Board of Directors

Joseph A. Mills
President and CEO

Mr. Mills has nearly 35 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, including public company management experience. Mr. Mills joined Samson on March 1, 2017 as the company emerged from bankruptcy. Previously, he served as Chairman of the Board and CEO of Eagle Rock Energy Partners, a publicly traded Master Limited Partnership (MLP) where he was responsible for creating and managing the strategic direction of the company and its growth. Prior to that role, he founded and served as CEO of Montierra Minerals & Production, L.P., a private equity backed mineral and upstream company. He has also served as Senior Vice President of Operations for Black Stone Minerals, L.P., Senior Vice President of El Paso Production Company and Sonat Exploration Company. Mr. Mills serves on the Board of the Houston Producers Forum and is a member of the University of Houston Energy Advisory Board. Mr. Mills holds a BBA in Petroleum Land Management from the University of Texas, Austin and an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Houston.

Eugene Davis
Chairman

Mr. Davis is the chairman and CEO of PIRINATE Consulting Group, LLC, a privately held consulting firm specializing in turnaround management, merger and acquisition consulting and hostile and friendly takeovers, proxy contests and strategic advisory services for domestic and international public and private business entities. Since forming PIRINATE in 1997, Mr. Davis has advised, managed, sold, liquidated and served as a CEO, CRO, Director, and Chairman of the Board of a number of businesses. Previously, Mr. Davis served as President, Vice Chairman and Director of Emerson Radio Corporation and CEO and Vice Chairman of Sport Supply Group, Inc. Mr. Davis holds a bachelor’s degree from Columbia College, a master of international affairs degree (MIA) in international law and organization from the School of International Affairs of Columbia University, and a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law.

Matthew Bonanno
Director

Mr. Bonanno joined York Capital Management in July 2010 and is a Partner of the firm. Mr. Bonanno joined York Capital from the Blackstone Group, where he worked as an associate focusing on restructuring, recapitalization and reorganization transactions. Prior to joining the Blackstone Group, Mr. Bonanno worked on financing and strategic transactions at News Corporation and as an investment banker at JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs. Mr. Bonanno is currently a member of the board, in his capacity as a York employee, of Rever Offshore AS, all entities incorporated pursuant to York’s partnership with Costamare Inc. and Augustea Bunge Maritime, Next Decade LLC and Vantage Drilling Co. He received a bachelor’s degree in history from Georgetown University and an M.B.A. in finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Phillip Gayle
Director

Mr. Gayle is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Millennial Energy Partners. During Mr. Gayle’s tenure at Millennial, he has secured private equity investments in excess of $300 million leading to direct participation in the drilling and completion of over 100 wells across most major unconventional plays in the US Lower 48. Prior to Millennial, Mr. Gayle served as VP of Business Development for Central Crude, Inc. where he managed commercial contract negotiations governing the company’s oil and gas exploration and production operations throughout Louisiana and Texas. Prior to that, he worked as an independent petroleum landman for El Paso Exploration & Production, Chesapeake Energy and several other small independent oil and gas companies. Mr. Gayle earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Management and Entrepreneurship from Louisiana State University’s E.J. Ourso College of Business.

L. Spencer Wells
Director

Mr. L. Spencer Wells co-founded Drivetrain, LLC and Drivetrain Advisors in December 2013 and serves as its Partner. Mr. Wells has more than 16 years of experience in analyzing, advising and investing in public and private companies. Prior to Drivetrain, he served as a Partner at TPG Special Situation Partners and has remained a Senior Advisor. Prior to that, he worked at Silverpoint Capital as a Partner and Portfolio Management, where he oversaw investments in energy, chemicals, and buildings products sectors. Mr. Wells earned his M.B.A. with honors from Columbia University in 1997 and his B.A. degree from Wesleyan University in 1992.