J. Kevin Vann joined Empire Petroleum’s Board of Directors in April 2023. Mr. Vann most recently served as the Company’s Vice President, Finance and Strategic Planning from October 2022 to April 2023. Mr. Vann has over 25 years of energy industry and public accounting experience in a variety of financial, accounting, and strategic M&A roles. Prior to joining Empire, Mr. Vann served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at WPX Energy (“WPX”), a publicly traded energy company that merged with Devon Energy Corporation (“Devon”) (NYSE: DVN) in 2021. Mr. Vann joined WPX in 2012 as Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer and was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (“EVP & CFO”) in 2014. During his tenure as EVP & CFO, he played a leading role in helping transform WPX through in excess of $8 billion in transactions over a three-year period that resulted in an organization with more than $2 billion in annual revenue, approximately 600 employees and a market capitalization in excess of $5 billion when the company merged with Devon in January 2021. Prior to his tenure at WPX Energy, Mr. Vann had multiple roles of increasing responsibility at The Williams Companies from 1998 to 2011. He began his career in 1993 with Arthur Anderson & Co., where he oversaw public and private client audits in the oil and gas exploration and services, pipeline, and banking industries. Mr. Vann graduated from Oklahoma State University and is an active supporter of the Tulsa community, including previously serving as a Board Member for APCO Argentina, Tulsa Area United Way, Harold Hamm Diabetes Center, and Youth Services of Tulsa. Mr. Vann is also a member of the Cherokee Nation.