The North Dakota Petroleum Council presented their Outstanding Public Service Award to Kent Ellis, Special Projects Coordinator with the Bismarck Public School District, for his outstanding efforts in leading the Energy Career Awareness Partnership.  The award was presented at the Petroleum Council’s 25th Annual Meeting in Bismarck. 

“The Energy Career Awareness Partnership (ECAP) is a partnership that works to educate students, teachers, and parents about career opportunities in North Dakota’s energy industry.  Over the past five years, ECAP, under Kent Ellis’s leadership, has educated over 30,000 students, teachers, and parents about career opportunities in North Dakota’s energy industry,” says Alan Anderson, Chairman of the North Dakota Petroleum Council.

ECAP was created in 2001 and is supported and funded by the North Dakota Petroleum Council, Tesoro Mandan Refinery, Montana Dakota Utilities, Great River Energy, Ottertail Power, Basin Electric, Career and Technical Education, Job Service North Dakota, Bismarck State College, North Dakota Oil and Gas Producing Counties along with Bismarck Public Schools and Governor John Hoeven.  This group saw the great need to develop the energy industry’s future workforce.

Ron Ness, President of the North Dakota Petroleum Council, says, “Kent’s ability to share information about the energy industry with kids is simply amazing.  He can keep young students’ full attention and challenge them beyond belief.  The kids respond positively to his message and walk away with a better understanding of the energy industry which might result in a career choice in North Dakota’s energy industry in the future.”

Kent’s enthusiasm and experience working as a Landman combined with his incredible teaching talents have made ECAP a national model for energy education.  For more information on ECAP - Click Here.