Vecino is supported by EnCap Flatrock Midstream. EnCap Flatrock Midstream provides value-added growth capital to proven management teams focused on midstream infrastructure opportunities across North America. The firm was formed in 2008 by a partnership between EnCap Investments L.P. and Flatrock Energy Advisors, LLC. Based in San Antonio with offices in Oklahoma City and Houston, the firm manages investment commitments of nearly $9 billion from a broad group of prestigious institutional investors. For more information, please visit efmidstream.com.
The Team
Mr. Ziegler brings a diverse industry background with over 35 years of commercial and senior leadership related experience within the energy and midstream industries. Prior to joining Vecino, Mr. Ziegler was a Co-Founder of Nueces Midstream from 2019–2022 and previously served as Vice President of SemGas from 2010–2018 with overall responsibility for SemGroup’s US Natural Gas business. Prior to managing SemGas, Mr. Ziegler held a variety of senior leadership roles within SemGroup from 2005–2010 ranging from Vice President – Marketing & Sales to Vice President – Strategic Refining Services. Prior to SemGroup, Mr. Ziegler was previously employed by Koch Materials Co. where he held multiple commercial and senior leadership roles from 1987–2005. Mr. Ziegler received his undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas.
Mr. Ash has over two decades of experience in oil and gas including E&P and midstream leadership, business development, investments, finance and M&A. Immediately prior to Vecino, Mr. Ash co-founded and was the President of Nueces Midstream and the President of TexStar Midstream, which was a crude gathering business in South Texas. In 2011, Mr. Ash joined TexStar’s predecessor companies BlackBrush Oil & Gas and TexStar Midstream Services as their Chief Financial Officer where his responsibilities included almost $900 million of rated and unrated financings in support of the company’s ~$500 million annual capital program. Prior to 2011, Mr. Ash spent eleven years as an investment and merchant banker in Houston focused private and middle-market oil and gas where he began as an analyst and was most recently an SVP with FBR Capital Markets and Partner at Donovan Capital. Mr. Ash earned a BBA in Finance from Southern Methodist University and a Master of Business Administration from University of Texas at Austin.
Mr. Walshak has approximately 15 years of experience in project execution and operations. Mr. Walshak brings an extensive upstream background that spans multiple technical disciplines including drilling, completion, production, pipeline and facility engineering, and resource valuation. Prior to Vecino, Mr. Walshak was the COO at Nueces midstream and previously spent over 11 years at BlackBrush Oil & Gas, LP where he served in several engineering and leadership roles including 7 years as Production Manager and ultimately Western Division Manager over multiple asset teams covering more than 220,000 gross operated acres. Mr. Walshak graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering.
Mr. Ferries has over 40 years of experience in the oil and gas business largely focused on natural gas, NGL and crude marketing. Mr. Ferries has been with Vecino since its inception and served in the same role at Nueces Midstream. Previously, Mr. Ferries was a Managing Director in BP Energy’s Producer Services, a group that Mr. Ferries joined in 2003. During Mr. Ferries time with BP Energy, he was responsible for supply aggregation and business development activity around producers and midstream companies in the Gulf Coast, west Texas and Midcontinent regions. Prior to BP, Mr. Ferries held various commercial supply, trading and operational positions with Chevron, Columbia Energy Services, Enron, and Tractebel. Mr. Ferries earned a BS in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M – Kingsville and is a registered professional engineer in the State of Texas.
Mr. Moreton has over 10 years of experience in energy finance during which time he advised on over $3 billion of M&A transactions and over $22 billion of restructuring and capital markets transactions in the upstream, midstream and oilfield services segments. Mr. Moreton most recently served as the Chief Financial Officer for Kinetic Pressure Control, an SCF Ventures portfolio company. Prior to joining Kinetic, Mr. Moreton worked in energy investment banking at Moelis & Company and Royal Bank of Canada. Mr. Moreton graduated Summa Cum Laude from Southern Methodist University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and a Bachelor of Science in Management Science.
Mrs. Walshak has been with Vecino since its inception and is responsible for all accounting and human resources functions. Mrs. Walshak has worked with members of the management team for over a decade and held similar positions at predecessor ventures Nueces Midstream, BlackBrush Oil & Gas, TexStar Midstream and BlackCreek Well Services. Mrs. Walshak has over 15 years of experience in oil and gas accounting within the upstream, midstream, and service sectors.
Ms. Koontz has over 13 years of experience in the upstream and midstream oil and gas industry. Ms. Koontz manages Vecino’s office activities and handles all GIS work for the company. Ms. Koontz has worked with members of the team for approximately five years and prior to Vecino held positions of increasing responsibility at Nueces Midstream, EPIC Midstream and Marathon Oil where she was an engineering technician responsible for providing operational and administrative support to the drilling and completion departments.