Deep Commitment

Today, Cress serves as the director of competency and training at Deep Well Services, an oilfield services company based in Zelienople that specializes in high-pressure and long-lateral completion and intervention work. In his role, Cress personally oversees and develops a globally accredited training program, giving DWS employees access to world-class equipment and instruction designed to handle complex, high-stakes well operations.

Cress first joined Deep Well Services in 2014 as a regional safety manager before transitioning into education and workforce development. That shift, he explained, was a natural evolution of his safety-first philosophy, one which built directly off the principles taught at SRU.

“Competency training was the next logical step for me,” Cress said. “As a safety manager, I learned that you can’t separate safety from the people who are doing the work. If you want people to perform at a high level in any company, you’ve got to give them the knowledge, the tools and the expectations to do something the right way. That philosophy, which was ingrained in me at SRU, led me into training.”

At the core of DWS’s technical operations are specialized hydraulic completion units, which are massive, complex hydraulic machines engineered to allow crews to safely service oil and gas wells. These units provide the power, precision and control needed to manage heavy pipe and intricate tooling underground. Yet, despite the advanced engineering behind these units, Cress insists that technology is only as effective as the professionals behind the controls.

“The machine is important, but the real value is the trained people operating it,” Cress said. “What really separates DWS, in my opinion, is our focus on people. Our ‘One Team, One Family’ culture includes our competency-based training, and our commitment to developing people and leaders.”

That people-first leadership style took root long before Cress stepped onto the job site.

SRU’s safety management program has long been recognized as a premier training ground for industry leaders, renowned for pairing advanced technical coursework with real-world application. During his time at SRU, Cress absorbed a strong set of core values built around clear communication, personal accountability and professional ethics.

For Cress, the bond with SRU is not just an academic line on a resume or a steppingstone to a successful career; it is deeply interwoven with his personal history, his family roots and a profound sense of regional pride.

Cress graduated from Slippery Rock Area High School, his mother, Rebecca, worked at SRU, and his grandparents lived on Slippery Rock Road.

“Slippery Rock has always been a part of my life,” Cress said. “SRU and the community gave me a foundation and taught me how to think.”

He built a career on that foundation by applying skills and developing relationships.

“I understood the hazards, risks and regulations,” Cress said. “But as I’ve learned throughout my career, knowing just the technical sides isn’t really enough. You’ve got to be able to communicate and build relationships, and to be able to get people to believe in doing things the right way. Those morals and values started at Slippery Rock.”

The collaborative environment within SRU’s safety management program left a lasting mark on Cress, shaping the way he now approaches leadership and team building at DWS. Driven by dedicated faculty, supportive staff, and ambitious peers, the program instills a unique culture of mutual success, one that alumni frequently carry into corporate boardrooms and field operations alike.

“You had a team of individuals at SRU that cared about one another and the success around them,” Cress said. “They cared about others more than themselves, and that was something that always resonated with me. The culture the safety program has directly connects to the type of culture and beliefs I’m instilling with the people at Deep Well.”