Former Chesapeake VP tapped to lead Marcellus Shale Coalition

• Katie Colaneri
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  Katie Colaneri is a reporter for StateImpact Pennsylvania and WHYY in Philadelphia covering energy and the environment. Before joining StateImpact, Katie worked as an investigative and enterprise reporter at WBGO in Newark, New Jersey. She covered some of New Jersey's biggest stories including the devastation and aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, as well as the day-to-day triumphs and struggles to revitalize state's largest city. A native of New Jersey with roots in South Central Pennsylvania, Katie holds a bachelor's degree from Wellesley College.

A former Chesapeake Energy executive has been tapped to head up the Marcellus Shale Coalition, the drilling industry’s most influential trade group in Pennsylvania.
David Spigelmyer is a former vice president of government relations for Chesapeake’s Appalachia Division. He also served as chairman of the MSC’s executive board until last August when Spigelmyer was laid off from Chesapeake during a massive restructuring of the company.
He replaces Kathryn Klaber who has served as the coalition’s President and CEO since it was founded in 2008.
“While our industry has accomplished a great deal for the entire Commonwealth and for our nation over the past several years, big challenges remain on the horizon,” said MSC chairman and CONSOL Energy COO Randy Albert in a press release on the announcement. “And after undertaking an exhaustive executive search process, which included many highly-qualified candidates, it was clear to our board that Dave is the right individual at the right time to lead our organization.”
Governor Corbett’s Energy Executive, Patrick Henderson tells StateImpact Pennsylvania the administration looks forward to working with Spigelmyer.
“He’s pragmatic. He’s honest. He’s a Pennsylvanian—I think that’s critical,” says Henderson, “He’s committed to the success of natural gas development here in Pennsylvania.”

More from the Scranton Times-Tribune:

Mr. Spigelmyer said he will continue to speak to the economic and national security benefits of natural gas development in Pennsylvania, a pitch that will include the potential for natural gas to spur a rebirth in manufacturing and the use of natural gas as a transportation fuel.
“We’ve gone from producing 25 percent of the natural gas the state uses to producing 10 percent of what America consumes,” he said.
The Pittsburgh-based coalition will also work to ensure regulations “that challenge us with rigor” but allow the industry to continue investment in the state.

The Times-Tribune reports Spigelmyer would not comment on “how situations involving his former employer reflect on the industry’s image.” Chesapeake has been letting go of employees throughout the country since the summer, including its community and landowner relations staff in Bradford County. It is still the most active driller in Pennsylvania.
Chesapeake is one of more than 40 energy companies that make up the Marcellus Shale Coalition and several hundred companies with ties to the industry.

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