Jerald T. Baldridge is the founder and Chairman of Republic Energy Inc., a privately owned company in Dallas specializing in drilling and producing natural gas wells. The company is a leading developer and operator of wells in the Barnett Shale/Newark East Field, the largest producing gas field in the State of Texas. From 1995 through 2002 Republic also was a managing partner in Petro-Russo, license holder and developer of the Sredne Kharyaga Oil Field in the Timan Pechora Basin of Russia.

Prior to Republic, Jerry had founded/owned Sportpages, a mail order catalog and General Recreation, Inc., formerly an American Stock Exchange listed company manufacturing and marketing a wide variety of leisure time products such as ski wear, backpacking and camping equipment and foods, sporting shotguns, and sailboats. Earlier he was with McKinsey & Company as a management consultant and an investment banker in corporate finance with Laird and Company, former member NYSE. Jerry is a Stanford M.B.A. following three years as a pilot in the USAF and earned an Oklahoma State degree in Economics and Business with honors.

Emy Lou, his wife, was appointed in 2003 by President Bush to be a member of the President’s Council of Service and Civic Participation. She also was the founding Chairperson of Texas Community Partners, a statewide organization aiding abused and neglected children.