IAGC Staff

Chip Gill is President of the International Association of Geophysical Contractors.  IAGC is the international trade association representing the industry that provides geophysical data and services to the oil and gas industry. 

Gill is a 30 year veteran of the upstream oil and gas industry.  In addition to his strong Exploration and Production background, he has extensive experience working with governments on behalf of E&P interests.  Before joining IAGC in 2001, he served as Vice-President of Membership and Strategic Planning of IPAA - the Independent Petroleum Association of America.

Under Gill’s leadership, IAGC has updated its mission, reorganized its governance and membership structure and restructured several of its key committees.  In addition to its traditional efforts on government issues, HSE and standards and best practices, the association has added the commercial health of the geophysical industry as a core focus.  Thus the association has fortified its initiatives in those areas which are of greatest value to geophysical contractors.

Preceding his ten-plus years of leadership in E&P industry trade associations, Gill spent more than a decade managing government relations for Vastar Resources and ARCO.  After starting his career as a Rig Hand for Ard Drilling Company in 1977, he spent the first decade of his career with ARCO working on the land and contract side of their upstream E&P business.

Gill holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Petroleum Land Management from the University of Texas at Austin with an emphasis in Geology.  He maintains his professional CPL certification, currently serves on numerous E&P industry association boards, maintains membership in numerous industry professional associations and actively volunteers his time to a local Boy Scouts of America scout troop.  Gill is the author of numerous articles and professional papers, and has previously served as a Senate appointee to the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board and as an appointee to a US Marine Mammal Commission Federal Advisory Committee.  

Walt has served as Director of the Minerals Management  Service at the U.S. Department of the Interior, where he was directly  responsible for the management of federal mineral revenue and outer continental  shelf (OCS) leasing and administration programs.  His charge was to promote  "best business practices" by encouraging the development and  implementation of innovative practices and new technology.  He was also named  the Department of Interior's official representative to the Interstate Oil and  Gas Compact Commission in 2000.

Sarah joined IAGC as Vice President – Marine Environment in January 2007.  Tsoflias provides technical and managerial expertise to IAGC members and E&P industry partners regarding the broad issue of industry sound and the marine environment.  Among other duties, she manages marine environment educational activities to inform  IAGC members and the public about the sound and marine life issue, provides technical support for industry supported research activities such as the JIP,  and coordinates global industry interactions with governments and international agencies on this issue.       

Tsoflias possesses five years of professional experience as a Physical Scientist with the U.S. Department of the Interior Minerals Management Service in the area of scientific project management regarding the potential effects of underwater sound on marine  life.  She was involved extensively in the development of the regional regulatory documents affecting marine seismic surveys (i.e. G&G PEA, GOM NTL).  Tsoflias also was intimately involved in the Sperm Whale Seismic Study research project as well as the Explosive Removal of Offshore Structures research program.  This experience provided her with specialized scientific knowledge regarding underwater acoustics, their effect on marine life, and marine geophysical operations.  She actively participated in the research cruises aboard scientific and industry vessels each summer as a visual observer, passive acoustic monitoring team member, and MMS Project Coordinator.  Furthermore, involvement  in these projects allowed Tsoflias to work closely with members of the geophysical industry, academia, and other government agencies (NOAA Fisheries, ONR), as well as the IAGC.

Angela joined IAGC as the Executive Assistant in April 2008 replacing Teresa Ann Zarsky who left IAGC to pursue other opportunities. Angela has an Associate of Science degree in paralegal studies and brings over ten years of experience as an administrative/executive assistant to IAGC.