“ACE 2019 is gone but the memories will remain!”
That’s Lorena Moscardelli of Equinor, who, along with Eddie Valek of EOG Resources, was general co-chair of the 2019 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition in San Antonio, Texas in May.
For Valek, this year’s ACE stands out as a reminder of the first professional conference he’d ever attended, which happened to be the 1999 ACE, also in San Antonio.
“Certainly many things in our lives and industry have changed or evolved since that time; however, I was struck here again by something that reminded me of my early days as a young AAPG member – the passion and sincerity of the people for, and all things about, this industry,” he said.
The “Margarita Moment,” as it has come to be called, stands out as emblematic of this year’s overall event for both of them.
“Of course, co-chairing the conference with Eddie Valek was a total highlight and the margarita moment on stage during the conference opening will remain as an iconic #ACEMoment!” said Moscardelli.
Represented in that “Margarita Moment” were all of the contributors and collaborators that Moscardelli and Valek alike praise for their efforts.
“I felt extremely proud of the level of diversity that our team was able to bring to the conference,” she said. “Recruiting a diverse group of theme chairs had an obvious cascading effect that translated into a dynamic and high-quality technical program. The participation of a very diverse group of session chairs, presenters and attendees was also the result of this effort to open the doors of ACE to a broader community. We should all feel very proud of that!”
“There is no level of thanks and appreciation great enough to properly acknowledge the help and support provided by the AAPG membership in making ACE 2019 a success,” said Valek. “Being asked to serve … was truly an honor and many thanks to our AAPG president, Denise Cox, for asking to me to do so … I echo Lorena’s special thanks going out to Peter Hennings and Chris Zahm as technical committee co-chairs, and to Tom Ewing and Dallas Dunlap as co-vice chairs.”
The conference and exhibition halls were abuzz about this year’s standout technical program, but there were two presentations that were of particular note to Moscardelli.
“The Mid-Career Forum and the DEG Luncheon on the Global Energy Transition were highlights for me personally because I think we need to talk more about the future of our profession, the generational challenges that our industry faces and the responsibility that we all have to ensure that the lights of progress continue to shine as we take care of our planet and our people,” she said.
Valek offered some parting advice on one such generational challenge.
“Just as the on-stage margarita delivery was such a hit, let’s remember that we all need to have our ‘margarita moment’ now and again – and ACE should be no exception!” he said. “Keeping ACE fun and fresh and lively is the responsibility of all generations of AAPG membership, and your willingness to serve and volunteer are required to do so! And with that, we pass the baton to you, ACE 2020, as you seek to have your own #MargaritaMoment!”