PEDEVCO has appointed Chief Operating Officer Reagan Tuck Dukes interim President and CEO following the departure of J. Douglas Schick from the company’s chief executive role and board. The leadership change became effective September 21, 2026.
Schick will remain employed by PEDEVCO through December 31 to provide transition services before his employment ends.
The company said the transition was not the result of a disagreement regarding PEDEVCO’s operations, policies or practices.
Dukes, 42, brings more than 20 years of oil and gas experience across investing, finance, operations, research and consulting.
He has served as PEDEVCO’s COO since its 2025 combination with portfolio companies controlled by Juniper Capital Advisors.
Before joining PEDEVCO, Dukes served as CFO of Century Natural Resources from October 2019 through May 2021 and then CEO from June 2021 through October 2025.
Century previously managed assets that PEDEVCO acquired through its mergers with North Peak Oil & Gas and Century Oil and Gas Sub-Holdings.
Earlier in his career, Dukes worked at Wood Mackenzie as Research Director and Director of North American Supply.
There, he supported commodity research as well as valuation and due diligence associated with billions of dollars of energy transactions.
The interim appointment gives PEDEVCO a leader already familiar with its operations and recently acquired asset base while the company moves forward following Schick’s departure.
