Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton applauded the naming of Minerals Management Service Director Johnnie Burton as the top leader among women in the energy field at the 100 Key Women in Energy-Americas awards ceremony this week.

"This award recognizes the fine job Johnnie has done overseeing the
effective management of our nation's minerals," Norton said. "Johnnie has a key role in implementing President Bush's National Energy Policy and has taken the lead in arranging for royalty oil to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Under her leadership, MMS is providing energy security for our nation's families while protecting our environment for future generations."

MMS collects, accounts for and distributes mineral revenues from federal and American Indian lands. These revenues amounted to more than $6 billion in 2002 and nearly $127 billion since the agency was created in 1982. More than $17 billion has been invested back into America's parklands and recreational areas through the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Burton received the award this week at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. for her outstanding work as MMS director, as well as her 25 years of involvement in the energy sector in different capacities. Last fall, she won the leadership category in the 2002 50 Key Women in Energy-Global, which was presented at a ceremony in Germany.

Winners of the 50 Key Women in Energy-Global and the 100 Key Women in Energy-Americas awards are selected for contributions to the entire energy "value chain" -- from upstream oil and gas exploration to downstream power transmission, as well as information technology and overarching environmental issues.
The awards recognize the achievements and contributions of individual women across the energy sector and are given in the following categories: Pathfinders/Trailblazers, Leadership, Wisdom, Innovation/Creativity, Visionary and Potential. Burton won the award in the Leadership category.

Project sponsors of the 2003 Key Women in Energy-Americas awards are Rader Energy, a Houston-based energy consultancy; Bozell Jacobs, EDS, and the New York Mercantile Exchange. Supporting organizations are the Edison Electrical Institute, the Canadian Energy Research Institute, MajorNewswire and YES, Inc.
As MMS Director, Burton is responsible for the administration of programs that ensure the effective management of mineral resources located on the nation's outer continental shelf. This includes the environmentally safe exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas and the collection and distribution of revenues for minerals developed on federal and Indian lands.

Burton's background includes a solid mix of experience in state government, the oil and gas industry and education. Prior to assuming the leadership of MMS, she was the director of the Department of Revenue for the State of Wyoming. For 10 years in the 1980s, Burton ran an oil and gas drilling information company.