About Yates Industries

Frank Yates Jr. is an experienced energy executive and entrepreneur with over 40 years in the oil and gas industry. He currently manages Yates Industries LLC, leading efforts in vertical oil and gas development while expanding into gold mining and technology.

Frank previously served as President of MYCO Industries and held multiple leadership roles at Yates Petroleum Corporation, including President, Vice President, and Board Member.

He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from New Mexico State University and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.

A Licensed Professional Engineer and multi-engine jet pilot, Frank has also served on banking and industry boards and led regulatory and environmental initiatives in the energy sector.

Josh joined Yates Industries in 2022, bringing a wealth of experience in finance, business development, corporate strategy, and strategic analysis to his role as Chief Analytical Officer and Board Member. He has played a key role in evaluating a wide range of exploration and production projects, with a focus on assessing their valuation and long-term potential.

With a solid foundation in financial strategy and operational insight, Josh contributes to the company’s leadership team by aligning analytical rigor with business growth objectives. Prior to joining Yates Industries, he held several strategic roles that deepened his expertise in the US with international exposure in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and South East Asia.

Josh earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Nebraska and later completed his Executive MBA at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Lori brings more than 30 years of expertise in land management within the oil and gas sector, with a proven track record of leading high-performing teams and delivering strategic project oversight. Known for her ability to streamline operations and build projects and systems from the ground up, Lori held senior leadership roles at several respected independent oil and gas companies prior to joining Yates Industries in 2022.

Her experience spans lease and contract negotiation, legal compliance, acquisitions and divestitures, and cross-functional collaboration, making her a trusted leader in driving organizational success and operational excellence.

David is a seasoned geoscientist with a career spanning petroleum and mining since 1996. Concurrent with his role at Yates, he is the founder of Wheelhouse Geoscience (est. 2020), a multidisciplinary consultancy. He is adept at conventional and unconventional plays, responsible for hundreds of wells and over 90 technical evaluations supporting transactions exceeding $500 million.

He served the eight years prior to 2020 as Vice President, Geoscience at two private equity–backed E&Ps, Monadnock Resources and Forge Energy. David co-founded Monadnock, leading geoscience efforts and drilling 30+ wells to grow production to approximately 2,500 BOPD. At Forge, he oversaw development of 25,000+ West Texas acres, including roughly 70 horizontal wells.

Earlier, at Pioneer Natural Resources, he contributed to large-scale Permian development and shale evaluations across the U.S., including the Barnett Combo Play. Starting in 2000, David worked as a mining geologist for Martin Marietta Materials. Before this, he began his career at ARCO International Oil & Gas Co. in its Southeast Asia New Ventures Exploration Group.

David received a BS, cum laude, in Geosciences from the University of Texas at Dallas. He followed that up with two Master of Science degrees (Geosciences and Geographic Information Sciences), also from UT Dallas. David is a licensed professional geologist and holds several professional certifications.

Hannah Palomin is part of our team as a consulting landman. Hannah is a proud wife, mother of three, and grandmother to four amazing grandchildren. Her family is her pride and joy.

She has spent 24 years in the oil and gas industry working for the Yates families and building long-lasting relationships. Hannah holds a degree in Business Administration along with an RPL certification.

Her passion for growth led her to expand into real estate, where she also currently serves as a Qualifying Broker for Century 21 Black Gold in Artesia.

Nikki Chodur is a seasoned reservoir engineer and consultant with more than 20 years of experience in oil and gas development, economic evaluation, reserves, and acquisitions and divestitures across a wide range of asset types.

She has led multidisciplinary teams in multiple states and basins and has designed and executed drilling programs across both conventional and unconventional plays.

Her technical expertise includes integrated petrophysical data analysis, decline curve and rate transient analysis, reservoir simulation, and risk analysis.