Chairing the Annual Institute this year are three longtime members of EMLF: Anne Blankenship, Energy Transfer; Beth Elmore, Jackson Kelly; and Mike Rush, EQT. All three co-chairs said that they are most looking forward to renewing the great connections they have made through EMLF events, with Beth in particular looking forward to welcoming us to her home state of South Carolina!
“I’m looking forward to the conversations this year—bringing together legal, land, and business perspectives to have practical discussions about how AI-driven data center demand is influencing development across the energy sector,” said Mike.
The agenda – which will be released in April – puts a special emphasis on being forward-looking as we examine the many influences on the market that drive our work.
The Annual Institute will be held June 14-16, 2026 in Charleston, South Carolina. Register here.
Anne Blankenship is a regulatory attorney at Energy Transfer in Houston, Texas, where she focuses on pipeline safety and environmental compliance and enforcement matters. Prior to relocating to Texas in August of 2025, Anne was in private practice in Charleston, West Virginia for the majority of her legal career at the law firms of Robinson & McElwee and Babst Calland, and was also the Executive Director of the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association from 2016-2020. She has been a member of EMLF since 2002 and is currently a member of the Board of Trustees.
Beth Elmore is a member of Jackson Kelly, PLLC, and practices out of the Firm’s office in Charleston, WV. She is the leader of the Firm’s oil and gas industry group, and is the co-leader of the Firm’s land and natural resources practice group. She focuses primarily on oil and gas matters, with a wide range of experience, both transactional and land related. Along with her years in private practice, Ms. Elmore formerly served as general counsel and land manager for an independent oil and gas producer based in Charleston.
Mike Rush is Managing Director of Land Support at EQT Corporation, where he leads land administration, title, unit development, division order, and landowner relations across EQT’s operations and strategic growth initiatives. He has over a decade of Appalachian oil and gas experience, with deep expertise in complex title curative, mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory matters. He has contributed to major transactions and integrations across the region and previously served as Director of Title at EQT, Senior Attorney at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, and Senior Title Manager at Rice Energy. Mike is a longtime leader in energy law organizations, serving as Co-Founder and former Vice President of the Energy & Mineral Law Society at Duquesne University School of Law, and is a frequent speaker at industry events including the Appalachia Energy Law Conference and Kentucky Mineral Law Conference.