David Baggett is the Founder and Managing Partner of Opportune LLP. David has over 25 years of business experience, including six years as a partner with Deloitte & Touche and six years as a senior executive in the energy industry. Prior to founding Opportune, David was a partner with Deloitte & Touche in Houston, where he led the firm's energy and valuations practices. David was also in charge of the corporate finance group for the Southwest Region, where he led due diligence on several large acquisitions. David left Deloitte to be the Senior Vice President & CFO of a publicly traded exploration and production company. David previously has served on the boards of AMPAM, Genesis Energy and ERCOT, the independent system operator for electrical markets in Texas.
W. Timothy Hauss
W. Timothy Hauss has been a director of our general partner since December 2010. Mr. Hauss is also Operations Manager at Vanguard Natural Resources, LLC (NYSE: VNR). Prior to joining Vanguard, Mr. Hauss was the MLP Manager of the general partner. Mr. Hauss has served in management and engineering capacities for Encore Acquisition Company over the past 8 years and has extensive knowledge of Encore Energy Partner's assets. From 20002003, Mr. Hauss was Sr. Reservoir Engineer at Kerr McGee Corporation working Gulf Coast and West Texas assets, along with business development functions. Mr. Hauss began his career in 1988 with Mobil Oil in West Texas. During his 12 years at Mobil, Mr. Hauss held engineering and supervisory positions in Mobil's West Texas oil and gas fields. Mr. Hauss also held business development and planning positions while at Mobil. Mr. Hauss holds a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering and a Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering, both from Texas Tech University.
John E. Jackson
John E. Jackson has been a director of our general partner since February 2008. Mr. Jackson is currently Chief Executive Officer of Spartan Terminals, a privately owned dry bulk storage and gas gathering company. Previously he was Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Price Gregory Services, Incorporated, a pipeline-related infrastructure service provider in North America. Prior to that Mr. Jackson was President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of Hanover Compressor Company from October 2004 until August 2007 when Hanover merged with Universal Compression Holdings, Inc. Mr. Jackson joined Hanover in January 2002 as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Previously, Mr. Jackson was Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Duke Energy Field Services, a producer and marketer of natural gas liquids. Prior to joining Duke Energy Field Services, Mr. Jackson served in a variety of treasury, controller and accounting positions at Union Pacific Resources. Mr. Jackson is currently a director of Seitel Inc. Mr. Jackson is also a director of the nonprofit, Prison Entrepreneurship Program.
Britt Pence
Britt Pence is Vice President of Engineering and Director of our general partner. Mr. Pence is also the Senior Vice President of Engineering of Vanguard Natural Resources, LLC (NYSE: VNR) and has served in such capacity since June of 2010. Prior to joining Vanguard in 2007 as Vice President of Engineering, Mr. Pence was an Area Manager with Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: APC) for 10 years supervising evaluation and exploitation projects in coalbed methane fields in Wyoming and conventional fields in East Texas and the Gulf of Mexico. Prior to joining Anadarko, Mr. Pence served as a reservoir engineer with Greenhill Petroleum Company from 1991 1997 with responsibility for properties in the Permian Basin, South Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico. From 1983 1991, Mr. Pence served as reservoir engineer with Mobil with responsibility for properties in the Permian Basin.
Richard A. Robert
Richard A. Robert is Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Director of our general partner. Mr. Robert is also the Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of Vanguard Natural Resources, LLC (NYSE: VNR) and has served in such capacities since January of 2007. Prior to joining Vanguard, Mr. Robert was involved in a number of entrepreneurial ventures and provided financial and strategic planning services to a variety of energy-related companies since 2003. He was Vice President of Finance for Enbridge US, Inc., a subsidiary of Enbridge Inc. (NYSE: ENB) a natural gas and oil pipeline company, after its acquisition of Midcoast Energy Resources, Inc. in 2001 where Mr. Robert was Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. He held these positions from 1996 through 2002 and was responsible for acquisition and divestiture analysis, capital formation, taxation and strategic planning, accounting and risk management, and investor relations. Mr. Robert is a certified public accountant.
Scott W. Smith
Scott W. Smith is President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of our general Partner. Mr. Smith also serves the President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Vanguard Natural Resources, LLC (NYSE: VNR) and has served as President and Chief Executive Officer since October 2006 and as Director since March 2008. From July 2004 to October 2006, Mr. Smith served as the President of Ensource Energy Company, LLC during its tender offer for the units of the Eastern American Natural Gas Trust (NYSE:NGT). He has over 25 years of experience in the energy industry, primarily in business development, marketing, and acquisition and divestiture of producing assets and exploration/exploitation projects in the energy sector. Mr. Smith's experience includes evaluating, structuring, negotiating and managing business and investment opportunities, including energy investments similar to our targeted investments totaling approximately $400 million as both board member and principal investor in Wiser Investment Company LLC, the largest shareholder in The Wiser Oil Company (NYSE:WZR) until its sale to Forest Oil Corporation (NYSE:FST) in June of 2004. From June 2000 to June 2004, Mr. Smith served on the Board of Directors of The Wiser Oil Company. Mr. Smith was also a member of the executive committee of The Wiser Oil Company during this period. From January of 1998 to June of 1999, Mr. Smith was the co-manager of San Juan Partners, LLC, which established control of Burlington Resources Coal Seam Gas Trust (NYSE:BRU), which was subsequently sold to Dominion Resources, Inc. We believe that Mr. Smith's extensive energy industry background, particularly the three years he has spent serving as part of our executive management team, brings important experience and skill to the board.
Martin G. White
Martin G. White has been a member of the board of directors of the General Partner of Encore Energy Partners since September 2010 and also serves on the audit and conflict committees of the board. He previously served on the board of the General Partner of Genesis Energy Partners (GEL) from March 2008 to March 2010 and also served on the audit and compensation committees of that board. Previous board and audit committee experience also includes PW Eagle, Inc (Nasdaq PWE). Mr. White retired in 2006 following a 36 year career with the Chemical Operations of Occidental Petroleum (OxyChem), most recently serving as Vice President of OxyChem's vinyls joint venture, OxyVinyls, LP a position he held since the formation of the venture in 1999.