Jennifer Reid, MEng, EurIng FEI
Jennifer Reid is ConocoPhillips’ Williston & Rockies Operations & Asset Manager and has been with ConocoPhillips for over 25 years. During her tenure, Jennifer has held numerous engineering, operations and maintenance roles globally including in Scotland, Belgium, Australia and the L48.
Jennifer has a Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Jennifer is a certified European Engineer and a Fellow of the UK’s Energy Institute.
Jennifer is married and has two sons. Her hobbies including running, paddle boarding, playing piano and enjoying time at the lake with her family
Dave Nix, MA, LPC, CEAP
Dave Nix manages the ConocoPhillips’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and has been with ConocoPhillips for over 12 years. His 23 years of EAP experience has taken him from military bases in Iraq during the war to the oil fields on the North Slope of Alaska. He currently serves as the President of the Employee Assistance Roundtable (EAR) and is on the Board of Directors for the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA).
Dave has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Brigham Young University and a master’s in clinical psychology from University of Houston-Clear Lake. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Employee Assistance Professional.
Dave is married and has three sons. His hobbies include officiating High School Football, scuba diving, backpacking and being a scoutmaster.
Michael Kukuk
External Affairs – Chord Energy
After acquiring his law license, Michael worked as a Compliance Officer for the U.S. Department of Labor for five years. He then joined Oasis Petroleum as Senior Employee Relations Specialist before moving over to Operations. Michael led the Regulatory group, where he was responsible for all facets of operations compliance, for nine years. After the merger of Oasis Petroleum with Whiting Oil & Gas, Michael assumed responsibility for External Affairs at Chord Energy. At Chord, he handles government relations, promotes community investment, and represents the company with several trade associations. Michael serves on the Board of Directors for the Independent Petroleum Association of North America, the North Dakota Petroleum Council, and the Montana Petroleum Association.
Michael has a BA in International Studies and a BA in Environmental Studies from the University of St. Thomas. He has a juris doctorate from the University of Houston and is a member of the Houston Bar Association. He is a native of League City, Texas, and spends his free time running marathons, reading, and traveling.
Calli Thorne
Calli is a keynote speaker, global leadership trainer, mindset coach, and multi-business entrepreneur. She is married to her husband CJ and they have three young children. Calli grew up on her family’s farm and ranch in northwest North Dakota and today they operate multiple enterprises including a backgrounding feedlot and cow/calf operation. They recently purchased a USDA federally inspected beef processing plant to sell beef directly to consumers and to increase custom slaughter options for ranchers in the region. They operate a full-scale farm to fork business and are proud to be the 4th generation and raising the 5th on their family’s land.
Calli is a certified member of the John Maxwell Leadership Team specializing in personal and professional development including conflict resolution, communication, mindset impact, and understanding behavioral styles. She also offers Mental Health First Aid certification classes and a variety of masterclasses that assist others in expanding their perspective to live life better. Calli created an online course titled "Finding YOU Discovering IT” and hosts multiple workshops and trainings throughout the year for a variety of ages and diverse audiences.
Samantha Christopherson
Samantha is the Dakotas Executive Director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). AFSP is a voluntary health organization with a mission to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP is the number one private funder of mental health research. On the local level, the North Dakota Chapter is active in prevention education advocacy, and support for suicide loss survivors.
Lt Dustin Newman
Dustin Newman is the Administrative Lieutenant with the McKenzie County Sheriff’s office where he oversees the daily operations of the office staff and researches and executes the technology needs of the agency. Born and raised in Toston, Montana, Dustin graduated from Broadwater High School and pursued his AAS Degree in Fire& Rescue from the Helena College of Technology at the University of Montana.
In 2006, Dustin relocated to North Dakota, where he worked in the oil industry for two years before joining the Watford Police Department in 2008. Two years later he transitioned to the McKenzie County Sheriff’s Office, climbing the ranks from Patrol Corporal to his current position as Lieutenant.
Beyond his leadership role, Dustin has been happily married to his wonderful wife, Jessica, since 2011, and they celebrated the arrival of their daughter in 2019. As a highly skilled instructor within the Sheriff’s Office, Dustin teaches vital trainings such as Taser, Firearms, Use of Force, Defensive tactics, Standardized Field Sobriety, and more. He is also a certified concealed weapons instructor and a North Dakota Hunters Education Instructor.
Outside of work, Dustin enjoys a variety of outdoor activities, including hunting, fishing, riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, and playing video games- most of all Dustin cherishes the time spent with family and making memories.