What a whirlwind week this has been with drives to Woodward, El Reno, Dallas and places in between, all in a few days' time! Many of you say that I am one of the most energetic people you have met, but I will say that between the travel and presentations I gave, it took all that energy and a bit more this past week. But what can I tell you...these were all some of the most incredible events!

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It seemed quite fitting, given my participation in the policy roundtable at the George W. Bush Institute's "Natural Gas Nation", that communication and outreach between industry, landowners, policy makers and the public was discussed, since we just conducted our 3rd town hall meeting in Oklahoma and I had just spoken to the Canadian County Mineral Owners' annual meeting.

Having my Mom with me in Dallas for the conference meant so much as she is always upbeat, prepared and patient in almost any circumstance, even in Dallas traffic! On Wednesday night, we were treated to a fabulous dinner at the Hunt building in Dallas with special guests President George W. Bush and Laura Bush along with special speaker, Henry Paulson. It was a group of about 100 attending the dinner, so Mom and I had the chance to visit with both the President and Mrs. Bush. The Bushes appeared incredibly relaxed and each told us that they love Dallas, do not miss Washington and have been busier than they imagined with Mrs. Bush herself appearing or speaking at over 250 events last year. Mrs. Bush was so gracious especially allowing my Mom to snap a photo of me with her that you can see on my website and Facebook page.

The conference the next day at the campus of Southern Methodist University was kicked off by Jim Glassman, executive director of the Bush Institute, and President George W. Bush himself. I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful it was to have such a front row seat to see and hear President Bush. The President and Mrs. Bush also attended the lunch at the conference and what an experience it was to have several opportunities to mingle and visit with them over the course of a couple of days.

The conference was a virtual Who's Who in the industry, policymaker and academia energy circles, so I felt most fortunate to be part of such an outstanding group. On the supply side, natural gas was referred to throughout the conference as a "game changer", though challenges remain especially recent tension existing in states like New York and Pennsylvania between land owners, policy makers and energy companies. It will be more important than ever to deal with regulatory and legal issues to ensure proper development of the country's ample supply of natural gas. In Oklahoma, we realized that early on and our recent rulemakings to update our horizontal drilling rules and town hall meetings show where Oklahoma continues to take the lead.

Several panelists concurred that a lot of the demand for natural gas going forward will depend not just on entrepreneurs and producers, but on the political climate in Washington. Moreover, it will be more important than ever to develop greater dialogue between the industry, the public, policymakers and environmental groups. To cap off my participation in the conference, I was also tapped to participate in a PBS television broadcast called Ideas in Action with Jim Glassman. Once that broadcast is being aired, I will be sure to let you know.

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Thanks again for sending in your contribution TODAY to help my re-election efforts! I appreciate your continued support and promise to keep working hard to continue our tradition as an energy producing state and my work to improve relations between consumers, mineral owners, energy companies and others in a regulatory framework that promotes orderly, efficient development that helps keep Oklahoma leading the way!

God Bless,

Your Commissioner, Dana