ADA, Okla. - East Central University alumnus, Mike Cantrell, is set to be honored at ECU’s Evening of Honors and Recognition, May 1 at 6 p.m. in the ECU Foundation Hall, located inside the Chickasaw Business & Conference Center.

A 1972 graduate of ECU, Cantrell earned his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Psychology.

Cantrell has had a distinguished career in the oil and gas industry, known for his leadership in business, government affairs and energy policy. He is President of Pivotal Strategic Solutions LLC, a position he has held since 2018. He also serves as Chairman of Postwood Energy, an oil and gas acquisition and exploration company, a role he has held since 2016.

Since 2000, he has served as Principal of Cantrell Investments LLC, an oil and gas investment company. From 1975 to 2000, he served as President of Oklahoma Basic Economy Corporation, an Ada-based oil and gas exploration and production company. He also served as Chairman of Oil Center Operating, Inc. from 1991 to 1999.

From 2009 to 2013, Cantrell served as Political Affairs Consultant and later Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs at Continental Resources Inc., where he worked on federal and state energy policy issues and helped establish and lead the company’s government affairs function.

Throughout his career, Cantrell has played an active leadership role in numerous industry organizations, including serving as President of the Oklahoma Energy Producers Alliance from 2018 to 2020 and Co-Chairman from 2017 to 2018. He served as Chairman of the National Stripper Well Association from 2014 to 2016 and was President of the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association from 1995 to 1997.

He also co-founded and served as President of the Domestic Energy Producers Alliance and has held leadership roles with multiple national and state energy associations focused on domestic production, regulatory policy and small producers. He has additionally served on boards and committees including the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, North Dakota Petroleum Council, National Association of Royalty Owners and others throughout his career.

Cantrell has also been active in civic and community leadership. He is a former member of the Grand River Dam Authority Board, a member of Leadership Oklahoma, and served as Vice Chairman for both Oklahomans for Workers Compensation Reform and Oklahomans for Lawsuit Reform. He also founded the Ada City School Foundation, building an initial endowment that has since grown significantly to support local education.

Cantrell has served on the Board of Directors for the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and Citizens Bank of Ada, and has been involved with the Council for a Secure America, a nonprofit organization focused on energy policy and international collaboration. He is also serving as campaign co-chair for the ECU Forward Capital Campaign.

Cantrell said ECU played a pivotal role in his life, noting that he met his wife of more than 50 years while attending the university and was shaped by faculty who prepared him for both his career and life.

He is a private pilot, certified scuba diver and member of Trinity Baptist Church in Ada. He and his wife, Linda Maisano Cantrell, have two children and six grandchildren.

To purchase tickets for ECU Evening of Honors and Recognition, visit tinyurl.com/9ckajkf7 or contact the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@ecok.edu or at 580-559-5724. Advanced tickets are recommended.

-ECU-