Sam L. Banks – Founder, Chairman and CEO
Mr. Banks is the founder and majority owner of Yuma Energy, Inc. He has 37 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, the majority of which he has been leading Yuma. He graduated from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana with a B.A. degree in 1972. In 1976, he served as Republican Assistant Finance Chairman for the Re-election of President Gerald Ford, under former Secretary of State Robert Mosbacher. From the end of 1976 to 1982, Mr. Banks was assistant to the President of Tomlinson Interests, a private, independent oil and gas company. Mr. Banks founded Yuma in 1983, and has been responsible for all aspects of the company’s business growth, including the development of Yuma's business opportunities in exploration, production, pipelines, gas distribution, and gas trading.
Richard K. Stoneburner – Appointed in September 2013
Mr. Stoneburner has more than 35 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. He holds a B.S. in Geological Sciences from the University of Texas and a M.S. in Geological Sciences from Wichita State University. Mr. Stoneburner began his career as a geologist in 1977, and held positions of responsibility and leadership with Texas Oil and Gas Corp., Weber Energy Corp., Hugoton Energy Corp. and 3TEC Energy Corp. He joined Petrohawk Energy in 2003, where he led Petrohawk’s exploration program from 2005 to 2007 prior to serving as the company’s President and COO from 2007 to 2011. When BHP Billiton acquired Petrohawk in 2011, he was appointed President of the North America Shale Production Division where he managed operations in the Fayetteville Shale, the Haynesville Shale, the Eagle Ford Shale, and the Permian Basin divisions. Mr. Stoneburner currently serves on the Board of Directors of Newfield Exploration and Cub Energy and serves as a Senior Advisor to the private equity firm Pine Brook Partners. Prior to his appointment as Director, he was a Board Advisor to Yuma from July 2013.
James W. Christmas – Appointed in September 2013
Mr. Christmas has extensive experience in oil and gas company growth issues, with a focus on capital structure and business development strategies. He began his career as a Certified Public Accountant in New York. He was with Arthur Andersen & Co. from 1970 until 1978, before leaving to join National Utilities & Industries (“NUI”), a diversified energy company, as Vice President and Controller. He remained with NUI until 1988, when NUI spun out its unregulated activities that ultimately became part of KCS Energy, Inc. Mr. Christmas served as President and CEO of KCS from 1988 until 2003, and Chairman of the Board and CEO from 2003 until KCS’s merger into Petrohawk in 2006. During his time as CEO, Mr. Christmas helped build KCS from a $10 million company to one of nearly $2.0 billion in value at the time of the merger with Petrohawk in 2006. BHP Billiton acquired Petrohawk in August 2011, and at the request of BHP, Mr. Christmas has continued to serve as a director of Petrohawk and Chairman of its financial reporting committee. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Halcon Resources Corporation, and is a guest lecturer of a graduate class in entrepreneurship at St. John’s University in New York. In addition, he serves on the advisory board for The Peter J. Tobin College of Business at St John’s, and underwrites an annual business plan competition to foster entrepreneurship.
Frank A. Lodzinski – Appointed in August 2012
Mr. Lodzinski has more than 40 years of oil and gas industry experience, including the successful completion of several reverse mergers. He holds a BSBA degree in Accounting and Finance from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and from 1971 to 1984, Mr. Lodzinski was employed in public accounting and industry. In 1984, he formed Energy Resource Associates, Inc., which acquired management and controlling interests in oil and gas limited partnerships, joint ventures and producing properties. Certain partnerships were exchanged for common shares of Hampton Resources Corporation in 1992, which Mr. Lodzinski joined as a director and President. Hampton was sold in 1995 to Bellwether Exploration Company. In 1996, he acquired Cliffwood Oil & Gas Corp., and in 1997, Cliffwood shareholders acquired controlling interest in Texoil, Inc., where Mr. Lodzinski served as CEO, President and Director. In 2001, Texoil, Inc. was sold to Ocean Energy, Inc., and Mr. Lodzinski was appointed CEO, President and Director of AROC, Inc. to direct the restructuring and ultimate liquidation of that company. In 2003, AROC completed a monetization of oil and gas assets with an institutional investor and began a plan of liquidation in 2004. In 2004, Mr. Lodzinski formed Southern Bay Energy, LLC, whose general partner Southern Bay acquired the residual assets of AROC, Inc. In 2007, core investors and management invested additional cash and merged Southern Bay into GeoResources Inc., where Mr. Lodzinski served as CEO, President and Director until the company was sold to Halcon Resources for $1.0 billion in 2012.
Richard W. Volk – Appointed in June 2011
Mr. Volk is a consultant specializing in the formulation and implementation of long-term strategies for oil and gas companies and other clients and has been an advisor to Yuma since 1993. Mr. Volk received a degree in Petroleum Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines in 1958 and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver in 1963. He subsequently undertook graduate work in geology at the Colorado School of Mines. Mr. Volk began his oil and gas career in 1960 with Plains Exploration Company which was merged into Cardinal Petroleum Company in 1969. During the 11 years with these two companies he advanced from Petroleum Engineer to Vice President-Exploration Manager. After two years as a managing partner for a Denver law firm, the SEC and the Federal Court approved Mr. Volk as President and CEO of Clinton Oil Company in 1973. The company was subsequently renamed Energy Reserves Group, Inc. and in 1985, became BHP Petroleum (America), with Mr. Volk as Chairman and CEO. After presiding over the successful consolidation of BHP and Monsanto Oil Company, Mr. Volk subsequently relocated to Australia as General Manager and CEO of BHP’s Australia/Asia Division. Mr Volk started his consulting business after leaving BHP in 1991.
Ben T. Morris – Appointed in July 2011
Mr. Morris has an extensive financial background, with over 20 years of experience in all phases of the investment business. Mr. Morris earned a B.B.A. in 1967 from the University of North Texas, and also holds a CPA certificate from Texas, along with Securities Licenses 7, 24, 27 and 63. He began his career as an accountant at Price Waterhouse & Co. in 1967, and in 1973 joined Mid American Oil and Gas Inc. as CFO, eventually serving as President of the company prior to its sale in 1979. From 1980 to 1986, Mr. Morris served as COO of Tatham Corporation, a privately-held company engaged in natural gas transportation and marketing, along with oil and gas exploration and production. Tatham had revenues in excess of $500 million prior to its sale in 1986 to a major interstate pipeline company. Mr. Morris presently serves as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sanders Morris Harris Group, a $175 million financial services and wealth management company he co-founded in 1987. Since its founding, Mr. Morris has served in various capacities, including Executive Vice President and Director of Investment Banking, President and CEO and Board member of subsidiary SMH Capital, and CEO and Board Member of the parent company. In addition to his own company, Mr. Morris has served on the Boards of several public companies, including Capital Title Group (1998-2006), American Equity Investment Life Holding Company (1997-2006), and Tyler Technologies, Inc. (2002-2005), where he served as Chairman of the Audit Committee.