OFFSHORE OPERATORS COMMITTEE
Contract Staff
Evan Zimmerman, BSc, JD
Executive Director
Evan is an impact-focused offshore industry executive with a three-decade proven leadership history in engineering, technology development, performance optimization, risk management and collaboration.
Evan’s early career focused on marine hydrodynamics, cable dynamics, software development and stakeholder engagement related to offshore floating drilling and production facilities with a specialization in mooring and foundations. He continued to expand his expertise to include geotechnical, metocean, risk, business development, offshore construction, regulatory engagement, team development and executive management through various roles and assignments in the United States, Europe and Australia over the following two decades.
Evan’s expertise has helped to drive significant growth in several multi-national corporations as a C-suite executive and management consultant. Additionally helped these organization achieve world records, industry leading technology and management systems, and significant gains in market share by focusing on solving client challenges. Evan has also been principal investigator on numerous Joint Industry Projects (JIPs) on topics including marine foundations, software development, and blow out risk management. Evan is a recognized international subject matter expert on marine mooring, foundations, synthetic ropes, and risk management concerning tropical cyclones.
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Evan has a Bachelor of Science in Ocean Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the South Texas College of Law. Evan has served on multiple industry and academic boards including: Ocean Energy Safety Institute (OESI), Western Resources Legal Center at Lewis & Clark Law School, Center for Offshore Safety (COS), HWCG Advisory Board, and Texas A&M University’s Ocean Engineering Industry Advisory Board including Board Chairmanship.
Evan has been awarded four US Patents and a corporate leadership award from the U.S. Department of Interior. He has enjoyed the ability to serve public, private and educational institutions throughout his career with the same focus to bring value to their critical stakeholders.
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Evan brought his diverse set of skills to OOC in 2014, after serving as a volunteer SME on the Technical and Drilling Subcommittees, and has led a significant evolution of the organization into one of the most trusted and respected non-political trade organizations in the energy sector. Evan was instrumental in the expansion of OOC’s scope to include all federal OCS regions and all forms of offshore energy including Offshore Carbon Sequestration activities.
David Duke
Associate Director
David Duke has 24 years of diverse experience in environment and ecology, regulatory compliance, stakeholder engagement, operating management systems, emergency response, marine, process safety, operations, electrical power generation, engineering, and maintenance, supporting upstream, midstream, and downstream. David started his career as a nuclear submarine officer in the US Navy, where he had multiple roles in nuclear engineering, tactical operations, and learning and development.
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His first industry role was with LyondellBasell in petrochemical manufacturing as an
engineering and maintenance supervisor. He then took a role with Occidental as a process superintendent over multiple chemical processes, high voltage electricity generation, and marine shipping. David then began work with bp where he held multiple roles. At bp Texas City he was accountable for shipping, downstream infrastructure and utilities, EPA, USCG, DOT, and state regulations. He then transferred to BP Shipping as a midstream HSE assurance superintendent and auditor. Then, he transitioned to upstream as a global environmental, regulatory compliance, and emergency response advisor, and finally as a Gulf of Mexico environmental science and regulatory risk advisor.
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David has led multiple regulatory and environmental industry initiatives. He was a co-chairperson of the Gulf of Mexico ESA Biological Opinion Advocacy Network, Inaugural Whale Detection Technology Subgroup founding member, Cross-Sector Rice’s Whale/North Atlantic Right Whale Workgroup member, EnerGeo Alliance Gulf of Mexico Proactive Regulatory and Observational Program founding member. David has contributed to company and industry comments on regulatory changes on a wide array of topics including NEPA, critical habitats, NPDES, air quality, GHGs, waste management, industry standards incorporated by reference, emergency response, and process safety.
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David has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Additionally, he holds a Professional Nuclear Engineer certification from the US Department of Energy and Department of Defense, and he is a Certified Environmental Professional by the American Board of Certified Environmental Professionals.
Angie Barbara
Manager
Angie Barbara has more than 15 years of work experience in office management, 10 years of which have been in the offshore energy industry.
Mrs. Barbara has managed multiple technical efforts within the energy industry. Mrs. Barbara a graduate from Louisiana State University and has completed various role specific training.
Additionally, Mrs. Barbara has experience in sales, event planning, account management and membership interface.
Stephanie Kusinski
Internal Consultant
Stephanie Kusinski holds a Masters of Natural Resource Management from Virginia Tech and a Bachelor of Science degree in Conservation and Resource Studies and a minor in Public Policy from U.C. Berkeley.
Prior to joining the OOC staff, she has 25 years of experience managing projects for several large universities and organizations doing event planning and organizational management. In addition, she has a decade of experience managing the supply of specialized materials to power and electric companies within the U.S.
BEN NORVELL
Staff Scientist
Ben joins the Offshore Operators Committee as a Staff Scientist, bringing a strong academic background in geology and geophysics along with hands-on experience in seismic imaging and field research. He holds a bachelor’s degree in geology and a master’s degree in geophysics, and has participated in multiple marine geophysical research cruises, developing a deep interest in offshore energy and environmental monitoring.
With a passion for turning complex data into actionable insights, Ben is excited to contribute to the Committee’s mission of advancing offshore safety and science. Originally from the UK and now based in Houston, he combines a global perspective with technical rigor and is eager to support collaborative efforts across industry and academia.
Femke Leeraar
Program Specialist, DeepStar
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Femke is a highly skilled and creative professional with a keen eye for detail and a strong background in event and project management.
With a Dutch heritage, Femke brings a unique perspective and a flair for creativity to their work.
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With extensive experience in event planning and organizational skills, Femke has successfully managed a wide range of events, from corporate conferences to social gatherings, with meticulous attention to detail.
Their ability to seamlessly coordinate all aspects of an event, from conception to execution, is unparalleled.
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Ayushi Chokhani
Administrative Assistant
Ayushi Chokhani serves as the Administrative Assistant to the OOC, operating remotely from India. Ayushi expertly handles a spectrum of administrative tasks, ensuring seamless operation.
She assists in various OOC processes for the benefit of membership. Some of her various efforts include maintaining updates on federal regulations, NGO activities, managing member information databases, and providing support to the OOC team.