Board of Directors

Every member of our board of directors is a thought leader who has made significant contributions to our society. 

Each one brings a unique set of skills and expertise to our organization. 

photo of J. Douglas Schick

J. Douglas Schick

President & CEO

Mr. Schick has over twenty-five years of experience in the oil and gas industry. Prior to joining the Company as President on August 1, 2018, followed by his appointment as Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Company in January 2025, Mr. Schick was employed by American Resources, Inc., a Houston, Texas-based privately-held oil and gas investment, development and operating company which he co-founded and continues to serve as Chief Executive Officer (from August 2017 to the present) and formerly as Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Business Development (from August 2013 to August 2017), provided that Mr. Schick’s service to American Resources requires only minimal time commitment from Mr. Schick that does not conflict with his duties and responsibilities to the Company. Prior to starting American Resources, Mr. Schick served as the founder, owner and principal of J. Douglas Enterprises, a Houston, Texas-based energy industry focused business development and financial consulting firm (from June 2011 to August 2013) as Vice President of Finance (from January 2011 until its sale in June 2011) for Highland Oil and Gas, a private equity-backed E&P company headquartered in Houston, Texas, as Manager of Planning and then Director of Planning at Houston, Texas-based Mariner Energy, Inc. (from December 2006 until its merger with Apache Corp. in December 2010), and in various roles of increasing responsibility in finance, planning, M&A, treasury and accounting at The Houston Exploration Company, ConocoPhillips and Shell Oil Company (from 1998 to 2006).

 

Mr. Schick holds a BBA in Finance from New Mexico State University and an MBA with a specialization in Finance from Tulane University.

photo of Josh Schmidt

Josh Schmidt

Director

Mr. Schmidt has been a Partner of Juniper since 2020 and serves as a member of the Investment Committee of Juniper Capital IV. Mr. Schmidt also serves on the board of directors of several of Juniper’s portfolio companies. Mr. Schmidt has been Chief Operating Officer of Juniper since July 2024. From January 2021 to June 2023, Mr. Schmidt served on the board of directors of Ranger Oil Corporation, a formerly publicly-traded oil and gas company, where he was also chair of the compensation committee. Prior to joining Juniper, Mr. Schmidt served as a portfolio manager and fundamental analyst for Whiteside Energy (“Whiteside”), a Houston-based hedge fund, where he was responsible for, among other things, managing investments in the natural gas and electricity markets across all regions of the United States. Prior to Whiteside, Mr. Schmidt worked at Citigroup Energy in Houston as a natural gas and electricity trader.


Mr. Schmidt received a B.S. in Finance from the University of Notre Dame.

photo of John Howie

John K. Howie

Independent Director

Mr. Howie has over 40 years of experience in oil and gas engineering, management, and finance. Since August 2024, Mr. Howie has served as Chief Executive Officer of Red Wolfpack Holdings, a privately-held Houston, Texas-based firm he founded that pursues natural gas development opportunities. Prior to forming Red Wolfpack Holdings, from May 2017 until July 2024 Mr. Howie was President of Tellurian Production Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tellurian Inc. (formerly NYSE AMEX: TELL), a Houston, Texas-based natural gas company that was acquired by Woodside Energy Group Ltd. in October 2024. Prior to May 2017, Mr. Howie founded and managed Impact Natural Resources, a Houston, Texas-based E&P company with assets in the Texas Gulf Coast and West Texas (from January 2016-2017), Parallel Resource Partners, an energy-focused investment firm headquartered in Houston, Texas which he co-founded and served as a Principal and Managing Director (from February 2010 to December 2023), Goldman, Sachs and Company, where he served as the Head of E&P Capital (from July 2003 to June 2009), EnCap Investments, L.L.C., a Houston, Texas-based private equity firm where he served as Vice President (from July 1999 to July 2003), and at various other E&P companies, including Range Resources Corporation, Apache Corporation, and Amoco Corporation (from 1982 to 1999).

 

Mr. Howie holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, from New Mexico State University, and is a Registered Professional Engineer in Texas.

photo of Martyn Willsher

Martyn Willsher

Independent Director

Martyn Willsher is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Unified Petroleum LLC, a position he has held since October 2025, a company which he recently formed to acquire and operate oil and gas assets. Previously, Mr. Willsher served as Chief Executive Officer of Amplify Energy Corp. (NYSE: AMPY) from January 2021 until July 2025, after having served as interim Chief Executive Officer since April 2020. Mr. Willsher continues to serve as a special advisor to Amplify Energy through December 2025. Mr. Willsher also previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Amplify Energy from April 2018 to January 2021. From May 2017 to April 2018, Mr. Willsher served as Amplify Energy’s Vice President and Treasurer. He also served as Treasurer of Memorial Production Partners GP, LLC, Amplify Energy’s predecessor, from July 2014 to May 2017, and as Director of Strategic Planning for Memorial Resource Development LLC, an affiliate of the predecessor of Amplify Energy, from March 2012 to June 2014. Prior to that, he served as Manager, Financial Analysis of AGL Resources from September 2009 to March 2012, and as Associate - Upstream Oil & Gas A&D of Constellation Energy from August 2006 to March 2008 and as a Director from March 2008 to March 2009. Prior to that, he served in various business development and financial analysis roles at JM Huber Corp., FTI Consulting and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.


Mr. Willsher received his Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin and his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Texas A&M University.

photo of Kristel Franklin

Kristel Franklin

Independent Director

Kristel Franklin brings deep expertise spanning integrated upstream and midstream operations with over 20 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry. Over the past two decades, she has developed a diverse portfolio of experience across domestic onshore projects and operations. Since January 2023, Ms. Franklin has served as Chief Operating Officer of PureWest Energy (“PureWest”), a Denver, Colorado-based natural gas producer in the State of Wyoming. Prior to PureWest, from June 2018 to December 2022, Ms. Franklin led Moontower Resources, LLC (“Moontower”), an Austin, Texas-based Permian Basin-focused exploration and production company, to a successful exit for Oaktree Capital. Prior to Moontower, Ms. Franklin held various roles of increasing responsibility at Austin, Texas-based oil and gas acquisition and exploitation company Three-Rivers Operating Company III (March 2016 to May 2018), as Senior Vice President at Austin, Texas-based independent oil and gas producer Jones Energy (April 2007 to February 2016), and with Houston, Texas-based Exxon Mobil Corporation as a Senior Drilling Engineer (July 2003 to April 2007). Ms. Franklin also currently serves on the Board of a private midstream oil and gas company.


Ms. Franklin received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from the University of Texas in Austin, Texas.