Office
of the Secretary |
Contact: Nicolette Humphries |
For Immediate
Release: March 28, 2003 |
MMS 202-208-3985 |
|
Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton applauded the naming of Minerals Management Service Director Johnnie Burton as the top leader among women in the energy field at the 100 Key Women in Energy-Americas awards ceremony this week. "This award
recognizes the fine job Johnnie has done overseeing the MMS collects, accounts for and distributes mineral revenues from federal and American Indian lands. These revenues amounted to more than $6 billion in 2002 and nearly $127 billion since the agency was created in 1982. More than $17 billion has been invested back into America's parklands and recreational areas through the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Burton received the award this week at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. for her outstanding work as MMS director, as well as her 25 years of involvement in the energy sector in different capacities. Last fall, she won the leadership category in the 2002 50 Key Women in Energy-Global, which was presented at a ceremony in Germany. Winners of the 50
Key Women in Energy-Global and the 100 Key Women in Energy-Americas
awards are selected for contributions to the entire energy "value
chain" -- from upstream oil and gas exploration to downstream power
transmission, as well as information technology and overarching environmental
issues. Project sponsors
of the 2003 Key Women in Energy-Americas awards are Rader Energy, a
Houston-based energy consultancy; Bozell Jacobs, EDS, and the New York
Mercantile Exchange. Supporting organizations are the Edison Electrical
Institute, the Canadian Energy Research Institute, MajorNewswire and
YES, Inc. Burton's background includes a solid mix of experience in state government, the oil and gas industry and education. Prior to assuming the leadership of MMS, she was the director of the Department of Revenue for the State of Wyoming. For 10 years in the 1980s, Burton ran an oil and gas drilling information company. |