IRVING, Texas, Sept. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blue Ridge Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTCPK: BRMR) today is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Hodges to Senior Vice President of Finance. Michael’s first day with the Company will be September 19, 2018. Effective upon the successful completion of the Company’s proposed merger with Eclipse Resources Corporation (NYSE: ECR), Michael will assume the role of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Eclipse from Matthew DeNezza, who is currently serving in such capacity with Eclipse. Matthew will remain in place with Eclipse and support the transition until the close of the merger. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2018, subject to required regulatory approvals.
Michael joins Blue Ridge from PayRock Energy II (an EnCap portfolio company), an exploration and production company focused on oil and natural gas assets within the Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas. Michael has approximately 20 years of experience in the upstream oil and gas industry. His areas of expertise include financial planning and analysis, capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, investor relations and accounting. Previously, Michael was the Chief Financial Officer for Ward Energy Partners, a private-equity sponsored business focused on developing liquids-rich assets in the Anadarko Basin of Oklahoma and the DJ Basin of Colorado and Wyoming. Prior to joining Ward Energy Partners, Michael was the Chief Financial Officer for Rex Energy Corporation, a publicly-traded company developing natural resources in the Marcellus Shale of Pennsylvania and the Utica Shale of Ohio. Michael began his career with Chesapeake Energy Corporation and subsequently worked for SandRidge Energy, Inc. in various accounting roles of increasing responsibility. Michael received a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Oklahoma in 2000 and an M.S. in Energy Management from Oklahoma City University in 2017 and is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Oklahoma.
John Reinhart, President and CEO of Blue Ridge, commented, “We are delighted to welcome Michael to Blue Ridge. Michael brings with him significant industry experience and an excellent track record of leading finance functions in the upstream energy sector while possessing executive-level experience at both public and private energy companies. As we keenly focus on our strategy of return on investment and near-term free cash flow generation for the pro forma company, Michael’s appointment reinforces our commitment to attracting talent with relevant sectoral and operational experience that will help us to implement that strategy. The talent of both organizations is reflected in the pro forma management and, with the addition of Michael, will help lead us to develop one of the premier operators in the Appalachian Basin. We have assembled a highly experienced, results driven team with a track record of innovation, integration and execution. Together with the entire executive team, I am very much looking forward to working with Michael again."
About Blue Ridge Mountain Resources, Inc.
Blue Ridge is an Irving, Texas based independent exploration and production company engaged in the acquisition, development and production of natural gas and natural gas liquids. Blue Ridge is active in two of the most prolific unconventional shale resource plays in North America, the Marcellus and Utica Shales.
