Elizabeth Ames Jones, appointed to the commission last year and now serving as chairwoman, says she belongs on the board that regulates the oil industry because she grew up in the oil patch. Her childhood as the daughter of a successful oil man in San Antonio may be a few hundred miles from the heart of the oil industry, but her experience as former chairman of the House Energy Resources Committee does give her a leg up on the issues. She rightly points out that the urbanization of the oil patch may be the biggest, most immediate challenge of the coming years. She works well with the commission's two West Texans - Michael Williams of Midland and Victor Carrillo of Abilene - and should be given her own full term.