Robbie Rice Gries is president and CEO of Priority Oil & Gas LLC in Denver.
A native of Ingleside, Texas, she attended Del Mar Junior College in Corpus Christi, Texas, before transferring to Colorado State University, where she received her bachelor of science degree in geology. In 1970 she received a master's degree in geology from The University of Texas at Austin.
Gries began her career teaching geology at Wichita State, and in 1973 joined the staff at Texaco Inc. in Denver. In 1976 she became a staff geologist for Reserve Oil in Denver. In 1980, when Reserve was acquired by Getty, Gries began her career as a consultant and independent, opening an office in Denver.
Gries formed Priority Oil & Gas in 1992. She orchestrated the merger of two Colorado companies in 1993 and was a director and vice-president for a year.
Since 1995 she has been president of Priority, where operations are primarily in the Mid-continent and Rockies, with other onshore gas exploration projects in the UK/Northern Ireland and Ireland.
An AAPG member since 1977, Gries served as AAPG secretary from 1995 to 1997. She was the general chair of the 1994 AAPG annual meeting in Denver, chaired the Distinguished Lecture Committee and founded the International Distinguished Lecture Sub Committee, co-chaired AAPG's first Summit on Section meetings in 1998, co-chaired the first Summit on Committees and has been an Associate Editor.
She has served on Publications, Conventions, Membership and the Technical Program committees, as well as the Committee on Committees.
She received the A.I. Leverson award in 1985. In 1991 she received AAPG's Distinguished Service award, and in 1998 became an Honorary Member.
Gries became a Certified Petroleum Geologist in 1985 and has been a delegate for the House of Delegates, an alternate or a substitute for 19 years. She joined the AAPG Foundation Trustee Associates in 1996.
Gries has authored numerous papers on Rocky Mountain geology, edited the Rocky Mountain seismic volume and has received several awards for talks and papers. She has been honored by the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists with its distinguished service award and honorary membership. The Denver Geophysical Society has recognized her service with its distinguished service award.
Gries is a member of EAGE, GSA and SEPM, as well as the Houston, Four Corners and Wyoming geologicial societies.