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Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College will host the 2024 Outstanding Alumni Banquet during homecoming weekend on Friday, October 4, at 6pm in the Calcagno Family Ballroom.
NEO alumnus of 1983, Chat York was a captain of the Golden Norse football team and a baseball team member during his time in Miami. York assisted his football team in finishing in the top five nationally both years. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1982 Garland Bowl his freshman year and NEO’s Offensive Player of the Year his sophomore season. Apart from athletics, York was also a member of Phi Theta Kappa, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and First Baptist Church.
Following his time at NEO, York transferred to the University of Texas at Arlington, where he continued his football career and was a Phi Delta Theta fraternity member before graduating with a degree in accounting. After graduation, he worked in public accounting and private industry, primarily in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, while earning his license as a Certified Public Accountant. He earned an MBA in Finance from Texas A&M University-Commerce during this time.
York spent much of his business career in the energy industry, with 25 years at TXU. In 2014, he accepted an opportunity to move into the oil and gas industry as the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Saulsbury Industries. In 2018, he was then named President and Chief Executive Officer of the company and a member of the Board of Directors. He immediately initiated a business turnaround effort, resulting in the 2nd best year in the 54-year-old company’s history. After leading the company through the COVID-19 downturn and subsequent rebound, York announced his retirement in February 2023. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of First United Bank, headquartered in Durant, Oklahoma, where he is a member of the Audit, Strategy, and Compensation committees.
York and his wife invest their time and efforts in worthy causes within their communities and those that have made a difference in their lives and those of others.
All alumni and friends of the college are invited to attend the banquet. Tickets are $35 and $15 (12 and under) or $280 for a table of eight. Purchase tickets at the door or online.
Sign-up link for the 2024 Outstanding Alumni Banquet: https://neo.edu/homecoming
For more information, contact alumni coordinator Eric Iverson at eiverson@neo.edu or 918-961-1771.
