Management
Using Earth's Resources for Eco-Conscious Development
Bobbie J. Neubert
Chief Executive Officer
Ms. Neubert is a visionary entrepreneur with extensive experience in establishing successful start-up companies including Signal One International, LLC, and Real Earth Models, LLC. In each company, she has served as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Neubert’s experience in business management and finance spans more than 3 decades and includes management of privately owned oil and gas companies as well as investment portfolios. She is a third-generation oil business executive with expertise in the development of oil, gas, coal and mining exploration, drilling, testing, negotiating, purchasing, and selling. She currently manages and/or operates 150 oil and gas properties.
At Signal One International, LLC, founded in 2008, Ms. Neubert is focused on a variety of business interests related to the trade of oil and gas and the establishment of programs that facilitate ecologically sustainable development and economic growth in emerging countries. Ms. Neubert’s leadership and future–oriented vision at Real Earth Models, LLC, drives the company’s most forward-thinking development opportunities in digital, 3D visualization technology. This certified Women-owned Business Enterprise (WBE), provides cutting-edge visualization solutions in engineering, security, agriculture, education, tourism, economic development, and public safety. Ms. Neubert completed studies in industrial engineering at Purdue University. After receiving her bachelor’s degree, she continued with graduate work in GIS technology at the University of Texas at Dallas.
Keith L. Thurgood, Ph.D.
Director of Operations
Mr. Thurgood is a global operating and executive leader that has a proven track record and success at building high-performance executive teams, driving change and leading sophisticated retail and service organizations with P&L responsibility of $18 billion. He is a strategic visionary with a clear sense of purpose and urgency when faced with diverse situational challenges during periods of both declining sales and rapid growth. Skilled at establishing operational excellence within culturally diverse environments, translating conceptual models into specific growth strategies, planning and executing multifaceted global business development campaigns designed to improve market share, gross revenue and EBITDA.
• As Deputy Commanding General and Chief of Staff, Unites States Army Reserve, General Thurgood has been responsible for day-to-day operations and oversight of over 200,000 Soldiers and civilians in the Department of Defense. He is responsible for management and execution of $9B budget.
• As President and CEO of Overseas Military Sales Corporation, Mr. Thurgood is responsible for all operations, financial performance, human capital management strategy, sales and strategic positioning for a global, privately held enterprise.
• As Senior Vice President and General Manager of Sam’s Club, Mr. Thurgood lead one of three operating divisions with P&L responsibility for $18B business unit. He was responsible for 35,000 team members operating over 200 stores. He was also responsible for strategic direction and all tactical operations, human resource, full P&L accountability, sales, capital expense and productivity initiatives.
Mr. Thurgood received a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Organizational Development and Leadership, Capella University, Master of Business Administration, Boston University, Master of Strategic Studies, Army War College, and Bachelor of Arts, Brigham Young University, Academic Achievement Award.
Glenn Hastings
Director of Environmental Sustainability
Mr. Hastings is an expert in the development and execution of strategies that address energy use, resource conservation, recycling, pollution reduction, waste elimination, water purification, education, and alternative energy. He is a program designer of large scale ecologic restoration and bio-remediation with experience in river and stream mitigation and botany. He has led environmental research teams for Scripps Institute. In the 1980’s he set up the first environmental programs at Lone Star Steal Mill where he trained a team of associates in air, water and soil monitoring and compliance.
Hastings has several government patents in the environmental field. One of these patents, Publication Number US8428417B1, deals with the focusing of light along a planer surface for high impact solar arrays.
He has owned, operated and managed a corporation that included 8 different businesses and has directed as many as 100 associates in one setting. For the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), he was a course designer and has also trained and certified over 800 divers.
Hastings earned his B.S. degree at the University of North Texas in environmental philosophy/sociology with a focus on sustainable cities/corporations. He earned his Master’s degree at UNT (2014) in Environmental studies with a focus on water.
Alex Zekulin, PhD
Senior Geophysicist
Dr. Alex Zekulin is a senior exploration geologist / geophysicist with an extensive professional background in upstream exploration and production. He has dedicated his career to applying advanced data analytics and high performance computing to solve complex oil and gas problems. Currently, Dr. Zekulin oversees resource estimates for onshore unconventional resources (oil sands and shale gas). Dr. Zekulin’s expertise in oil and gas operations and supporting data management systems includes moving high-speed data to feed supercomputer applications.
In the mid 90’s, Dr. Zekulin consulted with IBM on several major, national oil companies. Additionally, Dr. Zekulin managed IBM’s data mining group. This group focused on data analytics across industries. Results of this effort included groundbreaking work for clients in industrial and upstream petroleum. He has more than twenty years of experience successfully implementing scientific solutions.
With over two decades of experience in geo-scientific consulting in upstream oil & gas, Dr. Zekulin has demonstrated competencies in:
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Data analytics for secondary and tertiary recovery of oil (EOR and MEOR)
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HPC application design and implementation for next generation seismic and next generation reservoir applications
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Real-time drilling analytics
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Digital oil field production optimization for heavy oil.
Dr. Zekulin has also developed current-use cases for the application of Artificial Intelligence (Watson) to heavy oil production optimization. Additionally, Zekulin has experience in personnel and project management. He is currently a Scrum Master, managing how information is exchanged, for mission critical software development.
Dr. Xueming Xu, Ph.D.
Director of GIS
Dr. Xueming Xu is the Senior Science Officer at Signal One International. He has a multi-disciplinary background in geospatial information sciences that includes GIS/GPS applications, digital mapping, laser scanning technology, and 3D mapping and modeling. Dr. Xu’s work comprises nearly two decades of experience in GIS and GPS, including projects to build dozens of GIS databases and maps of regions around the world. Applying his training in computer science, Dr. Xu designed and wrote the software that has made digital acquisition successful. He developed the algorithms and programming that form the basis of 3D PhotoRealTM modeling and mapping.
• As Senior Scientist at SOI, Dr. Xu guides all operations in GIS/GPS, and laser scanning technology. He heads projects specifically in GIS planning, development, and implementation using advanced scientific tools, to provide vital economic, environmental, and social information to governments, organizations, and companies.
• As co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at REM, Dr. Xu leads numerous development projects in digital visualization technology using GIS/GPS and cutting-edge equipment. These projects include the development of innovative techniques designed to aid architectural and engineering teams in the building renovation, preservation, and construction industries. Dr. Xu’s work also includes database design solutions, which organize textural and geographic information in one database.
• As Research Scientist at the Center For Lithospheric Studies at The University of Texas at Dallas, Dr. Xu conducted extensive GIS/GPS mapping. His work included the building of GIS geological and geophysical databases for Mexico and China, the creation of 3D digital geologic models, as well as research in geology and petroleum resource exploration in the United States and in countries throughout the world. His work further included ground-based LiDAR imaging and development of a LiDAR/photorealistic geospatial reference system for an investigation of the biocomplexity of extreme environments. Dr. Xu designed and implemented a real time 3D mapping system (CYBERMAP, through ESRI MapObjects) to integrate laser rangefinders, GPS (RTK or DGPS) and GIS on field computers. This system enables users to map, display, and analyze 3D spatial features in real time in the field.
Dr. Xu’s work is published in numerous journals and he has instructed several seminars and short courses at leading universities on topics including: Digital Mapping Methods, GPS Satellite Surveying Techniques, GIS in Geosciences, GIS Data Acquisition in the Field, and Using Robotic Laser Scanners.
Dr. Xu completed Ph.D. studies at the University of Texas at Dallas in Geosciences (GIS/GPS/ REMOTE SENSING). He earned his M.S. at Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and B.S. at Nanjing University, China.
Benjamin von Cramon
Director of Communications and Research
Benjamin von Cramon is an award winning writer, producer & director of photography. His work spans three decades, encompassing a vast landscape of themes. For National Geographic, von Cramon has personally filmed, as well as produced, extreme adventure documentaries. For public television, his social issues documentaries have garnered numerous national awards, including the Peabody Award and the Cine Golden Eagle Award. His documentary film, “Crimes and Punishments: A History” continues to sell by the thousands in universities worldwide thirty years later.
For private industry and institutions von Cramon has researched, written, and produced short and long format films to inform, celebrate, produce empathy, analyze, and advocate for solutions. He has worked with attorneys on over a hundred exposés used at mediation to secure settlements for cases involving intellectual property infringement, medical malpractice, and various types of discrimination cases.
An early adopter of 3D, von Cramon served as a qualified rig technician for Element Technica’s beamsplitter rigs. With his 3D production expertise, he produced 3D forensics training films for the Biometrics Lab in Fort Hauchuca, Arizona and the US Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory near Atlanta, Georgia. His interest in stereoscopics led to pioneering work producing photorealistic virtual environments used in education, cultural heritage, and entertainment. Reinventing himself as an inventor, von Cramon helped draft three utility patents for his groundbreaking 3D capture system. He also produced instructional films on this process for software engineers at the sponsor company, Autodesk.
Larry L. Nelson
Director of Finance
Larry L. Nelson has served as President and CEO of L.L. Nelson & Company, LLC, formerly John G. Tower & Associates, Inc., for twenty-two years. Additional senior executive management roles have included President and CEO of Medisys Financial Services, Inc. (Quantum Diagnostic Imaging - Criterion Diagnostics), and Chairman & CEO of ITS Fit For Life, INC.
Consulting assignments include feasibility analysis, business plan and strategy development for the origination of multilateral institutional financing for banking and financial services, micro credit, geographical information and mapping systems (GIS), satellite and remote sensing operations, natural resource development, environmental protection services, hospitality and tourism development, agribusiness, manufacturing, biotechnology, consumer goods marketing and distribution, and telemedicine and medical facility development. Specializations include funding for green field (new industry) projects in emerging non-G7 economies, utilizing funding from the International Finance Corporation, a member of The World Bank Group.
Prior to Senator Tower’s death in 1991, the firm consulted on US capital markets diversification strategies and banking deregulation issues, negotiated and was a principal investor in banking mergers and acquisitions, and established FSLIC, FDIC and RTC nationwide asset management operations. Nelson was also the financial architect for two successful bid processes for the awarding of First Republic Bank to the Lone Star Group; and nineteen savings and loans awarded through the Southwest Plan, as administered by the FSLIC, and the FDIC. Nelson received an MBA from the Marriott School of Business at Brigham Young University, and is a guest lecturer and instructor at leading national and international business schools.
Jim Coates, ScD
Director of Technology
Mr. Coates has devoted more than 40 years to working in the energy and extractive industries. In 1972, while working as a researcher at the Climax Molybdenum Company Extractive Metallurgical Laboratory, he developed a multiple species computer based mass and energy balance system that was used to predict oscillations in the Port Nickel Laterite Refinery. In 1978, while serving as the Central Division Engineer for P&M Coal Company, he developed a process to eliminate acid and heavy metal contamination in mine drainage in eastern Kansas. By using potassium permanganate to form insoluble heavy metal oxides and increase the pH from acid to neutral, he transformed toxic waters in mine pits on abandoned mine lands into prime fishing and recreation sites. In 1979, Mr. Coates developed a solid-state air conditioner powered by waste heat recovered from Diesel engine exhaust. With no moving parts, the system eliminated mechanical reliability problems suffered by conventional air conditioning equipment, thereby increasing the utilization of mine equipment.
In 1980, as the manager of the Mineral Systems Group for Rocky Mountain Energy, he participated in the development of a real time gamma ray spectrophotometer to determine the disequilibrium ratio of uranium ore slurries derived from hydraulic borehole mining systems. plants for gold extraction. Mr. Coates also has extensive experience developing processing systems to isolate and extract target analytes from ore and solution matrices, utilizing the most appropriate and efficient combination of chemical and physical processes to achieve extraction. His ability to analyze a range of samples and engineer solutions based on analytical results has enabled him to address a wide variety of issues related to the energy and extractive industries.
In 1991, while a principal with CG$G Engineering, he designed a rotary piston engine with each piston providing six power strokes per revolution. The engine was evaluated by Colorado State University and found to have a nominal efficiency of 52 percent, nearly 14 percent more efficient than conventional internal combustion engines. For this design, Patent number: 5259739 was Issued: on November 9, 1993. He developed an extremely sensitive force sensor utilizing the electric field produced by a piezoid to modulate the current through a field effect channel. The device was capable of directly measuring forces as small as a pico-Newton. For this work, Patent number: 5442964 was Issued: August 22, 1995.
In 2011, he developed a method to remove the mineralized patinas on the surfaces of sand grain. The process was shown to reduce mining and processing cost by up to 90 percent in uranium and precious metal operations. Patent number: 8646705 was Issued: March 21, 2013 for this work.
Mr. Coates is a 1974 graduate of the Colorado School of Mines, earning advanced degrees in mining and physics.
Roni Britton, PhD, RNCP
Director of Food Security
Andy Adams
Director of Chemical Engineering
Ms. Andy Adams has dedicated over 15 years teaching chemistry at Southern Methodist University (SMU). She also directs the entire general chemistry laboratory and is responsible for procurement, operation, and maintenance of equipment, leadership of the graduate students as teaching assistants, coordinating the purchasing of chemicals, and scheduling activities. Ms. Adams has restructured the general chemistry laboratory, developing curriculum and designing new experiments to stress practical applications of concepts introduced in lecture. She has written a laboratory manual containing 22 experiments used by over 400 students yearly. Adams has been an instructor for general chemistry and various topics in instrumental and analytical chemistry. She also has experience running a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). Ms. Adams has been the recipient of multiple teaching awards from SMU.
Prior to teaching, Ms. Adams worked for Polaroid Corporation as an environmental engineer. She was the air coordinator for the Chemical Operations Division, developing calculation methodologies, compiling a complete inventory of emissions, and working on a team to obtain the Federal Operating Permit for the site. She was the TSCA coordinator for the division. Ms. Adams was also a process engineer for Polaroid, scaling processes from pilot to manufacturing, as well as optimizing chemical procedures in production. She redesigned a dye process, resulting in reduced cycle times, higher yields and quality, while lowering manufacturing costs by $1.6 MM.
Ms. Adams holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Purdue University, and a master’s degree in chemistry from Southern Methodist University.
Fred Busche, PhD
Senior Geophysicist
Dr. Fred Busche’s professional career includes work for the Westinghouse Corporation, Shell Oil Company, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and IBM. He was also Chair of the Department of Geography/Cartography at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma. Currently, Dr. Busche teaches as an adjunct professor at Brookhaven College, a member of the Dallas Community College System.
Dr. Busche is the chief executive officer at WinTechGeo, LLC. This company specializes in microbiologically enhanced oil recovery. Dr. Busche holds 13 patents ranging from expert systems, to computer analysis of organic materials, to medical instrumentation.
While at the University of New Mexico, Dr. Busche carried out NASA-sponsored research projects. These projects helped advance the understanding of the similarities and differences in the chemical and physical conditions associated with the crystallization of coexisting silicate minerals in meteorites, lunar samples and terrestrial basalts.
Dr. Busche earned his BS and his MS in Geology from the University of Illinois and the University of Hawaii, respectively. His PhD in Terrestrial and Extra Terrestrial Geochemistry was completed at the University of New Mexico.
David Adams
Director of Project Management
Mr. Adams is a results-driven senior business leader with extensive experience in successfully leading fast growth businesses. He has worked in North America, Europe and Asia, has a perspective of multi-cultural and multi-functional styles in the workplace, and the ability to blend these components to achieve success. He had a three and a half year expat assignment in Western Europe to reengineer an electronics business. Mr. Adams has experience in several different industries, including metal fabrication, construction, energy, electronics, aerospace, consumer products, medical and food processing.
Mr. Adams is a 2014 recipient of the Georgia Tech Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award, which recognizes alumni that have provided distinguished contributions to the profession, field, Institute or society at large, and enhanced the lives of others both personally and professionally.
Mr. Adams has had several significant accomplishments including a successful rollout of multiple sales and marketing campaigns at an international industrial gas supplier. With his project management approach, sales were increased with a market-driven pricing process through the implementation of analysis of big data and a statistically-based pricing methodology. Sales growth and profitability exceeded expectations, over $15 MM annually, for over three years. Another accomplishment was a successfully rescued failing multi-mechanical cryogenic installation at a solar manufacturer. Mr. Adams inserted his personal leadership with project management process and tools, and continued with proactive project management of the project until completion. Additionally, Mr. Adams successfully implemented world-class manufacturing at a domestic framed art and mirrors business that processed over 100,000 linear feet of wood per month. Result deliverables included a 20% reduction in personnel, over $1 MM inventory reduction, development of empowered production teams, and over $100,000 cost reductions. With his expat assignment in Western Europe, Mr. Adams successfully implemented and completed a new “factory of the future” for a European semiconductor process gases business, ahead of schedule and under budget. Throughput exceeded former technology by two times with 50% less manpower required.
Mr. Adams holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech and an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. His graduate work had focused studies in marketing, organizational development and international management. He has also completed the Wharton Executive Development Program at the University of Pennsylvania. He has been a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) for over 10 years, a longtime member and contributor to both the PMI Dallas and Fort Worth chapters, and an accomplished Toastmaster.
