Our Team
Joseph Saliba - President & CEO
At 40, Joseph Saliba has already built a resume of entrepreneurial success and strategic ventures. It includes a blend of academic achievement (Bachelor’s degree), sports (golf teams at the University of Hawaii and University of Colorado), and business accomplishments.
While still a student, Saliba founded Wine Punts, a custom glassware business, turning used wine bottles into drinking glasses. Over the past two decades, he expanded into an international business with a product line that received recognition from O Magazine as one of “Oprah’s Favorite Things”. Joe sold a majority stake in the company in 2017 and at the present holds no interest in the company.
Joe entered the capital side of oil and gas development in the late 2000’s while still running Wine Punts. He co-founded Pine Creek Operating which was built up to operating over 35 wells in East Texas. Pine Creek Operating was eventually sold in 2021. In 2014, Joe co-founded Pikes Peak Energy and Pine Creek Oil Co. Ltd where he held the title of Managing Director from 2014 to 2022. Combined the companies raised and/or transacted over $120 million in oil and gas interests in the DJ Basin, Permian Basin, East Texas, and the Utica Shale. Joe currently holds no interest in these entities.
In 2023, Joe established CS Resources, LLC (CSR) to develop a portfolio of non-operated working interests through strategic relationships with leading oil and gas companies like Chevron, Bayswater, WRC Energy, Franklin Mountain Energy, Continental Resources, EOG Resources, and others. In 2024, CSR and its affiliates have assessed over $300 million in non-operated working interests and currently hold stakes in 26 wells located in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming.
As a side project Joe started an app-based, on-demand residential trash and recycling company, Snapp Trash, LLC, providing service to Colorado Springs.
Apart from his business interests, Joe still golfs whenever he can with his two brothers. He is also an avid fly fisherman and he sits on the board of non-profit Rocky Mountain Kids based in Colorado Springs.
The oil and gas industry continues to evolve with better technologies for finding and extracting product. Each year, valuable insights are gained into best practices, and equally important, potential pitfalls. This is where Joe's commitment to his partners shines. He is developing a strategy that highlights the oil and gas sector's investment potential while showcasing its many advantages over traditional investing targets.
Kevin Chan - Chief Operating Officer
A lifelong native of Colorado, Kevin holds degrees in Marketing and Management from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Kevin made the transition to oil and gas from the real estate and mortgage industry at the beginning of 2022. He has been with CSR since its inception and after helping real estate investors and homebuyers navigate the interest rate cycle of 2022-2023, brought his knowledge of markets and financial analysis to CS Resources.
After his experience in customer service and real estate, Kevin has a deep commitment to a fiduciary responsibility; ensuring all clients are given fair and transparent opportunities within oil and gas.
Kevin currently resides in Colorado Springs. A former golf professional, when not working, he can usually be found on the course or fly fishing in the mountains.
Jeff Carnahan - Vice President
Jeff brings over 25 years of entrepreneurial experience to CS Resources, having built a successful portfolio across diverse industries like construction, retail, and hospitality. In 2011, he recognized the potential of the oil and gas sector and excelled in structuring and selling working interests.
Driven by a vision to prioritize investor returns, Jeff has partnered with CS Resources to create a unique business model focused on maximizing your potential in the oil and gas market.
Beyond his professional achievements, Jeff prioritizes spending time with his wife Victoria and their four daughters. He also enjoys activities like fishing, golf, and staying active in various sports. His dedication to both family and financial success resonates with his investors, who value his commitment to maximizing their returns in the oil and gas sector.
Mike Thornton - Investor Relations
Mike returned to the oil and gas industry in late 2023 because of a revolutionary investor-oriented approach to limited partnerships instituted by our CEO, Joe Saliba. Prior to that, he had retired from the world of telecommunications, computers, and oil and gas drilling. He is a U.S. Army Vietnam Era veteran, serving as a drill sergeant for basic training; honorably discharged in 1969. He is the author of four books including Beyond the MBA to an MBB and Christ in Men…Today. Mike was Vice President of Marketing for one of the seven regional Bell operating companies formed from the divestiture of AT&T in 1984. He also managed a telecom consulting practice for Price Waterhouse in Los Angeles. He finished this phase of his career with six years as Area Operations Manager in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest for NEC Corporation. He is an instrument rated private pilot with over 1,000 hours of P.I.C. time, SCUBA certified, and he’s married to the same girl for 53 years, has 4 children, 8 grandchildren and lives in beautiful Colorado Springs.
Dave Lownsbury - Investor Relations