Operating Team

Charleston Office

Ryan E. M. Cunningham Principal and Operating Partner

Cunningham Energy's president and operational partner is a West Virginia native with extensive Oil & Gas experience. Ryan began his petroleum production and exploration career in Clay County West Virginia working for D & A Oil and Gas Corporation at an early age in 1990. Since that time Ryan has had an array of working experience ranging from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection to various positions with Wall Street investment firms. Mr. Cunningham is charged with acquisitions as well as long term planning for exploration efforts. Ryan also oversees all daily operations in West Virginia and Kentucky. Ryan's family has over 170 years of history in West Virginia and many years of involvement in the oil and gas industry in West Virginia and Texas. Before taking his position with Cunningham Energy and MCP Petroleum, Ryan had been concentrated on real estate development projects through several family and strategic partnerships. Mr. Cunningham holds a B.A. in Environmental Policy from Rollins College.

Ryan Cunningham is currently directing operations for Cunningham Energy, MCP Petroleum, and Raven Ridge Energy LLC. Ryan has also served as operating partner of Black Crow Oil LLC. In 2008, under Ryan's direction, Black Crow Oil LLC drilled a discovery Berea Oil and Gas well in the Rock Creek Field near Walton, West Virginia. The West Virginia State Geological Survey has recently recognized this discovery as official exploratory footage in the Rock Creek Field. The discovery well has resulted in the need for a gas pipeline to be constructed into the Rock Creek area where infrastructure for natural gas markets did not previously exist, and will afford operators in the Walton area the ability to further develop oil and gas reserves. In 2008 Ryan founded Cunningham Energy as a true independent oil and gas production firm concentrating on tight conventional reservoir production in proven areas of development.

Danielle Boggs Operations Manager - Charleston

Danielle Boggs, Operations Manager, at Cunningham Energy's Eastern Division, comes from an extensive legal and business background. After studying Business at Fairmont State University, Danielle spent 8 years as a paralegal in both the private and public sector handling various types of legal issues at all levels of the judicial system. She became a part of the Cunningham team in 2011 and has worked extensively with all branches of the company as well as outside vendors and state and federal regulating agencies.

H. Steven RhodesDirector of Engineering and Infrastructure

H. Steven (Steve) Rhodes is a highly accomplished engineering professional and senior executive with over 30 years of advanced experience in the geotechnical, geostructural and environmental engineering disciplines combined with extensive construction management and project quality control. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical and Civil Engineering from the University of South Carolina. Mr. Rhodes was CEO, principal and co-founder of a large international consulting engineering practice that participated in numerous significant, large scaled commercial, industrial and government developments totaling over $10 billion in expenditure, while personally managing over 5000 engineering and construction projects during his tenure. Over the last three years, Mr. Rhodes has been a consultant to Cunningham Energy providing engineering and field construction engineering services and oversite for drilling pads, roadways and related infrastructure. In 2013 Mr. Rhodes became a permanent member of the Cunningham Energy organization and is involved intimately in all the planning and field construction activities that are crucial to our well drilling programs.

Brent A. WrightDrilling Consultant – Company Man

Brent Wright started his career in the oil and gas industry working for Ken Oil in Wooster, OH as a service rig hand. He then began studying petroleum engineering at Marietta College. While there, he worked for Miller Supply part-time. During the summers, Brent worked as a roughneck/driller for Capstar Drilling, LLC in Wooster, OH and for Nami Resources LLC, in London, KY as a field engineer.

Brent graduated with B.S. in Petroleum Engineering in 2008. After graduating, Brent worked for Vinland Energy, LLC (formerly Nami Resources) in London, KY full time. At Vinland, Brent managed a 100 vertical well, oil and gas, per year drilling program. The program utilized 5 drilling rigs concurrently and hydraulic fracturing of various methods.

In 2011, Brent started working for Energy Drilling Inc., a drilling contractor that provides turn-key drilling packages, in Natchez, MS. While with Energy Drilling, Brent was responsible for bidding wells up to 18,000’ deep including bit design, casing schedule, mud systems, and other aspects, to minimize risk and maximize profits. Brent managed the contracts to ensure consistent workflow for 12 rigs (5 doubles, 7 triples). Brent oversaw the drilling in all areas of the gulf coast, including Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas.

In 2013 Brent moved to eastern Kentucky to start his own company. Petro-Wright Productions provides consulting for operators drilling horizontal wells, sharing his extensive knowledge of shallow sand horizontal drilling and completion techniques including fluid drilling experience and techniques which are now in use with most shallow sand drilling. Brent recently purchased a small oilfield in Eastern KY running his own production. Petro-Wright Productions has consulted and overseen drilling operations for Cunningham Energy since 2016.

Larry HuffmanTool Pusher

Larry Huffman has been in the been involved in the oil and gas industry for over 35 years.

Larry has worked is way up from a rig hand to derrick hand to driller to rig manager and consultant. His experience includes directional drilling in coal bed methane, Marcellus Shale and Oriskany Sand. Not only proficient in rig operations, Larry also has a Class A CDL license has served as a dozer, forklift, and power tong operator.

Larry Huffman begin his career in the oil and gas industry in 1983 with Clint Hurt & Associates serving as a rig hand, derrick hand, and driller until 1994. Until 1996 Larry additionally served as a dozer operator and service rig foreman specializing in plugging wells. From 2001-2003 Larry worked for Key Energy and Warren Drilling involved in directional drilling in the Oriskany Sand. From 2003-2011, Larry worked with CDDT, CDX, and Pinpoint Drilling, as a tool pusher focusing on coal bed methane wells. In 2011, Larry began consulting with Chesapeake as a Marcellus Shale consultant working on top hole and bottom hole rigs, advising on setting conductors and cementing. From 2012-2013, Larry worked as a consultant for Mountaineer Metals and Grenadier Energy Partners advising on Marcellus Shale directional drilling. Recently, Larry worked with Shaffer Equipment, LLC in Clendenin, WV.

Mr. Huffman’s vast knowledge and experience within the oil and gas industry generally and with horizontal directional drilling specifically, make him a valued asset.