Eagle Ford and community leaders seek to provide educational services to the energy industry.
Eagle Ford partners and community leaders, including Dr. Charles Rodriguez, vice president for strategic initiatives and development, will participate in the Eagle Ford Consortium conference March 1 and March 2 at the Omni Hotel, 9821 Colonnade Boulevard.
Rodriguez said this will be a great opportunity for the University to network with other agencies at the conference and look for ways to provide educational services to the energy industry.
“In the long run the goal is to have appropriate types of academic programs and opportunities for the faculty and students to get a foothold of knowledge and practices in the energy industry,” Rodriguez said.
Provost Brent Snow and Douglas Carter, assistant vice president for university relations, will also be attending the conference.
The Eagle Ford Shale formation stretches from East Texas and crosses through Atascosa and Wilson counties just south of San Antonio and is “best known for producing variable amounts of dry gas, wet gas, NGLs[natural gas liquids], condensate and oil,” according to their website.
Keynote speakers include Mayor Julian Castro, County Judge Nelson Wolfe and Leodoro Martinez, Eagle Ford Consortium chairman.
Education and economic development are among the topics on the consortium agenda.
Objectives of the consortium outlined by Martinez are:
- Develop and foster effective lines of communications with oil and gas industry and local communities such as public schools, non-profit groups, workforce training and education providers, and others;
- Coordinate workforce and education efforts to improve employment of dislocated and underemployed workers;
- Coordinate and collaborate to procure additional public and private resources including grants and private contributions, to benefit the workforce and community development efforts;
- Maximize on the economic opportunities to communities in the Eagle Ford Shale region, through collaboration with the oil and gas industry and through the development of localized economic development efforts.
For more information contact Middle Rio Grande Development Foundation 830-876-3533.
