Richland Economic Development executive director Leslie Messer will receive the Montana Ambassador of the Year award during the Montana Ambassadors’ annual meeting and conference March 22-23.

Messer serves on the ambassadors’ board of directors and exemplifies what it means to be a Montana Ambassador through her service to the organization and the state of Montana. Messer works every day with businesses involved in the Bakken development and growth of eastern Montana.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer has announced Harold Hamm CEO of Continental Resources, the largest independent oil producer in the Bakken region, will keynote the Montana Ambassadors annual meeting and conference. The conference theme is Imagine the Possible and will be held at the Billings Crowne Plaza.

Hamm, chairman and CEO of Continental Resources, founded the predecessor company in 1967 as an oilfield service provider, later expanding to focus on the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas properties in Oklahoma. In 1993, Continental Resources expanded into the Rocky Mountain region, first into the Red River Units of Montana and the Dakotas, and then into the Bakken Shale play in Montana and North Dakota. The company is now the third largest crude oil producer in the Rocky Mountain region, the largest leaseholder and driller in the Bakken Shale and the largest leaseholder in the Anadarko Woodford in Oklahoma, with additional operations in the South and East regions of the United States.

“The Montana Ambassadors play an important role is sharing our success stories, such as our top business climate and high quality of life, to attract new businesses and create jobs. We are also excited to have Harold Hamm, a leader in the energy industry, speak at the annual meeting,” Schweitzer said.

A special energy panel will highlight the second day of the conference and include leaders in wind power development, coal development, merchant electrical transmission line development and oil pipeline development.

The governor will also present five major Montana Ambassador Awards.

The Montana Ambassadors is a volunteer, not-for-profit organization of leaders in business, education, economic development, and local and state government with a common dedication of supporting the governor’s economic development agenda and improving the economy of Montana.

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Messer to receive Ambassador of the Year honor