BOARD OF DIRECTORS & SENIOR MANAGEMENT
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JOHN F. THRASH, CHAIRMAN & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, MEMBER OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS – Dr. Thrash originally practiced medicine in clinical settings until becoming emersed full-time in the development and implementation of a number of innovative energy solutions beginning in the early to mid 1990s. The companies that have been led by Dr. Thrash are renown for the meticulous attention to environmental concerns including, but not limited to, (i) facilitating the efficient use of low-carbon emission fuels, (ii) the evolution of non-lithium battery alternatives, (iii) an intense focus on carbon capture and permanent sequestration of CO2, and (iv) most paramount, safety and sustaining the company’s perfect safety record since inception. Dr. Thrash is the inventor and/or co-inventor of most all of the company’s technologies and IP for which there are either patents or patents pending worldwide.
Dr. Thrash has served in numerous advisory roles and presented to a broad range of US and international regulatory agencies (such as the U.S Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Comisión Reguladora de Energía of Mexico, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, and Alliance Nationale de Coordination de la Recherche pour l’Énergie) as well as to public forums on scientific and energy related topics. He also has had a distinguished academic and research career. He is a graduate of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. Dr. Thrash obtained a M.D. and trained at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
D. RONALD HARRELL, P.E., MEMBER OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS – Mr. Harrell joined Ryder Scott Co. as a reservoir engineer in 1968, became its President in 1998 and served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from 2000-2005, remaining as its Board Chairman until May 2006. Founded in 1937, Ryder Scott is one of the largest, oldest and most respected reservoir-evaluation consulting firms in the industry and is, by far, the most widely used consulting firm for preparing annual reservoir reserves certifications for filers with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company also serves clients listed on the London, Ontario, Toronto, Hong Kong, Australian and other stock exchanges.
Projects Mr. Harrell personally oversaw at Ryder Scott included reserves certifications, property evaluations for sale, purchase or financing, reservoir management, gas supply analysis in support of pipeline construction, gas storage studies, contract compliance and litigation support. He is a well-published, noted authority who is highly regarded both domestically and internationally, having represented clients that include energy providers, utilities, banks, insurance companies, universities, municipalities, governmental agencies, law firms, investors, estates and royalty owners.
Mr. Harrell is Chairman Emeritus of Ryders Scott Co., Chairman of the University of Houston’s Reservoir Engineering Advisory Board and immediate past President of Louisiana Tech University’s Engineering and Science Foundation Board. Mr. Harrell received a B.S. degree in reservoir engineering, magna cum laude, from Louisiana Tech University.
ROBERT K. HATCHER, MEMBER OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS – Mr. Hatcher serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Cockrell Interests, Inc., Texas Production Company and Pinto Investment Partners. Cockrell Interests is a private, diversified wealth management company located in Houston, Texas, considered among the most fully developed, sophisticated and global reaching family offices in the country. The firm’s interests include public and private equity, venture capital, real estate, energy, and agriculture. The operating companies that are managed by Cockrell Interests include: Pinto Investment Partners, L.P.; Pinto America Growth Fund, L.P.; Pinto Technology Ventures; Pinto Realty Partners; and Pinto Energy Partners.
Mr. Hatcher also serves as Chairman of the Finance Advisory Committee for each of the Pinto Companies and on the Board of Directors of certain Pinto Group portfolio companies.
Prior to joining Cockrell Interests in 2001, Mr. Hatcher founded and served as Managing Director of Citywest Ventures, a Houston-based private equity and financial advisory firm. During 1999 and 2000, Mr. Hatcher served as Managing Director of Corporate Strategy and Development of Metamor Worldwide, Inc., a multi-national information technology professional services firm. Mr. Hatcher also served on the Executive Committee of Metamor and as President of its venture capital group. Prior to joining Metamor, Mr. Hatcher was a corporate finance and securities partner in Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.
Mr. Hatcher received a B.B.A. from Southern Methodist University and a M.B.A. and J.D. from Tulane University. Mr. Hatcher serves on the Board of Directors of University of Texas Marine Science Institute, the CIBER Institute at the University of Texas and on other civic and academic boards; and is an Adjunct Professor at Rice University.
CHRISTOPHER H. WILLIAMS, MEMBER OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS – Mr. Williams is a partner of BDT & Company, LLC, a merchant bank that provides advisory services and capital to significant family-owned businesses. Prior to joining BDT he was a managing director of Harris Williams & Co., a firm he co-founded in 1991 as a national investment banking firm focusing on mergers and acquisitions. Since the firm’s founding, Mr. Williams has led Harris Williams & Co. to become one of the largest and most influential middle market mergers and acquisitions boutiques in the U.S. with over 200 bankers and eight offices, including European ones in London and Frankfurt, as well as affiliate offices in Hong Kong, China, India and Australia. Harris Williams & Co. is now part of The PNC Financial Services Group. PNC is a global diversified financial services firm and Fortune 200 company.
With nearly 25 years of transactional experience, Mr. Williams has completed over 200 assignments involving either mergers and acquisitions or capital raising activities. Prior to co-founding Harris Williams & Co., Mr. Williams was with Bowles Hollowell Conner & Co. Mr. Williams earned an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.S. in Business Administration, magna cum laude, from Washington & Lee University.
G.S. (STEVE) CLIFTON, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & MANAGING DIRECTOR, MEMBER OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS – Prior to joining eCORP in 1996, Mr. Clifton served in a variety of positions with Houston Lighting and Power (HL&P) and HL&P’s parent, Houston Industries (HI), including directing HL&P’s fuels purchasing practices, storage utilization and, most recently, has served as Director of State Affairs for HL&P/HI.
Mr. Clifton’s tenures with HL&P/HI as well as with the electric generation industry’s various agencies, commissions and institutes have been long, successful and quite distinguished. Mr. Clifton is recognized throughout the industry as a leader and innovator in the areas of electric generation fuels supply, business management, organization and regulation.
Mr. Clifton was primarily responsible for overseeing the design, development and construction of the Stagecoach Gas Storage Facility in New York and was instrumental in the acquisition and development of eCORP’s latest project, the Junction Natural Gas Storage Facility in Pennsylvania. Mr. Clifton holds a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering Technology from Oklahoma State University.
JOHNNY A. KOPECKY, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, INTERNATIONAL – Prior to his appointment to Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Kopecky served as eCORP’s Vice President of International Operations focusing on the development of European assets.
Prior to joining eCORP in 2010, Dr. Kopecky carried out business development and drilling projects for various clients in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ecuador, Iraq, Colombia and the United States.
In 2014 Dr. Kopecky received the prestigious honor of being inducted into the Offshore Energy Center Hall of Fame as a Technology Pioneer. Dr. Kopecky is a registered Professional Engineer in Texas and Louisiana; he earned his BS, MS and PhD engineering degrees at The University of Texas at Austin and his executive MBA at Rice University.
JOHN N. (JACK) BELLINGER, GENERAL COUNSEL & EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT –Prior to joining eCORP in 2007, Mr. Bellinger served as Vice President, Managing Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Calpine Corporation, Managing Counsel and Assistant Secretary for Hadson Corporation and its successor, LG&E Energy, Inc., the Energy Section of Blanchard Walker, O’Quinn & Roberts law firm in Shreveport, Louisiana, Hargrove Guyton Ramey and Barlow Law Firm in Shreveport, and Phelps Dunbar Law Firm in New Orleans, Louisiana. Mr. Bellinger holds J.D. and accounting degrees from Louisiana State University, and a Master of Laws Degree in Environmental Law from the University of Houston. He is a member of the Texas, Louisiana (inactive) and Kentucky (inactive) State Bar Associations.
CHARLES W. STERN, CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER & EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF CORPORATE FINANCE, MEMBER OF BOARD OF MANAGERS – Mr. Stern has extensive global relationships in the financial and industry sectors. He has been able to accelerate growth and extend market access for a variety of businesses and organizations for the past 25 years.
From 1993-1996, Mr. Stern was Manager of the International Business Department at the World Trade Center New Orleans. Over the course of his seven years at that organization, he orchestrated 17 foreign trade missions and 90 international trade programs. From 1996-2002, he directed Strategic Initiatives for Longue Vue Foundation, the private endowment of Longue Vue House and Gardens, an internationally acclaimed National Landmark property, where he achieved a significant financial turnaround. Mr. Stern co-founded and was a partner of Milling & Stern, LLC, an advisory firm which, on behalf of its clients, acquired fine art through worldwide contacts, which included leading dealers, collectors and art institutions. He is a Director of Mermentau Mineral & Land Co.
Mr. Stern has served on the boards of numerous civic and charitable organizations in his native New Orleans. Mr. Stern holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Washington & Lee University.
FLORENCE MAISEL, DIRECTOR OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS, EMEA – Ms. Maisel is the founder and Managing Partner of INTEREL FRANCE and a Member of the Executive Committee of INTEREL GROUP. She founded INTEREL in Paris in 1989, which was one of the first public affairs / lobbying consultancies in France. Today, INTEREL FRANCE is the French subsidiary of INTEREL GROUP, with headquarters in Brussels, and wholly owned offices in Bejing, Berlin, Brussels, Delhi, London, Paris and Washington DC. Florence is an active member of the Interel Global Practice, which manages a network of 45 public affairs affiliates across the world, gathering 1000 best in class consultants.
In terms of sectors, Ms. Maisel has a strong expertise in energy and environment, but also in health, agriculture, food or information technology. Her client base (past and present) of international companies and organizations includes Adobe, BlackBerry, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Coca-Cola, Danone, Dell, eCORP International, Expedia, General Mills, Genworth Financial, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Kellogg’s, Kraft Foods, Microsoft, Monsanto, Nokia, NutraSweet, Pfizer, Qualcomm, Red Bull, Rio Tinto Minerals, Solyndra, Tate & Lyle, Tripadvisor, Weight Watchers, 3M.
Before founding INTEREL in Paris, Ms. Maisel was a political consultant at “Michel Bongrand SA” (founder of the international association of political consultants – IAPC) and was in charge of several political campaigns as well as of corporate communication campaigns for the government. She started her career with Arthur Young in the public sector department and is the co-founder (in 1991) and member of the board of the French Association of Lobbying and Public Affairs Consultants (AFCL).
Recognizing Ms. Maisel’s extensive experience in energy, environmental affairs and political consultancy, eCORP has engaged her to serve as the Director of External Affairs for EMEA. In addition to her native French, Ms. Maisel speaks fluent English and Spanish. She is a graduate of the “Sciences Po Paris”, holds a master’s degree in marketing and is a graduated mediator.
PATRICK J. PELDNER, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, USA – Mr. Peldner most recently served as an officer with Enstor, Inc., one of the largest natural gas storage companies in North America. Prior to his tenure at Enstor, Inc., Mr. Peldner amassed significant experience in the natural gas storage, processing, and pipeline businesses with several energy companies. He has been involved in the development and acquisition of numerous natural gas storage facilities in North America. His storage development experience includes depleted reservoirs, bedded salt and domal salt structures.
Mr. Peldner is a past President of the Natural Gas Association of Oklahoma, and a board member and Vice Chairman of NESA, the National Energy Services Association based in Houston. Mr. Peldner is a graduate of the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia and a Civil Engineering graduate from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
MARK V. STAUSS, DIRECTOR OF COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS – Mr. Stauss has over 30 years of Oil and Gas experience. He has served eCORP in many capacities including Director of Commercial Operations for their storage facilities as well as their shale development assets, and Chief Financial Officer for eCORP Energy Marketing. Mr. Stauss managed the $45 million credit facilities provided by BNP Paribas and Del Mar Capital to facilitate growth of gas trading and storage activities. He led the effort to successfully qualify the Chestnut Ridge Storage Project for sales and use tax exemption saving $2.5 million. Mr. Stauss has managed the commercial activities for high voltage electric power interconnects, power supply arrangements, pipeline interconnects, gas storage customers, tariff compliance and regulatory reporting.
Prior to joining eCORP in 2001, Mr. Stauss managed business development activities for Pipeline Power Partners, the compression development company that designed and constructed the Stagecoach compressor station and surface facilities. He also spent 15 years with the Coastal Corporation and Coastal affiliates including Coastal Gas Marketing, Coastal Multi-Fuels, and ANR Pipeline Company. Mr. Stauss holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Clarkson University as well as a Masters in Business Administration from Houston Baptist University.
JOAQUÍN FERNÁNDEZ DE CÓRDOVA HOHENLOHE, CO-DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT – Mr. Fernández de Córdova has extensive business experience in many different industries working as an advisor for international businesses in the Middle East, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. His career includes eight years in South America reorganizing and managing companies in the fields of resorts, hotels, food, farming and real estate for GLS & Co. Swarovski Group (Austria). Mr. Fernández de Córdova is an entrepreneur with a proven history of success. He speaks English, Spanish and several other languages.
MARTIN STJERNFELT, CO-DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT – Mr. Stjernfelt has extensive experience in corporate finance and international business development. In 2002 he co-founded and managed the Spanish subsidiary of the Danish company E3light, specialized in the manufacture and distribution of energy saving light bulbs. From 2003 2005 he was employed at ARJIL & Associés Banque, the investment banking arm of Lagardère Group, a European media (HDS) and high technology (EADS) conglomerate, where he acted as financial analyst for mergers and acquisitions. In 2005, Mr. Stjernfelt joined GBS Finanzas, one of Spain’s leading independent investment banks. At GBS Finanzas he worked on multiple cross-border merger and acquisition transactions with Corporate and Private Equity clients, managing the transaction process from origination to execution. He gained industry-specific expertise in the energy, food, healthcare, and industrial sectors. He left GBS Finanzas as Vice President of the firm. Martin Stjernfelt holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Business Administration and a Master of Science in Finance and International Business from the Aarhus School of Business, Denmark. He is fluent in Danish, English, and Spanish.
Miles Palke, P.E., ADVISORY BOARD, BOARD OF DIRECTORS & MANAGING SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, RYDER SCOTT – Mr. Palke has over 25 years of diverse experience as a reservoir engineer and wide span of expertise, ranging from the practical application of technical reservoir engineering tools to field development, optimization, with emphasis on the application of reservoir simulation.
HERMAN ACUNA