Speakers
General Session
Observations from 20 Years Advocating for Responsible Public Lands
Kathleen will discuss her road to leadership in the oil and natural gas industry and what she's learned while advocating for environmentally responsible land policies and promoting abundant, affordable energy for all. She'll provide some observations on the cyclical nature of land issues and how to navigate the policy and political environmental going forward.
Kathleen’s extensive expertise and leadership in energy and multiple-use, public lands policy was recognized by President Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum when she was nominated for the position of Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in February, 2025. Her nomination was strongly supported by Congress, governors, ranchers, sportsmen’s and recreation groups, conservationists, tribes, state agencies, counties, the energy, mining and timber industries, and many other stakeholders across the West. Her effectiveness as one of the strongest advocates for the oil and natural gas industry was confirmed by the opposition to her nomination from far-left environmental groups, although she received tacit as well as explicit support from reasonable environmentalists and several conservation groups. While that opposition resulted in her having to withdraw her nomination, she remains committed to and effective in supporting President Trump’s unleashing America energy agenda and responsible access to public lands.
Kathleen served the oil and natural gas industry in the West for nearly 20 years at Western Energy Alliance, as the President for the last nine years. Her knowledge is widely recognized across the region and in D.C., as she has testified before Congress 30 times and is regularly quoted on energy and environmental issues in regional, national, and international media including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, BBC, Fox News, and Washington Post. Prior to joining the Alliance in 2006, she spent eleven years in the Information Technology sector, including establishing a subsidiary in Germany and the European consulting practice in London for a software company; and three years as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Army. She holds a BS in Political Science/Defense and Arms Control Studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MS in Information Technology from Virginia Tech.