Ohio oil and gas industry closer to getting new leader

The Ohio Oil and Gas Association is close to appointing the person who will lead its staff, a highprofile position that has been vacant since December when Shawn Bennett made a quiet departure.

Bennett held the job since 2014 and has been a lobbyist and advocate for his members on issues such as Gov. John Kasich’s unsuccessful push to increase taxes on oil and gas production.

The likely successor is Matthew Hammond, who has done lobbying for Vorys Advisors and Chesapeake Energy. His appointment to the job is contingent on a vote by the association’s leadership, which would happen next month during the group’s winter meeting.

Until then, the interim leader is Tom Stewart, a familiar face in the Ohio energy business. Stewart, who was semiretired, was the oil and gas group’s top staff member for more than 20 years, and was Bennett’s predecessor.

Stewart confirmed that Hammond is now working for the association and was likely to be named to the executive role.

Attempts to reach Bennett, by phone and email, were not successful.

The association did not make a public announcement when Bennett left and did not call attention to its search for his successor. Asked about the changes on Wednesday, the association provided the following statement:

“Shawn Bennett, who has served as our executive vice president since December 2014 has offered to submit his resignation to the executive committee. Shawn was interested in exploring other career opportunities. We respect and value Shawn’s service and longtime advocacy in support of Ohio’s oil and gas industry. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

Asked for additional details about the shift, Stewart declined comment other than to say, “Shawn is a good man.”

Before being hired by the association, Bennett was director of Energy In Depth Ohio, a research and education organization that is financed by the oil and gas industry. His title, and the one Hammond is likely to soon have, is executive vice president, which is the group’s top staff job.

The association has more than 3,300 members and is an influential player in Statehouse policy debates.