R. Dirk Vander Ploeg II, CPL

Dirk Vander Ploeg, CPL, is land manager at Texas American Resources Company, an independent E&P company in Austin, Texas, where he is involved with leasing, asset development, project management, landowner relations and other in-house land responsibilities. Prior to joining TARC in 2011, he spent several years as an independent landman for AKG Energy LP in the Texas Gulf Coast region.

An active member of both AAPL and the Austin Professional Landmen’s Association, Vander Ploeg is a director of the AAPL Educational Foundation and immediate past chair of tax issues for the AAPL Governmental Affairs Committee. He previously served as AAPL Tax Issues Committee chair (2020-22), APLA director (2018-19) and APLA events chairman (2009-15). Additionally, he is a founding member of the Austin Chapter of Young Professionals in Energy and served as a board member from 2013-14. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in composition and writing studies, summa cum laude, from St. Edward’s University.

Vander Ploeg lives in Austin with wife Julie and their four children: Ava, 15, Bob, 12, Penny, 9 and Willem, 4. Involved in his community, he serves as a Scouts BSA merit badge counselor (chess, cooking, geocaching, music and bugling, et al.) and as Cub Scouting Pack 34’s committee chairman for the Capital Area Council. He is also an active member at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, where he is a third-degree knight with Knights of Columbus Council 8156.