Jewell, the former chief executive of outdoor retailer REI, checked out the Offshore Technology Conference in its third day and met with industry top executives before taking questions from reporters outside the bustling exhibition hall at Reliant Park.

“Our philosophy is to really stay right with industry as it grows and develops,” Jewell told her audience, flanked by Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) director James Watson and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) director Tommy Beaudreau.