We’re continuing our series of conversations with different state oil and gas associations. In this episode, Phil is joined by Seth Whitehead of the Illinois Oil and Gas Association and Illinois Petroleum Resources Board to talk about the industry in the state of Illinois, what they do to improve the industry within their state and what type of education they provide. He shares the biggest obstacles they’re facing as an industry in Illinois, their top 3 priorities going forward and how the state is made up of small independent producers rather than large corporations. Here are some of the things you can look forward to in this episode: How we can work together to shift how people view oil and gas as an industry How the Illinois oil and gas industry is made up of small independent producers The top 3 priorities for the Illinois Oil and Gas Association Highlights: 1:32 How Seth got involved in the oil and gas industry 2:46 The mission of the Illinois Petroleum Resources Board 3:54 What type of adult education they provide about the oil and gas industry 5:36 Seth’s advice about changing the way people see the industry 7:13 His transition to working for the Illinois Oil and Gas Association 10:23 The biggest obstacles of the oil and gas industry in Illinois 11:27 How has COVID-19 affected the industry 14:09 Their top focuses for the association  15:50 The current state of oil and gas in the state of Illinois About Seth Whitehead: I am currently the interim operations administrator for the Illinois Oil & Gas Association and the executive director of the Illinois Petroleum Resources Board (IPRB). IPRB is an education and outreach program that is voluntarily funded by Illinois oil producers and royalty owners. I was previously Team Lead for the Energy In Depth program from 2016-2018. I am a graduate of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and am married with five kids. Connect with Seth: Illinois Petroleum Resources Board | Illinois Oil and Gas Association | IPRB Twitter | IPRB Facebook About SherWare, Inc. If you’re enjoying this episode, please subscribe to our podcast and share with a friend! We also love ratings and reviews on Apple podcasts. SherWare creates software to simplify your accounting needs so you have more time to do the things that matter. We serve independent oil and gas operators, accountants and investors with a platform to manage their distributions and joint-interest billings on a platform -- and we’re the only software on the market that can integrate with your QuickBooks company. Click here to watch a demo of the software in action right now.