Michael Cawley was appointed chairman of the OU Board of Regents Tuesday afternoon, succeeding recently departed former regent Gary Pierson.
An Oklahoma City resident, Cawley was appointed in December 2019 following the abrupt resignation of former regent and board vice chair Renzi Stone. In a press release following his appointment, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt praised the Hooker, Oklahoma, native’s dedication to “serving rural Oklahoma.”
The chairman position was left vacant after Pierson finished the remainder of former regent Bill Burgess’ term. Pierson was originally appointed to finish the term after Burgess died in February 2019.
Previously, Cawley has served the board as chair of the Health and Clinical Enterprises Committee and Cameron University liaison.
Cawley is a 1972 OU graduate who remained extensively involved with the university as an alumnus. He was a member of the 1998 search that led to the hiring of OU Athletic Director Joe Castiglione and served as chairman of several OU organizations including the OU Foundation's Board of Trustees, the OU Associates Council and fundraising efforts for the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Course and the Charlie Coe Teaching Center.
Cawley also served as a director of Noble Energy, Inc. as of his appointment in December 2019, but is no longer listed on the corporation’s website. From 1992 to 2012, he was president of the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, an Ardmore-based nonprofit.
