Dr. Ed Ireland, Ph.D, Executive Director of the Barnett Shale Energy Education Council (BSEEC), will be the guest speaker at the luncheon meeting of the Women's Energy Network (WEN) - North Texas Chapter on Thursday, January 9, 2014, at the Fort Worth Petroleum Club, 777 Main Street #4000. Linh Truong, Director of Internal Audit at Kosmos Energy, will be the guest speaker at the luncheon meeting of WEN on Tuesday, January 21, 2014, at the Dallas Petroleum Club, 2200 Ross Avenue. Registration for both events will begin at 11:30 a.m. followed by the luncheon from noon-1:00 p.m.

Ireland will discuss "Gas Well Drilling in the Barnett Shale." His presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

"WEN North Texas is pleased to announce Dr. Ed Ireland as the featured speaker for our January 2014 luncheon in Fort Worth. We look forward to hearing about the unique and complex issues related to energy education, industry best practices and gas well drilling in the one of the most densely populated urban shale plays in our country - the Barnett Shale," said Diana Frazier, 2014 WEN North Texas Chapter President.

Ireland's executive management experience, operational expertise and 20-year oil and gas career made him the ideal candidate to oversee the activities of the BSEEC, and implement educational and outreach programs in the 24-county area that makes up the Barnett Shale. An industry expert, he also acts as spokesperson for the Barnett Shale, as well as a community and media representative on behalf of BSEEC members. He serves on the Board of Directors of the TCU Energy Institute and was a co-founder of the Metroplex Natural Gas Vehicle consortium. In addition, Ireland supports CLEAN Resources, a non-profit organization committed to advocating for the development of American energy resources, with an emphasis on shale gas, as a way to lead the country towards greater energy security, more economic progress, and a cleaner environment.

Ireland started his career in the energy industry as an energy economist at United Gas Pipeline in Houston. He founded Energy Planning Associates and GasMark, Inc, a natural gas supplier and pipeline company, and later became president of GeoSource, Inc., an independent oil and gas exploration company. Ireland also served as Alderman of the City of Southside Place, Texas, for three terms.

Prior to his corporate work, Ireland served as assistant professor and head of the Economics Department at Clemson University in South Carolina. Ireland holds a B.S. in economics from Midwestern State University, a Ph.D. in economics and statistics from Texas Tech University and did post-doctoral work at the University of Chicago.

Linh Truong will discuss "Risk Management in the Energy Industry" at the Dallas luncheon meeting. A question-and-answer session will follow her presentation.

Truong has over 20 years of audit experience, including 8 years in the energy industry representing both upstream and downstream companies. Truong has built internal audit departments from ground zero, including establishing first-year Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, and she has spearheaded an Enterprise Risk Management Process for two companies. Prior to Kosmos Energy, Truong worked at Alon USA and Hunt Oil.

"We are happy to announce Linh Truong as the speaker for our January 2014 Dallas Luncheon. Truong's breadth of experience and expertise in building internal audit programs from scratch will provide unique insight into the role auditors play in the energy industry," said Frazier.

In addition to holding an Accounting degree, Truong is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Internal Auditor, and an active member of the Institute of Internal Auditors, an international professional association of internal auditors. Truong also established a network of Chief Audit Executives in the energy industry which now has over 20 energy-company members who meet bi-annually to share internal audit best practices.

The cost for WEN North Texas members to attend is $35. For prospective members, the price is $50. Please register online at http://www.womensenergynetwork.org. Payment can be made by credit card through the online registration portal or the day of the event by cash or check payable to Women's Energy Network North Texas.

For more information about the event, contact Whitney Randolph, OneWest Bank, at Whitney.Randolph@owb.com.

For more information about the Women's Energy Network - North Texas Chapter, visit www.wennorthtexas.org and click on WEN North Texas. Interested parties can join the North Texas Chapter by clicking on Join Today! on the North Texas Chapter's home page.

About WEN

The Women's Energy Network is a nonprofit association of women professionals in the energy industry that provides networking and community outreach opportunities and fosters career and leadership development. Founded in 1994, the organization has more than 2,000 members nationwide. For more information, please visit the WEN North Texas Chapter website at www.wennorthtexas.org.

Women?s Energy Network
Whitney Randolph, 214-220-3003
Whitney.Randolph@owb.com