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On the morning of Aug. 25, 2016, Steven Massey passed peacefully at home surrounded by his family. Steve was born in Frederick, Okla., on Sept. 16, 1949. He was the first born of Clarence and Ann Massey. Steve served honorably in the United States Marine Corp from 1970-1974, attaining the rank of Sergeant, and in the Reserves from 1974-1976. He was awarded the Purple Heart for meritorious service in Vietnam.

Following his military service, Steve pursued a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering at Texas Tech University, graduating in 1976. There, he met his wife, Pamela Jeanne Picquet. They were married in 1976, and at his passing were 10 days shy of celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. They have three beautiful children together: Robin, Catherine and Alan.

Steve found success in the oil industry and began his 25 year career with Atlantic Richfield Company in Channelview, Texas. He then transferred to the North Slope in 1984; to Midland, Texas, in 1991; and to Bakersfield, Calif., in 1993; returning to Alaska in 1996. He retired in 2001, following the sale of ARCO. He started at ARCO in 1975.

Read Steven Massey's full obituary here. 

In our look at what ARCO alumni are doing post ARCO, several of our interviews spotlight individuals who used the expertise and knowledge they gained in the industry to support education and the arts.

Norman Nadorff was at ARCO from 1989 until he transitioned to BP in 2000. In 2006, he was tasked with managing BP’s legal department in Angola. Soon after his arrival in Luanda, special circumstances arose that enabled Norman to propose and spearhead the creation of Africa’s first post graduate (LL.M.) program in oil and gas law at Agostinho Neto University (ANU).

"I had been in Angola for less than 60 days. I was busy managing a legal department and growing it in order to adequately serve two major deep-water projects in different states of development. I had plenty on my plate at the time, and thus, was not looking for additional challenges."

Opportunity seldom knocks twice, and when it does you need to strike and presume you will somehow find the required time and energy.

Norman recalls the fateful events as follows: “One morning, Government Affairs invited me to a meeting at the ANU law school. I was a bit surprised to hear that BP wanted to create an ethics and transparency institute. Within an hour I was back with Government Affairs arguing that what the law school, and more importantly, Angola, needed was an oil and gas law program. Indeed, at the time no oil and gas law courses were offered anywhere in this oil-driven country. That same afternoon I found myself describing my vision to the law school’s senior administration and senior BP Government Affairs executives from London. During the meeting I volunteered to create the course syllabus, recruit foreign law professors and to teach at least one module myself. By then I knew the toothpaste was out of the tube and there was no going back,” says Norman.

The LL.M. program is now in its tenth year and has graduated over 200 professionals. The program in general employs a pragmatic approach to instruction. For example, Norman says, “I teach Drafting and Negotiating International Petroleum Agreements, which I tell my students should really be called, 'How I Do My Job 101.' Instead of talking about model international and gas agreements, we apply them to practical, factual situations and roleplay their development and negotiation. Unlike their counterparts who attend expensive overseas LLM programs, AUN’s students benefit from Angolan course content and enviable in-country networking.”

Norman is also proud of developing junior local staff in Angola. When he first arrived, BP had only two freshly-minted Angolan lawyers. At its height, BP Angola’s legal department had two expatriates and eight Angolan lawyers. Today there are no expats, and the department is headed by a graduate of the LLM program whom Norman recruited. Virtually all of BP Angola’s lawyers graduated from the program as well.

BP is the only major oil company in Angola that has a completely national law department.

The result of nationalization of the legal department has been a dramatic reduction in legal costs and a drastic increase in individual professional responsibility for BP’s lawyers,” says Norman.

Norman entered the oil and gas business in 1985. He was working for DuPont soon after the company purchased Conoco. “Conoco was heavily involved in Angola and needed someone who spoke Portuguese,” recalls Norman. “I went to Houston and interviewed with Conoco, and the rest is history. Within four months, I was working in Angola doing complex oil and gas work arguably beyond my experience level. But I loved the oil and gas industry and found it much more interesting than manufacturing.”

ARCO had a different culture from other companies, and I felt appreciated in all the assignments I undertook.

Norman joined ARCO in 1989, filling a vacancy caused by the international Company’s move from Los Angeles to Plano. Once again, Norman’s language skills secured him this position.

Those were my Golden Years. I absolutely loved working at ARCO and wish it could have stayed independent.

"Perhaps my most memorable assignment was going to the Amazon rainforest to investigate why two teams of ARCO contractors had been kidnapped within 10 days in two separate incidents,” shares Norman.

Today, Norman is living in Houston where he has established a private law practice specializing in international petroleum transaction and compliance work. He is also a frequent speaker in the U.S. and overseas, including a speech at NAPE earlier this year titled, “Forget the Beverly Hillbillies: How Petroleum Agreements Work (and Don’t) Overseas” and many presentations on developing local talent.

Looking back on his career, Norman believes: “In addition to grabbing opportunities, it is also about networking.” As he often tells his students and other audiences, “even when you are not working, you can still be networking.”

We love to share what our members are up to! Update your profile with your interests, endeavors and accomplishments and please share your stories and pictures when you connect with other former ARCO colleagues.

Paul Fairchild and his wife Carol have lived in Anchorage since 1991.  Paul worked for ARCO from 1973 until the BP purchase, at which time he was hired as a BP employee. He then worked for Phillips and then ConocoPhillips.  Paul retired from CPAI in August 2007 after 34 years of service.

I worked as a Consulting Engineer until this most recent oil price crash. When oil prices rebound sufficiently, I look to return to active consulting work.

Paul Fairchild

Carol and Paul enjoy traveling, halibut harvest and shrimping from their boat "Sweet Disposition," and wintertime cross-country skiing.  Paul is also working on renewing his private pilot medical license and returning to private aviation. Their two sons are married and live out of state. They have an eight year old grandson and another on the way.

Steve Freeman relocated from Nigeria this summer and is now Chevron's China Country Manager, based in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Steve joined Unocal in June 2000, and after stints as GM Strategic Planning and VP, Production and Reservoir Engineering, he worked on the merger integration team with Chevron. Since joining Chevron, Steve has held several posts including Principle Advisor, GM, North America Reservoir Management, GM, Global Upstream Organizational Capability, GM Southern Africa Gas, Gas Director, Nigeria/Mid-Africa (resident in Lagos) and as of July, his role in China. On a personal note, Steve married Cristy Nelson on January 1, 2001, and their son Carter will start sixth grade in China.

I moved with my family to China where I am Chevron's China Country Manager. It's been a wild ride since ARCO - I have no complaints.

Steve Freeman

Mike Haas shares that he has been with Saudi Aramco since February 2004. "Nothing has changed other than I am getting older! I enjoy reading and seeing pictures of the different ARCO events," says Mike. "Saudi Aramco appreciates gray hairs and experience."

I always tell my boss I would leave tomorrow if I did not like the job or people, but so far it has been great on both accounts.

Mike Haas

Paul Tucker works in Midland for Occidental Petroleum on a 5x5 schedule and has a home in New Mexico, where he hopes to one day retire. Before Midland, Paul was Construction Superintendent with Oxy Oman in the Mukhaizna Field, heavy oil project.

Chris Lunsford is working pipeline issues in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey for BP. 

Gary Light has been Founding Partner at a firm in Lubbock, TX since 1995. He enjoys jogging and biking and competed in the Hotter-N-Hell Hundred bike ride in 2006, and ran the San Antonio half marathon in 2007.

Zenetta Drew was at ARCO from 1974 - 1985, holding various roles in accounting and management, and was the first female African-American manager at ARCO. She is currently the Executive Director at the Dallas Black Dance Theatre, and has been since she joined the team in 1987. Most recently, Zenetta was honored as a Distinguished Alumna by the Alumni Association of Texas A&M University­-Commerce, at their annual Alumni Awards Gala in April 2016. What follows is our interview with the ARCO alum.

Q: Why did you decide to go into the arts after ARCO?

A: Going into the arts was not a choice or a deliberate decision for me. I had retired from ARCO for two years to be a housewife and mother, when a friend talked me into volunteering to write a grant proposal for a small dance company.  During those two days, I saw the business growth potential of the organization and days soon turned into months. 

After three months, I finally met DBDT’s founder who had recently been seriously injured in a car accident and not expected to ever walk again.  She shared with me her vision for the organization to become a respected institution in the City of Dallas, on par with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, The Dallas Opera, and other cultural treasures, as well as have full-time salaried dancers with benefits.  I thought that my finance background could help her achieve this vision, and I could use the business expertise I learned at ARCO to benefit the community.            

My finance background and the business expertise I learned at ARCO has helped me work with our community to achieve the Founder's vision.

Q: What does your position as Executive Director entail?

A: As Executive Director, I am responsible for the organizational management of Dallas Black Dance Theatre, including marketing,fundraising, accounting, staffing, facility operations, external affairs, and government and board relations.

DBDT operates without an endowment, so payroll for the entire organization must be raised every two weeks, along with other expenses.  Gathering financial resources to create the desired output in business often takes as much creativity as the most beautiful choreography – and we have never missed a payroll!

Q: Can you tell me what the transition was like moving from ARCO to DBDT?

A: In transitioning from ARCO to DBDT, I went from having vast money and resources to no money or resources.  It was a stark contrast to suddenly have no staff, finances, business structure, or permanent facility and still produce dance programming. 

During my time at ARCO, corporations in America were reluctant to advance minorities to management positions.  As a result, ARCO invested several hundred thousand dollars in all types of high-level management training to delay my promotion to supervisor in accounting as a black female. To my benefit, I was able to use the experience training and networking with top-level executives, which has greatly impacted my fundraising success as Executive Director.

Designated an American Masterpiece Touring Artist by the NEA, DBDT has performed for more than 3.5 million arts patrons and 2.5 million students in 31 states, 15 countries, and five continents, including two Cultural Olympiad engagements. 

Q: You have received several prestigious awards, including the Women of Color Achievement Award in 2013. What makes you most proud?

A: While I appreciate the awards and recognition I have received over the years, I am proudest of the organization’s accomplishments collectively. I am gratified by my part in growing DBDT from a small community-based organization to an internationally recognized company with performances on some of the nation’s most prestigious stages, including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Designated an American Masterpiece Touring Artist by the NEA, DBDT has performed for more than 3.5 million arts patrons and 2.5 million students in 31 states, 15 countries, and five continents, including two Cultural Olympiad engagements.

The DBDT business model shows that an artistic background is not a required component to managing an arts organization, and that artistic and business-minded individuals can successfully work together to accomplish a common vision.

Q: How has your position on advisory panels and boards contributed to your overall growth?

A: During my time at DBDT I have served on 30 to 40 boards, and all of them provided me an opportunity to give my time as well as develop relationships, gain knowledge and create multi-faceted partnerships.  I have been able to change the perspective of arts management to a professional level and set an example for business practices, decorum, and philosophy in the arts community.  The DBDT business model shows that an artistic background is not a required component to managing an arts organization, and that artistic and business-minded individuals can successfully work together to accomplish a common vision.