The University of Tulsa’s Collins College of Business honored three new Hall of Fame members on Wednesday night. Kathy Taylor, Genave King Rogers Dean of the college, welcomed the inductees, their families, and friends of the college. All three of the honorees exemplify the mission of the college and the mission of the university.
John Chandler
Outstanding Business Leader
John Chandler’s finance and management talent have long impacted major energy companies, Oklahoma’s economic development future and The University of Tulsa. Since graduating from The University of Tulsa in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, majoring in both accounting and finance, he has held leadership positions in major Tulsa-based energy companies. He began his career at MAPCO Inc. Following The Williams Companies’ acquisition of MAPCO, he led teams in strategic planning and development before becoming the chief financial officer at Magellan Midstream Partners (a public company spun out from Williams) in 2002. At Magellan, Chandler was an integral part of Magellan’s strategy development and performance. In his time at Magellan, he oversaw the financial aspects for the company as it grew from an enterprise value of approximately $1.5 billion to more than $18 billion. During his tenure, Magellan also improved from a noninvestment-grade company to the highest investment-grade entity in the company’s unique market sector.
Chandler retired from Magellan in 2014 to dedicate more time to using his talent to impact the local community including Habitat for Humanity, the Wagoner Public School System, Wagoner Education Foundation, Wagoner Economic Development Authority, and the Wagoner Chamber of Commerce. At the same time, Chandler served on several energy industry boards of directors, including USA Compression Partners (NYSE: USAC), Cone Midstream Partners (NYSE: CNNX), Green Plains Partners (NYSE: GPP), and Matrix Services Co. (NASDAQ: MTRX).
In 2017, Williams recruited Chandler out of retirement to become the chief financial officer of The Williams Companies, where he proudly contributed to the strengthening financial health of Williams. While with Williams, he served on the board of Williams Energy Partners, the Board of the Tulsa Area United Way, and TU’s Collins College of Business Executive Advisory Board. Chandler retired from Williams in 2022 to again focus on community service. Collins College of Business was fortunate that Chandler agreed to serve as an executive in residence at TU, working to redesign the business energy degree and to establish an energy policy research center.
Chandler and his wife, Barbara (who is also a TU graduate), live on their cattle ranch in Wagoner. They have four children, three of whom have graduated from The University of Tulsa. Daughter Curri Bettinger is a tax accountant with Oxy and with her husband, Matt, have two children (Harvey and Bonnie). Daughter Halli Tipton is a professor of nursing at TU and is married to Corey. Son Wyatt recently graduated with a master of accounting and is working for Ernst and Young. Youngest daughter Kammi is in her junior year in petroleum engineering at TU. The Chandlers are truly a true-blue family.
Melinda Stinnett
Outstanding Entrepreneur
Melinda Stinnett was the managing director of Stinnett & Associates, a certified Women’s Business Enterprise and certified Great Place to Work, which she founded in 2001. Stinnett and her leadership team grew the firm from a “party of one” to over 100 team members and contractors in six cities spread across three states. During that time, they significantly expanded their service offerings beyond process improvement, Sarbanes-Oxley, and internal audit services to include cybersecurity, supply chain management, data analytics and automation, and ESG. Prior to founding Stinnett, she worked in public accounting for 12 years with international firms including Arthur Andersen and Price Waterhouse. She has significant experience in various industries including energy, manufacturing, construction, utilities, and retail.
In July 2022, Stinnett & Associates was acquired by CBIZ, a public company offering accounting, tax, advisory, and other services to their clients. Stinnett now works for CBIZ as a senior managing director and co-leads the Risk Advisory Services practice, one of the fastest growing divisions in the Advisory group.
As part of her client-facing responsibilities, Stinnett serves as the outsource chief audit executive for a Fortune 50 company with annual revenues of over $40 billion. She has been instrumental in the development of governance programs and facilitation of operational and compliance process improvement reviews and is considered a valuable adviser to executive management, audit committees, and board members.
Stinnett is also passionate about giving back to her community. She enjoys sharing her time and talents with various local charities and organizations. Stinnett is currently a Tulsa Community College Foundation Board member, is on the Tulsa Regional Chamber Board of Advisors and is serving as their treasurer. She is also a member of the board of governors for the OSU Foundation, the OSU School of Accounting Advisory Board and executive committee and the OSU Eastin Career Center Readiness Board. Stinnett has also served as a board member of the Philbrook Museum of Art, Indian Nations Council of the Boys Scouts of America (and is a Silver Beaver recipient), Tulsa Zoo Friends, and the Institute of Internal Auditors.
Stinnett was named Oklahoma Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration in 2017.
In the fall of 2022, Stinnett received the Oklahoma State University Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumni Award. She was named the Oklahoma Society of CPAs’ 2021 Outstanding Member in Business & Industry award and was selected as the 2021 inductee into OSU’s Spears School of Business Hall of Fame. Stinnett was also a recipient of the OSU Spears College of Business 100 for 100 in 2015. She was also recognized as an OSU School of Accounting Distinguished Alumna and honored with the OSU Spears School of Business Orange Star Award in 2011.
In her spare time, Stinnett enjoys Marvel superhero movies, scuba diving, and quality time with her family, which includes her husband, Joel; their four children – Amanda, Josh, Nate, and Sarah; two daughters-in-law – Mallory and Shanyn; and two grandchildren – Amelia and Stetson.
Arthur Albert Rasher (posthumously)
Faculty Excellence in Community Leadership
Art Rasher made a positive impact on every life he touched. One of his students remarked: “Dr. Art Rasher was more than a professor; he was a mentor and a close friend. His smile and positivity were infectious. He taught us to embody a growth mindset, to challenge the status quo and have while learning to lead.”
His personal leadership and passion led to his exemplary service with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma. His work was recognized nationally when he was honored by the president at the White House as the U.S. Big Brother of the Year in 2010.
Rasher’s service of teaching and research with the Collins College of Business spanned 27 years as an associate professor of management, being awarded professor emeritus status when he retired in 2015. He held joint faculty appointments in Costa Rica and Russia. During his tenure at TU, he received the Mayo Teaching Excellence Award and the Medicine Wheel Award for Meritorious community service. For 22 years, he co-hosted the radio program “Business World” on Public Radio Tulsa.
Rasher’s community service also extended to Rotary Club, Special Olympics (Florida) and Hospice of Green Country.
Rasher was born in Mount Vernon, New York. He earned a B.S. in chemical engineering from Michigan State University, an MBA from Eastern Michigan University, a specialist degree in system dynamics from the Sloan School at MIT, and a doctorate in business from Michigan State University before joining the faculty at Florida State University and then The University of Tulsa in 1988.
Accepting the Outstanding Faculty award posthumously on behalf of Rasher is his widow, Chrystie Meziere, BBBS brother Victor Ornelas, and dear friend Sean Alexander.
This inaugural Faculty Excellence in Community Leadership Award will be selected annually to honor Collins College faculty whose lives reflect the college’s goals and values and demonstrate the value of community engagement.