Tim Coburn - Professor of Systems Engineering
Dr. Tim Coburn is a Professor of Systems Engineering and faculty member of the Energy Institute at Colorado State University. He previously served as Director of the School of Energy Economics, Policy and Commerce at The University of Tulsa and as Professor of Energy and Operations Management. Dr. Coburn holds a joint appointment with the Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and is a research affiliate at the University of Colorado–Boulder.
He serves on the Energy Statistics Committee of the American Statistical Association, advises the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), and collaborates with the Asia Pacific Energy Research Center (APERC). Dr. Coburn is Associate Editor of Natural Resources Research and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of the PDPU Journal of Energy and Management. He holds a PhD in Statistics and Industrial Engineering and an MS in Statistics from Oklahoma State University, and a BS in Mathematics and Physics from Abilene Christian University. 
William L. Leffler - Best-selling author / consultant
Dr. William Leffler is a prolific petroleum industry author and consultant known for his “Nontechnical Language” series. His books cover refining, petrochemicals, deepwater exploration and production, natural gas liquids, pipelines, and oil and gas production.
Dr. Leffler earned a BS from MIT and an MBA and PhD from New York University. Following service as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy, he spent 36 years working in the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries in the U.S. and abroad. He later taught university and corporate courses on upstream, downstream, and petrochemicals for 20 years while continuing his writing career. 
Thomas Miesner - Best-selling author / consultant
Thomas (Tom) Miesner spent more than 25 years at Conoco Pipeline, retiring in 2003 as President. During his career, he served as Chairman of the Association of Oil Pipelines and Chairman of the Board of Explorer Pipeline Company.
After retirement, Tom founded a boutique consulting firm serving midstream oil and gas clients and became a globally recognized instructor. He has taught more than 175 classes to over 3,000 professionals and developed more than 25 midstream training courses, many available in video format. He is the author of Local Distribution Pipelines in Nontechnical Language and the first and second editions of Oil & Gas Pipelines in Nontechnical Language. Tom holds a BS in Engineering Management from the University of Missouri–Rolla. He can be contacted at tom@pipelineknowledge.com, or by visiting Pipeline Knowledge. 
Tom Seng - Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in Energy Finance; Texas Christian University
Tom Seng is an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in Energy Finance at Texas Christian University’s Ralph Lowe Energy Institute, Neeley School of Business. He previously served as Mervin Bovaird Professor of Energy Business and Director of the School of Energy Economics, Policy & Commerce at The University of Tulsa.
With more than 30 years of experience in the natural gas and NGL industries, Dr. Seng has expertise in commodity trading, risk management, pipeline and midstream operations, and transportation and storage marketing. He holds degrees from the State University of New York, Robert Gordon University, and Maryville University, and is the author of Energy Trading & Hedging: A Nontechnical Guide. Tom can be contacted at t.seng@tcu.edu. 
Robert "Bob" Tippee - Award winning industry consultant
Bob Tippee is a highly respected energy writer and oil and gas industry analyst. He spent 42 years on the Oil & Gas Journal editorial staff, including 20 years as editor-in-chief. Beginning in 1981, he authored the magazine’s weekly editorials and later wrote The Editor’s Perspective column starting in 1996.
A journalism graduate of the University of Tulsa, Bob also served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. He is an alumnus and occasional lecturer at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, a U.S. Department of Defense regional center, and has received numerous awards for his industry commentary and analysis. Bob can be reached at bobtip@hotmail.com. 
Frank Viscuso - Best-selling author / leadership-development consultant
Frank Viscuso is a retired deputy fire chief and best-selling author of seven books on leadership, team development, and customer service. He is the author of It’s Time to Step Up! Leadership Lessons from the Fire Service.
An internationally recognized speaker, Frank delivers leadership training across a wide range of industries, including emergency services, professional athletics, healthcare, sales organizations, and corporate teams. His keynotes, seminars, and books focus on developing core leadership traits and equipping individuals to lead, inspire, and motivate high-performing teams. Frank can be reached at frank@commonvalor.com, or by visiting Common Valor. 
Paul Westervelt - VP / Group Publisher Oil & Gas Journal and Offshore
Paul Westervelt joined PennWell in 1999 and held a variety of leadership roles, including Publisher of PennWell Books. He retired in 2023 as Senior Vice President and Group Publisher of Oil & Gas Journal, Offshore, Subsea Tieback Forum, Deepwater Operations, and Topsides, supporting the marketing and communication needs of a global, technically advanced audience.
Paul holds a BS in Radio, TV, and Film Management from Oklahoma State University and an MA in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary.
