Billy joined University Lands in 2022 as Chief Executive Officer. He has over 15 years of experience in land and minerals management, including oil and gas, renewables, and low carbon solutions. Prior to joining University Lands, Billy was an executive officer at King Ranch, Inc. He started his career at Bracewell LLP in their energy transactions group.

Billy graduated from Texas Tech University and South Texas College of Law. He and his wife, Margaret, have three children and live in Houston.

Richard Brantley joined University Lands in 1999, holding multiple positions within the organization prior to his current role as Senior Vice President of Operations.

As the longest tenured member of UL’s Executive Leadership Team, Richard provides a legacy perspective to the management of University Lands. Prior to joining University Lands, Richard worked in the private oil and gas sector specializing in production enhancement technologies, environmental management, and the beneficial utilization of stranded natural gas resources. He also enjoys technology and process innovation and has been awarded two US patents.

Richard serves on several boards, including the Midland Chamber of Commerce, Permian Basin Water in Energy Conference, Texas Water & Energy Institute, and the American Conservation Foundation.

Richard has a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry from West Texas State University. He and his wife, Lea, have two adult sons.

Kate Champion is Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer for University Lands, a member of the Executive Leadership Team, and a part of the University of Texas System’s Office of General Counsel. She joined University Lands in 2022.

Kate has more than a decade of legal experience leading a broad spectrum of upstream, downstream, and midstream energy transactions. Prior to joining University Lands, Kate was Senior Counsel at Exxon Mobil Corporation and supported the company in major capital projects and multibillion dollar acquisitions, divestments, and joint ventures. In addition, Kate has extensive experience delivering calibrated legal guidance and strategic commercial solutions for day-to-day business matters. Kate began her career at Bracewell LLP. While at Bracewell, Kate represented a diverse portfolio of clients in major energy transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint venture formation, project development, and acquisition financing.

Kate has a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center and received her B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin. Kate is a member of the State Bar of Texas.

Sonya Csaszar is Vice President, Legal for University Lands, a member of the Executive Leadership Team, and a part of the University of Texas System’s Office of General Counsel. She joined University Lands in 2018 and has served in her current role since 2021.

Sonya received her B.A. in International Business with an emphasis in Legal Studies and a minor in Spanish from the University of Georgia and her J.D. from the University of Houston. Prior to joining University Lands, she represented Texas-based oil and gas operators and corporate clientele in a variety of matters. Sonya’s experience in negotiating transactions and producing agreements for varying stakeholders brings a multifaceted perspective to University Lands.

Sonya is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Houston Bar Association.

Brian Owen has been in the land business for over 25 years having worked assets across Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas. He spent the early years of his career working as an independent and contract landman. In 2007, Brian joined Petrohawk Energy Corp where he managed land operations for their Haynesville, Fayetteville and Permian Basin assets. When BHP Billiton bought Petrohawk in 2011, Brian became the Sr. Land Manager for BHP’s Eagle Ford Shale land team and assets and by 2015, his responsibilities expanded to include the Permian Basin.

Brian joined University Lands in early 2017, as Land Director and has since been promoted to Sr. Vice President of Land, overseeing both the mineral management and commercial surface team of University Lands’ 2.1 million acres in West Texas’ Permian Basin. Internally he manages a team of land professionals and, externally, Brian manages relationships and negotiations with the more than 200 oil and gas companies that operate leases and development areas across University Lands acreage.

Brian graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Petroleum Land Management, and, as a Certified Professional Landman, is a member of the American Association of Professional Landmen, the Houston Association of Professional Landmen, and, of course, the Permian Basin Landman Association.

Maryam Schellstede is the Chief Operating Officer for University Lands and a member of the Executive Leadership Team. Maryam joined University Lands in 2018 and has held roles of increasing responsibility. She has served in her current role since 2023 and is responsible for Natural Resource Development, Business Solutions and IT Services, Marketing and Communications and Finance and Accounting.

Maryam has extensive experience leading multi-disciplinary teams to maximize value from oil and gas development in various basins and field maturity stages. Prior to joining University Lands, Maryam worked in reservoir characterization for the Unconventional Eagle Ford Reservoir Performance at ConocoPhillips, influencing and making critical development decisions for a robust asset development program. Prior to working the Eagle Ford Basin, Maryam was Team Lead for a mature conventional Permian field with active drilling, recompletion, and waterflood programs. Maryam began her career at ConocoPhillips as an operations and reservoir engineer working the development of high temperature, high pressure gas fields in Texas

At University Lands, Maryam and her team work closely with other technical, land and operational professionals to ensure the successful development of University Lands’ oil, gas, and water resources. She and her team are responsible for assessment and sharing of best operating practices, development of short- and long-term financial models, evaluation of operator performance, economic analysis of potential oil and gas opportunities, and the facilitation of the University Lands reserves process.

Maryam has a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Maryam in an active member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, and a life member of Texas Exes, and volunteer for the Girl Scouts of America.