Vaughn O. Vennerberg, II is a longtime oil and gas executive and proud Oklahoma State University graduate who negotiated one of the largest energy mergers in history when XTO Energy was acquired by ExxonMobile in June 2010.
Early Years and Family
Vennerberg’s parents both served in the military, his mother in the Women’s Army Corps and his father in the Army Air Corps. Subsequently, the family established their residence in Midwest City, Oklahoma, where his father secured civilian employment at Tinker Air Force Base.
Vennerberg, who currently lives in the Dallas area, is a single father to his three sons, ages 17, 18 and 20. His eldest son was born with a chromosomal disorder requiring full-time assistance and care. Vennerberg is dedicated to ensuring his son has access to the care he will need throughout his life.
Vaughn O. Vennerberg, II
| Occupation | Oil and gas executive |
| Education | Oklahoma State University (OSU) (BS) |
Personal Details
| Hometown | Midwest City, Oklahoma |
| Residence | Dallas area |
| Alma Mater | Oklahoma State University |
| Family | Widow and single father of three sons |
Education
Vennerberg earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Oklahoma State University (OSU) in 1976. During his tenure at OSU, Vennerberg was affiliated with the Delta Tau Delta fraternity and held leadership positions, including President of the Blue Key National Honor Society, the Student Union Activities Board, and the Interfraternity Council. In the year of his graduation, he was recognized as one of the Top 10 Seniors for the College of Arts & Sciences and was acknowledged in the Redskin Yearbook Congratulate, an accolade reserved for OSU’s top twelve graduating seniors.
Career
Following his graduation from Oklahoma State University in 1976, Mr. Vennerberg held the position of Senior Aide and Travel Coordinator for Bob Kamm’s U.S. Senate campaign in Oklahoma. Subsequently, Vennerberg returned to graduate studies, which he discontinued in March 1979 upon receiving an offer of employment from Texaco Inc. to participate in a land management training program. This marked the commencement of his accomplished career within the oil and gas industry. He remained with Texaco for five and a half years, after which he accepted a position with Cotton Petroleum Corporation, an independent oil and gas producer based in Tulsa. Two years later, Vennerberg departed Cotton to join a small independent firm in Tulsa for eight months. Subsequently, he was recruited by an executive search consultant seeking an experienced oil and gas professional, leading to his relocation to Fort Worth, Texas, in 1987 to help establish Cross Timbers, later known as XTO Energy.
Vennerberg served as a senior officer and then president and director of XTO Energy Inc., a publicly traded entity on the NYSE, until its acquisition by ExxonMobil in June 2010, a merger he played an instrumental role in negotiating. The New York Times characterized this transaction as “one of the most substantial energy mergers in history.” This $41 billion stock sale resulted in Exxon acquiring the equivalent of approximately 45 trillion cubic feet of natural gas assets across the United States.
He dedicated 23 years to XTO, which, prior to the merger, held the position of the largest domestic natural gas producer in the nation, employing over 2,200 individuals. During his tenure, his responsibilities included oversight of contract negotiations, regulatory relations, acquisition and divestment strategies, land management, gas marketing, property management, human resources, and Board of Director relations.
In 2012 Vennerberg became a founding member and partial owner of Fort Worth-based Morning Star Partners and Morning Star Oil & Gas. Morning Star subsequently became TXO Energy Partners (TXO).
Vennerberg has held directorial positions with several organizations, namely the New Mexico Oil & Gas Association, the Western Energy Alliance, the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board, and the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association.
Additionally, at one time he held a minority ownership stake in the Texas Rangers baseball club.
Awards, Recognition & Appointments
In 2011, the Oklahoma State University Alumni Association honored Mr. Vennerberg with its Distinguished Alumni Award, presented to alumni for professional achievement and community service. In 2012 he gave the commencement address titled “Treating Others as You Wish to be Treated” at his alma mater. Mr. Vennerberg was formally inducted into the Oklahoma State Hall of Fame on February 12, 2016.
In 2008, the American Association of Professional Landmen, comprising 11,000 members, named Vennerberg “Landman of the Year.”
The U.S. Department of Energy appointed Vennerberg to the National Petroleum Council (DPC) during his tenure at XTO Energy. He remains a member today and continues to lend his expertise to the DPC at its bi-annual meetings in Washington D.C.
The Midwest City Oklahoma Rotary 5750 honored Mr. Vennerberg with a Rotary Foundation Fellowship in 1981 to Bangalore, India, where he traveled the southern part of the country visiting and speaking to various groups about the oil and gas industry in the United States and his particular role in the industry.
Philanthropy and Civic Activities
Alongside his professional accomplishments, Mr. Vennerberg contributed to the philanthropic initiatives of XTO Energy. In particular, he facilitated the establishment of endowed faculty positions in the departments of microbiology and molecular genetics, art, and psychology at Oklahoma State University in 2008. This undertaking exemplified XTO Energy’s dedication to the advancement of education and research within the energy industry, and it enhanced the corporation’s standing as a conscientious and active contributor to the community.
Vennerberg is a long-time supporter of the Dallas Museum of Art and has served on its Board of Trustees and was Chair of the Audit Committee. He has also been on the Board of Trustees for the Fort Worth Museum of Science & History and the Van Cliburn Foundation. He currently serves as a trustee for The Greenhill School in Dallas.
In addition, Vennerberg was appointed to a four-year term to the City of Dallas Board of Adjustment and has served with The Partnership for the Arts organization.
Boards and Associations
- New Mexico Oil & Gas Association
- Western Energy Alliance
- Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce
- Oklahoma Energy Resources Board
- Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association
- National Petroleum Council (DPC)
- Dallas Museum of Art, Board of Trustees and Audit Committee Chair
- Fort Worth Museum of Science & History, Board of Trustees
- Van Cliburn Foundation, Board of Trustees
- The Greenhill School, Trustee
- City of Dallas Board of Adjustment
- The Partnership for the Arts organization