Our People
High Sierra Energy, LP embodies the entrepreneurial spirit. We pride ourselves in taking a customer’s request or concern and offering them a unique solution that maximizes value. We attribute this to our employees, who do not accept the status quo, and instead devise innovative solutions to difficult problems. Our employees are honest, hard working, and accountable in the everyday workings of the company. They focus consistently on decreasing the costs to run our business, creating a safe working environment while minimizing our environmental impacts.
To operate a well-organized, efficient business, it takes leadership that is innovative, confident, and has a clear vision of what needs to be accomplished. Our leadership team at High Sierra Energy, LP effectively manages businesses in the midstream space through many years of experience. To read more about each of our leaders, please see below for more information.
James Burke
Chairman of the Board, President & Chief Executive Officer
James Burke co-founded High Sierra Energy, LP, in 2004, and currently serves as President & Chief Executive Officer and co-Managing Director. Mr. Burke received his B.S from University of Colorado in 1978. Mr. Burke began his career as a Crude Oil Representative at Permian Corporation from 1978-1981. Mr. Burke then joined Asamera Oil (U.S.) Inc. where he served as Manager of Crude Oil Acquisitions from 1981-1984. Mr. Burke, along with three other entrepreneurs, co-founded Petro Source Partners, where he ran six business units throughout the U.S. and Canada for the company over a 17 year span. Mr. Burke was instrumental in helping the company achieve over $1.0 billion in annual revenues when the company was sold during 2001.
David Kehoe
Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
dkehoe@highsierraenergy.com
David C. Kehoe joined High Sierra in 2007 when High Sierra acquired Petro Source Partners, LP, and currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Office, where he oversees all operations for High Sierra Energy, LP. Mr. Kehoe brings extensive operating and business startup experience. Mr. Kehoe began his career in the oil and gas industry as the owner of a production company as well as two service businesses. From 1989 to 2000, David held several positions and was lastly a General Manager for Petro Source Corporation where he was responsible for multiple business units including transportation, specialty products, refined products marketing, lease condensate acquisitions, and new business development. From 2000-2001, Mr. Kehoe served as a General Manager at the SemGroup, when Sem acquired a majority of PSC. Upon his departure from Sem, David reorganized with several former managers at Petro Source to form Petro Source Partners. He served in various functions at Petro Source Partners until it was acquired in 2007 by High Sierra. Mr. Kehoe received a B.S. in Economics from Texas A&M University.
Nicholas Aretakis
Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
naretakis@highsierraenergy.com
Nick Aretakis joined High Sierra in October 2009 as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Aretakis has over twenty-seven years experience in the energy industry. Prior to High Sierra Energy, LP, Mr. Aretakis was the Chief Financial Officer for a Denver based private midstream gas company. Previous experience includes Vice President - Finance for a private exploration and production company and Chief Financial Officer of a Canadian public exploration and production company. Other experience includes working for a mezzanine lender to the energy industry evaluating and placing debt and equity with small energy companies. Mr. Aretakis' initial foray into the energy industry was with a local Denver energy company involved in exploration and production, gas gathering, processing and marketing. Mr. Aretakis began his career with Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Aretakis received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University in Accounting and Financial Administration.
Richard Gognat
Senior Vice President & Chief Legal Officer
rgognat@highsierraenergy.com
Richard Gognat joined High Sierra Energy, LP in March 2011, as Vice President and Chief Legal Officer. Prior to joining High Sierra, Mr. Gognat served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for SandRidge Energy, Inc. and Assistant General Counsel for DCP Midstream, LLC. Mr. Gognat has held several other legal and business positions during his career involving corporate matters, transactions and oil and gas exploration, production, marketing, midstream and transportation. Mr. Gognat holds a JD from the University Of Tulsa School Of Law and a BS in Business from Regis University.
James Winter
Senior Vice President – High Sierra Water Services
jwinter@highsierraenergy.com
Jim Winter joined High Sierra Energy, LP, in January, 2007, as Vice President, High Sierra Crude Oil & Marketing. Mr. Winter currently oversees all crude oil marketing and operations activities for High Sierra. Mr. Winter began his career in the energy industry as an independent petroleum land-man in 1979, serving at Joseph S. Rose & Company. In 1986, Mr. Winter was one of four founding principals in High Plains Energy Company, an oil and gas land services firm that served a wide variety of exploration and production companies. Mr. Winter managed large leasehold acquisition efforts in the Rockies and the Northeast while at High Plains. In 1992, Mr. Winter joined Petro Source Partners, Ltd. where he managed the company’s Permian Basin crude oil purchasing and transportation program. Petro Source was acquired by The Seminole Group (now SemGroup) in 2000, where Mr. Winter became primarily responsible for new asset construction and existing asset acquisition in the refined products arena. During the previous three years prior to joining High Sierra, Mr. Winter was directly involved in adding over two million barrels of refined products storage for SemGroup. Mr. Winter received a B.S. in Finance from the University of Colorado and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Colorado.
Jack Eberhardt
Senior Vice President – High Sierra Energy Marketing
JEberhardt@centennialenergy.us
Jack Eberhardt joined High Sierra Energy, LP in December, 2004. Mr. Eberhardt currently oversees the Natural Gas Liquids marketing group at Centennial Energy. Mr. Eberhardt began his career at Vessels Oil & Gas, where he served as a Marketing Representative. While at Vessels, Mr. Eberhardt developed new propane markets along the Front Range and in Wyoming. From 1995 to 1997, Mr. Eberhardt served as Supply Manager for Total Petroleum, handling NGL feedstock for Total’s five United States refineries. Mr. Eberhardt joined Centennial Gas Liquids, now Centennial Energy, in 1997, where he served as a Marketing and Business Development Director. In addition to Mr. Eberhardt’s responsibilities overseeing the NGL group, he has focused on expanding Centennial’s business in the Eastern United States. Mr. Eberhardt received his B.A. from Regis University.
Brian D. Swearingen
Senior Vice President – High Sierra Crude Oil & Marketing
bswearingen@highsierracrudeoil.com
Brian D. Swearingen joined High Sierra in 2007 when High Sierra acquired Petro Source Partners, LP, and currently serves as Senior Vice President - High Sierra Crude Oil & Marketing, where he oversees all crude oil operations for High Sierra Energy, LP. Mr. Swearingen began his career in the energy industry in 1976 with the gas liquids group of Conoco. His activities at Conoco included trading and scheduling the Mid-Continent region in addition to a field assignment at the company's fractionator and storage facility at Medford, OK. After a two-year stint at Texas Energy where he started a gas liquids trading group, Mr. Swearingen joined Petro Source Corporation in 1982. During his 18-year career with Petro Source Corporation, Mr. Swearingen held a number of positions trading and marketing gas liquids, crude oil and condensate in addition to evaluating several acquisitions. With the sale of Petro Source to The Seminole Group in early 2001, Mr. Swearingen started his own marketing company, Tri-Energy Marketing, which marketed plant liquids. In early 2002, Mr. Swearingen reunited with several former Petro Source Corporation managers to form Petro Source Partners, LP. He served in several marketing and hedging functions at Petro Source Partners, LP until it was acquired in 2007 by High Sierra. Mr. Swearingen received a B.S. degree in mathematics from Oklahoma State University and an MBA in marketing and finance from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.
Mark Freed
Senior Vice President – Lease Acquisitions & Marketing, High Sierra Crude Oil & Marketing
mfreed@highsierraenergy.com
Mark Freed joined High Sierra Energy, LP, in October, 2005, as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Prior to joining High Sierra, Mr. Freed served as Vice President and Regional Marketing Director, Western U.S., for Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc, an investment management firm specializing in portfolios dedicated to real estate investment trusts, utilities, and other income producing securities. Prior to Cohen & Steers, Mr. Freed worked with Merrill Lynch in New York, NY. Mark holds a B.S. in Accounting from The Pennsylvania State University.
Lori Rappucci, CPA
Vice President & Corporate Controller
lrappucci@highsierraenergy.com
Lori Rappucci, CPA, joined High Sierra Energy, LP as a consultant in 2008, and now serves as Vice President and Corporate Controller. From 2001 through 2008, Ms. Rappucci was self-employed, providing financial reporting and accounting services consulting to several Denver-based oil and gas companies. Ms. Rappucci has held a variety of leadership positions in accounting and financial reporting with oil and gas, energy and chemical companies in Houston, Texas, including Corporate Controller of Wood Group Petroleum Services, SEC Reporting Manager at Reliant Energy and Manager of Technical Accounting and Special Projects at Chevron Phillips Chemical. Ms. Rappucci began her career with Arthur Andersen LLP in Philadelphia, PA, as an Assurance Associate in 1992. Ms. Rappucci holds a B.S. in Accounting from The Pennsylvania State University and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Johan Themaat
Vice President – Investor Relations & Business Development
jthemaat@highsierraenergy.com
Johan P. ver Loren van Themaat (Johan Themaat), joined High Sierra Energy, LP, in August, 2011, as Vice President of Investor Relations and Business Development. Prior to joining High Sierra, Johan served as Vice President for the Royal Bank of Scotland’s energy investment bank, where he was focused on midstream energy industry transactions and clients, including High Sierra. Prior to RBS, Johan worked for the GulfStar Group, a Houston based boutique investment bank specializing in M&A and financial advisory transactions for middle-market clients. Johan holds a MBA from the University of Tulane in New Orleans and a Bachelors in Engineering (Electrical and Electronic) from the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa.
John Volpe
Vice President – Health, Environment & Safety (HES)
jvolpe@highsierraenergy.com
John Volpe joined High Sierra Energy, LP in April, 2008 as the Vice President, Health, Environment, and Safety (HES) with 25 years’ experience with the energy industry. Prior to High Sierra Energy LP, Mr. Volpe served with the Unocal corporate HES staff as a risk management systems auditor, in-house risk management consultant and lead accident investigator. Mr. Volpe served as the HES manager for Unocal in several global locations including The Netherlands and Singapore. Mr. Volpe holds a Master's degree from the University of Northern Colorado.
