Commission Members

The “oil and gas conservation commission” is composed of seven members. The Director of the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Chief of the Office of Oil and Gas are members of the commission ex officio. The remaining five members of the commission shall be appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and may not be employees of the Department of Environmental Protection. Of the five members appointed by the Governor, one shall be an independent producer and at least one shall be a public member not engaged in an activity under the jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The third appointee shall possess a degree from an accredited college or university in engineering or geology and must be a registered professional engineer with particular knowledge and experience in the oil and gas industry and shall serve as commissioner and as chair of the commission. The fourth appointee shall be an individual who has substantial experience in the agricultural industry, who is engaged in the business of farming in this state, and who is not and never has been, either himself or herself nor through a member of his or her immediate family, engaged in the business of oil and gas other than as a royalty recipient. The fifth appointee shall be a resident owner of minerals in this state who is not and never has been affiliated with an operator of oil or gas wells.

Randall M. Albert, Chairman and Commissioner

Randall M. Albert is the owner and CEO of Shale Advisory Group, a consulting firm focused on the emerging shale plays in the Appalachian Basin and around the world. Mr. Albert retired from CONSOL Energy in January 2014 after a 34-year career, serving the last several years as the Chief Operating Officer-Gas. Mr. Albert began at CONSOL as a mining engineer in 1979 and served in various roles on the coal side of the business until he was tapped to lead the Coalbed Methane Business in CONSOL Energy's Southern Appalachia Region. In 1990 Mr. Albert led the formation of Pocahontas Gas Partnership, a joint venture with Conoco which ultimately drilled and stimulated over 4000 wells in southwestern Virginia and became one of the largest CBM plays in the world. In 2005, Mr. Albert took on operational leadership roles and successfully developed the CONSOL Energy Gas business in Northern Appalachia. In 2010, he was named the Chief Operating Officer-Gas and given operational responsibility for CONSOL Energy's entire gas business. During his tenure, Mr. Albert led the rapid development of CONSOL Energy Marcellus Shale program as well as the emerging Utica Shale program. Mr. Albert is a past Chairman of the Marcellus Shale Coalition and a Member of the Board of Montage Resources Corporation, Wellsite Rentals and Fishing Tools, and a former Member of the Board of Directors of Vanguard Natural Resources. He serves on the Strategic Advisory Board of Black Bay Energy Capital, a New Orleans based Private Equity fund, and the Advisory Board of Gas Field Services, a Rosedale VA based OFS provider. He holds a BS in Mining Engineering from Virginia Tech, where he is a Mining and Minerals Engineering Distinguished Alumnus and serves on the Mining Engineering Department’s Advisory Board. In April of 2016 Mr. Albert was inducted into the Academy of Engineering Excellence at Virginia Tech, the highest honor bestowed upon the College of Engineering graduates, an honor bestowed upon only 141 of its 65000 graduates. Mr. Albert is a Registered Professional Engineer in WV and VA.

Robert S. Radabaugh, Member

Robert Radabaugh (Bob) is presently the President and Partner of S & R Gas Ventures, Ltd in Sand Fork, West Virginia. Prior to forming S & R Gas Ventures, Bob worked for Trio Petroleum Corp where his primary focus was on Reclamation and Timbering. In addition to his current position at S & R, Bob also owns Radabaugh Oil & Gas Holdings and Radabaugh Environmental Services. He graduated from Glenville State College with an associate degree in Forest Technology. He serves as a Member on the WV Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and has been an active member of the Independent Oil and Gas Association of WV since 1981. Throughout his career he has been awarded many Environmental & Service Awards.

Michael McCown P.E., Member

Mike McCown is a long-time resident of West Virginia currently residing in Mineral Wells. He retired in 2016 after a 40-year career in the oil and gas industry working for various companies as an executive, manager and engineer. Currently he provides consulting and expert witness services for the petroleum industry. Mike has served on the Boards of the State’s two oil and gas associations for 17 years, serving as President of the WV Oil & Gas Association, President of the Independent Oil & Gas Association, and was acknowledged as WV Oil & Gas Man of the Year in 2014. He graduated from Ohio University with a BS in Civil Engineering, is a retired professional petroleum engineer in WV and a professional engineer in Ohio.

James A. Martin, Ex-Officio

James A. Martin, Jr. was appointed to the position of Chief of the Office of Oil and Gas in February of 2002. Known to most as “Marty”, he had previously served as manager of the abandoned well section within the Office of Oil and Gas where he has been since 1992. He currently represents the agency with the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission and has previously served on the Board of Directors of the Ground Water Protection Council. Prior to his arrival at the Department of Environmental Protection, Martin worked as the manager of operations for a small independent oil and natural gas producer and as a geophysicist for a major oil company. While in these positions, Martin gained a wide scope of experience in the Appalachian Basin (West Virginia), San Juan Basin (New Mexico), Delaware Basin (Texas) and the Interior Salt Basin of Mississippi. Martin earned a Bachelor of Science degree in geology from Marshall University in 1982 and a Master of Science degree in geological sciences from Ohio University in 1984. While in graduate school, he received the Department of Geological Sciences outstanding graduate student award and served as vice-president of the Ohio University Chapter of the Sigma Gamma Epsilon honorary society in earth sciences.

Harold Ward, Ex-Officio

Harold Ward was appointed Cabinet Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) by Governor Jim Justice in January 2021. Ward recently served as the WVDEP's Deputy Secretary of Operations and Director of the Division of Mining and Reclamation (DMR), where he oversaw all operational components of the WVDEP, as well as the agency's mining regulatory program. After earning his bachelor's degree in biology from West Virginia University, Ward started his career in state government in 1989 as an Inspector-in-Training with what is now known as the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR). After a brief, six-month tenure with the WVDNR, he transferred to the state Division of Energy as a Surface Mining Reclamation Inspector-in-Training. After the Division of Energy was incorporated into the WVDEP in 1991, Ward continued his career in DMR and was assigned to the agency's Logan office. There, he advanced from Inspector to Inspector Specialist to Inspector Supervisor, before serving as the Deputy Director of DMR in 2011. Ward was promoted to Director of DMR in 2013.

Joe W. Casto, Member

Joe W. Casto is an owner and operator of a beef cattle farm in Jackson County, West Virginia that has been designated as a Century Farm that has been owned and in continuous operation by a member of his family for approximately 125 years. Joe graduated from West Virginia University with a bachelor of science degree in agriculture. After 38 years of working as a loan officer and ultimately Regional Sales and Lending Manager for Farm Credit of the Virginias, he retired. Joe is a member of the WV Farm Bureau where he serves as vice president and board of directors for Jackson County. Joe is involved with many organizations including WV Beef Industry Council board of directors, member of WV Department of Agriculture Rural Rehabilitation Loan Committee, county committee member of the Jackson County Farm Service Agency, Western Conservation District County Supervisor, and Cedar Lakes Foundation Board of Directors. Each of the above mentioned roles allow Joe to stay connected with the agricultural community throughout West Virginia.