Name: Heather Powell
Company: Ventana Exploration & Production
Title: President & CEO

Who’s your favorite Oklahoman? Aubrey McClendon. No other Oklahoman has had a bigger impact on my career. He was the first to recognize the disparity in the age gap in the industry and started recruiting young people just as I was getting out of college. He helped transform OKC to a place we can all be proud to live and work. There has yet to be another voice that compares to the charismatic, fearless visionary championing for our industry.

If you could eat one food the rest of your life, what would it be? Definitely enchiladas from Chelino’s. I already eat it so often they know me by name and my order!

Mountains or beach? Sun, sand and waves all the way for me.

Have you met anyone famous? Sam Zell, an American billionaire and founder of Equity Group Investments in Chicago and investor in Ventana, and Mike Rowe, who has proven to be just as amazing in person as his TV persona!

What’s your favorite drink? Unsweet tea and after 5 I love sipping an “Ice Pick” — iced tea, vodka and Splenda — by the pool.

Favorite college team? I’m in it for the tailgate when it comes to football, but I do love Mike Gundy, cheese fries and small towns. So, OSU might have an edge in my heart.

In one sentence, what do you actually do all day in your job? I am an entrepreneur, landman, A&D guru, HR, IT, regulatory expert, counselor and leader tackling a new set of challenges and opportunities from sunup to sundown each day.

What was your first job? I was a hostess and waitress at Goldies Patio Grill in Claremore.

What was your first car? A Pontiac Grand Am I lovingly named the Silver Bullet.

If you could have dinner with one person, alive or dead, who would it be? My Grandma Kay. When I was a child she took me to her office and showed me what hard work and determination looked like. I would love to tell her about my career and my family, hug her and soak up all of her words of wisdom.

What was your favorite TV show as a child? Quantum Leap hands down! I watched it every night with my dad and dreamed of where I would time travel to with Ziggy.

What’s the number one item you would save from your burning house? A jar of flash drives I keep by my bed with all of our family photos.

What is your favorite thing about working in the oil and gas industry? Being a part of such a resilient industry full of the brightest, hard-working people I have ever known working together to produce clean, affordable energy for our country and working to find ways to get clean, reliable energy to countries without it.

What is your favorite holiday? Christmas. Celebrating the birth of Christ, watching every Hallmark movie ever made with my family, decorating my house like Clark Griswald, attending 842 parties and eating Patti Benton’s famous cookies.

Favorite band in junior high? Alanis Morissette and Joan Osborne.

What is the best gift you have ever received? My children. I love having a big family.

Name of your pet? Moose and Ranger! Since we have four kids and a very active family, we decided twins was best so there was enough puppy to go around! They are five-month-old Bernadoodles that look like “Sesame Street” characters.

What is the first thing you would do if you won the lottery? Buy a beach place as well as a mountain home.

Last movie you saw at the theater? “Where the Crawdads Sing” with my best friends.

What’s your favorite app? Zillow to search for those beach and mountain homes and Audible to listen to books while I am driving.