Our Team

Josh Cruzan

Chief Executive Officer/Partner

Josh Cruzan is the Chief Executive Officer of Rimrock Energy Partners and has over 20 years of experience in the Oil and Gas industry. He is responsible for commercial development and operations of Rimrock’s midstream business.  During his tenure, he has overseen the development of Rimrock’s Pierce Gas Gathering and Processing System and has expanded its reach in the northwestern region of the DJ Basin.  Prior to being CEO, Mr. Cruzan was Executive Vice President of Business Development for Rimrock Midstream, where he led the commercial development of Grand Mesa Pipeline and the Platte River Crude Gathering System. Previously, he was the Supervisor of Crude Oil Marketing for Devon Energy where he led the marketing of all upstream crude oil production in the CONUS. In addition to his key management roles with Rimrock and Devon Energy, Mr. Cruzan held marketing management positions with Williams Companies, Samson Energy and SemGroup. He holds a BS in Engineering from Oklahoma State University and a MBA from the University of Oklahoma.

Jeff Derner, CFA

Chief Financial Officer/Partner

Jeff Derner is the Chief Financial Officer at Rimrock Energy Partners overseeing accounting, treasury, financial planning and analysis, risk management, insurance, and cash management. He is involved in the ongoing development of Rimrock’s Pierce Gas Gathering and Processing System and evaluates new opportunities in the midstream and energy transition space. Mr. Derner has helped raise roughly $500 million in equity and debt capital for Rimrock. Prior to Rimrock Energy Partners, Mr. Derner was the interim Chief Financial Officer for Beard Integrated Systems, a mechanical construction company that provides construction services to a broad portfolio of industry groups and was the Chief Financial Officer for DannyShane, a lifestyle cycling apparel brand. In addition to these management roles, he was a Managing Director of Millbrook Equity Partners, a boutique Private Equity Advisory business. Mr. Derner has twenty years of experience in corporate finance, financial analysis, and investment strategy. He holds a BS in Finance from Texas A&M University and is a holder of the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Kevin Bailey

Chief Operating Officer/Partner
Kevin Bailey is the Chief Operating Officer at Rimrock Energy Partners and is responsible for overseeing operations and project development. In addition to Rimrock’s existing Pierce Gas Gathering and Processing System, he is engaged in the development of new midstream and energy transition projects. Prior to joining Rimrock, Mr. Bailey served in various leadership roles in the midstream sector including Engineering, Operations, Project Management, and Commercial Development. He has been responsible for executing large-scale midstream capital projects in various basins across the United States including the DJ, Marcellus, Utica, Fayetteville, and Mid-Continent. Mr. Bailey brings 20 years of industry experience in the design, construction, and operation of gas processing plants, compressor stations, and gas gathering systems. He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma.

Chris Mitchell

Partner

Mr. Mitchell is engaged in the commercial pursuit and development of new opportunities as well as the on-going support of commercial transactions around Rimrock’s existing natural gas gathering and processing assets.  Mr. Mitchell was formerly President and Chief Operating Officer of Rimrock Midstream, LLC, engaged in the commercial development of Grand Mesa Pipeline and Platte River Crude Gathering as well as the construction and operation of the Platte River Crude Gathering System prior to the sale of each asset. He has over 25 years of experience in the crude oil and gas sector as principal of a leading environmental and hydrogeologic engineering firm. He has extensive experience with environmental permitting, remediation, compliance and due diligence services in association with the construction, rehabilitation and operation of pipelines, terminals, processing plants and refineries. He holds a BS in Environmental Science from Texas Christian University and a MBA in Finance from Southern Methodist University.

Matt Valentine

Partner

He has over 25 years of experience in corporate finance, capital markets, financial analysis and investment strategy. Prior to founding Rimrock Midstream, Matt was Managing Director of Millbrook Equity Partners, a boutique Private Equity Advisory business. Mr. Valentine currently sits on the Senior Advisor Board of Orion Infrastructure Capital. He holds a BA in Economics from Washington University and has held numerous financial accreditations and licenses over his career.