Western States and Tribal Nations Natural Gas Initiative Announces Inaugural Board of Directors

DENVER , January 13 /Businesswire/ - The Western States and Tribal Nations Natural Gas Initiative (WSTN), a government-led collaborative effort to develop export markets for natural gas from western U.S. states and tribal lands, today announced the appointment of its first Board of Directors.

Comprised of energy experts from across the nation, WSTN's Board shapes and steers the organization’s vision to advocate for a robust, sustainable North American natural gas industry that exports gas produced under some of the world’s most stringent environmental standards.

The Board includes a member appointed by each of the organizing government agencies which signed WSTN’s foundational Memorandum of Understanding. They represent New Mexico; Utah; Wyoming; the Ute Indian Tribe; the Western Colorado Counties of Garfield, Mesa, Moffat and Rio Blanco; and the State of Baja California, Mexico. These governments lead WSTN and are the sole bodies that may appoint Board members.

The Board includes: Chairman Jason Sandel (New Mexico); Vice Chair and Government Liaison Jeffrey Hartley (Utah); Vice Chair and Industry Liaison Bobby Rolston (Wyoming); President Andrew Browning; Secretary Duane Zavadil (Colorado); and Treasurer Devin Pehrson (Ute Indian Tribe). Baja California’s appointee is pending.

“We are excited to welcome WSTN’s inaugural Board of Directors and the wealth of expertise and knowledge they bring,” Browning said. “Our board will provide invaluable insight into advancing WSTN’s three guiding principles of rural economic development, tribal self-determination and reducing global emissions by offering a lower-emitting fuel choice to growing international markets.”

Board Members:

• Andrew Browning has worked at the nexus of energy policy and politics for over 25 years and has a keen understanding of how Rockies natural gas fits into the global energy and climate change geopolitical puzzle. He serves at the Board’s pleasure.
• Jeffrey Hartley has decades of energy sector experience and has served on a variety of committees, task forces and working groups dealing with environmental issues, energy production, transportation and economic development.
• Devin Pehrson is president and CEO of Ute Energy.
• Bobby Rolston has over 30 years in the oil and gas industry, concentrating on state and local tax policy in the Rockies.
• Jason Sandel is Executive Vice President of the Aztec Well family of companies. A former Farmington, NM, city councilor, Sandel has served on various state committees, including the Methane Advisory Panel and the Energy Transition Act committee. In 2020, he was appointed to New Mexico’s Economic Recovery Council.
• Duane Zavadil previously served as Senior Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs for Bill Barrett Corporation. Zavadil has been providing energy, environmental and regulatory services to the oil and gas industry for years.

About Western States and Tribal Nations

Western States and Tribal Nations is a unique, trans-national initiative led by, state, county and sovereign tribal nation governments focused on creating rural economic development, advancing tribal self-determination and reducing global emissions by exporting western North American natural gas to international markets that need lower-emitting fuel.

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