Team

 

VCP has an outstanding team of highly talented company personnel and contract specialists, with a wide range of expertise and decades of experience to manage our operations. We rely on their valued advice and outstanding effort to keep VCP at the forefront of our industry.

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Jeff Cook

Founder and Managing Partner

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Mr. Cook has over four decades of experience focused on drilling, completion, production and mid-stream activities in the oil and gas industry, full-time since 1979. He retired from Quicksilver Resources, Inc., after 31 years of service as Executive Vice President of Operations in 2012.

 

In 2007 Mr. Cook became Executive Vice President and COO of Quicksilver Gas Services NYSE:KGS and was instrumental in setting up the operational base for Quicksilver Gas Services. The team built mid-stream assets that were transporting and processing over 325 MMCFD. In 2010 Quicksilver Gas Services was sold to Crestwood Midstream for $1 billion in cash and assumption of debt.

 

Mr. Cook formed CJW Michigan, LLC which joined Jack Energy in 2020 to form VCP Michigan, LLC to acquire producing properties in the Michigan Basin.

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Toby Darden

Founder and Managing Partner

 

Beginning his career in 1975, Mr. Darden has been a shale producer since 1991, and actively involved in the evolution of shale development in North America. Mr. Darden has been integrally involved in technology development in the Antrim Shale in Michigan, Coalbed Methane development in Alberta, multi-lateral development in the Barnett Shale in Texas, and frontier project development in the Horn River Basin of British Columbia. He retired from Quicksilver Resources, Inc., after 38 years of service as Executive Chairman in 2013.

 

Mr. Darden as President and CEO led Quicksilver Gas Services, NYSE:KGS from its IPO in August 2007 through its sale in October 2010 to Crestwood Midstream Services for $1 billion in cash and assumption of debt.

 

In 2019, Mr. Darden formed Jack Energy, LLC. to pursue energy opportunities outside Texas. In 2020 Jack Energy and CJW Michigan, LLC formed VCP Michigan to pursue acquisitions in the Michigan Basin.

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Sandy Mankowski

Chief Accounting Officer

 

Sandy is a leader for VCP in every respect. Having spent her career managing the Accounting, Human Resources, Regulatory and Production and Tax Reporting, for over 1,000 wells, Sandy has guided the financial performance of the Michigan operation.

 

Since VCP’s acquisition of the properties in 2020, Sandy has expanded her role to manage accounting and DOT duties for Antrim Cementers, as well complex accounting for a State of Michigan Orphan Well contract to plug and abandon 280 wells. Sandy Mankowski is a true star. 

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Tim Howard

VP Operations

 

Mr. Howard began his career in 2001 and has multi basin management experience in oil and gas operations in both rural and urban settings deploying primary, secondary, and tertiary recovery methods. 

 

Most recently serving as Vice President of Operations at Maverick Natural Resources, he relocated from Houston and joined VCP Michigan, LLC in April of 2023.  During his tenure at Maverick Natural Resources, Mr. Howard managed the Production and Subsurface Engineering teams, Production Operations teams, Non-op team and HSE team for an asset base that covered 13 states.  In addition, he served on the Acquisition and Divestiture team and was involved in corporate development and strategic planning for the company.

 

Mr. Howard previously was a member of the California Independent Petroleum Association, New Mexico Oil and Gas Association and Petroleum Association of Wyoming.  He is currently a member and serves on the Board of Directors for the Michigan Oil and Gas Association.

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Mark Hanson

Manager Michigan Operations

 

Mark supervises over 1,000 wells in Michigan for VCP, and manages a talented team of 17 versatile team members with decades of experience. Mark began working for Ward Lake Energy, the original developer of the properties, and continued managing the production through four successive owners. prior to VCP’s acquisition of the production in August 2020. Mark was instrumental in VCP’s purchase of the properties from Harvest Oil and Gas. 

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