Management Team
Ralph Hill has 40+ years of experience in the upstream, midstream and downstream segments of the oil and gas industry. Ralph was appointed CEO and Chairman of Trailblazer Energy Resources, LLC’s board of managers in 2014. He previously served as CEO and president of WPX Energy where he led the 2011 WPX spin out from The Williams Companies as a pure play exploration and production company. Previous to the spinoff, he was President of exploration and production at Williams from 2002-2011. He was Chairman and CEO of Apco Oil & Gas, while at Williams and WPX Energy, with assets in Argentina and Colombia. While at Williams he had extensive experience also in the midstream, downstream and marketing and trading segments of Williams and held various roles of increasing responsibility during his career at The Williams Companies.
Currently, Ralph serves on the Board of Directors of the Collins College of Business at the University of Tulsa, as Chair for the Trulaske School of Business at the University of Missouri and the One Mizzou Campaign Cabinet at the University of Missouri.
Jeff Tanner brings a wealth of experience to Trailblazer Energy Resources, as the Senior Vice President of Geosciences and Business Development. Jeff has over 30 years of oil and gas industry experience in exploration, development and business development in prospect/play generation and evaluation, including leadership roles working conventional and unconventional plays, clastic and carbonate systems, U.S. onshore, shelf and deep water GOM. Direct experience in leading exploration, evaluation, and development programs in unconventional plays in the Rockies, Mid-Continent, Gulf of Mexico onshore, East Texas and Permian. He served in various technical, management and executive positions with Jones Energy, Southwestern Energy, Laredo Petroleum, Cabot Oil & Gas, Noble Energy, Inc. and Shell Oil Company. Jeff has a Masters in Geology from the University of Houston, as well as a Bachelors in Geology from Texas A&M University.
Michael Himes is an accounting leader with 19 years of experience and an M.S. in Accounting. Michael excels at supporting complex accounting operations in the energy sector, including acquisitions, purchase accounting, due diligence support, and post-transaction integration. Prior to joining Trailblazer, he spent seven years in public accounting with KPMG and Hogan Taylor, delivering a strong foundation in audit, financial reporting, and technical accounting.
Xander Buck has 20+ years of upstream oil and gas experience across East Texas, South Texas, San Juan, and Midcontinent basins. Joining the Company in 2014, Xander has previously held engineering and management roles with The Williams Companies, WPX Energy, and ETX Energy, providing him with valuable expertise in designing and executing engineering projects and production strategies. Xander holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from Oklahoma State University.
Jimmy Stevens brings with him over 15 years of land experience, with a primary focus on East and South Texas. He joined Trailblazer in 2012 and has played a key role in the company’s past acquisitions. Prior to Trailblazer, Jimmy worked at Superior Title Services, where he specialized in preparing detailed mineral ownership reports for a range of oil and gas companies. Jimmy holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Energy Management from the University of Oklahoma, where he was also a four-year letterman as a place kicker.
Board of Directors
Ralph A. Hill
Chairman & CEO, Trailblazer Energy Resources, LLC.
Craig Kelleher
Co-Founder & Chief Investment Officer, Millstreet Capital Management
Craig Carlozzi
Principal, Director of Alternatives & Portfolio Manager, Longfellow Investment Management Company