OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM
The management team at Black Stone Minerals brings multidisciplinary expertise to managing our assets, growing our mineral footprint, and maximizing returns for our unitholders.
Mr. Carter has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the General Partner since November 2014. Mr. Carter served as President of the General Partner from November 2014 to June 2018 and returned to the position in February 2023. Mr. Carter founded BSMC, our predecessor, and served as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of Black Stone Natural Resources, L.L.C. (“BSNR”), the former general partner of BSMC, from 1998 to 2015. Mr. Carter served as Managing General Partner of W.T. Carter & Bro. from 1987 to 1992 and Black Stone Energy Company from 1980 to present, both of which preceded the General Partner. Mr. Carter founded Black Stone Energy Company, BSMC’s operating and exploration subsidiary, in 1980. From 1978 to 1980, Mr. Carter served as a lending officer in the Energy Department of Texas Commerce Bank in Houston, Texas, after serving in various other roles from 1975. Mr. Carter received M.B.A. and B.B.A. degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. Mr. Carter served as a director of Carrizo Oil & Gas Inc. from 2005 to 2019. Mr. Carter currently serves on the University Lands Advisory Board and as a Trustee Emeritus of The Lawrenceville School.
Mr. Carter’s extensive industry and executive management experience and his background in finance qualify him to serve on the Board of the General Partner.
Mr. Putman has served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of the General Partner since November 2014. Mr. Putman served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of BSNR from 2013 to 2015. Prior to joining BSMC, Mr. Putman was Managing Director and General Counsel of Quintana Capital Group from 2008 to 2013 and Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of Quintana Maritime Limited from 2005 to 2008. He also worked as an associate at Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. from 2001 to 2005 and Mayer Brown LLP from 2000 to 2001. Mr. Putman received a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and a J.D. from the University of Chicago. He is licensed to practice law in the states of Texas and Illinois.
Ms. Clark has served as Senior Vice President, Land & Commercial (formerly Land & Legal) of the General Partner since August 2021. From 2020 until she joined the General Partner, Ms. Clark served as Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, and General Counsel of University Lands, where she developed and managed legal and land management strategy for over 2.1 million acres of fee lands in Texas to generate oil and gas royalty and surface revenue for the benefit of the University of Texas and Texas A&M University Systems. From 2015 to 2020, Ms. Clark was Senior Vice President, Land and General Counsel of University Lands. From 2014 to 2015, Ms. Clark was Deputy General Counsel at Talos Energy, LLC, now a public exploration and production company focused on the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Mexico. From 2011 to 2015, she served as Vice President, Land & Legal at EnerVest Operating LLC, a private oil and gas operator, where she led a large, diverse team of land and legal professionals in supporting the ownership, operation, and management of EnerVest’s oil and gas assets in North America. Ms. Clark served as Assistant General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for a wholesale generation and transmission electric cooperative from 2008 to 2011. Ms. Clark began her career in land and legal roles at Shell Oil Company. She served on the board of directors of Brigham Minerals Corporation from February 2020 until June 2021. She has a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center and a B.B.A. in Petroleum Land Management and Finance from Texas Tech University.
Mr. Kiefer has served as Interim Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the General Partner since March 2023. Mr. Kiefer served as Vice President, Finance & Investor Relations of the General Partner from 2021 to 2023. Previously, Mr. Kiefer served as Director, Finance & Investor Relations of the General Partner from 2019 to 2021, Manager, Finance of the General Partner from 2015 to 2019 and Financial Analyst of the General Partner from 2013 to 2015. Prior to joining the General Partner, Mr. Kiefer was employed at KPMG in the Economic and Valuation Services practice. Mr. Kiefer received a B.B.A from the University of Texas at Austin. Mr. Kiefer is a CFA charterholder and member of the CFA Institute
Ms. Smajstrla has served as Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of the General Partner since September 2015. Prior to joining the General Partner, she was employed at LRR Energy, LP from December 2013 to September 2015 as Vice President, Controller, and Chief Accounting Officer. She also worked at Goodrich Petroleum from 2010 through 2013 as Vice President, Controller, and Principal Accounting Officer. Ms. Smajstrla was employed by Anadarko Petroleum from 2008 to 2010 in financial reporting and corporate audit roles. Prior to joining Anadarko, Ms. Smajstrla worked in various financial reporting and corporate accounting roles for 13 years. Ms. Smajstrla received B.S. and M.B.A. degrees from The University of Houston. Ms. Smajstrla is a Certified Public Accountant.
Mr. Gremillion has served as Vice President of Engineering and Geology at Black Stone Minerals since March 2021. Previously, he served as Director of Engineering beginning in 2013 and has been with the company since 2008. Prior to joining Black Stone, Mr. Gremillion was employed at Baker Hughes INTEQ as a field engineer. He was also employed as a commercial banking officer at Whitney National Bank from 2004 to 2007. Mr. Gremillion received a Master of Business Administration from the University of New Orleans in 2004 and a Bachelor of Science in Geological Engineering from the University of Mississippi in 2002.
Mr. Gearing has served as Vice President, Information Technology at Black Stone Minerals since March 2021. Previously, he served as Director, Information Technology since September 2016. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Gearing has been employed in Information Technology leadership roles since 1998, most recently serving as CIO and VP of IT and Operations in the distribution sector from 2011 – 2016. He was also employed in IT and software development management roles at ADP from 1997 - 2011. Mr. Gearing is a veteran of the United States Navy and earned his Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Houston–Clear Lake in 1997.
Mr. Montgomery has served as Vice President, Land of Black Stone Minerals since March 2022. Previously, he served as Director, Land since July 2021, Land Manager since March 2020, and joined the company as Senior Landman in October of 2013. Prior to joining Black Stone, Mr. Montgomery was Project Manager at HPS Oil & Gas Properties. He was also employed by GLS, LLC which focused primarily on generating and drilling oil & gas prospects in South Louisiana from 3D Seismic. Mr. Montgomery received his Bachelor of Business Finance from the University of Louisiana where he also pitched for the nationally ranked Ragin Cajun baseball team.
Ms. Wiggs was appointed Vice President, Human Resources at Black Stone Minerals in 2019. Previously, she served as Director, Human Resources since February 2016 and Manager, Human Resources since May 2014. Prior to joining the company, Ms. Wiggs has been employed in Human Resources roles since 2000 in the oil and gas industry along with distribution and manufacturing sectors. She received her Bachelor’s of Business Administration from Texas A&M University and is SHRM-SCP certified.