Jason Wible: So long, but not farewell

Yesterday was Jason Wible’s last day in the office at Geoforce as a day-to-day employee, leaving behind a company where his influence will be ever-lasting. Elsewhere on this blog, Jason has articulated his passion for Public Policy – and his goals to positively influence Energy Policy, beginning with a two-year stint at the LBJ School of Public Affairs in Austin, Texas.   Jason’s choice of the LBJ School was a major decision in itself. As befits a man of his industry stature, Jason had choices that included UC Berkeley’s Goldman School and Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School (which, along with LBJ) are the top brand names in Public Policy education.

Jason’s choice – and ultimate decision – was a topic of much discussion here at Geoforce. Those of us with a sense of humor favored Berkeley. Imagine: a native Alabaman (who hasn’t lost his drawl), coming from the Oil ‘Bidness (and living in Texas), planting himself in the epicenter of liberal thought in California! Jason would have been an instant celebrity in Berzerkeley (what the locals call it!). It would have been interesting to see how Jason’s charm and razor-sharp intellect might have influenced his peers. But Berkeley wasn’t to be. Jason’s choice of the LBJ School of Public Affairs is testament to the world-shaping research being done on key energy topics in Austin.   We’ve mentioned that Jason’s impact at Geoforce has been profound. Coming from the O&G sector, with the experience of many years as a Wireline Engineer at Schlumberger gave Jason the perspective which helped shape our products, our service orientation and our commitment to excellence.   Even surpassing Jason’s “internal” impact at Geoforce has been his relationships in the industry. It’s hard to think of one individual in any business who is so well respected, and so well liked, by so many customers. As a parting gift to Jason, our founder Jimmie MacLean commissioned a special gift (pictured), with the logos of many dozens of Geoforce customers – all of whom Jason has touched during his time here.   As a recent addition to Geoforce, I am the person who (allegedly) is expected to assume some of Jason’s former roles. To use an oilfield analogy those are some Gulf-sized shoes to fill. (That’s Gulf with a “u”, as in the Gulf of Mexico!). But during the past three months, as Jason has tutored me, I can honestly say I’ve tried to consume a lifetime’s worth of oil and gas knowledge by the fire hose. “Windshield time” with Jason while driving along Hwy 90 in Louisiana is an education that cannot be duplicated. Our loss is energy policy’s gain.   Of course, we’re not done with Jason quite yet. He’ll still serve a consulting role, and remains a Principal of the company. And we’ve got a few other plans up our sleeves for Jason, which can leverage the work he’ll be doing in energy policy. So, while it’s so long for now on a daily basis, it’s anything but farewell to Jason.