10 National Business Leaders Appointed to OU’s Price College Board of Advisors

NORMAN, OKLA. – The University of Oklahoma Michael F. Price College of Business welcomed 10 new members to its Board of Advisors for the 2023-24 academic year. The new members were formally introduced and approved at the board’s semi-annual meeting last May in Norman. 

Members of Price College’s Board of Advisors span various industries and play an active role in shaping the direction of the state of Oklahoma’s top-ranked business school. 

“Our Board of Advisors is thrilled to be joined by this esteemed group of business leaders and professionals, all of whom share deep connection and passion for the Price College of Business and University of Oklahoma,” said Corey Phelps, dean of the Michael F. Price College of Business. “These new members will assist us with shaping business education at the University of Oklahoma for years to come, especially as we continue to make significant progress with our five-year Bigger, Broader, Better strategic plan.” 

Get to know the new members of Price College’s Board of Advisors: 

Mike Beckham  
Mike Beckham (B.B.A. ’03) is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Simple Modern, a leading premium drinkware and lifestyle product producer. Prior to founding Simple Modern, Beckham spent over a decade working for the worldwide Christian ministry CRU. Equipped with a deep understanding of the nonprofit sector, Beckham transitioned into the business world and helped found and operate several e-commerce businesses. He also serves as Price College’s senior entrepreneur-in-residence. 

Lori Davis  
Lori Davis (B.B.A. ‘85, M.B.A. ‘88) serves as the Managing Partner of the Grant Thornton Denver office, where she executes firm strategy locally and oversees a team providing audit, tax, and advisory services in Colorado. Additionally, she is a Partner in the Tax Services Practice and holds a key position on the firm's National Partnership Board, leading the Partner Matters Committee. Boasting more than 30 years in public accounting, Davis is a Certified Public Accountant and is affiliated with the American Institute of CPAs and the Colorado State Society. 

Mary Durie  
Mary Durie (B.B.A. ‘84), a former principal at Quest Capital Management Inc. in Dallas, played a pivotal role in the firm's growth from joining in 1988 to retiring in 2018. With over 30 years of experience in wealth management, Durie, a Certified Financial Planner since 1990, applied a disciplined approach to managing over $300 million in assets and contributed to growing the firm to over $1 billion in assets under management. Durie remains connected to her OU roots. In 2023, she was elected to the OU Foundation Board of Trustees. 

Allison Greco  
Allison Greco (MBA ‘07) is the Senior Vice President at EVO Transportation. With a B.S. in industrial engineering and experience that spans roles in organizations like Black Hills Energy, Williams, the United States Air Force, and BNSF Railway, Greco has initiated and revitalized Continuous Improvement programs, leading large-scale realignment efforts that have focused on fostering healthier work environments and stronger employer-employee relationships. 

Michael Horton  
Michael Horton (B.B.A. ‘02) is the CEO and Founder of Good Living Ventures, which is dedicated to addressing the housing crisis. Having observed challenges faced by working families from his upbringing in Southern Oklahoma to the rising costs in Denver, his current home, Horton leverages his business-building experience in the manufactured housing space to create innovative and cost-effective solutions for more livable and desirable homes and communities. As the Chief Commercial Officer of Felix Energy, Michael Horton oversaw numerous transactions, successfully building and selling significant acreage positions in the STACK play in Central Oklahoma and the Permian Basin, with a combined gross of over $5 billion. Beyond his professional endeavors, Horton has channeled his passion for home renovation and restoration into collaborating on more than 20 fixer-uppers, some of which garnered local and national recognition. Recently leaving the energy sector, Horton is now fully committed to his role at Good Living, balancing his professional life with his family and interests. 

Phil Houchin  
Philip Houchin (B.B.A. ‘00) is the President of Jackson Hole Capital Partners in Tulsa, joining the firm in January 2021. Before this role, he served as the Chief Financial Officer at Mid-Con Energy Partners, LP, for over two years. Houchin played a crucial role in the management team that successfully executed a corporate restructure and recapitalization during his tenure at Mid-Con. With a background in commercial banking spanning 18 years, he was the Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer at Patriot Bank, where he contributed to the bank's purchase in 2009 and subsequent sale in 2017. He also holds a degree from the Southwest Graduate School of Banking at the Cox Business School at Southern Methodist University.

Marci McCloskey  
Marci McCloskey (B.B.A. ‘10) serves as the Supervisor of IT Risk and Compliance at Paycom, overseeing teams responsible for IT compliance, risk management, data governance, business resiliency, and disaster recovery. With over a decade of IT advisory and cybersecurity experience, she joined Paycom in August 2022 after holding positions as a Senior Manager at Stinnett & Associates and IT Security Product Manager for the State of Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services. McCloskey also earned a B.A. in Criminology-Sociology from OU and is a Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) and a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA). 

Jonathan Price  
Jonathan Price (B.A. ‘07) is a Principal at Sandhurst Apartment Management, overseeing day-to-day property operations, capital project, and acquisition due diligence for the management of over $2 billion in multi-family properties across 14 states. With over 15 years at SAM, Price previously served as an Associate with The Woodmont Company in Fort Worth, Texas, handling various aspects of managing the company's real estate portfolio. His passion for real estate extends to involvement in the development group that built the Freestone Club, a luxury lake and golf enclave covering 5,000 acres south of Dallas. Price, a University of Oklahoma graduate, has invested in and served on the boards for venture capital projects like PlantSwitch, providing high-quality biodegradable alternatives to plastic. Residing in Dallas with his wife Laura and four children, Price remains actively engaged in community and investment endeavors. 

Christy Rhea  
Christy Rhea (B.B.A. ‘16) is a First Vice President in CBRE’s Dallas office, where she is regarded as a highly accomplished commercial real estate professional specializing in office tenant representation. A Plano, Texas native, Rhea is based in Dallas, where she and her husband, Sam, are involved in commercial real estate. Rhea is affiliated with various professional and community organizations, including Reading Partners North Texas Literacy Tutor, Arthur B. Adams Society at the Price College of Business, OU Club of Dallas. She is an alum of Price College’s First Fidelity Bank Integrated Business Core program and the JCPenney Leadership Program. 

Gary Simmons  
Gary Simmons is the executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Valero, overseeing crucial aspects such as crude supply, product trading, wholesale marketing, transportation, and international commercial operations. With a career at Valero spanning since 1987, Simmons has held various leadership positions, including roles such as Process Engineer, Executive Director-Regional Development, Vice President and General Manager of refineries, and Vice President-Planning and Economics. Simmons, who earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Oklahoma and an MBA from the University of Texas at San Antonio, has played a pivotal role in directing supply, trading, and hedging activities for crude oil to all Valero refineries. His responsibilities also extend to overseeing international operations and refinery systems optimization.