Marietta's seniors pass national landman exam, prepare for careers

by Tom Perry

Marietta, OH (05/07/2024) — All six of Marietta College's senior Land & Energy Management students achieved an important milestone that sets them up for career success.

Cole Hammond (Bartlett, Ohio), Vince Foresta (Grove City, Ohio), Cole James (West Union, West Virginia), Bailey Miller (Belpre, Ohio), Jake Visnic (St. Clairsville, Ohio), and Brady Wilson (Chesapeake, Ohio) each passed the first level of the Registered Landman exam.

"Successfully passing the national Registered Landman test shows that what the students have learned in the classroom at Marietta College and through their internships has prepared them to become professional landmen," said Assistant Professor Tina Thomas. "I am very proud of what they have accomplished, and all six graduating seniors - four in May and two in December - should have a very successful careers as a landman."

The American Association of Professional Landmen accredits Marietta's Land & Energy Management major. The program provides a strong foundation in business, geology, environmental science, communications, and other areas that prepare students for a career.

"I'm thrilled to have achieved this certification," said Foresta, who will join Diversified Gas and Oil Corp. in Canton, Ohio. "I know it is the first step to success in my career, and I hope to continue learning in pursuit of my RPL (Registered Professional Landman) and eventually my CPL (Certified Professional Landman)."

Miller also acknowledged Thomas.

"I am extremely grateful for the guidance from Professor Thomas throughout my time in the program, which has helped me reach this milestone," Miller said. "I am also very thankful for my connections that I have made within the energy industry, such as within the Michael Late Benedum Chapter of the AAPL, for helping me reach this goal."

Miller is employed at Blue Duck Resources and is subcontracted as a Land Technician for an operator in the Morgantown, West Virginia, area.

Hammond appreciates Marietta's education and the possibilities it has opened up for him.

"I would like to thank my advisor (Thomas) for preparing me to pass the RL Exam," said Hammond, who will join EnergieKontor, a U.S. solar company in Houston, Texas, as a remote solar acquisitionist. "This certification means a lot, and I will take this accomplishment with me moving forward as I prepare to enter the industry and progress through it."

The students also appreciated the opportunity to take the test while still in school.

"Passing this exam sets us apart and will create more opportunities for us in the future," Wilson said.

Visnic added, "I'm super excited to have been able to take advantage of the opportunity given by the AAPL to complete the RL and take the first step to being a professional landman." He plans to work with Bordas Mineral Management over the summer, complete his last semester at Marietta, and graduate in December.

James plans to work as a landman for American Consolidated Natural Resources (ACNR) where he completed an internship.

"I think it is great that the AAPL offers graduating seniors the opportunity to take the RL exam," he said. "It makes me so happy to know that not only do I have my diploma, but I can also say I'm a professional landman now. It makes these last four years of hard work feel worth it."

Located in Marietta, Ohio, at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers, Marietta College is a four-year liberal arts college. Tracing its roots to the Muskingum Academy, founded in 1797, the College was officially chartered in 1835. Today, Marietta College serves a body of 1,200 full-time students. The College offers over 50 majors and is consistently ranked among the top regional comprehensive colleges by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Marietta was selected seventh in the nation according to the Brookings Institution's rankings of colleges by their highest value added, regardless of major.

###