Current Board of Directors
Tricia Davis
Tricia Davis has been an advocate for royalty owners and for a strong oil and gas industry since 1993, working in Texas and Washington DC with advocacy groups and on behalf of her family’s oil and gas interests. As a Certified Minerals Manager she has been working in Austin with industry and royalty owners on a full time basis for the past 10 years, testifying at numerous State and Federal hearings and distributing advocacy materials to tens of thousands of royalty owners.
Tricia is a 6th generation Texan from Midland, Texas who lives with her husband and boys on a ranch outside Austin. For more than 20 years, Tricia has overseen the family oil and gas operations which include working interests, overrides and royalty interest in Texas and 13 other producing states. She has engaged in every aspect of the business including negotiating oil and gas leases, title work and division orders as well managing everyday operations and accounting responsibilities.
Bill McClure
Bill McClure manages his family’s oil and gas business in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which is
primarily minerals and royalty, but also includes working interests. As you might expect
from someone running a small family business, he is familiar with most aspects of the oil
business from check detail to leasing to dormant minerals.
Bill became involved in his family oil business in 1976 and by 1984 had joined various
groups for the repeal of Windfall Profits and work on other issues. He has attended advocacy meetings in Washington, D.C. and around the country for many years.
He has been married to his wife Cindy for 31 years and they have twin sons, that are
25 years old and both work in the oil industry.
Sara Tays
Past Board of Directors
Richard H. Chapman
Richard H. Chapman is President of the American Royalty Council. He served as CEO of the National Association of Royalty Owners (NARO) from 2000-2005, and as NARO National Chairman from 1994-1996. He has represented royalty owners for over 25 years promoting education and quality energy dialogue.
Mr. Chapman was the Executive Director for the Oklahoma Commission on Marginally Producing Oil and Gas Wells from 1996-2000. The Commission serves as a technology transfer agency interacting with small oil and gas producers, the Osage Indian nation, and royalty owners monitoring over 70, 000 low-volume wells.
Mr. Chapman is also the president of ENRG I, Inc. and DHS I, Inc., which are land and minerals management companies with holdings in Oklahoma and surrounding states.
Preston Buttram
Preston Buttram is the president of Buttram Energies, Inc (BEI). BEI was founded in 1917 by Preston’s grandfather, Frank Buttram. Preston is the third generation to continue the family business. BEI is actively engaged in royalty acquisitions and royalty management as well as oil and gas exploration and production that span fourteen states.
Preston began his career as a field landman in 1980. Thereafter, he founded a consulting group that primarily provided guidance and oil and gas expertise to banks, trusts, and families/individuals in the areas of mineral management, land management and oil and gas revenue accounting. He is still active in minerals management and consulting through that company.
In 1992, Preston joined his family’s business and became president in 1998. Preston attended the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma City University. He is a Certified Professional Landman, a member of numerous oil and gas associations and has served on a number of boards. Preston is past president of OK-NARO and is a founding member of the American Royalty Council.
Patrick Cowan
Patrick Cowan, originally from Sayre, Oklahoma has been actively involved with royalty and surface owners’ associations since 1970. Mr. Cowan served as Secretary of the Board of Directors for the Western Oklahoma Royalty Owners Association for 10 years, and has served as Chairman of that association since 1986. He was actively involved with the National Association of Royalty Owners since its inception, and until the end of 2004.
Patrick has been actively involved with oil and gas legislation in Oklahoma every year since 1973; and has been involved with national energy legislation for the past 25 years.
Cowan graduated from Southwestern University with a degree in Marketing, and has completed post graduate education, including attending law school at Oklahoma City University. Mr. Cowan is a certified professional landman, and presently is co-owner of CSW Corporation, a privately held oil and gas royalty company incorporated in the State of Oklahoma. CSW has offices located in San Antonio, TX and Oklahoma City, OK.
Cowan is one of the founding members of the American Royalty Council and is currently the Acting Chairman.
Rob Abernathy
