Copano Energy, L.L.C. (NASDAQ: CPNO) announced today that it has
expanded its management team with two key executive additions. Bryan W.
Neskora has joined Copano as Chief Operating Officer, and Susan B.
Ortenstone has joined Copano as Chief Administrative Officer. In these
new positions, Mr. Neskora and Ms. Ortenstone will report directly to R.
Bruce Northcutt, Copano's President and Chief Executive Officer.
"It is my pleasure to welcome Bryan and Sue to Copano," said Mr.
Northcutt. "They are highly accomplished executives, each with more than
20 years of experience in the energy business, and both have
successfully led large organizations. I am confident that Bryan and Sue
will be outstanding additions to our senior leadership team."
Mr. Northcutt added, "We have tremendous opportunities before us at
Copano, and we believe that adding these senior management positions
will enhance our ability to advance our growth strategy and continue
creating value for our unitholders. The senior management team looks
forward to working closely with Bryan and Sue to take Copano's
performance to the next level."
Mr. Neskora previously served as Senior Vice President of Operations of
El Paso Corporation's Pipeline Group and prior to that, as Senior Vice
President and Chief Commercial Officer for Tennessee Gas Pipeline
Company. At Copano, he will oversee all aspects of Copano's operations,
including commercial activities. Sharon J. Robinson, Chief Operating
Officer of our Oklahoma and Rocky Mountains segments, and James E. Wade,
Chief Operating Officer of our Texas segment, will continue in their
respective positions and will report directly to Mr. Neskora. In
addition, John Goodpasture, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development
will report to Mr. Neskora.
Ms. Ortenstone previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief
Administrative Officer at El Paso Corporation. At Copano, she will be
responsible for Human Resources, Information Technology and
Administrative Services.
Bryan W. Neskora
Bryan W. Neskora, 46, has more than 20 years of experience in the oil
and gas industry. Since 2010, he served as Senior Vice President of
Operations for El Paso Corporation's Pipeline Group, where he was
responsible for overseeing operations across El Paso's interstate
natural gas transmission system. From 2007 to 2010, Mr. Neskora served
as Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for Tennessee Gas
Pipeline Company, overseeing business development, marketing, commercial
operations, engineering, project management and legal and regulatory
affairs. Mr. Neskora served as Vice President of El Paso Marketing L.P.
from June 2004 to February 2007 where he was responsible for all
commercial aspects of El Paso's merchant energy group, including the
marketing of El Paso production. From October 1999 to June 2004, he held
various senior leadership positions with El Paso Global Networks
Company. From 1995 to 1999, Mr. Neskora worked in various capacities
with Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company in business development and
regulatory affairs. From 1993 to 1995, he was Director Asset
Optimization for Pendulum Energy Services. He graduated from Texas A&M
University with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and earned his
Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston.
Susan B. Ortenstone
Susan B. Ortenstone, 56, has more than 30 years of experience across
diverse functional areas and business segments in the energy industry.
Since 2003, Ms. Ortenstone was responsible for overseeing Human
Resources, IT, Communications and Community Relations, Facilities and
Real Estate functions for El Paso Corporation, serving first as Senior
Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer from 2003 to 2010 and
then as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer from
2010 to 2012. From 2001 to 2003, Ms. Ortenstone served as Chief
Executive Officer of EPIC Energy, Australia's largest natural gas
pipeline company at that time. Ms. Ortenstone began her career at
Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, a division of Tenneco, Inc., where she
held various positions with increasing levels of responsibility in
engineering, operations, marketing, business development and strategy.
Ms. Ortenstone earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil and
environmental engineering from the University of Wisconsin.
About Copano Energy, L.L.C.
Copano Energy, L.L.C. (NASDAQ: CPNO) is a midstream natural gas company
with operations in Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming and Louisiana. For more
information, please visit www.copano.com.
This press release includes "forward-looking statements," as defined
by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements that
address activities or events that Copano believes will or may occur in
the future are forward-looking statements. These statements
include, but are not limited to, statements about future producer
activity and Copano's total distributable cash flow and
distribution coverage. These statements are based on management's
experience and perception of historical trends, current
conditions, expected future developments and other factors management
believes are reasonable. Important factors that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking
statements include the following risks and uncertainties, many of
which are beyond Copano's control: the volatility of prices and market
demand for natural gas and natural gas liquids; Copano's ability
to continue to obtain new sources of natural gas supply and retain its
key customers; the impact on volumes and resulting cash flow of
technological, economic and other uncertainties inherent in estimating
future production; producers' ability to drill and successfully
complete and attach new natural gas supplies; the NGL content of new gas
supplies; Copano's ability to access or construct new processing,
fractionation and transportation capacity; the availability of
downstream transportation and other facilities for natural gas and NGLs;
mechanical failures and other operational risks affecting the
performance of Copano's processing plants and other facilities, higher
construction costs or project delays due to inflation, limited
availability of required resources, or the effects of environmental,
legal or other uncertainties; general economic conditions; the
effects of government regulations and policies; and other financial,
operational and legal risks and uncertainties detailed from time
to time in Copano's quarterly and annual reports filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
CPNO-IR