CURRENT NEWS

OCU Chancellor McDaniel to Lead AF Foundation

Tom McDaniel will serve as the president of the American Fidelity Foundation, replacing Bill Durrett who has served as interim president. McDaniel will join the Foundation on Sept. 1.

“Tom brings a wealth of experience in corporate, educational and community positions to this role,” said Bill Cameron, chairman, CEO and president of American Fidelity Corporation. “We appreciate the work Bill Durrett completed during the interim and look forward to continuing to serve our community under Tom’s leadership.”

McDaniel most recently served as the chancellor of Oklahoma City University (OCU), where he was president from 2001 to 2010. Previously, he served as president of Northwestern Oklahoma State University and retired as vice chairman and director of Kerr-McGee Corporation in 2000. He earned his juris doctorate from the University of Oklahoma and an honorary doctorate of humane letters from OCU.

In addition to his professional experience, McDaniel is active in the community through his roles on numerous boards and commissions. He is the chair of the Citizens Advisory Committee for the Maps III projects and chair of the Convention Center Subcommittee. In 2010, the Oklahoma Health Foundation selected McDaniel and his wife Brenda as 2010 “Treasures of Tomorrow,” and he was recognized as Oklahoma’s Most Admired CEO of a large non-profit. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame in 2010. Recently, he received the Dean A. McGee Lifetime Excellence Award, which recognizes individuals for a lifetime of contributions to downtown Oklahoma City.

“American Fidelity has a strong record of community involvement,” said McDaniel.  “The opportunity to build on that record and have the foundation play an even larger role in giving back to the community is very exciting to me. It is a great company, and I am honored to be a part of the team.”