Succeeding

The “relentless, aggressive and malicious” environmental public relations machine is succeeding in delaying and restricting natural gas development in the Rocky Mountains “with no regard for the impact on the national gas supply” — and the situation is getting worse, not better.

The “relentless, aggressive and malicious” environmental public relations machine is succeeding in delaying and restricting natural gas development in the Rocky Mountains “with no regard for the impact on the national gas supply” — and the situation is getting worse, not better.

Williams Cos. has named J. Douglas Whisenant as president and CEO of its interstate natural gas pipeline division, succeeding Cuba Wadlington Jr., who died last month at the age of 58 from complications related to cancer.

Williams Companies has named J. Douglas Whisenant as president and CEO of its interstate natural gas pipeline division, succeeding Cuba Wadlington Jr., who died earlier this month at the age of 58 from complications related to cancer.

Yankee Energy’s board has named Michael G. Morris president andCEO, succeeding Charles E. Gooley, who died two weeks ago followinga long battle with cancer. Morris currently is chairman, presidentand CEO of Northeast Utilities and Chairman of Yankee EnergySystem. In addition, Dennis E. Welch was elected senior vicepresident, COO and director of Yankee Energy and subsidiaries.Welch, formerly vice president of environment, safety and ethics atNU, will run the day-to-day operations of Yankee.

Conoco Inc. elected Archie W. Dunham chairman of the board,succeeding Edgar S. Woolard, Jr. Dunham will continue to serveConoco as president and CEO, as well as chair. Woolard and Gary M.Pfeiffer, a senior vice president and CFO of DuPont, resigned theConoco board as planned, at the conclusion of the company’ssplit-off from DuPont. Woolard is a former DuPont chairman, and hadbeen chairman of Conoco’s board since July 1998. He remains aDuPont director. Concurrent with his election as Conoco chairman,Dunham steps down from the DuPont board. The moves create twoadditional vacancies on Conoco’s board. The company said it expectsthese vacancies to be filled in the near future.

Walt Rosenbusch, a native of Austin, TX, has been appointeddirector of the Minerals Management Service, succeeding CynthiaQuarterman who resigned in February. Rosenbusch takes office May17. Since July, 1996 he has worked as a senior tax manager forErnst & Young’s Houston Energy Service Team. Prior to thatRosenbusch was with the U.S. Dept. of Interior in the land andminerals management area, working to resolve royalty issuesinvolving on- and offshore leasing. He had worked in the TexasGeneral Land Office where he was responsible for the management andadministration of 13.5 million mineral acres.