Patrick McConathy is an entrepreneur of diverse interests and accomplishments. From Colorado, he joined the Middlebury College Board of Trustees in 2005. McConathy brings to the table a Western-U.S. perspective, enthusiasm for the institution, decades of experience and networks in the energy industry and a commitment to sustainability.
“I’m a kind of redneck affirmative action … I love this school … It doesn’t matter whether they’re twenty-five or seventy-five, alumni have done so many things with their lives, with the education they’ve gotten at Middlebury,” McConathy said.
McConathy bridges the distance between Denver and Middlebury and keeps up with developments regarding the College by reading The Middlebury Campus. He takes advantage of board meetings and graduation ceremonies to improve his touch with the Middlebury community.
“I come early to get out and about … and enjoy being around students – all students within reach … The student has to feel comfortable to talk to you around,” McConathy said.
By connecting with students, McConathy has come to believe that social life is their most pressing concern on campus.
“When I was on campus the first thing they bring up is social life. It’s been a significant issue since 2000,” McConathy said.
He recognizes the complexity created by different students’ conflicting views about the prevalence and restriction of alcohol consumption at Middlebury.
“[Some] think [there is] too much drinking,” McConathy said. “Some think there’s not enough access to alcohol … the issues revolve around social seams. I’ve heard so much conversation about it and I don’t have a solution. Ron and his staff has [have] worked a lot [on it but] it’s an issue that won’t go away.
McConathy notes that the greatest problem confronting the College administration is providing quality education at a reasonable cost. He suggests that Middlebury should follow the example of other institutions that make higher education more accessible by making tuition more affordable.
When asked to identify the most exciting strides the College is making into the future, McConathy expresses his hope that the College will increase social and economic diversity on campus.
“The college is doing a good job of that, but we can always do more. Ron’s been very committed to that,” McConathy said.
An environmentalist at heart, however, McConathy singled out Middlebury’s progress toward sustainability.
“I know it’s not as good as others want it to be,” he said, “but we are cutting edge on the front.”
After graduating from Louisiana State University in 1975 with a degree in political science, instead of going to law school, McConathy entered the oil industry through the recommendation of a relative. He explains that he was motivated by an appreciation for the business and the opportunity to make a profit.
“It’s a fascinating business,” McConathy said. “If you guess right about where energy is, you can make some money. But you can also lose. It’s a rollercoaster ride.”
McConathy made both a profit and a reputation for himself in the thirty-one years he worked in oil. He started off drilling wells in Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Wyoming. In 1989, McConathy established Phoenix Oil and Gas and purchased productive oil and gas holdings in these regions. By 2005, the company and its partners had acquired and operated on a significant portion on and offshore properties in California.
In 2006, however, McConathy relinquished his investments in the oil sector and shifted his attention to natural gas, sustainable energy, and environmentally-friendly ranching. Last year, he founded Yarmony Energy, which operates natural gas, alternative energy, and mineral properties in Colorado, Louisiana and Texas. Specific projects he has supported include a year-long solar venture, a wind-powered cattle ranch, and geothermal energy for a big multinational corporation.
“My perspective on the earth has changed since the late 80s,” McConathy said.
The transformation in his entrepreneurial focus embodies personal environmental sympathies that began to develop over two decades ago, when he served on a Louisiana commission that made him aware of the environmental consequences of the energy business in the state.
McConathy cites multiple reasons for his switch to cleaner investments.
“My older son, who came out of Middlebury as a fire-breathing dragon, wanted me to divest, and I wanted to move toward natural gas,” McConathy said. “I had a lot of access to climate research; that had some impact as well. I also thought it was a good thing to do economically. I’d been thinking about it for a while and thought it was the right thing to do.”
According to McConathy, divestment at Middlebury is a far trickier objective that can only be attained over a period of time.
“The human race is destroying the planet,” McConathy said. “It’s not all about money. But it’s very complicated by the fact that the board has a lot of responsibilities in other areas. It won’t take place overnight, but the board is aware of it and it’s a possibility.”
Despite the inertia regarding divestment, McConathy points out we are head and shoulders above other people in the way we address climate change and energy.
“We should be proud of that,” he said.
McConathy has suffered some losses in his new area of investment. He notes that alternative energy will not become viable on a large scale until it produces economic returns higher than conventional sources.
“Alternative energy needs to be able to compete economically for it to get good traction,” McConathy said.
McConathy has not put as much money behind green energy as he did behind oil, but hopes to do so in the future.
“I don’t have the funds I used to five years ago,” he said. “I would if I had the money. I’m no fan of the major oil companies. I can see it happening in the next fifteen years.”
The Yarmony enterprise also includes Yarmony Creek Sport Horses, which runs local cattle ranching, horse breeding, and hay operations in Colorado. McConathy mitigates the environmental impact of his ranches by following the advice of credible ranching consultants and implementing sustainable practices such as cell grazing.
“Every rancher should be an environmentalist,” McConathy said. “It’s in his best interest to take care of the land because that’s all he’s got … it’s in the best interest of livestock, land, and everyone around you.”
McConathy even addressed the human dimensions of environmental problems as the producer of Climate Refugees, which was the only film screened at the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference, and was shown on campus in 2010.
“You can’t see what’s happening to people and not be concerned,” he said.
The Trustee Who Told Big Oil to Take a Hike
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