2026 OGE CVE AGENDA
JUNE 11, 2026
INDUSTRY FIELD TRIP
8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
EISI ENERGY INDUSTRY FIELD TRIP
Registrants of the 2026 OGE CVE will have the opportunity to participate in an educational fun field trip to Spindletop Gladys City Boomtown Museum and Texas Energy Museum in Beaumont, TX with the coordination of the Beaumont Convention & Visitors Bureau. This immersive experience transports participants back in time to the early days of oil exploration, innovation, and community building. Walk the wooden sidewalks of a recreated boomtown, explore historic buildings, and witness the ingenuity that sparked the modern energy era.
JUNE 12, 2025
8:30 AM - 10:00 AM | REGISTRATION (CHECK-IN)
8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
PRE-CONFERENCE NETWORKING / CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
9:15 AM – 9:30 AM
DOORS OPEN – TRANSITION TO MEETING SPACE
9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
MORNING SESSIONS
MAGNOLIA BALLROOM
9:30 AM – 9:45 AM
WELCOME / SAFETY MOMENT / OVERVIEW
La Donna Finnels-Neal, Founder & CEO Energy Industry Support International | EiSi Leadership Team | Norris Conference Center Leadership | Sponsor Presentations
9:45 AM – 3:30 PM
VISUAL FACILITATOR
Peter Durand – Artist, Educator & Founder Alphachimp, LLC
Peter Durand will elevate the EiSi OGE Conference experience through live visual facilitation, transforming sessions into dynamic, hand‑drawn visual summaries. Attendees will benefit from more interactive discussions, clearer understanding of complex industry topics, enhanced creativity throughout the program, and memorable visual takeaways they can bring back to their teams.
9:45 AM – 10:30 AM
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
C. Susan Howes – President at Subsurface Consultants & Associates (SCA) and 2027 SPE President
Elevating the Energy Workforce: Empowering the Support Professionals Who Power the Energy Industry
Susan will deliver an energizing session that celebrates and elevates the professionals who keep the energy industry moving. She’ll spotlight the growing strategic influence of administrative and support roles and share forward‑looking insights on how to seize new career pathways, build future‑ready skills, and communicate with confidence across technical and leadership environments. Attendees will walk away with practical strategies, renewed motivation, and a clear understanding of how their expertise drives collaboration, performance, and resilience across the entire energy workforce.
10:30 AM - 10:45 AM | MORNING BREAK + ACTIVITIES
10:45 AM – 11:30 AM
EXPERT GUEST SPEAKER
Ruth Mendez – Head of Legal, Shell Mexico & VP- Legal Jiffy Lube International, Inc.
Breaking Barriers: How Relationships, Resilience, and Strategic Support Fuel Career Growth from the Ground Up
Ruth Mendez will share her remarkable journey from starting as a clerk to becoming a global executive. In this empowering session, she reveals the tools, relationships, and strategic decisions that shaped her rise through the energy industry. Attendees will gain practical insight into building influence, cultivating meaningful professional connections, and growing from any starting point into a leadership role.
11:30 AM - 2:00 PM | LUNCH + VENDOR EXHIBITION
RED OAK BALLROOM
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
AFTERNOON SESSIONS
MAGNOLIA BALLROOM
2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
EXPERT GUEST SPEAKERS
Sherry Grantham – Executive Assistant, ExxonMobil Corporation and EiSi Leadership Team Member | Session Moderator
Keisha Baltieri – Executive Assistant, ExxonMobil Corporation
Kris Garza – Executive Assistant, Shell Corporation
Amber Pena – Administrative Business Partner, Chevron Corporation
SUCCEEDING IN UNCERTAIN TIMES: Resilience, Adaptability & Operational Leadership
This conversation is designed to spotlight the real world strategies, lessons, and leadership approaches that administrative and support professionals have developed while working through industry shifts, organizational changes, and operational challenges.
2:45 PM – 3:00 PM
RESET & RISE : MOMENTUM POWER BREAK
3:00 PM – 3:50 PM
INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP
La Donna Finnels-Neal – Founder and CEO, EiSi
Future Proof Your Energy Admin Career
The energy industry is shifting fast, and the admin and support professional role is evolving right along with it — which means staying competitive, confident, and ready for what’s next is more important than ever. In this session, you’ll learn how to work smarter and faster with AI‑powered tools, stay resilient in a high‑demand, constantly changing workplace, stay motivated in a challenging energy climate, position yourself for growth and new opportunities, and build future‑ready skills that boost your value and visibility.
3:50 PM – 4:00 PM
RAFFLE ITEMS, CONFERENCE CLOSES
WHAT:
2026 OGE CONFERENCE AND VENDOR EXHIBITION
WHEN:
JUNE 12, 2026
WHERE:
NORRIS CONFERENCE CENTER
