Staff
Executive Director
John Bridges
John Bridges extensive career in the oil and gas industry has encompassed leadership roles in exploration, production and operations in multiple US locations from Texas to Alaska, and international roles including explorations, negotiations and business development in SE Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Most recently, John Bridges served as Manager of International Negotiations – North Africa and Europe in the UK for Anadarko Petroleum Corporation. John’s career with Anadarko allowed him the opportunity to work and contribute directly on three of these major efforts including Alaska, Algeria and Mozambique while also conducting Business Development efforts in SE Asia.
John began his career with Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) in its mining division Anaconda where he worked in Denver, Colorado and Reno, Nevada both exploration and supported operations in Butte Montana, Tonopah Nevada, and Tooele Utah. His success led him to Bakersfield to work the California Oil and Gas Units in Los Angeles and also production and exploration in the San Joaquin Valley, Ventura and Santa Barbara areas. He did a brief tour in Midland working predominately the four corners area and Wyoming production. With this lower 48 experience, he progressed to Alaska with ARCO where he resided in Anchorage for 7 years working Prudhoe Bay, Alpine and exploration in the National Petroleum Reserve and North Slope Foothills area. He joined Anadarko in 2001 and held several positions including Supervisor Alaska Land and Land Manager East Texas, Mid Continent and Alaska. In 2006 he was afforded the opportunity to work on the Negotiations team for Anadarko’s entry into Mozambique which has led to the discover of over 75 TCF recoverable reserves. John’s focus then shifted to Business Development in SE Asia and participating in the company’s efforts in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
John earned his MBA with a concentration in Finance from California State University - Bakersfield and his BBA in Petroleum Land Management from the University of Texas - Austin.
John has a passion to help others and has served in various positions with the Boy Scouts of America, as a Board member for the Alaska Performing Arts Center and also as a Board Member for the Alaska Junior Theater. John is currently active with UNICEF and works on its Houston Congressional Action Team Committee.
In his leisure time, John enjoys scuba diving and photography.
Contact John at john@aien.org or +1 281-912-6062.
Executive Director (Incoming)
Kirsten Schachter
Kirsten Schachter is a true Third-Culture Kid, born in Australia and raised on four continents. Kirsten values community in all its forms.
Growing up as a Hong Kong expat, she developed a taste for international travel. She learned the value of building and maintaining relationships with exceptional people, regardless of time zones and life’s phases. While she is the newest member of the team, it turns out that Kirsten's AIEN roots run deep - when her family was transferred to America, among the first people to welcome them were then AIPN president John Elliott and his wife, Jenni, who had attended school in Australia with both her parents. (John has since passed away, and Jenni remains a dear family friend.)
Kirsten can now claim Texan among her nationalities as a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and long-time resident of Houston. She has built community and raised money for many of the city’s finest institutions, including Houston Grand Opera, Awty International School, and Baylor College of Medicine, to name a few. As both a consultant and an in-house fundraising leader, Kirsten brings over 20 years’ experience meeting and exceeding multimillion-dollar fundraising goals. She has led large and small teams and has worked with boards throughout her career.
Contact Kirsten at kschachter@aien.org or +1-832-903-0186.
Assistant Executive Director & Communications Manager
Wendy P. Gereau
Wendy moved to Houston in 2001 from Bellville, Texas. She graduated from the University of St. Thomas in 2005 with a degree in communication, and a minor in philosophy. During college, she completed an internship in the public affairs office at the University of St. Thomas. She later became a full-time staff member there, where she was responsible for a portion of the university’s Website management and print publications. She has been with AIEN since 2008, where she is responsible for the AIEN website, marketing and communications, and graphic production for the association.
Contact Wendy at wendy@aien.org or +1 281-912-6061.
Manager, Signature Events
Kristin Culwell
An event planner from an early age (she would plan multi-course dinners when others her age watched cartoons), Kristin loves being creative, working with people and creating memorable experiences. Having been a corporate event planner for nearly two decades, she has a wealth of knowledge and experience but is always learning and trying new things.
In her spare time, it’s all about travel and food! Whether domestically or internationally, she believes in the benefits of discovering new cities, cultures and foods and bringing back those experiences in some small way to her professional and personal life.
Although not a native Texan, she thanks her lucky stars to be living here now and currently resides in the Garden Oaks/Oak Forest area with her fluffy companions.
Contact Kristin at kristin@aien.org or +1 281-912-6063.
Office Manager & Membership Coordinator
Marcia Ross
Marcia was born and raised in the inner-city of Chicago, Illinois. She moved to Houston in 2008 with her previous employer, but also to escape the cold winters of Chicago! Marcia comes to AIEN with 17 years of Administrative/Office Management experience. She graduated from Houston Community College in May of 2010, where she obtained an Associates of Arts Degree with an Accounting concentration. She’s planning to continue her studies at the University of Houston-Downtown where she will obtain a BA in Finance. Marcia currently lives in the Westchase District of Houston. She also enjoys volunteering with Houston Food Bank and Discovery Green. She joined AIEN in February 2017 to coordinate all administrative aspects for AIEN, including general membership queries and assisting new members throughout the application and approval process.
Contact Marcia at marcia@aien.org or +1 281-912-6058.
Global Chapter Events Coordinator
Yuliana Chacon
Yuliana ‘Yuli’ was born in San Cristóbal, Venezuela and raised in North Philadelphia. She has lived in other places like South Jersey and Midland, Texas but finally moved to Houston in 2015 with the mission of becoming a petroleum engineer. After being introduced to AP Calculus AB, she decided to turn her hobby of journalism into a career. Yuli is an alumna from the University of Houston and has honed her skills over 8 years in the media, events, and marketing industry, collaborating with renowned entities such as Telemundo Houston/NBCUniversal and Lemonade Day.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Yuli is deeply committed to community engagement and philanthropy. She currently serves as a member of the Lemonade Day Houston Lemon Council, where she advocates for youth empowerment and entrepreneurship. Additionally, she contributes her expertise to the esteemed Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wine Events Committee and the Houston Symphony Committee, further showcasing her love for community engagement.
During her free time, Yuli loves to travel and be surrounded by her loved ones including her cockapoo, Lilly.
Contact Yuliana at yuliana@aien.org or +1 281-912-6057.