Jacob Lopez was the speaker at the annual Taft Union High School Oil Technology Academy Kick Off Barbecue Monday night.
Instead of the usual location, the West Kern Oil Museum, this year’s event was held at Oildorado Building on North Street.
Lopez is an alumni of the oil technology academy and is now an academy mentor. He’s now the manger of regulatory affairs for Holmes Western Oil Corporation, a company founded by his grandfather, Fred Holmes. HWOC is also a business partner of the oil technology academy.
Before joining HWOC, Lopez worked in the private sector and then worked as a representative for then-Congressman Kevin McCarthy at the federal level and later worked at the state level for Shannon Grove before joining HWOC.
Lopez gave the keynote speech at the barbecue but there was a lot more going on.
Assemblyman Stan Ellis recognized not only the academy and its current Director, Ted Pendergrass but also its founding Director Rick Woodson with certificates from the California Assembly.
Naomi Vega, president of the TUHS student chapter of the American Association of Drilling Engineers, accepted the certificate from Ellis representative Perry Finzel on behalf of the academy.
Vega emceed the event and introduced the AADE chapter officers.
The kickoff barbecue is tradition for the academy students, their families and industry partners.
