assist with special projects. From 2004 to 2005, Mr. Joe was a Client Manager for a competitor of P2, providing outsourced accounting services to the petroleum industry. In this capacity, Mr. Joe was responsible for managing and executing the complete upstream accounting cycle for multiple clients. Previously, Mr. Joe served 17 years in a wide array of supervisory, accounting and financial analysis positions in the upstream division of the UNOCAL Corporation, an integrated oil company traded on the NYSE.
Mr. Joe received his B.B.A. in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin and is certified as an Accredited Petroleum Accountant (APA) through the Council of Petroleum Accountants Societies (COPAS). He currently serves as President of the Board of Directors of Petroleum Accountants Society of Houston (PASH), the local society of COPAS. In addition, at the COPAS national level, he currently serves on the Board of Examiners, which provides administration and oversight of the APA accreditation process.
Greg Goodale, Principal Accounting Officer
Mr. Goodale joined EPM in December 2007 to lead our public financial reporting activities. Prior to joining the oil and gas industry in 2006, Mr. Goodale served as an Audit Manager for a major public accounting firm. During his nine years of public accounting experience, he provided audit and other consulting services to public and private clients.
Mr. Goodale received his Bachelor's in Accounting, magna cum laude, from the University of Northern Iowa. He is a certified public accountant, licensed in the State of Texas, having previously been licensed to practice in the state of Iowa. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
