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Mora Energy completes Permian acquisitions, strengthens capitalization. Mora Energy expands Midland Basin footprint with two acquisitions and new capital. Mora Energy has completed two significant acquisitions in the Midland Basin, expanding its natural gas midstream operations across a broader portion of West Texas while strengthening its financial position to support future growth. The company announced the closing of its acquisitions of Tejon Treating and Carbon Solutions LLC, known as Tejon, and West Texas Midstream Gas Services LLC, commonly referred to as the Quail system. At the same time, Mora secured substantially increased equity commitments from funds managed by NGP Energy Capital Management LLC and closed a new revolving credit facility led by BOK Financial and Huntington Bank. The combination of new infrastructure and additional liquidity provides Mora with a larger operating platform and greater financial flexibility as it looks to pursue organic development projects and additional acquisitions in the Permian Basin. Mora adds Tejon midstream assets. Mora recently completed the acquisition of Tejon from funds managed by Bayswater Exploration & Production LLC. Tejon operates a natural gas gathering, compression and sour gas treating business in the northeast Midland Basin. The acquisition gives Mora additional midstream infrastructure in an active area of the Permian Basin, one of the most important oil and natural gas producing regions in the United States. Tejon's assets are designed to support the gathering and processing needs of producers operating in the region, providing Mora with an established infrastructure base from which it can pursue additional opportunities. Natural gas gathering systems play an important role in the upstream oil and gas value chain by collecting production from individual wells and transporting it through pipeline networks to processing, treating or downstream markets. Compression facilities help maintain the pressure needed to move gas through these systems, while treating infrastructure can prepare gas streams for transportation and further processing. Tejon's sour gas treating capabilities also add a specialized component to Mora's expanded asset portfolio. Quail acquisition expands western Midland presence. Mora has also closed its acquisition of West Texas Midstream Gas Services LLC, the entity operating the Quail system, from Williams Companies Inc. Quail consists of natural gas gathering and compression infrastructure located in the northwest Midland Basin. The system complements Mora's newly acquired Tejon assets and significantly broadens the company's presence across the basin. With the two transactions completed, Mora now has an operating footprint comprising approximately 200 miles of natural gas gathering pipelines, four compressor stations, an amine treating facility and an acid gas injection well. The combined infrastructure provides Mora with a diversified midstream platform spanning multiple counties and gives the company opportunities to connect additional production to its existing systems. Mora's operations now extend across Andrews, Martin, Howard, Borden, Scurry and Mitchell counties in Texas. The geographic reach gives the company access to multiple areas of Midland Basin activity and positions it to potentially expand alongside producers as drilling and development programs progress. Platform for organic and acquisition growth. Mora said it intends to use the newly acquired infrastructure as a foundation for continued organic expansion as well as future acquisitions. The Permian Basin remains a major center of U.S. oil and gas production, creating ongoing demand for gathering, compression, treating and other midstream services. As producers increase or optimize development activities, midstream operators can pursue infrastructure expansions to accommodate additional volumes. For Mora, the two acquisitions establish a platform from which it can potentially add new pipelines, compression capacity and treating infrastructure while expanding relationships with producers operating throughout its footprint. The company also expects acquisitions to play an important role in its strategy. Existing midstream infrastructure can provide opportunities to build scale through bolt-on transactions, particularly when new assets can be integrated into an established operating network. NGP increases equity commitment. Alongside the acquisitions, funds managed by NGP Energy Capital Management significantly increased their equity commitments to Mora. The additional equity capital gives the company greater financial resources to pursue its expansion strategy and provides support for investments associated with growing its midstream platform. Equity backing is particularly important for a company pursuing acquisitions and infrastructure development because such opportunities can require substantial upfront investment. Increased sponsor commitments can provide a stronger capital base while allowing management to evaluate additional opportunities as they become available. Mora's enhanced capitalization also coincides with the closing of its new revolving credit facility led by BOK Financial and Huntington Bank. The new credit facility, combined with the increased equity commitments from NGP, provides Mora with substantial liquidity. The company said this capital availability will support its efforts to pursue additional expansion opportunities in the Permian Basin. Having access to both equity capital and revolving debt capacity can give a midstream operator greater flexibility when evaluating acquisitions, infrastructure projects and other investments. Management sees significant growth potential. Elliot Gerson, Chief Executive Officer of Mora Energy, described the transactions as an important milestone for the company and its return to owning and operating midstream infrastructure in the Permian Basin. Gerson said Mora intends to move quickly to pursue both organic development and acquisition opportunities. He also emphasized that the increased support from NGP, together with the new credit facility, gives the company the financial flexibility needed to expand its footprint. The company's leadership team brings experience in developing and operating midstream businesses in the Permian, which Mora views as an important advantage as it establishes its new platform. Drew Bredthauer, President of Mora, said the company and its management team have spent much of their careers building midstream businesses in the region. He described the acquired infrastructure as a high-quality foundation supported by relationships with several premier oil and gas operators. According to Bredthauer, the combination of infrastructure, operating experience and financial resources positions Mora to build a large-scale midstream business in the Permian Basin. Strengthening its position in the Permian. The completion of the Tejon and Quail transactions marks a significant step in Mora Energy's strategy to establish a larger midstream presence in West Texas. The approximately 200 miles of gathering pipelines, four compressor stations, amine treating facility and acid gas injection well provide the company with a substantial initial asset base. The infrastructure also creates potential opportunities for incremental development as production volumes and customer requirements evolve. With operations now spanning six Texas counties, Mora has established a broader geographic platform than it previously held. The company's expanded capital resources could further accelerate the development of that platform through new projects and strategic acquisitions. The combination of acquired infrastructure, increased equity commitments and new debt capacity therefore positions Mora to pursue a growth-oriented strategy in one of the country's most active energy-producing regions. Moelis & Company LLC served as financial advisor to Mora on the Quail transaction, while Kirkland & Ellis LLP provided legal counsel to the company.

People moves: $34B Fiduciary Trust hires former Wilmington Trust CEO. Also, Farther and Dynasty add executives-in-residence, Arden Trust hires a president and Catalyst adds to its RIA distribution team. Alex Ortolani, Senior Reporter, Wealth Management August 13, 2026 Fiduciary Trust Company, a Boston-based private wealth management and trust firm, has hired Doris Meister to be president and CEO, succeeding Austin Shapard, who will transition to an advisory role after 12 years leading the firm. The move comes a few months after private equity firm GTCR closed its deal to acquire the advisory overseeing more than $34 billion in client assets. Meister takes the role with 35 years of wealth management and trust experience, most recently serving as chair and CEO of M&T Bank-owned Wilmington Trust from 2016 to 2024. She's also active on several wealth management-related boards, according to her LinkedIn profile, including AssetMark, RWA Wealth Partners and Composition Wealth. Shapard will continue serving as an advisor through the end of 2026, working with Meister and the leadership team to support the transition, according to the announcement. Founded in 1885 as a family office, Fiduciary Trust Company provides wealth planning, investment management, trustee and estate services, and family office, tax and custody services. Meister said in a statement that she will be working to invest "in our people, technology and investment capabilities to further enhance the experience we provide our clients." Farther adds former Kestra COO as executive-in-residence. Farther, a New York-based registered investment advisor with a proprietary wealth platform, has hired John Barragan, Kestra Investment Management's former chief operating officer, as an executive-in-residence focused on client experience and operations, according to a recent Form ADV filing. Barragan joins the tech-focused RIA while running his own consulting firm, Malinois Capital, according to his LinkedIn. He was with Kestra's asset management division for over three years and, earlier in his career, held operations roles at Cetera Financial Group. Farther has been adding leaders and recruiting advisors to its tech-forward RIA, which includes a homegrown technology stack. This May, the firm secured a $150 million Series D round from the private equity firm General Atlantic. Farther, which is led by CEO Taylor Matthews, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Barragan's addition. Dynasty adds Greg Resh as executive-in-residence. Dynasty Financial Partners, a St. Petersburg, Fla.-based RIA platform with more than $125 billion in client assets, has added sports and entertainment executive Greg Resh as an executive-in-residence. Resh brings more than two decades of experience in financial, strategic and operational leadership and is co-founder of SIGR, a sports and entertainment investment bank. His roles have included executive vice president and chief financial officer of Sagamore Ventures; chief operating officer and chief financial officer of the NFL's Washington Commanders; chief financial officer at Roc Nation; and chief financial officer at NBCUniversal Telemundo. Resh is the second sports and entertainment-focused executive-in-residence to join Dynasty this year, after Matt LaPorta, a former major league baseball player with the Milwaukee Brewers and Cleveland Indians. Dynasty created the executive-in-residence role in 2023 to provide content and coaching for CEOs in its network of independent registered investment advisors, according to the company. The firm has several network partners whose practices focus on serving sports and entertainment clients, including Factory Capital, Cyndeo Wealth Partners, OpenArc Corporate Advisory, Americana Partners, Rose Capital Advisors and Signify Wealth. Arden Trust Company appoints Aaron Reber president. Arden Trust Company, a trust and fiduciary services firm owned by Kestra Holdings, named Aaron Reber as president to lead strategic growth initiatives and strengthen its service platform. According to LinkedIn, he is replacing Doug Sherry, who left the president post in March. Reber left Huntington National Bank to take the role, where he led its institutional and personal trust businesses. Earlier in his career, he was a managing director on J.P. Morgan Private Bank's global trusts and estates leadership team. "What attracted me to Arden Trust is the opportunity to build on an already strong foundation and help advisors address increasingly complex planning needs," Reber said in a statement. Arden Trust works with advisors across trust administration and estate planning matters, including wealth transfer, legacy planning, business succession and specialized trust structures. Catalyst Capital Advisors hires two RIA sales directors. Catalyst Capital Advisors, an investment manager that oversees a number of alternative investment funds, has hired Tim Brand and Don Gentile as RIA sales directors to expand distribution capabilities within the RIA market. Brand joins with more than 25 years of leadership experience in investment management, distribution and business development, most recently as senior vice president and head of advisor consulting distribution at Meeder Investments. Gentile brings 25 years of experience serving financial advisors and institutional investment professionals, most recently as director of national RIA sales at Vontobel Asset Management. Prior to that, he spent more than two decades at Putnam Investments in various leadership roles within RIA sales, sales enablement and distribution management. As RIA sales directors, Brand and Gentile will seek to develop relationships with RIAs, family offices and wealth management firms, according to the announcement. Senior Reporter, Wealth Management Alex Ortolani is a New York-based senior reporter with Wealth Management with a focus on deals, moves and trends in the registered investment advisor space. In addition to financial and business reporting, he has worked in media relations and corporate communications for tech firms and Fortune 500 companies.

Valley organizations helping students, families prepare for back-to-school. Several organizations around the Mahoning Valley are looking to get students and their families ready for the school year with back-to-school fundraising, giveaways and more. On Tuesday, August 10, Huntington Bank and the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley partnered for the 16th year in a row for the "Stuff the Bus" event, which looks to provide students with the necessary supplies they need for a successful year. Together, volunteers helped pack over 2,000 backpacks with school supplies that will be distributed to students in Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana and Mercer Counties ahead of the 2026-2027 school year. The volunteers, noted as being employees from Huntington Bank and Great Clips, helped fill the bags, which will be sent to students in school districts identified through the United Way, hoping to ensure that every student has what they need to succeed. The packing event is part of United Way's annual "Stuff the Bus" campaign. Additionally, throughout August, Great Clips and Cocca's Pizza plan to collect donations to help purchase additional school supplies for children in the Valley. "Preparing students for a successful school year starts with making sure they have the basic tools they need on day one. Huntington Bank is proud to continue this partnership with United Way because we know these backpacks will make a real difference for local families... Investing in our students today is an investment in the future of our communities," said Sam Huston, the Mahoning Valley Market President of Huntington Bank. Huston continued, noting that this event helps families who may have been unable to purchase all of the necessary materials themselves. "As you know, school supplies are becoming more and more expensive. Some families don't really have the wherewithal to do that for their children, and this is a great program that helps support many families in the community," said Huston. Bob Hannon, the President of the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley, also noted the impact that events like these have on the community. "Every backpack represents more than school supplies - it represents a community coming together to support a child's success... We're thankful for Huntington Bank's continued commitment and for all our partners who make Stuff the Bus possible. Together, we're helping thousands of students walk into the classroom ready to learn and thrive," said Hannon. United Way thanks its partners - Huntington Bank, Great Clips, Cocca's Pizza and WFMJ - for their support in their efforts to help provide school supplies. Additionally, another organization in the Mahoning Valley is looking to help prepare students for the new year: Alta Care Group. The Valley nonprofit, which focuses on committing itself to the social, emotional, behavioral, educational and physical well-being of children, youth, young adults and families in the Valley, is set to host its first-ever Back to School Bash on Friday, August 14. The event will be held at Master's Pavilion in Boardman Park from noon to 6 p.m. In addition to a stuffed backpack giveaway, the following features will also be available: * Pre-teen hygiene kits * Haircuts and simple hairstyles * Concessions * Music * Inflatable bounce houses * A mobile gaming trailer * Giveaways * More Parents will also have the opportunity to learn more about services and programs at Alta Behavioral Healthcare and Alta Head Start, plus any employment opportunities there. The event is free to attend and can be registered for here. According to a news release, the event is funded through the One Ohio Recovery Foundation with support from the community through: * DJ Mas * DJ Stan the Man * Excalibur Barber * Molnar's Concessions * RTF Mobile Gaming * Your Mobile Cosmo * Youngstown BBQ Company Download the WFMJ app for your Apple or Android smartphone or tablet to get its push alerts as news happens.