Management

Pierce H. Norton II is president and chief executive officer of ONEOK and is a member of the ONEOK Board of Directors.

Previously, Norton was president and chief executive officer of ONE Gas, Inc. for more than seven years and served as a member of the ONE Gas board. Norton worked for ONEOK for almost 10 years, having joined the company in 2004. Prior to the separation of ONE Gas in January 2014, Norton served as executive vice president, commercial, of ONEOK and ONEOK Partners.

His other roles at ONEOK included executive vice president and chief operating officer of ONEOK and ONEOK Partners, responsible for the company's natural gas gathering and processing, natural gas pipelines, natural gas liquids, natural gas distribution and energy services business segments. Norton also held the position as president of ONEOK Distribution Companies – Oklahoma Natural Gas, Kansas Gas Service and Texas Gas Service.

Norton began his natural gas industry career in 1982 at Delhi Gas Pipeline, a subsidiary of Texas Oil and Gas Corporation. He later worked for American Oil and Gas with operational responsibilities for natural gas gathering and processing, and for intrastate and interstate pipelines. He then worked for KN Energy as vice president and general manager of the Heartland Region, before moving to Bear Paw Energy as vice president of business development. In 2002, he was named president of Bear Paw Energy, now ONEOK Rockies Midstream.

Norton is currently on the board of directors for the American Petroleum Institute and is a 2024 tri-chair for the Tulsa Area United Way citywide campaign. He is a past board member of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, the Texas Pipeline Association, the North Dakota Petroleum Council, the Western Alliance, American Gas Association (AGA) and served as chairman of the AGA board in 2017.  Locally he is a past board member of Tulsa Community College Foundation, Tulsa Community Foundation and Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice.

An Alabama native, Norton earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering in 1982 from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and was a University of Alabama College of Engineering Distinguished Fellow. He also is a graduate of Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program.

Kevin Burdick is executive vice president and chief enterprise services officer of ONEOK, responsible for cybersecurity, information technology, enterprise optimization, innovation and integration activities.

Burdick joined ONEOK in 2007 as manager, information technology design integration. Prior to his current position, Burdick was executive vice president and chief commercial officer, responsible for all of our business unit commercial activities. He also served as executive vice president and chief operating officer. Before that, he served as executive vice president and chief commercial officer and as senior vice president, natural gas gathering and processing, responsible for all commercial aspects of the gathering and processing business unit. Burdick has also served as vice president and chief information officer. Before joining ONEOK, he held information technology positions of increasing responsibility at CITGO Petroleum in Tulsa.

He serves on the Board of Trustees for the University of Oklahoma Foundation. He is a member of LIFE Senior Services PACE Board of Directors and is on the Global Outreach Leadership Team for Asbury Church in Tulsa. He is a past cabinet member of the Tulsa Area United Way.

A native of Pryor, Oklahoma, Burdick earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics in 1988 from the University of Oklahoma in Norman and a Master of Business Administration in 1995 from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. He is also a graduate of Harvard University’s Advanced Management Program.

Walter S. Hulse III is executive vice president, chief financial officer, treasurer, investor relations and corporate development, of ONEOK.

Hulse joined ONEOK in 2015 from Spinnaker Strategic Advisory Services, LLC, which provided consulting services to mid-cap and large-cap publicly traded companies, including the review of merger and/or acquisition opportunities, debt and equity markets, corporate restructuring and potential divestitures. Hulse served as a consultant to ONEOK for many years, including during the separation of the company's natural gas distribution business into the stand-alone publicly traded company, ONE Gas.

Previously, Hulse was vice chairman of the Investment Banking Department, managing director and head of the business development group at UBS Investment Bank. Prior to that, he was head of the Global Utility Group at UBS Investment Bank. Before joining UBS through its merger with PaineWebber Incorporated, Hulse held various roles at Paine Webber and J.P. Morgan.

Hulse graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in economics.

Randy Lentz is executive vice president and chief operating officer of ONEOK’s integrated assets with responsibilities for all of ONEOK’s asset operations, including capital projects, maintenance, technical services and environmental, safety and health.

With more than three decades of experience in the energy industry, Lentz was the founder and chief executive officer of Medallion Midstream, one of the premier crude oil gatherers in the Permian Basin. He has held a variety of operations, commercial and management positions of increasing responsibility across the midstream sector, consistently delivering sustainable growth for stakeholders while maintaining safe and reliable operations.

Lentz is a native of San Angelo, Texas, and attended Angelo State University.

Sheridan Swords is executive vice president and chief commercial officer for the company’s integrated businesses, with commercial responsibility for the natural gas liquids, refined products and crude oil, natural gas gathering and processing and natural gas pipelines business segments.

Prior to this position, Swords was executive vice president, commercial liquids and natural gas gathering and processing. Swords joined the company in 2005 and has held positions of increasing responsibility during his career at ONEOK.

Swords began his career in the energy industry as a division engineer for Koch Gathering Systems Co. in 1992. He held various positions with Koch companies, including operations management and commercial and commodity trading. Prior to joining ONEOK, Swords was vice president of the Mid-Continent of Koch Hydrocarbon, LP.

A native of Kansas, Swords earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering in 1991 from Kansas State University.

Lyndon Taylor is executive vice president, chief legal officer and assistant secretary of ONEOK.

Taylor joined ONEOK in 2023. Before joining ONEOK, he was executive vice president, chief legal and administrative officer of Devon Energy Corporation, responsible for overseeing the legal, corporate governance, compliance and government relations functions. Prior to Devon, Taylor founded and led the Houston office of Skadden Arps, serving the legal needs of numerous energy clients for 12 years. He has in-depth experience in many aspects of the energy business, including capital markets and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) activities, merger and acquisition (M&A) deals, commercial transactions, regulatory compliance, labor and employment matters, intellectual property and litigation.

With nearly 40 years of legal expertise, primarily in the energy space, Taylor has extensive experience guiding organizations on legal and business strategies that balance risk and company objectives, helping them to be successful in a changing market.

Taylor earned a Juris Doctor with honors from the University of Oklahoma College of Law and a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering and management from Oklahoma State University.

Jamie Hoskin is senior vice president, engineering and operations – refined products, of ONEOK. Prior to joining ONEOK, Hoskin was senior vice president of operations for Magellan Midstream Partners.

Prior to his last role at Magellan, Hoskin served as vice president of operations. He also previously served in roles of increasing responsibility in operations, engineering and construction for Magellan.

Before joining Magellan, Hoskin served in the Army and held various leadership roles, including service in the Army Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel until his retirement in 2021.

Hoskin earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the United States Military Academy, a master’s in civil engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a master’s in engineering management from the University of Missouri at Rolla and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Chuck Kelley is senior vice president, commercial natural gas pipelines, responsible for commercial activities of the natural gas pipelines business segment.

Previously, he served as senior vice president, natural gas pipelines; senior vice president, natural gas; senior vice president, natural gas gathering and processing; and senior vice president, corporate planning and development. 

Kelley joined ONEOK in 2000 as manager of Midwest marketing for ONEOK Energy Marketing and Trading Company and later served as director, marketing; vice president, origination; senior vice president, ONEOK Energy Services; and vice president, commercial development. Prior to joining ONEOK, he held executive positions at both Tartan Energy Resources and Panda Resources, Inc. He also held various positions with Enron Corporation.

Kelley is a former member of the Midwest Energy Association where he served as director of the energy management committee. He is a current member and past board member of the Natural Gas and Energy Association of Oklahoma and is on the board of directors of A New Leaf, Inc., an organization that provides vocational and residential services to individuals with developmental disabilities. Kelley volunteers with Challenger League youth sports and Special Olympics Oklahoma.

A native of Illinois, Kelley earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance, with honors, in 1980 from DePaul University, College of Commerce, in Chicago.

Kyle Krshka is senior vice president, commercial – natural gas pipelines, of ONEOK. He previously served as senior vice president, commercial – crude oil for ONEOK and Magellan Midstream Partners.

Prior to his last role at Magellan, he served as vice president of marine, alternative fuels and commodities from 2021 to 2022. From 2019 through 2020, he was director, operations, and from 2017 through 2018, he was manager, marketing and development. Krshka joined Magellan in 2016 as a senior commercial project manager.

Prior to working for Magellan, Krshka worked in leadership roles at Invista, a Koch Industries subsidiary, from 2009 to 2016.

Krshka earned a bachelor’s in finance and a Master of Business Administration from Oklahoma State University.

Brandon Long is senior vice president, commercial – natural gas liquids and marketing, of ONEOK. He is responsible for all commercial activities related to ONEOK’s nonregulated natural gas liquids business, as well as the natural gas, refined products and crude oil commodities marketing groups.

Before assuming this position, Long was vice president, ONEOK Hydrocarbon marketing and optimization. He also previously served as vice president, natural gas liquids – regulated pipelines.

Long joined ONEOK in 2005 as manager, optimization, later serving as manager and then director, marketing and trading. A native of Wichita, Kansas, he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Wichita State University.

Greg Lusardi is senior vice president, commercial – crude oil, of ONEOK. In his previous role, Lusardi was senior vice president, corporate development, responsible for strategic initiatives including mergers and acquisitions, corporate forecasting, alternative energy development, venture capital opportunities and risk activities.

He has also served as senior vice president, finance, responsible for accounting, treasury, tax and risk activities. Prior to that role, he was vice president, gas supply, natural gas gathering and processing, responsible for all gas supply activities in the Mid-Continent and Rockies; and vice president, gas supply, ONEOK Field Services.

Before joining ONEOK in 2018, Lusardi worked in investment banking at J.P. Morgan, primarily covering energy companies in the midstream, refining and utility verticals. Key responsibilities included mergers and acquisitions, capital markets activity and strategic planning. Prior to entering investment banking, Lusardi worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers in a tax consulting group with increasing levels of responsibility before leaving to attend business school.

Lusardi earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Washington and Lee University and a Master of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin.

Mark McKenzie is senior vice president, operational excellence and technical services, of ONEOK. In his previous role, McKenzie was vice president, engineering and construction, in the refined products and crude segment, responsible for operations control, SCADA, controls technology and the development and execution of growth capital projects.

Prior to joining ONEOK, McKenzie was vice president, engineering and construction, for Magellan Midstream Partners, responsible for all growth capital expansion projects. He also held a variety of technical leadership roles with progressing responsibility, including director of engineering and construction, director of technical services and various other engineering management and project manager roles.

McKenzie, who joined Magellan in 2005, has a bachelor’s in civil engineering and a master’s in environmental engineering from Oklahoma State University. He also is a registered professional engineer.

Mark Roles is senior vice president, commercial - refined products, of ONEOK. He is responsible for all commercial activities related to ONEOK's refined products and natural gas liquids regulated pipeline assets.

Before assuming this position, Roles was senior vice president, commercial – refined products for Magellan Midstream Partners and served in such capacity since 2021. Prior to his last role at Magellan, Roles served as vice president, business optimization from 2020 to 2021. From 2017 to 2020, he served as vice president, commercial - crude oil, and from 2014 to 2017, he was vice president, commercial – marine, independent terminals and commodities. Prior to that, he served in roles of increasing responsibility in transportation, marketing and development, commercial operations and operations for Magellan.

Before he joined Magellan in 2004, Roles worked for Williams in various positions since 1998.

He earned a bachelor’s in criminal justice studies from the University of North Dakota.

Scott Schingen is senior vice president, engineering and operations – natural gas liquids, natural gas pipelines and crude oil, of ONEOK. He previously served as senior vice president, natural gas liquids and natural gas operations, responsible for the respective operations activities, including environment, safety and health, capital projects and supply chain capabilities.

In his prior role, Schingen was senior vice president, operations, responsible for the segment operations and integrated operations services.

Prior to joining ONEOK in 2005, Schingen was a plant manager of Koch Hydrocarbon Southwest. He held various positions in Mont Belvieu and Corpus Christi, Texas, with Koch Hydrocarbon and Koch Refining Company, where he began his career as a process engineer in 1996.

Schingen is a member of the American Petroleum Institute's (API) Midstream Committee and a board member of Arts Alliance Tulsa and World Stage Theater Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

A native of Wisconsin, Schingen earned Bachelor of Science degrees in chemical engineering and chemistry from the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Technology, Minneapolis, in 1996.

Mary Spears is senior vice president and chief accounting officer, finance and tax. She is responsible for ONEOK's accounting operations and financial reporting, including treasury and tax activities.

Since joining ONEOK in 2008, Spears has held positions of increasing responsibility, including her most recent role as vice president, chief accounting officer.

Before joining the company, she held leadership roles at Deloitte & Touche and Latham & Watkins. Spears is a certified public accountant and an FSA (Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting) credential-holder. Active in the community, Spears serves on the executive committee of the Foundation for Tulsa Schools.

A native of Helena, Montana, Spears graduated magna cum laude from Oral Roberts University with a Bachelor of Science in accounting in 2001.

Brent Strehlow is senior vice president and chief human resources officer, of ONEOK, responsible for the full life cycle of the employee experience from recruiting to retirement.

He previously founded TMI Leadership Consulting where he provided leadership development, consulting, executive coaching and organizational development services to help organizations build strategy-aligned cultures.

Strehlow graduated magna cum laude from Criswell College with a bachelor's degree.

Sypy Thomas is senior vice president, engineering and operations – natural gas gathering and processing, of ONEOK. Prior to joining ONEOK, Thomas was chief operating officer of Medallion Midstream.

Thomas has more than 28 years of experience in various midstream and marketing leadership roles, including process engineering, facilities engineering, operations, commercial midstream and marketing.

Prior to joining Medallion, he served as vice president of midstream and marketing for Atlas Energy, responsible for facility design, gathering, processing and marketing of all natural gas, crude oil and NGLs. He also worked at Ovintiv and Brenntag, serving in various roles of increasing responsibility.

Thomas graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering.

Darren Wallis is senior vice president, communications and community relations, of ONEOK. 

Before joining ONEOK, Wallis was vice president of communications for the North American region of Crop Science, a division of Bayer, the largest division and region within the company. In this role, he led all internal and external corporate communications activities including corporate reputation, media relations, employee communications, digital communications and issues management for the region. 

With more than 27 years of communications expertise, Wallis has specialized in creating strategic communications campaigns in various organizations and industries, including serving clients at two large international public relations firms. 

Wallis earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Missouri in Columbia and is a native of southeast Missouri.

Brandon Watson is senior vice president, deputy general counsel – commercial and corporate affairs, of ONEOK, responsible for legal matters relating to the company’s commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions and capital markets activities. Watson previously served as vice president, associate general counsel – commercial and litigation.

Watson joined ONEOK in 2017 from GableGotwals, where he was a partner in the firm’s corporate transactions practice group, with expertise in mergers and acquisitions and securities matters, and served as outside counsel to ONEOK.

A native of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Watson earned a Juris Doctor, with honors, from the University of Oklahoma College of Law, where he served on the Editorial Board of the Oklahoma Law Review and as a judicial extern to the Honorable Timothy D. DeGiusti, U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma. Watson also earned a Bachelor of Business Administration, with distinction, in finance from the University of Oklahoma Michael F. Price College of Business.

Christy Williamson is senior vice president, commercial - natural gas gathering and processing, of ONEOK, responsible for gas supply origination and marketing activities, strategy and financial performance of the natural gas gathering and processing business.

Williamson joined ONEOK in 2000 as a financial analyst and has since held positions of increasing responsibility across accounting, corporate development, investor relations and commercial. Prior to joining ONEOK, Williamson worked in accounting at TXU Energy.

She is a member of the GPA Midstream board of directors and executive committee and a previous member of the North Dakota Petroleum Council, the National Investor Relations Institute and Oklahoma Business Ethics Consortium. Williamson also serves as the executive sponsor for ONEOK’s Women’s Resource Group.  In the community, Williamson is a member of Leadership Tulsa – Class 44 and serves on the finance committee at her church. She previously served on the Tulsa Area United Way Women’s Leadership Council and as treasurer for the WaterWorks Art Center’s board of directors.

A Detroit native, Williamson earned a Bachelor of Business Accounting degree in 1998 from Texas Tech University.

Pat Cipolla is vice president, deputy general counsel, compliance and ethics, and corporate secretary, of ONEOK. He is responsible for oversight of companywide compliance with rules, regulations and laws, as well as for development and implementation of continuing companywide compliance and ethics training.

Cipolla joined ONEOK in 2007 as managing attorney, human resources, responsible for legal aspects of employment-related issues. Previously, Cipolla was a partner at GableGotwals, a Tulsa law firm, and also served as an adjunct professor in employment law at Oklahoma State University’s Tulsa campus.  

Cipolla is a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association where he has served as president of the young lawyers division. He also has served as president of the young lawyers division for the Tulsa County Bar Association. Since 1997, he has volunteered as a United States Federal Adjunct Settlement Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma. He is a member of the Society of Corporate Compliance & Ethics; the Society for Corporate Governance; and the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals.  He also is a volunteer baseball, softball and basketball coach and is active in ONEOK’s employee volunteer program – Volunteers With Energy.

A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Cipolla earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Oklahoma State University in 1988. He received his Juris Doctorate, with distinction, in 1992 from the University of Oklahoma College of Law.