Mike Mellen selected as SEG’s next President-Elect
The Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) today announced the results of its 2026 Board of Directors and District Representatives election.
Mike Mellen was selected by SEG Voting Members to serve as President-elect for 2026–2027. Following his one-year term, Mellen will assume the role of SEG President after the conclusion of IMAGE ’27.
An SEG member since 1979, Mellen has been an active volunteer and leader within the Society for decades. He previously served on the SEG Board of Directors as Treasurer (2022–2024) and returned to the Board in 2025 to complete the remainder of his successor’s term. In addition to his Board service, he has contributed to the SEG Strategic Options Task Force, the SEG and SEG Foundation Finance Committees, SEG Advanced Modeling Corporation (SEAM), and serves as an SEG Foundation Trustee Associate.
Mellen brings more than 40 years of global leadership experience across the energy industry, spanning petroleum exploration and development, technology innovation, operations, research, and business management. Throughout his career, he has held executive leadership positions with Spectrum, Halliburton, ION Geophysical, and TGS, working with more than 100 exploration and production companies in over 75 countries. He earned a master’s degree in geophysics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in geophysics from the University of California, Riverside.
As SEG President, Mellen plans to build upon the Society’s recent progress by strengthening the value of membership across all regions and technical disciplines. His priorities include maintaining SEG’s strong financial foundation, continuing investments that improve member services and operational efficiency, expanding global engagement, and ensuring the Society delivers meaningful value to geophysicists throughout every stage of their careers.
Also elected to the SEG Board of Directors for the 2026–2027 term are:
- Ruben D. Martinez, Second Vice President
- Glenn Wilson, Treasurer
- Andrea Lovatini and Jingjing Zong, Directors at Large
They will join Rocky Detomo (incoming President), Adriana Citlali Ramírez (First Vice President), Alison Malcolm (Vice President, Publications), Joe Reilly (Past President), Ge Jin (Chair of the Council), and Directors at Large Sandeep Chandola, Joseph Ebeniro, Patricia de Lugão, and Aiman M. Bakhorji. The new Board will take office following the final function of IMAGE ’26.
Newly elected District Representatives are:
- District 1 – Chao Wang
- District 2 – David H. Middleton
- District 3 – Mark Davidson
- District 4 – Uzonna Anyiam
- District 5 – Svetlana Bidikhova
- District 6 – Itzamna Gonzalez
- District 7 – Phil Mollicone
- District 8 – Paolo Mazzucchelli
- District 9 – Cyril D. Boateng
- District 10 – Wathik Alaaraji
- District 11 – Yao Ge
- District 12 – John Coffin
District Representatives will begin their terms on 1 August 2026 and serve through 31 July 2028.
View the list of newly elected Board Members and District Representatives, along with their biographies, on the SEG Elections webpage.
