BISMARCK – Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be guest speaker at the Williston Basin Petroleum Conference in the Bismarck Event Center in Bismarck next month.

The North Dakota Petroleum Council (NDPC) announced on Monday Pompeo as a guest speaker. The conference will be held May 11-13. Pompeo will speak on May 13.

All conference attendees will receive a ticket to hear Pompeo speak. Members of the public interested in attending Pompeo’s speech are asked to email: ndpc@ndoil.org.

“We are excited to welcome Secretary Pompeo to WBPC this year. He has an energy background and understands the important role our domestic energy industry plays in supporting our national security,” said Ron Ness, NDPC president. “We look forward to hearing an encouraging message about the value of American energy to the world.”

Most recently, Pompeo served as the nation’s most senior diplomat in his role as 70th U.S. secretary of state.

During his tenure, the world witnessed the emergence of America as a massive energy exporter, a force for good in the Middle East with real peace cemented in the historic Abraham Accords and an American foreign policy based on this nation’s founding ideals that put America first, according to NDPC information.

Before his time as secretary of state, Pompeo served as the head of the CIA, and he represented south-central Kansas for six years in Congress. Before running for Congress, Pompeo was president of Sentry International, an oilfield equipment manufacturing, distribution and service company in Wichita, Kansas.

The Williston Basin Petroleum Conference is the largest conference and trade show in North Dakota. This year’s event will feature 70 speakers and presenters, each sharing their insights on the latest issues impacting oil and natural gas development and what the future holds for the Williston Basin. Over 250 exhibitors and at least 1,500 attendees are expected at the conference.

For more information about the conference and to register, visit wbpcnd.com.