What SPE Has Meant to Me

Abstract

SPE's current and incoming presidents and staff executive director reflect on how the society has influenced their careers. William M. Cobb, 2008 SPE President It has been my privilege to be connected with SPE for more than 43 years, as a student, as a junior member, and then as a full member. Since 1969, I have attended every SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE, in years gone by, was also known first as the Fall Meeting, then the Annual Meeting) but 1977. I have had opportunities to serve our society at the local, regional, and international levels. This 43-year relationship has been exciting, technically inspiring, and professionally rewarding for me. As I reflect over these years of service, I unearth many fond memories. One of my first memories was my participation in the Gulf Coast Region student paper contest in 1967 while I was a graduate student at Mississippi State University. I did not win, place, or show, but the experience of conducting a research project and then learning to make an oral presentation about it to my peers was one of the most enlightening adventures of my career. To this day, I am grateful for the guidance and constructive criticism from William D. McCain and T. Don Stacy and from my classmates. This early mentoring and networking set my feet firmly on the SPE path that I have found so gratifying throughout my career. (In 1968, I won the graduate-level competition at the first West Coast Region student paper contest while working on my PhD degree at Stanford University.) Another key moment came in 1972, when Professor W. John Lee asked me to serve on the Well Test Analysis Committee to help solicit abstracts and select papers for the 1973 ATCE in Las Vegas. This was my first opportunity to participate at the societywide level of SPE. The returns to my volunteer efforts were immeasurable—working with some of the most brilliant minds in our industry from around the world, exposure to the latest technology, and the chance to help shape one of our industry's most important events. (My wife, Carolyn, and I were married in May 1973, and the 1973 ATCE trip was our honeymoon. Unfortunately, I was bedridden with the flu during the entire meeting, but Carolyn kept me apprised of all of the activities.) Another special moment occurred in January 2000, when I received a call advising me that the SPE Nominating Committee had nominated me to serve a 3-year term on the SPE Board of Directors as Vice President of Finance. I was deeply honored, but very surprised at this invitation! After phone calls to several past presidents and a few days of mulling the invitation, I accepted the nomination. This 3-year assignment involved a significant commitment of work and travel, but also fun and friendships. I also gained a deeper understanding of how our society functions and supports our industry. Once again, the "return on investment" in SPE was personally and professionally high.