Jan 30, 2021 2 min read

After nearly four decades, David Spigelmyer is getting out of the natural gas industry.

Spigelmyer, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition for the past seven years, announced his retirement on Thursday during the organization’s winter membership meeting.

David Callahan, a vice president with JKLM Energy and vice chair of MSC’s executive board, will succeed him.

“It’s been an honor of a lifetime to lead this organization,” said Spigelmyer, whose coalition was formed in 2009 and now represents about 200 natural gas-related companies.

“I’m proud of our work that’s allowed all Pennsylvanians to realize shale’s many benefits,” he said in a statement. “Natural gas development has delivered commodity prices in Pennsylvania that are less than half of what they were a dozen years ago and is generating widespread economic opportunity, a cleaner, healthier climate, and lifting billions around the world out of energy poverty.”

Pennsylvania is the second-largest natural gas producer among states, behind Texas. Washington and Greene are among the top gas-producing counties in the Keystone State.

Christopher Rimkus, the coalition chairman and assistant general counsel for Findlay, Ohio-based MPLX Corp., said in a statement: “Throughout his service to the MSC, Dave has forged a deep partnership with the skilled building trades, led efforts to modernize regulations, guided the development of best practices, and was a fierce advocate for the safe production, transportation and use of domestic natural gas.”

Callahan, a Bradford native, has been involved with the coalition since its founding. He previously was a vice president at MarkWest Energy Partners.