VSO Leaders Meet with American Petroleum Institute Executives and Vets4Energy
March 5, 2015
Washington, March 3, 2015 – National Veterans Service Organization (VSO) leaders representing more than nine million veterans met with executives of the American Petroleum Institute (API) to discuss veteran employment in the oil and gas industry and the connection between America’s domestic energy renaissance to the nation’s national security.
This rare meeting of national veteran groups came at the invitation of API and the Vets4Energy leadership team. This was the initial gathering between our executive group and U.S. Veteran organization leaders who are advocating for gainful employment for the nation’s returning veterans, many of whom are struggling to jump-start careers after their time has ended in the military.
Leading the discussion was API Executive Vice President Louis Finkel who stated that the oil and gas industry supports 9.8 million U.S. jobs and 8 percent of the U.S. economy. Even with these statistics, Finkel acknowledged that, “the industry continues to work very hard to respond to the demands of the American energy resurgence where recent technological advances have opened up thousands of additional job opportunities - at all skill levels and at very good pay.”
Vets4Energy has been advocating for American energy independence all across the country for several years. Leading this effort is Vets4Energy National Liaison, Rear Admiral Don Loren USN (ret.) who reminded the group that the more energy-secure our nation becomes, the less are the risks posed to this country by importing energy from hostile nations.
Last, API President and CEO Jack Gerard thanked these leaders for their contribution to serving our country and recognized the significance of this meeting. Gerard asked for patience from the group as the industry is working through many tangibles such as being faced with a work force of retirement-age employees along with a resurgence of domestic energy jobs.
In closing, Jack Gerard stated that America now occupies a position of energy leadership that was unthinkable a short time ago. The United States is in the midst of a new era in domestic energy abundance – a remarkable transformation that has been made possible because America is uniquely rich in energy resources, a talented workforce and cutting-edge technologies.
This Washington meeting is the first step in what Vets4Energy hopes will be a partnership between the industry and these VSO groups that represent millions of veterans, many of whom are seeking the good paying job openings the industry is looking to fill. Next Step: the creation of a Working Group between API, Vets4Energy and the National VSO’s to maintain the dialogue that will build a pathway to jobs and energy security.
Pictured Above, Left to Right: Colonel John Bircher, USA (ret) Military Order of the Purple Heart and Rear Admiral Don Loren, USN (ret) Vets 4 Energy.
Pictured Above, Left to Right: Force Master Chief Tom Snee, USN (ret) Fleet Reserve Association and Captain James McCormick, II USA (ret) Vets4Energy.