RK Petroleum Corp. Our Team
COMPANY PROFILES
R.W. Kuzmich– Founder and Chairman Emeritus
Rudolph Kuzmich graduated from Notre Dame University in 1949 with a BS in Geology as the inceptive geology graduate from that school. After spending several years working as a Geologist in the industry, R.W. formed RK Petroleum Corp. in 1956 and served as its President until 1978. R.W.was the principal organizer of Rancho Viejo National Bank and served as its Chairman until its merger in 1992. He is also founder and Chairman of Lonesome Oak Ranch, Inc. a Texas Agro-Business, as well as numerous other successful businesses.
In addition to receiving the Wildcatter of the Year Award in 1972 and 2005, R.W.received The “Scientific Achievement Award” from The University of Notre Dame, cited as one of the “Sixty Outstanding Living Alumni” of the Science Department. R.W.also received an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from MacMurry College in Jacksonville, Illinois. Following are other past and present affiliations attributable to R.W.
Trustee | Petroleum Museum, Library and Hall of Fame, Midland, Texas |
Life Director | Wabash Valley College Foundation, Mt. Carmel, Illinois |
Alderman | Town of Rancho Viejo, Texas (six years) |
Member | Sorin Society, University of Notre Dame, Indiana |
Trustee | Trinity School of Midland, Midland, Texas |
Advisor | Citizens Advisory Committee to Small Business Association of |
Vice-President | Independent Petroleum Association of America, Illinois |
Director | Independent Petroleum Association of America |
Director | Tristate Political Action Committee (TRIPAC) |
Committeeman | Advisory Committee to Governor of Illinois for |
Clinton J. Kuzmich– CEO
Clinton Kuzmich joined the company in 1971 after graduating from Loyola University of the South in New Orleans with a BBA in Finance. After serving as Treasurer of RK Petroleum Corp. for seven years, Clint became President in 1978. Clint also serves as President of Lanterra Resources, Inc., a family owned mineral company, and as President of Caliche Drilling Co. until its sale in 1998.
Clint is a former Director of Texas American Bankshares of Midland and former Trustee of The Trinity School of Midland. Clint served on the boards of both the Midland Central YMCA and the Midland Metropolitan YMCA.
Clint is a member of the Illinois Oil and Gas Association, the Independent Oil Producers Association Tri-State Inc., the Independent Petroleum Association of America, the Texas Oil & Gas Association and the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association.
Stephen W. Kuzmich – President & COO
Stephen Kuzmich began his employ with the company in 1982 upon graduation from St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, Texas. Steve currently holds the position of Vice-President and Land and Legal Manager for RK as well as Vice-President of Lanterra Resources, Inc.
Steve is a member of the Illinois Oil & Gas Association Board of Directors, former Director and President of Midland County Hospital District, former member of Scott & White Memorial Hospital of Temple, Texas, Board of Visitors and former member and President of St. Ann’s Catholic School of Midland School Board.
Steve is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Midland County Bar Association, American Association of Petroleum Landmen, Permian Basin Landman’s Association, Illinois Oil & Gas Association, Independent Oil Producers Association Tri-State Inc., Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association and the Permian Basin Petroleum Association.
Thomas Kuzmich – Information/Geotechnology Supervisor
Thomas Kuzmich was one of the founding members (along with Jack McIntosh) of the Midland, Texas office of RK Petroleum Corp. in the early 1970s and was critical to the development of RK Petroleum Corp. as a player in the Texas oil and gas community. Originally piggy-backing on other companies’ offices upon first arriving in Texas from Illinois, Thomas soon started our Texas office. Today Thomas serves as our information/geotechnology supervisor. He is proficient in most forms of computer technology, including but not limited to AutoCAD, ARC and Office Suite. Additionally, Thomas speaks C++ and visual basic proficiently and even developed his own languages to streamline our operating technology systems. Thomas holds a degree in Mass Communication from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. Thomas also serves on our Board of Directors.
J.B. Young – Vice President-Exploration
J.B. has been a practicing petroleum geologist in the Permian Basin for the past 31 years. He graduated from Texas Tech University with a Masters of Science degree in the geosciences in 1984 and a Bachelor of Science degree in geology from Eastern Illinois University in 1976.
J.B.’s Geologic training and Geologic/Geophysical Exploration and Exploitation experience has focused on shallow to deepwater carbonate and siliciclastic depositional systems and associated reservoir development as well as 2D and 3D seismic interpretation. Mr. Young has been an employee of RK Petroleum Corp. for 25 of the past 31 years and has also worked for Pennzoil, Fairchild Petroleum and Ace Energy and as a consultant for various companies located in the southwestern United States.
J.B. is a member of the West Texas Geological Society (WTG), American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) and Society of Economic Paleontologist and Mineralogist Society (SEPM).
Glenn Prescott – Vice President-Operations
Glenn Prescott graduated in Petroleum Technology with honors from Midland College in 1981. Glenn has been employed by RK Petroleum Corp. since January 1996 supervising drilling, completions and day to day maintenance operations of all oil & gas wells. Glenn spent 15 years with Occidental Petroleum in various capacities as Drilling Specialist and Production Superintendent. Glenn has direct supervision of drilling & completion operations on wells ranging from 2500’ – 22,000’. Glenn has attended numerous classes in-house within Occidental Petroleum in Drilling, Production, Safety & Environmental operations. He had responsibility for all drilling and production operations in the Permian Basin with Occidental Petroleum and he has been certified in well control blowout prevention for the past 23 years. Glenn has spent the past fourteen years with RK Petroleum Corp. supervising drilling and completion operations. Glenn is a member of the International Association of Drilling Contractors and the American Association of Drilling Engineers.
Tanya Kreuz– Vice President-Comptroller
Tanya Kreuz is a Certified Public Accountant and has been employed by RK Petroleum Corp. since August 1991. She graduated in August 1978 from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. She began her professional career with a local public accounting firm in Fort Worth, Texas before joining the tax department of Peat, Marwick, Mitchell and Co. in Midland, Texas in November 1979. Tanya spent 5 years in public accounting and 7 years in the oil and gas and ranching industries prior to joining RK Petroleum.
Tanya is currently a member of the American Institute of CPA’s, the Texas Society of CPA’s, the San Antonio Chapter of TSCPA and a sustaining member of the Junior League of Midland. She is a former treasurer for the Episcopal Church of the Holy Trinity, the Midland High Girls Basketball Booster Club and the Byron Johnston Holiday Classic. She is also a former board member for Buckner Hearthstone, the Midland Rape Crisis Center, the March of Dimes, and served on the Allocations Committee of the United Way of Midland.
Gregory Smith- Vice President-Land & Legal
Gregory Smith joined the company in 2008, immediately after his graduation from the University of Texas School of Law. Greg currently holds a J.D. from UT as well as an Honors B.A in Political Science from Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri. In law school, Greg was an editor for the Texas Journal of Oil, Gas and Energy Law.
He is currently a member of the State Bars of Texas and Illinois as well as the Midland County Bar Association, the Midland County Young Lawyers Association and the Texas Young Lawyers Association. He also is a member of the state bar section for oil, gas and energy law. Additionally, Greg is a member of the American Association of Petroleum Landmen, the Permian Basin Association of Petroleum Landmen, the Illinois Oil and Gas Association, and the Permian Basin Petroleum Association.
Robert Goodman–Illinois Production Supervisor and Land Owner Relations
Having lived in Illinois all his life, Bob Goodman knows the Illinois Basin. He has 31 years of experience in the oil industry, working for Dart Oil and Gas for 22 years before joining RK in 2005. Prior to joining RK, Bob also owned and operated his own oil company.
In addition, to oil and gas, Bob also owns and operates a family farm in Clay County making him the perfect person to understand the needs of the Basin. RK is lucky to have such an asset on their team.
John Tracy Kuzmich II – Drilling Superintendent
John Tracy started working in the oil and gas industry “when he was just knee high.” Tracy started his career in 1999 working for various O&G operators performing production and drilling operations in southern Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. Mr. Kuzmich received his B.S. in Geoscience, in 2009, from the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Since graduation, John Tracy has been engaged with well site geological, drilling, production, and completion projects in the Permian Basin. He joined RK in 2011.
John Tracy is a member of West Texas Geological Society (WTGS), Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG).