Engineering Advisory Board Members
Grant Swartzwelder
OTA Compression/Kimark Systems
Grant Swartzwelder is the President of OTA Environmental Solutions which is comprised of OTA Compression, OTA Environmental and Kimark Systems. Through these companies, they provide equipment (VRU, Combustors and flares), service all these units (OTA and all other models) and provide environmental consulting on all things air related. Besides serving on the UTPB Engineering Advisory Board, he serves on the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station Board. Mr. Swartzwelder holds a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University and MBA from Harvard Business School.
Scott Miller, P.E.
Senior Offering Management Lead, Gas Processing Licensing
Scott Miller currently serves as a Senior Product Line Manager with Honeywell UOP and has 20 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. Scott currently manages the marketing and sales support, new product development, and strategic business planning for the licensing of Ortloff NGL/LPG recovery, Ortloff LNG, and UOP natural gas treating technologies worldwide.
Scott received a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M University. He is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Texas. Mr. Miller has co-authored several papers on topics pertaining to both ethylene production and NGL/LPG recovery and holds a number of patents in the U.S. and other countries for NGL/LPG recovery.
Scott lives in Midland, Texas with his wife of 17 years and their two daughters. He has always remained active in the community having served on numerous boards and in various leadership roles over the years.
Mark Timmons
Vice President - Field Operations
Parsley Energy
Mark is responsible for overseeing Parsley Energy’s production operations in the Midland and Delaware Basins. Mark has over 30 years of oil and gas industry experience in engineering operations and management.
Mark earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering from Texas Tech University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Texas and is a Lifetime Member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.
Mark served on the inaugural board of a non-profit organization supporting Midland and Odessa law enforcement. Mark is a member of the UTPB Engineering Advisory Board. In April of 2019, Mark was inducted into Texas Tech Petroleum Engineering Academy.
Stephen McNair
H2O Midstream Advisor and Independent Consultant at Midstream Solutions LLC
Stephen most recently led the UL Water Midstream team to develop and build the business through relationships with producers in the University Lands with project and operating execution in the area of interest in the Delaware Basin.
Prior to H2O Midstream, Stephen has held a variety of leadership positions throughout his 35-year oil and gas career primarily in the midstream sector in operations, engineering, construction, and commercial roles. He most recently served as the President of Pioneer Water Management, LLC.
Stephen serves as a member of the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) College of Engineering Advisory Board and is a board member on the annual Permian Basin Water In Energy Conference (PBWIEC). He is a former Board member of the Gas Processors Association and NMOGA, and former member of COGA. Stephen holds an MBA from Oklahoma City University and a BS in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M University.
Brian Flowers PhD.
Assistant Professor, Department Chair Engineering & Physics Midland College
Dr. Brian S. Flowers is the Henry Chair of Engineering for the Engineering & Physics Department at Midland College in Midland, Texas. Through his STEM outreach and recruiting efforts the enrollment in the engineering program at Midland College has increased by over 600%, with particular growth in female and Hispanic populations. He engages freshman and sophomore level students in his research and construction of low-cost submersible sensor systems to monitor water quality parameters of the Meso-American Barrier Reef. He received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in 2016, where his research focused on microfluidics, novel solvents for carbon capture, and ionic liquid polymer membranes.
David J. Kuhnert
Production Manager
CrownQuest Operating
David Kuhnert grew up in Northern Wisconsin and joined the Army right out of high school in 1988. He served in the Army for 23 years and retired in 2011 as a Command Sergeant Major. While serving in the Army, David earned his MBA from Columbia Southern University. His time in the Army includes six combat deployments, numerous overseas tours and several change of duty stations.
David is married with four children and four grandchildren and after retiring from the Army, he moved to Midland, TX with his family to assume a position at CrownQuest Operating as the Production Manager. Dave is a published author and leadership coach. His book, Servant Leadership, and training material are used by numerous organizations around the world.
Sterling Satterfield
Operations Engineer II
Corporate Production
Sterling Satterfield is an Operations Engineer at an independent oil and gas company headquartered in Midland, Texas. Sterling has experience in mechanical design, economic analysis, project management, and computer simulation. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB), where he was one of four students to graduate in the first class of Mechanical Engineers. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from UTPB, a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering from North Carolina State University, and a Master of Business Administration from UTPB.
C. Richard (Dick) Sivalls, P.E.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Sivalls, Inc.
C.R. Sivalls received his B.S. Degree (with distinction) in Mechanical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, 1957. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Texas and Oklahoma. Employed by Sivalls, Inc. Since 1959 in various engineering, sales and administrative positions since graduation from school and completion of Army tour of duty. He has written over 40 technical articles and papers on oil and gas production and processing equipment design and operation. Taught engineering short courses and seminars in gas processing and oil treating at Texas Tech University, University of Oklahoma, and Texas A&M University.
Fred M. Newman
Retired Professional
Fred M. Newman has his BS in Physics and a Honorary Doctor’s degree in Science and Technology. He also have over five dozen U. S. Patents Originated and managed a half dozen businesses in Midland, two of which sold to NYSE companies.
Bill Webb
Born in Texas, but grew up in southern Louisiana. Graduated from high school in Rayne, Louisiana. Attended Louisiana State University and after a tour of duty in the U. S. Marine Corps, graduated from LSU in 1972, with a BS in Petroleum Engineering.
Worked for a major oil company in engineering assignments and operations management for twenty-two years. In those years, worked offshore Gulf of Mexico, Mid-continent and Permian Basin areas. For the past twenty-six years, worked as oil & gas engineering and operations consultant, in the Permian Basin.
Mark Merritt
CEO, WESTECH Seal Inc.
Mark Merritt has owned Westech Seal, Inc., a local international manufacturing company since 1987. Mr. Merritt, as business owner, has over 30 years’ experience in engineering design and manufacturing of mechanical seals, is involved in every aspect of the business from CNC programming to oversight of all accounting aspects of the business. Mr. Merritt also started Maribea, a bean to bar craft chocolate manufacturer. Importing and processing cacao beans from many regions of the world to develop dark chocolate that has become sought after by customers from many states. Mr. Merritt currently serves as Vice Chairman on the State Advisory board for Texas Manufacturing Assistance Centers and is currently Chair of the West Texas District Export Council; both positions are appointed by the US Department of Commerce. He has also been affiliated with Odessa East Rotary, Past President and Assistant District Governor Ector Country Airport Advisory Board, Member Odessa College Culinary Advisory Board, Member Odessa College Machine Technology Board, Member Odessa Chamber of Commerce, Member 2019 Inductee to Odessa Chamber of Commerce Business Hall of Fame.