By Margo Gray
It has been a true honor to be your council representative for almost four years. When I decided to run, I was ready to utilize my 40 years of experience, skills, knowledge, and abilities to the Osage Minerals Council to work to increase and maximize our Minerals Estate. At that time in 2018, the price per barrel for oil was $65.00 and today is March 2022 it’s $105.00. It didn’t take long to realize that we needed a path to follow and work diligently on outstanding issues and challenges that prevent new production and focus on minerals management and creating marketing materials. Even though the difficult two years of Covid-19, I never lost sight of the work that needed to be done, because I understood that so many Shareholders depend on us to make decisions and take action to protect the minerals estate. I continued to work in the office and find ways to increase your quarterly check and look forward to making sure the mineral estate will be producing revenue for years to come for our children and grandchildren. In my case my 9 great-grandchildren.
Below I would like to highlight some of the initiatives, work products, and successes I have made since I have been on the Osage Minerals Council:
· The modernization of the Osage Mineral Office with technology, software programs, and through online Zoom meetings and streamlined communications.
· Set up numerous meetings with the Osage Congress and Office of the Chiefs on issues and support of the Osage Minerals Council. In working with Osage Nation Congress, we were able to receive $3.1 million for the operations, professional fees, and business initiatives for the benefit of the Shareholders.
· Work to gather support for the OMC from the National Congress of American Indians on important resolutions on the “American Burying Beetle” and the “The Endangered Species Act and Tribal Management of Delisted Species on Indian Reservations and Treaty Territories” and support on Oil and Gas issues at Osage.
· Initiated the OMC Strategic Plan, rebranded and developed the marketing materials for events, and relaunched the newsletters.
· Success on awards on DEMD Grants for Aggregate Feasibility Study $299,000.00 and currently working on 2 grants for Hydrogen Marketing Study and 3-D Seismic Grants for 3,150,000.00. These federal grants will enhance and are viable for business development opportunities.
· Being steadfast in holding our Trustee accountable for transfers and reports on the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration.
· Recently appointed to represent the Osage Minerals Council as a Charter member of the Intertribal Energy Network.
It is important to know that understanding how tribal business development on the Osage Minerals Estate can become a reality when we form a firm business foundation by having the latest data, facts, and feasibility studies completed is how we can increase your quarterly payments. I still have work to do, and I respectfully ask for your vote for another 4 years of moving the Osage Minerals Council forward.
Margo Gray, OMC Councilwoman
Editor’s Note: Candidate statements and announcements are not edited by the Osage News. They are a free submission offered to candidates of the 2022 Osage Nation General Election.
