Rapid City, SD-based Black Hills Corp. has named John Benton vice president and general manager of the energy holding company’s oil and gas production unit, Black Hills Exploration & Production. Benton is replacing John Vering, a Black Hills board member who has served as interim CEO of the E&P unit and will return to his board position. With bachelor’s and master’s degrees in petroleum engineering from Colorado School of Mines, Benton comes to Black Hills from Rex Energy Corp., where he headed development of the company’s Niobrara acreage in Wyoming and Colorado.

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