OSU Alumni Hall of Fame to induct four visionary graduates

Friday, February 1, 2013

The Oklahoma State University Alumni Association is inducting David H. Batchelder, Malone and Amy Mitchell, and Jerry D. Stritzke into the OSU Alumni Hall of Fame on Friday, Feb. 15, at the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center.

Induction into the OSU Alumni Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed by the OSU Alumni Association. It recognizes alumni and former students with outstanding lifetime achievements in society and professional life.

“The success of these outstanding individuals is deeply rooted to their experiences here at Oklahoma State University,” said Larry Shell, OSU Alumni Association president. “The entrepreneurial spirit found in each of them is an example of what one can do with any degree they earn here. We are delighted to be honoring four such accomplished and humble graduates.”

David H. Batchelder of San Diego, Calif., graduated from OSU in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He grew up in Bartlesville, Okla., and is currently a founder and principal of Relational Investors. Batchelder has more than 30 years of financial management, mergers and acquisitions experience.

While at OSU, Batchelder was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and received numerous awards for outstanding scholarship.

From 1978 to 1988, Batchelder held several executive positions with Mesa Petroleum Co. and was named president and chief operating officer in 1986. In 1996, Batchelder co-founded Relational Investors LLC, an activist investment fund with $6 billion under management serving some of the largest pension funds in the world. He has served as a director of 11 public companies including five in the Fortune 500.

In 2005, Batchelder was the featured speaker at the Spears School of Business CEO Day. He endowed the David H. Batchelder President’s Distinguished Scholarship. Batchelder and his family contributed to the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center and the fireplace in Traditions Hall is named after his father.

The OSU School of Accounting named Batchelder a Distinguished Alumni in 2009 and he was inducted into the Spears School of Business Hall of Fame in 2011. Batchelder is a life member of the OSU Alumni Association.

Malone and Amy Mitchell of Dallas, Texas, both graduated from OSU in 1983. Amy received a degree in family relations and child development and Malone a degree in agriculture.

Malone and Amy met during their first semester at OSU and married after their sophomore year. The Mitchells were both involved in Greek Life – Malone with Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity and Amy with Chi Omega women’s fraternity. The couple started their first business while still in school.

In 1985, the Mitchells founded Riata Energy in their spare bedroom with $500 in capital. By 2005, the company had become one of the largest privately held energy companies in the United States, and the largest private land drilling contractor in the U.S.

In 2006, the Mitchell’s sold a controlling stake in Riata Energy and Malone resigned from the daily management of the company, now known as SandRidge Energy. After the sale, the Mitchell’s donated one million shares of their SandRidge Energy stock to the Spears School of Business. The Riata Center for Entrepreneurship is named in honor of their contribution.

The Mitchells, their four children and spouses, are active in various businesses including exploration and production, oil and gas services, real estate, consumer products, agriculture and other venture capital projects.

Malone is the CEO and chairman of the board for TransAtlantic Petroleum Company and also serves as president of Riata Corporate Group, which focuses on energy production, oil field services and consumer and private equity investments in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.

Amy is currently the executive director of the Piñon Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by the Mitchells to promote the education, health and well-being of children and the elderly. She served as a Homecoming judge in 2009 and is a member of Women for OSU. Each year, Amy serves as the honorary chair for OSU’s Riata Center for Entrepreneurship WE Inspire Conference. The Mitchells are life members of the OSU Alumni Association.

Jerry D. Stritzke of New York, N.Y., graduated from OSU in 1982 with a degree in agricultural economics. Stritzke grew up in Stillwater, Okla., and is currently the president and chief operating officer of Coach, Inc., in New York, N.Y.

While at OSU, Stritzke was a member of the FarmHouse Fraternity, Alpha Zeta, Blue Key Honor Society and Phi Eta Sigma. He served as president and treasurer of the Ag Council and was among the Who’s Who at OSU. In 1985, he received his Jurist Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma.

In 1999, Stritzke became the senior vice president of operations for Limited Brands in Columbus, Ohio. In 2001, he was named the CEO of MAST Industries, a global apparel production and sourcing organization. Victoria’s Secret named Stritzke the COO and Co-Leader in 2006.

Stritzke joined Coach, Inc. as president and chief operating officer in 2008. He is responsible for all operations globally with finance, operations, systems, distribution and logistics and legal as direct reports. He was recently elected to serve on the board of directors of Lululemon Athletica, a company focusing on athletic and yoga apparel.

Stritzke has visited the OSU campus several times to speak to students, alumni and business professionals about his success, including at the OSU Executive Management Briefings Speaker Series. He delivered the fall commencement speech for OSU in 2010. 

Individual tickets to the ceremony and sponsorships may be purchased online at orangeconnection.org/hof2013 or by contacting Melissa Mourer at  (405)744-3388. The deadline to purchase individual tickets is February 8.

For more information about the OSU Alumni Association's alumni awards program or to submit a nomination, visit orangeconnection.org/alumniawards or contact Melissa Mourer at  (405)744-3388.