A Tribute to Geoff Simon: Champion of Western North Dakota’s Energy Communities
By Stephen Heins, The Word Merchant
A Tribute to Geoff Simon: Champion of Western North Dakota’s Energy Communities
By Stephen Heins, The Word Merchant
In the rugged expanse of western North Dakota, where the Bakken shale formation fueled an economic renaissance and the state’s lignite coal fields power reliable energy for millions, leaders who bridge industry, government, and local communities are rare treasures. Geoff Simon stands tall among them.
On June 30, 2025, after nearly nine years as Executive Director of the Western Dakota Energy Association (WDEA), Geoff retired, leaving behind a legacy of quiet strength, visionary advocacy, and tangible results that have strengthened the very foundations of North Dakota’s energy-producing regions. His departure marks not an ending, but a celebration of decades of dedicated service—more than 35 years of involvement with the organization and its mission—that has secured billions in fair revenue sharing, improved public safety, enhanced infrastructure, and ensured that the benefits of energy development flow directly to the cities, counties, schools, and families who call western North Dakota home.
Geoff Simon stepped into the role of Executive Director in October 2016, at precisely the time the association underwent a transformative name change from the North Dakota Association of Oil and Gas Producing Counties to the Western Dakota Energy Association. This was no cosmetic shift; it signaled a deliberate expansion to embrace cities, school districts, and coal-producing counties alongside traditional oil and gas stakeholders. Geoff’s leadership turned that vision into reality. With extensive experience in government affairs and a registered lobbyist presence (number 144) at the North Dakota Legislature, he positioned WDEA as the indispensable voice for energy-impacted communities. Under his watch, the association didn’t just react to challenges—it shaped policy, forged partnerships, and delivered measurable progress amid the post-Bakken boom realities of strained roads, overcrowded schools, housing shortages, and the need for long-term economic stability.
One of Geoff’s crowning achievements was his relentless defense and refinement of the gross production tax (GPT) distribution formula—the lifeblood of funding for western North Dakota. From his very first legislative sessions, he championed the “Hub City” concept, ensuring that 30 percent of GPT revenues supported schools and local governments in key hubs like Dickinson, Minot, and Williston. In 2019, he helped remove the sunset clause from the formula through Operation Prairie Dog legislation, creating dedicated infrastructure “buckets” that extended benefits even to non-oil-producing counties. These weren’t abstract victories. They translated into real dollars for road repairs, new school buildings, law enforcement, and community services—resources that stabilized economies and supported workforce retention long after the initial oil rush.
As WDEA President and Alexander School District Superintendent Leslie Bieber noted, Geoff was a “steadfast advocate for the people of western North Dakota,” tirelessly protecting the distribution of proceeds from the gross production tax so that benefits reached members and the broader state alike.
Perhaps no single initiative better captures Geoff’s innovative spirit than the WISE Roads project—Weather Information System to Effectively Reduce Oilfield Delays and Disruptions. What began as a collaborative idea at an annual transportation roundtable he helped establish evolved into a game-changing network of 50 research-grade weather stations installed across oil-producing counties. Partnering with the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network, Geoff transformed how county road managers respond to rain, snow, and ice. Instead of blanket closures that once idled oilfield trucks for days and cost the industry millions, real-time data now allows precise, data-driven decisions: restrict gravel roads when necessary, but keep safe routes open. Public safety improved dramatically, traffic flowed more reliably, and economic losses plummeted.
At the North Dakota Petroleum Council’s (NDPC) annual meeting in Watford City in September 2025, NDPC President Ron Ness captured it perfectly: “That little idea of yours truly has been a game changer.” The award Geoff received there—the NDPC Outstanding Energy Leadership Award (also recognized as the Distinguished Leadership Award)—honored precisely this transformative impact on rural infrastructure and industry coordination.
Geoff’s advocacy extended far beyond roads and taxes. He wrote dozens of letters supporting critical transportation upgrades, including the widening of Highway 85 and flex fund grants that eased the burden of heavy oilfield traffic. He expanded WDEA’s operation of the LoadPass Permits system, streamlining oversize truck movements for counties and cities statewide. When the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) faced existential threats, Geoff stood at news conferences. He helped contract with a Washington, D.C., law firm to file an amicus brief in federal court, underscoring the pipeline’s vital role in preventing economic devastation for western communities. He partnered with the North Dakota Petroleum Foundation to produce biennial oil tax distribution reports—authored with data expert Brent Bogar—that documented more than $32 billion in revenue collected since the 2008 Bakken boom. These reports became powerful lobbying tools, illustrating how every North Dakota county benefits and building bipartisan support among eastern legislators.
Communication was another cornerstone of Geoff’s tenure. He personally edited and distributed WDEA’s free weekly newsletter, a must-read digest of local, state, and federal energy news, legislative updates, and community happenings. He grew the association’s social media presence on Facebook and LinkedIn to more than 1,000 followers each, ensuring stakeholders stayed informed and engaged. At the legislature, he testified thoughtfully—whether supporting school construction grants for rapidly growing districts, opposing ill-advised tax hikes on the industry, defending coal’s role in grid reliability, or advocating for workforce recruitment, pipeline expansion, and research funding through the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC). Former Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner captured Geoff’s impact eloquently: “No one has advocated as effectively for oil and gas counties, cities, townships, and school districts… His influence is evident in legislation that will benefit future generations of North Dakotans.”
Geoff’s commitment extended to lignite coal communities as well. In November 2025, the Lignite Energy Council presented him with its Distinguished Service Award for Government Action. Luncheon emcee Retha Mattern praised him as “a trusted advocate for western North Dakota,” whose work strengthened energy reliability and rural economic stability through partnerships addressing infrastructure, school funding, and policy support for coal-producing regions.
These honors—the NDPC award, the Lignite Energy Council recognition, and heartfelt tributes from colleagues—reflect a career defined by collaboration rather than spotlight. Geoff worked shoulder-to-shoulder with industry leaders, legislators, local officials, and his dedicated WDEA team. He built bridges between fossil fuel producers and the communities that host them, emphasizing shared prosperity over division. His successor, Alison Ritter—a communications professional with deep roots in the oil and gas division during the Bakken’s peak—has praised the “strong foundation” Geoff established. In his own words upon the transition announcement: “It has been an honor to serve WDEA and work alongside so many dedicated individuals who are committed to the success of the communities of western North Dakota. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together.”
As Geoff Simon steps into retirement, western North Dakota stands stronger because of him. The roads are safer and more efficient. Schools and local governments have more reliable funding. Infrastructure projects once dreamed of are now a reality. The energy industry operates with greater predictability and community support. His vision turned challenges—road damage from heavy hauls, revenue uncertainty after price volatility, regulatory pressures—into opportunities for lasting progress. He never sought the limelight; he showed up, every session, every newsletter, every partnership meeting, driven by a profound belief in the people and places of western North Dakota.
To Geoff: thank you. Thank you for more than three decades of advocacy that began long before your formal directorship and culminated in nearly nine years of outstanding leadership. Thank you for defending the Hub Cities, launching WISE Roads, protecting tax fairness, and amplifying the voices of counties, cities, schools, and coal producers. Your work has touched every corner of the energy heartland—from the oilfields of the Bakken to the lignite mines that keep the lights on. The communities you championed are more resilient, prosperous, and prepared for the future because you led with integrity, foresight, and heart.
As you enjoy well-earned time with family, pursue new adventures, or savor the prairie sunsets you helped protect, know that your legacy endures in every improved road, every funded classroom, and every stable community across western North Dakota. The Western Dakota Energy Association, the North Dakota Petroleum Council, the Lignite Energy Council, and countless local leaders will carry forward the mission you advanced so brilliantly.
You have not only served—you have elevated. Congratulations on a retirement richly deserved, Geoff Simon. Western North Dakota is better because you were here.