BP Exploration (Alaska) establishes statewide advisory board

Board of Community Advisors named to advise company on nonprofit funding decisions, provide advice on items of community importance

Petroleum News Alaska

BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. said June 22 that it has established an Alaska Board of Community Advisors and asked 15 community and business leaders from around the state to serve as members.

BP said the board will advise it on funding decisions in support of nonprofit organizations in Alaska and also provide advice to the company on items of community importance to Alaskans.

Establishment of this board was a provision of the charter for development of the North Slope signed by Gov. Tony Knowles and BP Exploration (Alaska) President Richard Campbell in April.

Appointed to the board are Marie Adams-Carroll (Barrow), Dan Conrad (Anchorage), Barbara Donatelli (Anchorage), Don Gilman (Kenai), Margie Johnson (Cordova), Andy Kwon (Anchorage), Bill Moran (Ketchikan), Oliver Leavitt (Barrow), Mike Navarre (Kenai), Gloria O’Neill (Anchorage), Jim Plaquet (Fairbanks), Jake Poole (Fairbanks), Judy Salo (Kenai), Stacy Stigar (Matanuska and Susitna valleys) and Chris Toomer (Anchorage).

BP said board members were chosen to reflect the various geographic regions and diverse backgrounds and interests of Alaskans.

“Last year, BPXA signed a charter with the state of Alaska which set forth a number of commitments we would honor upon the successful completion of the ARCO acquisition. The Board of Community Advisors was one of those commitments which we are now fulfilling. We are pleased that these outstanding individuals have agreed to lend their knowledge of Alaska and Alaskans to our first Board of Community Advisors,” said Campbell.

In addition to stipulating the formation of an advisory board, the charger also defined a formula for determining BP Exploration (Alaska)’s annual donations to nonprofits. Under the formula, BP will donate the equivalent of 0.2 percent of its net Alaska liquid production per year after royalties, times the average benchmark price for West Texas intermediate crude. Thirty percent of the total will go to the University of Alaska Foundation.

BP said it will donate $4.8 million in 2000, with $1.45 million going to the University of Alaska Foundation. The company said funding decisions for the current calendar year have been made.

BP donates $37,000 to Arctic Education Foundation

Richard Campbell, president of BP Exploration (Alaska), presented BP’s donation to Arctic Slope Regional Corp. President Jacob Adams and Arctic Education Foundation Manager Leona Okakok June 6 in Barrow.

“In making this annual scholarship donation, we make an investment in the young shareholders of ASRC,” Campbell said. “We commend the leaders and board members of ASRC for their dedication to education and the youth of the North Slope.”

“We at ASRC certainly have been appreciative of the support BP has given us over the years,” Adams said. “These donations have allowed many of our young people to continue their education and come back home to become productive members of our community.”

The Arctic Education Foundation was established to assist ASRC shareholders seeking higher education at the university level or specialized vocational or technical training. The foundation also helps returning students find summer employment within the North Slope and ASRC companies.