I
22
SHALE OIL & GAS BUSINESS MAGAZINE // SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015
The Journey to PESA A quick glance at Beyer’s résumé reveals an impressive career trajectory, including time at the White House, a prestigious public relations firm and one of the country’s largest industrial trade associations. Through her extensive and diverse experience, Beyer has developed and sharpened the exact skill set that makes her uniquely qualified for her newest venture at PESA. Born in Lubbock, Texas, Beyer spent her childhood years living in various West Texas communities, as members of her family were primarily cotton farmers and teachers. She recalls attending a different school every year from third grade through high school, when the family finally settled in Sugar Land, outside Houston. “Being the new kid every year, I think that did kind of form my personality,” the extrovert jokes. After briefly moving back to Lubbock to attend college, Beyer transferred to the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies and Spanish. During her senior year of college, Beyer scored a coveted internship in Washington, D.C. with the U.S. Department of State working on the Mexico desk. Her original plan was to eventually become a Foreign Service Officer within the department. “When I did my internship at the State Department, I did my best to network, meet the Texans and figure out who was who,” Beyer says. “As soon as I went home after the internship was over, I started applying at different congressional offices.” She was soon hired by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison as a Legislative Aide in her Austin office; and upon graduating from UT, Beyer transferred to the Washington, D.C. office. After Beyer spent about two years in the congressional office working primarily on border relations and immigration, Texas Gov. George W. Bush announced his bid for presidency. Beyer applied for a job as part of his
PHOTO COURTESY OF PESA
Beyer plans to focus on helping PESA grow into and refine some of the recent modernizations
n the early days of petroleum exploration, drilling an oil well was somewhat short of an exact science. Wildcatters and wannabe oil barons would chance their luck, hoping to strike it rich yet often turning up dry holes. Today, oil and gas is one of the most complex, intricate and expansive industries on the planet. It employs cutting-edge technology, analyzes high-level scientific data and meticulously manages constantly moving parts. The ability to accurately pinpoint and extract minerals has increased exponentially due to the advancements in equipment and new sophisticated drilling techniques. While many outside the industry might give cursory credit to big oil companies for this evolution, the service and supply sector is the real unsung hero of the American energy renaissance. This segment of the industry, valued at $150 billion last year, is behind some of the most important innovations and activities in the oil field. It provides the crucial support, service and equipment necessary in all upstream operations — from surface equipment and drilling fluids to completion and well services. Service and supply companies also employ a significant portion of workers in the oil field. In 2014, the oil and gas support activities plus oilfield machinery and equipment sectors directly supported almost 200,000 jobs in Texas. For more than 80 years, the Petroleum Equipment & Services Association (PESA), formerly known as the Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association, has served as the unified voice representing the collective interests of this segment of the industry. Formed in 1933 to help the federal government craft a fair-practice code for the oilfield equipment industry, the association today represents more than 200 companies and a global workforce of more than 1.3 million. Despite its age, this is not your grandfather’s PESA. Within the last year or so, the association’s new president has instituted some substantial changes in an effort to evolve with the times and better serve its membership, as well as the technologically advanced industry it represents. “I am, every day, working on ways to make PESA a greater resource to the members, more of a resource to the industry in general, a better support system and a more productive organization,” says Leslie Shockley Beyer, the vivacious new President of PESA.