Company Management

Ben R. Weber, Jr.
President

Ben R. Weber, Jr., is the founder, Chief Executive Officer, President and Sole Director of Weber Energy Corp. ("WEC") since its inception in 1983. Over the past 37+ years, Mr. Weber and WEC have built a strong, successful track record and gained recognition as an aggressive oil and gas operator at the forefront of technology in the exploration and development of conventional oil and gas reservoirs as well as unconventional (Shale) oil and gas formations. Weber Energy is a pioneer in both horizontal onshore drilling as well as hydraulic fracture treatments (fracking) of conventional and non-conventional oil and gas reservoirs. Weber Energy has successfully drilled and completed over 300 operated oil and gas wells and has participated in and/or caused to be drilled by way of its exploration efforts with partners and successor operators over 2,000 non-operated oil and gas wells. Wildcat drilling discoveries and development of oil and gas fields led to the sale of multiple Weber properties to major companies for enormous profits to both Weber and its partners.
Mr. Weber is an alumnus of the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas, Austin where he established the Ben R. Weber, Jr Energy Management Scholarship Endowment. Additionally, he serves on the McCombs advisory council as well and the The University of Texas Chancellor's advisory council. While partnered in a natural gas to liquids conversion project with Texas A&M University ( Synfuels International ), Weber served for 7 years on the advisory council of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX. Over the course of the partnership with Texas A&M, 35 patents were granted to Weber's company by the US Patent Department for processes converting natural gas to a liquified fuel blend stock of 95 octane gasoline known as the "Synfuels Method". Mr. Weber is a member of the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA), Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Association (TIPRO), North Texas Independent Producers Association, the Hard Hatters Club of Dallas and the Dallas Petroleum Club. Along with his business accomplishments, Mr. Weber is Past-Chairman of the Lone Star Dallas Chapter of Young Presidents' Organization (YPO) and has previously served on the Board of Trustees for Children's Medical Center of Dallas, The Science Place of Dallas, the Dallas County Heritage Society, and the Board of the Baylor Health Care System Foundation.

Jeremiah R. Trythall
Chief Drilling and Completion Engineer

Mr. Jeremiah (Jerry) Trythall has worked as a petroleum engineer since 1969 and is currently employed as an independent consultant responsible for the supervision of drilling, completion and production activities for Weber Energy. Additionally, Mr. Trythall provides reservoir and reserve analysis for the company. His experience working for many of the largest and most successful oil and gas companies provides the expertise Weber Energy relies upon for all facets of the drilling process including job planning and design, fracture and acid stimulation, coiled tubing intervention, coiled tubing drilling, field supervision, reservoir and production technology and surface operations.

Collins DeVilbiss
Field Management and Fracture Treatment Supervisor

Mr. DeVilbiss has worked domestically in the oil and gas industry for over 35 years. He has supervised onshore completion and workover and production operations on vertical, and directional/horizontal wells. Mr. DeVilbiss has worked in all areas of the South Texas Gulf Coast, West Texas, East Texas and Oklahoma. His diverse experience, exceptional leadership, and conscientiousness toward well costs, reporting and safety exemplifies the professionalism required by Weber Energy Corporation. Mr. DeVilbiss has excelled in horizontal fracturing management in the Austin Chalk as well as Eagle Ford Shale formations.

Eugene Fuhrmann
Drilling Consultant

Eugene Fuhrmann has 35 plus years of experience in drilling, completion, workover and production as a superintendent, business owner, and consultant for the coordination and management of drilling oil and gas wells. Mr. Fuhrmann has advanced expertise and on-site experience in horizontal, under-balanced and vertical drilling operations. He has excellent troubleshooting and problem solving capabilities in working with engineers, contractors and trade personnel and has been an asset to Weber Energy drilling programs for over 20 years.

Kenneth Bowdon
Geologist/Geophysicist

Kenneth Bowdon graduated in 1978 from Centenary College of Louisiana with a BS in geology. Mr. Bowdon worked for Core Laboratories, performing sidewall core analysis, whole core analysis, and special core analysis. Mr. Bowdon began evaluating horizontal drilling technology in 1986 and in 1987 was responsible for recommending the first exploratory horizontal wellbore in the lower 48 states of the USA. He was Austin Chalk team leader for the Horizontal Taskforce for two years. Mr. Bowdon continued to develop horizontal geo-navigation technology while working for small independent oil companies for the next six years. His company, Horizontal Solutions International, was founded in 1996 to provide geo-navigation services to the industry. Mr. Bowdon conceived and developed LatNav, the proprietary software utilized for geo-navigation. HSI has performed geo-navigation for more than 8,000 laterals in the US, Canada and throughout the world. Mr. Bowdon was part of the team that discovered the Eagle Ford Shale "Blackhawk" prospect in Dewitt County, Texas extending the Eagle Ford Shale play hundreds of miles beyond the previously known extents.

Bruce Berlin
Supervisor of Land Services

Bruce Berlin is the Principal/Co-Owner of Alpha-Omega Partners, a land services company incorporated in 1989 and has provided expert landmen and a variety of land services for Weber Energy for over 20 years. Mr. Berlin is a senior manager with extensive experience in all aspects of oil and gas land management, including project and site development and damage settlements. Skilled in securing oil, gas and mineral leases, pipeline easements and researching surface and mineral titles, Mr. Berlin is experienced in all aspects of mineral and royalty buying, trading and assessments.

Lisa Hartman
Controller

As Controller of the privately held company, Lisa Hartman has over 30 plus years of experience with Weber Energy Corporation. Her responsibilities cover a broad spectrum, including the day to day financial operations associated with leasing, drilling, producing and selling oil and gas exploration projects located in the domestic US. She coordinates with landowners, land men, engineers, vendors, and bankers, all the aspects associated with these projects, from the individual reporting to owners, to coordinating field vendor efforts, to financial management of the project funds. Additional duties include state, federal, tax and financial reporting to various entities. Ms. Hartman assists in the financial forecasts and planning for Weber Energy, present and future. She has a B.S. degree from Texas A&M University.

Hattie Cowan
Public Relations

As Public Relations Manager, Hattie Cowan has over a decade of experience as a strategy expert and content creator. She is instrumental in guiding Weber Energy’s media relations and activities regarding updating and maintaining the Company’s more than 35-year brand. Mrs. Cowan’s marketing and communications expertise continue to shape Weber Energy and are integral to the Company’s continued success. Mrs. Cowan has a B.A. degree from Wofford College.