Governor Schweitzer And Harold Hamm, CEO Of Continental Resources Headline Montana Ambassador Meeting, 3/22-23, Billings

Governor Brian Schweitzer http://governor.mt.gov/ announced that Harold Hamm of Continental Resources http://www.contres.com/ , the largest independent oil producer in the Bakken region, will keynote the Montana Ambassadors annual meeting and conference. The conference theme is Imagine the Possible and will be held at the Billings Crowne Plaza March 22-23.

The conference is open to and welcomes everyone interested in Montana’s future.

Hamm, Chairman and CEO of Continental Resources, founded the predecessor company in 1967 as an oilfield service provider, later expanding to focus on the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas properties in Oklahoma. In 1993, Continental Resources expanded into the Rocky Mountain region, first into the Red River Units of Montana and the Dakotas, and then into the Bakken Shale play in Montana and North Dakota. The company is now the third largest crude oil producer in the Rocky Mountain region, the largest leaseholder and driller in the Bakken Shale and the largest leaseholder in the Anadarko Woodford in Oklahoma, with additional operations in the South and East regions of the United States.

"The Montana Ambassadors play an important role is sharing our success stories, such as our top business climate and high quality of life, to attract new businesses and create jobs. We are also excited to have Harold Hamm, a leader in the energy industry, speak at the annual meeting," Governor Schweitzer said.

A special energy panel will highlight the second day of the conference and include leaders in wind power development, coal development, merchant electrical transmission line development, and oil pipeline development.

The Governor will also present five major Montana Ambassador Awards for their outstanding service to the state of Montana. The following recipients will be recognized:

The Montana Ambassador of the Year is Leslie Messer, Executive Director for Richland County Economic Development. Ms. Messer serves on the Ambassadors Board of Directors and exemplifies what it means to be a Montana Ambassador through her service to the organization and the state of Montana. Ms. Messer works every day with businesses involved in the Bakken development and growth of eastern Montana.

The Montana Ambassador Entrepreneur of the Year is Sarah Calhoun of Red Ants Pants in White Sulphur Springs. Ms. Calhoun’s clothing manufacturing and sales business operates in a way that protects Montana’s quality of life. She has demonstrated leadership, innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, and commitment to the economic development in the state. Calhoun was among entrepreneurs at a recent meeting at the White House as part of the Business Leaders’ Forum on Jobs and Economic Competitiveness.

The Montana Ambassadors Business of the Year is Stillwater Mining Company. Stillwater Mining Company currently employs over 1,500 workers and has demonstrated extraordinary innovation in the highly competitive mining industry. Frank McAllister, Chairman and CEO of Stillwater Mining, is expected to accept the award. The company recently added 81 new jobs and announced plans to spend $68 million on the expansion of its mines.

Montana Ambassadors Mike Malone Educator of the Year award is Dr. Waded Cruzado of Montana State University. Dr. Cruzado has demonstrated outstanding accomplishment, excellence and leadership in the field of education in her brief time as President of MSU. Under her leadership, MSU has won more than $215 million in research grants in the past two years, earning MSU the Carnegie "very high research activity" classification. Cruzado secured the largest university system donation ever from Montana native Jake Jabs, $25 million, to construct a new state-of-the-art Business School at MSU.

Outreach Montana Ambassador of the Year is awarded to Lynda Colucci, Global Indemnity/Diamond State Group, Pasadena, California. Ms. Colucci, a native Montanan, hosted a very successful outreach event in the San Francisco Bay Area that resulted in at least one business expanding to Montana. Ms. Colucci continues to build interest in business expansion to Montana and is in the process of establishing a Southern California Chapter for Montana Ambassadors.

For more information on these awards and the Annual Meeting and Conference, visit http://www.montanaambassadors.com. The Montana Ambassadors is a volunteer, not-for-profit organization of leaders in business, education, economic development, and local and state government with a common dedication of supporting the Governor’s economic development agenda and improving the economy of Montana.