The Independent Petroleum Association of America’s board has elected Michael D. Watford as chairman and Mark Miller as vice-chairman for 2-year terms at its Nov. 7 meeting. The pair assumed their offices at that time.
Watford has served as chairman and chief executive officer of Houston independent Ultra Petroleum Corp. since 1999, according to IPAA. It said Miller is president of Merlin Oil & Gas Inc., a small onshore operator in Lafayette, La.
IPAA Pres. Barry Russell said the two men’s roles in the upstream oil and gas industry reflect US independent producer’ diversity, with Watford the leader of a publicly traded company, and Miller as the founder of a small onshore producer.
“These distinct but complementary backgrounds, combined with great records of civic engagement, will amplify IPAA’s voice as we advocate for America’s independent producers in Washington and beyond,” Russell said.
Contact Nick Snow at [email protected].

Nick Snow
NICK SNOW covered oil and gas in Washington for more than 30 years. He worked in several capacities for The Oil Daily and was founding editor of Petroleum Finance Week before joining OGJ as its Washington correspondent in September 2005 and becoming its full-time Washington editor in October 2007. He retired from OGJ in January 2020.