NOIA Elects Rynd Chairman, Taylor Vice Chair

The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) Board of Directors has elected John T. Rynd as Chairman of NOIA and Cindy B. Taylor as Vice Chair of NOIA for the upcoming 2014-2015 term. Rynd and Taylor assumed their positions at the NOIA Annual Meeting today in Washington, DC.

Since 2008, Rynd has been the Chief Executive Officer and President, Hercules Offshore, Inc., a publicly traded global provider of offshore contract drilling and liftboat services headquartered in Houston, Texas. He also serves on the company’s board of directors, and served as NOIA Vice Chairman for the 2013 -2014 term.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as Chairman of NOIA. This is a critical time for the offshore energy industry, as we move to expand our access to undeveloped offshore acreage,” said Rynd. “I look forward to working alongside our member companies, NOIA leadership, and regulators to advance the mission of NOIA to promote the safe development of offshore energy for the continued growth and security of the United States.”

Taylor has been President and CEO of Oil States International, Inc., since 2007. She also serves on the company’s board of directors. Oil States International is a publicly traded diversified oilfield services company, also based in Houston.

“I consider it a great honor and privilege to assume an expanded leadership role with NOIA. I look forward to working with the organization and its member companies as we move into the first phases of developing the next five-year offshore leasing plan with the Department of the Interior,” said Taylor.

NOIA President Randall Luthi said, “NOIA is focused every single day on expanding access to the energy resources of the nation’s Outer Continental Shelf. This is vitally important work with the potential to create more well-paying jobs, generate critical revenue for the government, and improve our domestic energy supply. With the stakes so high, I can think of no better leadership team for NOIA than John Rynd and Cindy Taylor. Their combined experience, knowledge of the industry and ability to advocate before key policymakers, will leverage our reach and impact as an association. We look forward to the coming year.”

Rynd has served in various executive level positions since joining Hercules Offshore in 2005. Prior to joining the Company; Rynd spent 11 years with Noble Drilling Services, Inc., where he served in a variety of management roles, including Vice President Investor Relations and Vice President Marketing and Contracts. Mr. Rynd also served in various management roles at Chiles Offshore, culminating in Vice President of Marketing. During 10 years of service for Rowan Companies Inc., he served in various roles of increasing levels of responsibility on offshore rigs. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.

Taylor has served at Oil States since 2000, first as Senior VP, CFO and Treasurer, then President and COO, followed by her CEO appointment in 2007. Prior to Oil States, she was CFO of L.E. Simmons & Associates, a private equity firm specializing in oilfield service investments, the VP Controller of Cliffs Drilling Company, and she held various positions with Ernst & Young LLP. She holds a B.B.A. from Texas A&M University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Luthi also thanked outgoing Chairman Dick Alario, Chairman, President and CEO of Key Energy Services for his leadership of NOIA from 2013-2014. Under his watch, NOIA expanded its membership to over 325 members and co-commissioned a study indicating that opening up the Atlantic offshore to oil and natural gas development could provide 280,000 jobs, $24 billion per year to the economy and supply 1.3 million barrels of oil equivalent to the United States. Dick will remain active on the NOIA board of directors.

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