Board of Directors
Larry Harms
President
Larry Harms is a production optimization specialist at Optimization Harmsway LLC, established in 2016 after a 38-year career with ConocoPhillips. At ConocoPhillips he specialized in holistic production optimization and helped lead the Artificial Lift Network for 10 years. Larry has served on the ALRDC Board since 2008. He has written/co-authored 12 SPE papers on topics ranging from the application of artificial lift, velocity strings and compression to area optimization, integrated production modeling and real time optimization. Larry has conducted training courses for hundreds of industry and ConocoPhillips engineering, operations, and maintenance personnel on artificial lift, high pressure gas lift, compression, production optimization, systems nodal analysis, integrated production modeling and gas well deliquification
Victoria Pons Ph. D.
Vice President
Dr. Victoria Pons is the Director of Research and Strategic Development at WellWorx Energy where she leads the research, planning and implementation of innovative new programs and products for WellWorx. As an industry SME, Dr. Pons has greatly contributed to the advancement of new algorithms for rod pump control and other forms of artificial lift. Dr. Pons began her career in Oil & Gas with Weatherford where she pioneered new techniques for the calculation and treatment of downhole data using data analytics and artificial intelligence, while leading the product strategy for Well Pilot and LOWIS. During her time at Baker Hughes, Dr. Pons led the technical direction and customer focused strategy for Lufkin Well Manager, SROD and deviated downhole tools. Dr. Pons is the project Champion for the Horizontal Well Downhole Dynamometer Data Acquisition Project (HWDDDA) and has led this industry sponsored project aimed at designing and manufacturing downhole tools to provide downhole deviated data to the industry members of ALRDC, since 2015. Victoria holds bachelor’s in biology and mathematics, a Master of Science and Philosophy Doctorate in applied mathematics from the University of Houston. She also holds 12 patents in the discipline of Artificial Lift as well as over 40 publications. Dr. Pons has served on the ALRDC board since 2017 and was elected Vice President of Artificial Lift Research and Development Council (ALRDC) in 2020. Victoria is very passionate about Diversity and Inclusion and created a D&I Committee at ALRDC as well as helped create the SPE GCS D&I Committee to promote the advancement of diversity in the Energy Industry.
Ronda Brewer
Treasurer
Ronda began her career with the Southwestern Petroleum Short Course in 1991 under the direction of Duane A. Crawford and his wife, Ann Crawford. Since then, she has been active in overseeing the day-to-day business of the SWPSC, organizing and managing the annual workshop. In addition to SWPSC, she is involved with the Permian Basin Artificial Lift Forum, the Gas Well Deliquification Workshop (Artificial Lift Strategies for Unconventional Wells Workshop), the International Beam Pumping Workshop, the Gas-Lift Workshop and PLTech, LLC. During her time with Southwestern Petroleum Short Course, Ronda has invested herself in continually advancing her knowledge about the industry and widening her associations with the outstanding group of people who make up the petroleum industry.
Michael Romer
Secretary
Michael C. Romer, P.E. is a Senior Technical Professional: Artificial Lift Advisor at the ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company. He has been with ExxonMobil since 2006. Michael’s current research interests include artificial lift, production surveillance and optimization, completions for unconventionals, and inflow/outflow modeling. He holds BS and MS degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee and the University of Illinois, respectively. Michael is a Member of the SPE and IEEE.
Lynn Rowlan
Board Member
O. Lynn Rowlan education includes a Bachelor and Masters of Science degree in Civil Engineering graduating in 1976 from Oklahoma State University. Mr. Rowlan was registered as an Oklahoma Professional Engineer July 1980 and received: the 2000 J.C. Slonneger Award from the, SWPSC, SW Petroleum Short Course Association, Inc; the 2010 SPE Distinguished Production Operations Award; the 2011 SWPSC Crawford Service Award; and the SPE 2020 SPE Legend of Artificial Lift Award. During the 39 years of experience in the Oil & Gas industry Mr. Rowlan has authored more than eighty research works/papers for the SWPSC, ASME, the Solution Mining Research Institute, the Artificial Lift Research and Development Counsel, the Russian Oil & Gas Technologies Magazine, the Canadian Petroleum Society and the Society of Petroleum Engineers. He co-authored a book for gas well production optimization “Gas Well Deliquification” holds a US Patent # 6,634,426 on Plunger Lift Analysis. Beginning in September 2019 Mr. Rowlan retired from the position of Vice-president of Engineering for Echometer Company and now works as a consultant. His primary interest is to advance the technology of all artificial lift production systems and to present seminars and talks on the efficient operation, analysis, optimization, and troubleshooting of oil and gas wells.
Jim Lea
Board Member
Lea’s experience includes about 20 years with Amoco Production Research, Tulsa OK, 7 years Head PE at Texas Tech and for last 10 years or so teaching for Petroskills and working for PLTech LLC consulting company. Lea help start the ALRDC Gas Dewatering Forum, has been co-author of two previous edition of this book, author of over 100 technical papers, and recipient of the SPE Production Award, the SWPSC Slonneger Award, and the SPE award Legends of Artificial Lift. He was SPE distinguished lecturer two times
Rick Webb
Board Member
I started in the oilfield service industry in 1980 with CMI Corporation in Oklahoma City working with improved geometry pumping units. I have remained in artificial lift for 40 years. The last 26 being with what is now called Distribution NOW. I work primarily with rod pump and progressing cavity pump system design and service.
Rob Sutton
Board Member
Robert Sutton received a BS degree in Petroleum Engineering from Marietta College in May, 1978 and began work with Marathon Oil Company in Lafayette, LA in June. Concurrent with full time work at Marathon, Rob pursued a MS degree in Petroleum Engineering at The University of Southwestern Louisiana (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette) which was received in December, 1983. Rob spent 35.5 years at Marathon and retired in 2014. Experience at Marathon included work in the Operations, Reservoir and Upstream Technology Departments. He currently works as a consultant. Current work interests include well modeling using nodal analysis, liquid loading and production from wells with complex (horizontal) geometries.
Greg Stephenson
Board Member
Greg Stephenson is a Senior Engineering Advisor for Artificial Lift in Occidental Petroleum’s Worldwide Engineering and Operations Group in Houston, Texas. In this role, he provides technical support, mentoring and training for multiple artificial lift techniques. Stephenson specializes in the various aspects of artificial lift, production surveillance, automation and optimization. He has taught numerous industry courses throughout the world and written a variety of technical papers and publications on the subject. In addition to his work at Oxy, Stephenson currently serves on the JPT Editorial Committee; he serves on the SPE Production and Facilities Advisory Board; he served as the Program Chairperson for the 2018 SPE Artificial Lift Conference and Exhibition – Americas; he serves on the board of directors of the Artificial Lift Research and Development Council; and he chairs API Task Group 19G, which manages 25 product standards, recommended practices and technical reports related to artificial lift technology. Stephenson holds a BS in Petroleum Engineering from Texas Tech University.
Steven Freeman
Board Member
Steven Freeman has spent the last twenty years working in Oil and Gas in the area of artificial lift. He started his O&G career with Weatherford working with gas lift, progressive cavity pumps and reciprocating rod lift. He later joined Schlumberger where he focused on gas lift for the Barnett Shale boom, offshore gas lift in the GOM, Alberta and Eastern Canada. He is currently employed at Shell where he is recognized as a subject matter expert of gas lift and provides global support to Shell’s assets for gas lift and product development.
Matt Young
Board Member
Matt Young is the Technical Sales Director for Flowco Production Solutions, an artificial lift service and manufacturing company based in Houston, TX.
Knowledge and Experience include:
•NODAL Analysis
•Multiphase Flow Calculation
•Gas Lift Design
•Production Engineering and Operations
After graduating from Texas A&M in 2006; Matt started his career with BJ Services as a field engineer in the cementing division in Hobbs, New Mexico. After leaving BJ Services, Matt joined International Lift Systems (ILS) as a Field Service Technician, for the gas lift and plunger lift product line, for the three years before ILS was acquired by Lufkin Industries. During the Lufkin/ILS acquisition Matt moved into the Mid-Continent Operations manager, handling gas lift and plunger lift technical support, and installation. Matt was promoted into the North American Operations and Sales Manager with Lufkin and continued in that position through the GE Oil & Gas acquisition. After a year with GE Matt left to join Flowco. Matt has worked as the Technical Sales Director for Flowco Production Solutions since 2014.
Matt has worked on gas lift and plunger lift installs and optimization projects throughout Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Louisiana oil and gas fields. Working a brief stint in Canada and MENA with various technical and sales positions.
In addition to working various roles in the artificial lift industry, Matt has been a dedicated member to the Society of Petroleum Engineers, and Artificial Lift Research and Development; as a presenter, lecturer, and conference attendee.
Joseph Norman
Board Member
Joseph A. Norman's experience started about 30 years ago working as a lease operator under his dad's contract lease operating company. That experience lead him and his wife to start FORTY A&M LLC in 2012 with the goal helping operators optimize artificial lift performance by providing consulting and fluid level surveys. In addition to his work with FORTY A&M LLC, Joseph also serves as a volunteer with Project L.A.M.B.O., a program that teaches youth financial literacy and digital entrepreneurship.
Ross Stawaisz
Board Member
Coming soon!
Candice Torregano
Board Member
Candice Torregano is currently a Senior Technical Manager with Baker Hughes, specializing in ESP design, surveillance, and optimization. Her career began in 2008 with Baker Hughes in the Field Engineer program before progressing to various technical roles throughout North America. She rotated through Tulsa, OK and Denver, CO with a concentration on unconventional wells, and was responsible for ESP design, remote monitoring and optimization, as well as technical trainings. Candice later joined Shell as a Production Technologist where she provided artificial lift support to Shell’s global assets, before returning to the service company side. In her current role with Baker Hughes, Candice has a focus on optimizing ESP design and operation. In addition to her work at Baker Hughes, she has served on the SPE ESP Symposium Organizing Committee since 2018. Candice holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Southern University in Baton Rouge.
Victor Jordan
Board Member
After graduating LSU in May of 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering, Victor began his career as a lease operator for SM Energy in Shreveport, La. After 24 months of extensive field work, he moved into the role of Production Engineer where he managed SM Energy’s production assets in the East Texas Basin. He also assisted with field supervision of SM Energy’s Granite Wash completion operations and worked on several exploration teams for the SM MIDCON region. Victor joined Equal Energy in 2014 as an Operations Engineer. During his time at Equal Energy, Victor managed drilling, completion, and production operations for Equal’s Hunton Lime program. After spending two years with Equal Energy, Victor joined Casillas Operating as Production Manager in November of 2016. While at Casillas Operating, Victor managed the construction, production, facility, EHS, and midstream divisions. Victor was promoted to Vice President of Operations of CPRP Services in 2020. Victor joined Estis Compression is 2021 where he serves as subject matter expert for High Pressure Gas Lift. Victor is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, where he served as chair of the MIDCON region for the 2015-2016 year. He currently serves on the steering committee for the ALRDC Gas Lift Workshop and is an active member at his children’s school. He is currently pursuing his Masters of Energy Business from the University of Tulsa with an anticipated graduation date of December 2022.
Cleon Dunham
President Emeritus
I founded ALRDC in 2000 when I retired from Shell. We have been active ever since, except for the time of the virus, with various Workshops, and other services to the Artificial Lift Community. I live two miles from my youngest son and his family in Wimberley, Texas, but right now we don’t get to see them as often as we’d like. My other two sons and their families live in Massachusetts and Colorado. We visit often but see them only now and then. But my daughter-in-law was recently in Belton, Texas to help my granddaughter move into her new home there and we got together to celebrate our Anniversary and my wife’s Birthday, with appropriate use of masks and social distancing. I am active in the Presbyterian Church in Austin, although these days we have all of our services via Zoom.