Navigating the regulatory landscape is often one of the most significant hurdles in project development. At Cornerstone, we bring specialized expertise in permitting and regulatory strategy across municipal, energy, industrial, and special district sectors. Our team supports clients by clarifying complex permitting pathways, preparing essential technical documents, and facilitating dialogue with agencies to achieve timely and compliant approvals. Under the leadership of our experienced Program Manager and Regulatory Strategist, we help our clients gain clarity and confidence in moving projects forward.
Permit Support to Energy and Industrial Clients
Local Agency Permitting
CEQA Initial Studies
Asset Acquisition Due Diligence
White Papers: Oil and Gas, Ag, Alternative Energy, and New Technology
Waste Discharge and Drinking Water Permits
Well and Facility Permitting; Wellbore Diagramming
UIC Applications, Class II and VI, and Aquifer Exemptions
Geologic Services
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President/Asset Retirement Program Manager at Honey Rock Engineers & Advisors LLC, brings over 14 years of oil and gas industry experience with a focus on regulatory compliance and asset retirement obligations. He is a degreed petroleum engineer from Colorado School of Mines with expertise in data-driven decision-making and project management. Alex managed abandonment operations valued at more than $3 billion for one of the states “top 3” producers and supports dozens of land developers in assessing the integrity of legacy wells plus advising on abandonment strategy for California producers. His extensive subsurface operations background and real work field experience supervising rig operations is a standout.
Shawn M. Kerns is a proven C-Suite leader in the energy industry and carbon management space, who is known for leading complex and diverse organizations worldwide.
With more than 30 years’ experience – from hands-on field operations to financing multi-billion-dollars’ worth of deals, Mr. Kerns has consistently delivered the highest value with his unique ability to take a big-picture, far-reaching approach to creating new solutions and innovative ideas and executing these strategies in complex political and regulatory environments.
His specialty is aligning diverse business groups and functions to exceed expectations. He has consistently demonstrated this by developing strategies, assembling teams, clarifying objectives, allocating capital and resources, and empowering organizations to achieve exceptional results.
Most recently, Mr. Kerns served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of California Resources Corporation (CRC), an independent energy and carbon management company committed to energy transition. During his tenure, he held various technical, senior management, and executive roles with proven leadership results across multiple functions including operations, reservoir engineering, and corporate development.
In his various roles at CRC, Mr. Kerns served as an experienced leader of large and diverse multi-disciplinary technical teams in both U.S. and international locations, including five years overseas in Doha with Occidental Qatar. He achieved outstanding results managing P&L for multiple business units and their asset teams for both onshore and offshore regions. Additionally, he is a skilled coach and mentor for diverse cross-functional teams in complex business environments.
Prior to his most recent position, Mr. Kerns served as Executive Vice President of Operations and Engineering, and before that, Executive Vice President of Corporate Development. Past leadership responsibilities include various engineering and technical roles for Occidental in Kansas and Oklahoma, serving as President and General Manager of Vintage Production California, President and General Manager of California Heavy Oil Company, and President and General Manager of Occidental of Elk Hills.
Mr. Kerns was extremely active in the local California community with multiple board of director roles with California State University-Bakersfield, Kern County’s B3K Leadership Council, Boys and Girls Clubs of Kern County, and Adventist Health Hospital executive board. Mr. Kerns holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma, Executive MBA from UCLA, and is a licensed Professional Engineer. He is an active member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.
Claude ‘Alan’ Whitten has over 24 years of Civil Engineering Experience both in the private sector and public sector. A graduate of California State University, Fresno in 1999 and A licensed engineer since 2002, Claude has spent most of his career in Kern County and is familiar with the issues clients face developing projects in California.
Before coming to the Cornerstone Team, Claude spent over 10 years as a civilian employee of the Air Force and ended his time there as the Chief of the Civil Engineering Division of the 412th Civil Engineering Group at Edwards Air Force Base, managing their Civil project planning, and execution. Prior to that, Claude worked in the private sector as a design engineer for Cornerstone Engineering specializing in land development projects, and as a design engineer in the Traffic Department of the City of Bakersfield.
Rolf Scherer brings a breadth of experience to the Cornerstone team that has accumulated over his diverse career. Since receiving his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, he has spent the last 30 plus years working in California’s top industries of Agriculture and Oil & Gas.
Rolf began his career with a large citrus fruit processor in Ventura, CA, where he managed capital projects, maintenance of mechanical and process systems, held responsibility for energy contract negotiations and budget preparation. He then dedicated twelve years as Process Engineer and Environmental Specialist for San Joaquin Refining Co. in Bakersfield, CA. He was project manager over the expansion and replacement of capital equipment and assessed system needs for a variety of refining processes, including analyzing project feasibility and economics. It was with Grimmway Farms that Rolf first took on a role as Director of Project Operations, leading a team of engineers and mechanical designers to develop and implement capital improvement projects for all company facilities across the country. Rolf oversaw power and natural gas energy purchasing, annual capital expenditure planning, master construction schedule and resource planning as part of the divisions’ senior leadership team.
Cornerstone clients know Rolf well in his role as Director of Project Operations. He sets standards for Cornerstone’s project managers and serves as a senior resource for our mechanical engineers and designers. But chances are that if you asked Rolf, he would speak of none of this, but rather share proud stories of his family, his adventures as a leader in Boy Scouts of America Troop 194, and the kids who he has coached in soccer and baseball over the years.
Formally educated in engineering and business with experience in operations and strategy, Mr. Dhanens adds an organized and well-rounded perspective to the consulting of energy and infrastructure. As the Natural Resources lead at Cornerstone, Eric performs long-term strategic plans at the intersection of economics, technology, and regulatory policy; making sense of the complex energy landscape for our clients. In addition, he develops and supports transition energy projects and technologies ranging from carbon capture and sequestration to low-carbon hydrogen production and zero-carbon steam generation.
Prior to joining Cornerstone, Eric held increasingly responsible roles in upstream oil and gas in both operations and business development. He most recently worked as Asset Manager and Business Development Lead for Grade Water & Power. Mr. Dhanens is a promising leader in California’s carbon management sector as he combines advanced education with welcome practicality. He holds his chemical engineering degree from the University of Minnesota as well as a Masters in Global Energy Management from the University of Colorado.
Raymond (Ray) Stanford is a 35+ year veteran of the natural gas industry having worked for the two largest natural gas utilities in the nation. As Cornerstone’s Utilities Director, Ray has an extensive network of contacts and experience. He promotes renewable energy programs and innovative energy solutions. He speaks the language and builds partnerships that help support the clients’ needs that range owner’s engineers, bio-methane, hydrogen, GHG quantification and more. He is also a strong project manager to promote and deliver on new and innovative technology projects, especially on hydrogen transportation.
Before entering the consulting field, Ray spent 30+ years at SoCalGas and was then recruited by PG&E as their Gas Engineering Director. At SoCalGas, he provided engineering design solutions for SoCalGas’ and SDG&E’s Distribution, Transmission, and Storage Gas Operations. At PG&E, Ray managed a very large and diverse organization of over 200 employees plus 1,000 contractors. He was responsible for providing centralized gas infrastructure design engineering and technical utility support to the entire transmission operations. He has experience in Process Safety Management. Beyond the technical, his experiences include managerial positions with increasing responsibility in the Marketing, Research & Development, Distribution, and Transmission Departments. He has been a General Rate Case witness and helped bring AVEVA into SoCalGas/SDG&E.
Ray holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from CalPoly Pomona, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Redlands and an Engineering Management Certificate from CalTech.
Derrill Whitten began his career here at Cornerstone in 1990 and is the thread of continuity for our service set over the decades. He anchors Cornerstone’s civil engineering and land development services and provides subject matter expertise to our surveying department. Unique among his colleagues, Mr Whitten not only holds his civil engineering license, but he is also a registered professional land surveyor and a Grade V wastewater treatment plant operator. This rare combination of education (BS in Petroleum Engineering from University of Texas at Austin) and licensure brings well-rounded critical thinking to Cornerstone clients.
For a decade beginning in the mid-1990’s, Mr Whitten worked for a consulting firm in his home state of Oklahoma and the City of Bakersfield Public Works Dept. Those assignments in particular blended utility operation and capital planning skills with his technical training. As a result, Mr Whitten has been brought in to manage city-wide wastewater capital planning, treatment plant upgrades, street improvements, and campus improvements for community college district facilities. More importantly, he brings continuity and a family atmosphere to the Cornerstone team and to our long-time clients.
Kent Halley has more than 40 years of experience in all aspects of oil and gas production, industrial automation, mining, food and beverage, agriculture, and water. For the last 25 years, he has led strategy, business development, and recruiting for the following industries: oil and gas, utilities, large agricultural clients, food and beverage, schools and universities, and municipal/governmental clients. Today, his Cornerstone team delivers extensive advisory services in energy renewables, regulatory strategy, planning, permitting, and asset retirement to a broad range of clients. Services include enhanced AI solutions to government, educational institutions, industry, hospitals and medical clients.
He frequently plays a role in assembling subject matter experts to tackle some of the more impactful issues faced by these industries. Kent holds a reputation for understanding client needs and drivers, then aligning the right professionals for the job. He has personally played a role in placing well over 200 professionals into executive, engineering, and project-level positions. In doing so, Kent repeatedly succeeds in bringing top-notch talent into the Cornerstone team on behalf of our clients
Kent’s networking with senior staff for the region’s top employers and influencers makes him an effective professional and strengthens Cornerstone’s market presence. Consequently, he drives Cornerstone’s big picture strategy and recruits the men and women to work with him to successfully execute that strategy. He drives Cornerstone’s presence into multiple markets, supporting senior level clients in the following major business segments: oil and gas, renewable energy, hydrogen, carbon management, and enhanced AI solutions within the medical and educational sectors, along with local and state governments.
Educated at Rio Grande University in Ohio, Kent holds degrees in chemistry and mathematics with course emphasis in business management and physics. Industry work includes Development Chemist for Atlantic Richfield followed by U.S. Sales and Marketing Manager for Emerson Electric Corp’s Measurement and Flow Technology Division in all aspects of oil and gas. He advanced from a sales position to corporate level North America Sales Manager for product measurement line to all aspects of the oil and gas industry.
As principal at TJCross Engineers, Inc. in Bakersfield, CA, for 16 years, Kent forged engineering alliance partnerships with the area’s larger oil and gas producers, mining, and water districts. He carried on that role in the years following the acquisition of TJCross Engineers by Parsons. While at Parsons, Kent built a significant market position with utilities that endures to this day. In 2018, Kent partnered with Derrill Whitten at Cornerstone and to date, Cornerstone has grown from a civil engineering team of seven to a multi-disciplinary team of approximately 80 people.
Christine M. Halley Bio
Mrs. Halley brings four decades of regulatory/permitting strategy, civil engineering, and program management to Cornerstone’s clients. A Penn State graduate (BSCE ’81), she assists in regulatory agency interface, strategizing on CEQA compliance, and water resource engineering. She is a sought-after consultant on matters of California energy policy. Mrs. Halley holds a particular expertise in Underground Injection Control compliance. She has proven herself to be an adept communicator of technical settings to a variety of audiences, including elected officials, agency representatives, and the public.
Prior to joining Cornerstone, Mrs. Halley was Director of EH&S and Regulatory Affairs for a mid-size California oil producer. She represented that producer as Executive Board member of the California Independent Petroleum Association. In the 14 years preceding that, she worked for TJCross Engineers – A Parsons Company as Water & Utility Consultant, assisting industry clients in water management and permitting strategy. In the early 2000’s, Mrs. Halley was Utilities Division Manager for San Luis Obispo County, responsible for a team of 32 professionals in operating the County’s utility and water supply systems. Of particular note was Mrs. Halley’s years of participation in the $180 million Nacimiento Water Supply Project for San Luis Obispo, the largest public works project undertaking by that agency at the time.
