W&L Energy Forum Launches with Powerful Conversations in Houston The newest addition to the university’s affinity-based career events brings alumni and industry leaders together to explore the future of energy.

The 2025 W&L Energy Forum brought over 100 alumni, industry leaders, and friends of the university together March 27–28 in Houston for dynamic conversations about the future of energy. As the newest offering in W&L’s portfolio of affinity-based career events, the forum provided a platform for members of the university community working across the energy sector to examine key challenges and opportunities shaping the industry today.

The gathering began Thursday evening with a welcome reception hosted at the home of Susanne P’13, ’16, and Bill Pritchard ’80. Guests also heard remarks from Chris Connors, the William E. Pritchard III ’80 Professor of Earth and Environmental Geoscience at W&L, who shared updates on the university’s academic programs and student engagement in energy and environmental studies.

“Washington and Lee may not traditionally be thought of as an energy powerhouse, but the Houston and national energy landscape is dotted with W&L graduates across all sectors,” said Reed Stevens ’10, vice president of geology at Hibernia Resources and co-chair of the steering committee. “It was amazing to be a part of the inaugural W&L Energy Forum and see how well attended and excited the W&L community is about the future of the industry. By every measure, the forum was a huge success.”

Friday’s programming at The St. Regis Houston began with welcome remarks from Molly Steele ’04, dean of career and professional development, who also served as emcee for the day’s events. The first panel, “Energy Demand Going to the Moon! What Sources Will Supply It?” was moderated by Rachel Adams-Heard ’16, reporter at Bloomberg LP, and featured panelists David Berry, CEO of Cloverleaf Infrastructure; Max Gagliardi, chief commercial officer at AEGIS Physical; Nuray Elci, vice president of renewables at Chevron; and Jim Kerr ’86, chairman, president and CEO of Southern Company Gas. The panel examined the sources and strategies needed to meet growing global energy demand.

Next, Jason Cansler, president and CEO of Birch Resources, delivered the keynote address, offering reflections from his career in energy exploration and production.

The conversation continued with a fireside chat titled “Energy M&A Landscape.” Alex Burpee ’08, managing director at Moelis & Company, was joined by two of his colleagues: Eric Cantor, vice chairman and managing director, and Ben Dubois, energy investment banker. The discussion covered mergers and acquisitions, private capital formation and the role of infrastructure in a transforming energy economy.

Following a networking lunch with table discussions, the final panel of the day, “Trends in Decarb Investing Under a New Administration,” examined the impact of federal policy and political shifts on energy investment. The session was moderated by Bryant Fulk ’08, principal and head of business development at Aventurine Partners and co-chair of the event steering committee, and included Preston Cory ’15, director of government affairs at TotalEnergies; Jacob Garrett ’98, CEO of Westerman Inc.; and John Schaufele ’04, managing director and head of investor relations and fundraising at Tailwater Capital.

Reflecting on the program and its significance, Fulk remarked, “Over the last 15 years, the U.S. has gone from being one of the largest energy importers to the largest energy producer in the world. The energy landscape is quickly evolving as the grid is now growing faster than ever before, and, for the first time, the digital world is requiring energy at scale. Given that backdrop, we were excited to host the inaugural W&L Energy Forum and cover topics ranging from energy demand growth and oil and gas mergers to new growth vectors driven by electrification. Houston was the perfect city to host the event, and we were thrilled with the level of engagement and attendance.”

The event closed with remarks from John Jensen ’01, executive director of alumni and career services, who thanked participants for their engagement and underscored the importance of continued alumni involvement in university career initiatives.

Jim Kerr ’86, who served on the forum’s host committee, underscored the impact of the event: “Like a lot of people in our industry, every year I have the opportunity to attend a number of important events focused on the energy industry, and I could not have been more impressed with the inaugural W&L Energy Forum. The depth and quality of the content was outstanding, and the talent and experience of the attendees was just so impressive. The chance to spend time with so many individuals at different stages of their careers who share a passion for both W&L and energy was great fun. Our industry has never been more important to the future of our nation, and I left the event more optimistic than ever knowing that W&L, and all that it stands for, is so well positioned to continue to play an important role in this vital sector of our economy.”

The W&L Energy Forum showcased the strength and reach of the university’s alumni network in the energy space and emphasized its ongoing role in convening leaders across industries. With questions at the intersection of policy, innovation and investment, the forum marked a successful launch for a signature event poised to shape future conversations in the field.

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