OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) — The State Chamber of Oklahoma’s new chairman has a history of growing Oklahoma’s future workforce, having founded the Oklahoma Aviation Academy.
In addition to a new chairman, The State Chamber also has three new members on its Board of Directors.
Rick Nagel, who is managing partner and CEO of Acorn Capital Management, is the Chamber’s new chairman. Nagel has been part of The State Chamber board since 2018. He also serves as vice chair on the OU Board of Regents.
“Rick Nagel has been one of the strongest, most influential voices in leadership at The State Chamber for years,” said Chad Warmington, president and CEO of The State Chamber. “His work in education and workforce innovation is groundbreaking and transformative. We are lucky to have a strong, respected leader as our chair.”
Nagel succeeds Dana Weber, CEO of Webco Industries, as State Chamber board chair. He said he wants to do what he can to help Oklahoma compete on a national level.
“We already have one of the best chambers in the nation, but I know Chad and the staff are just like me,” Nagel said. “We don’t want to rest on our laurels; we are ready to get even better. I am ready to compete to make the Chamber and the state’s business community more competitive, more of a player on the national and international stages.”
Future growth in Oklahoma is one of Nagel’s top priorities.
Nagel’s Acorn Capital Management is an Oklahoma-based middle-market private equity investment firm specializing in aerospace, defense, intelligence and space.
Aerospace, Oklahoma’s second largest and fastest growing industry, is a passion of Nagel’s. He founded the Oklahoma Aviation Academy in Norman.
The Oklahoma Aviation Academy was established in 2022 and is part of Norman Public Schools. It seeks to grow that industry by providing high school students hands-on education and training that will prepare them for a wide range of aerospace jobs needed for Oklahoma’s aerospace workforce, including engineers, pilots, air traffic controllers, ground support personnel, A&P mechanics, technicians and supply chain managers.
“Our hope is that we’re able to expose every kid in Oklahoma who’s thinking about a career in aerospace and defense to a curriculum that gets them asking questions about how they can start getting into this, into these jobs,” Nagel said to Oklahoma Business Voice in 2023. “The goal at the end of the day is to make science, technology, engineering and math exciting again for kids.”
The Chamber’s three new board members are as follows:
- Jonathan Curtwright, Chief Operations Officer, OU Health
- John Estus, Head of State & Local Policy, Oklahoma for Amazon
- Jonathan Fowler, President, Fowler Holding Company
“We are excited about the new faces,” Warmington said. “We continue to diversify the industries holding spots on our board to better represent the entire evolving Oklahoma business community. It allows us to make better informed decisions as we continue to push to grow our state’s economy. The Chamber’s future is bright.”
