Samson Resources Corp. said Feb. 20 Joseph A. Mills has been selected by its second-lien creditor group to serve as the Tulsa, Okla.-based company's president and CEO.

Mills has nearly 35 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, including public company management experience, according to the release. The appointment will take effect when Samson Resources emerges from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

On Feb. 13, Samson Resources said its reorganization plan was "overwhelmingly" approved by voting creditors. The company expects the plan to reduce debt and create a capital structure that will position it to "compete in the oil and gas industry in the future," the release said.

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Mills most recently served as board chairman and CEO of Eagle Rock Energy Partners, which was acquired by Vanguard Natural Resources LLC (NASDAQ: VNR) in 2015. Prior to that role, he founded and served as CEO of Montierra Minerals & Production LP.

In addition, Mills served as senior vice president of operations for Black Stone Minerals LP, and senior vice president of El Paso Production Co. and Sonat Exploration Co. He currently serves on the board of the Houston Producers Forum and is a member of the University of Houston's energy advisory board.

Mills holds a BBA in petroleum land management from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA in finance from the University of Houston.