U.S. oil industry group the American Petroleum Institute (API) has appointed Lem Smith as Vice President of Upstream Policy. Also, API said that former U.S. Coast Guard Captain Russell Holmes has been named Director of the Center for Offshore Safety (COS).
Smith joins API from Squire Patton Boggs, where he was a Principal and Partner. He previously served as Director, U.S. Government & Regulatory Affairs at Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., Government Relations Manager at Anadarko Petroleum Corporation and Director of Government Relations for Kerr-McGee Corporation. He began his career on Capitol Hill with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott before moving to the House and working for U.S. Representatives Roger Wicker and Charlie Norwood.
Holmes replaces Charlie Williams, who recently retired after leading the Center for Offshore Safety throughout its first decade.
He joins the Center for Offshore Safety following 27 years of active duty service with the U.S Coast Guard (USCG). Holmes most recently served as Eighth District Officer in Charge Marine Inspections (OCMI), Investigations and Federal Maritime Security Coordinator (FMSC) for the Gulf of Mexico. In that role, he was USCG’s public face and central point of contact to the offshore oil and gas industry.
API President and CEO Mike Sommers said: "Lem and Russ bring unmatched knowledge and experience to the industry and will serve in key roles in advancing safe and responsible U.S. energy production,”
"These additions support our top strategic priorities to develop and implement practices and programs that help operators perform at the highest levels while strengthening the integration of API’s advocacy efforts as we address increasingly complex issues facing the natural gas and oil industry," Sommers said.