Duncan business leader Rick Braught appointed to OU Board of Regents

A different appointee from Gov. Kevin Stitt arrives to the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents from a business track record.

The governor announced Friday he picked Rick Braught, of Duncan, to fill a vacant seat on OU’s top governing board, which also oversees Cameron University and Rogers Condition College.

Braught is the president of Buyers Belief Co. He has led the Duncan-dependent company given that 1996.

He and his spouse, Barbara, also have The Territory Golfing & Place Club, a golfing course and residential community in Duncan.

An OU enterprise graduate, of both bachelor’s and master’s diploma packages, Braught would fill an unexpired term ending March 21, 2023.

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Braught reported he is “honored” to be appointed.

“I believe that enhancement in all sides of our state starts immediately with how nicely we put together our graduates to excel and lead in their decided on fields,” he stated in a assertion.

This is Stitt’s 2nd appointment to the OU regents in the previous thirty day period.

The governor selected Inasmuch Basis CEO Bob Ross on March 30 to provide a 7-12 months expression. He succeeded retiring board chairperson Michael Cawley, who opted to step down once his phrase expired in March.

Pending acceptance by the point out Senate, Braught would be the latest of Stitt’s appointees to appear from a organization or finance-similar profession, in the same way to Cawley and regents Eric Stephenson, Anita Holloway and Rick Nagel.

“His solid enterprise acumen will make him a wonderful addition to the Board of Regents as we keep on to make certain OU is efficiently equipping graduates with abilities that meet the wants of our state’s workforce and financial system,” Stitt explained in saying Braught’s appointment.

Braught’s seat was remaining vacant by one more businessman, Phil Albert, who was appointed to the board in 2016 by then-Gov. Mary Fallin.

Albert resigned from the regents in January amid allegations of economical crimes.

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He was the president of Claremore metal pole producer Pelco Structural right until the firm fired in him 2019. The enterprise afterwards accused him in court paperwork of fraud, embezzlement and breach of fiduciary obligation.

Albert alleged in a Rogers County District Courtroom lawsuit the business wrongfully fired him. The lawsuit, filed in 2019, is nevertheless pending.

OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. said Albert showed an “ardent passion” for the college.

Stitt also was complimentary of Albert subsequent the regent’s resignation.

“Phil Albert served the University of Oklahoma perfectly all through his time as a regent,” Stitt claimed in a January statement.

Reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel covers K-12 and larger training all over the point out of Oklahoma. Have a story notion for Nuria? She can be arrived at at [email protected] or on Twitter at @NuriaMKeel. Assistance Nuria’s operate and that of other Oklahoman journalists by acquiring a electronic subscription now at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This posting initially appeared on Oklahoman: Rick Braught chosen for College of Oklahoma Board of Regents