The annual Pioneer Technology Center Roast, set for April 2, will feature Rich Cantillon President of the Ponca City Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Office.
This year’s “Roastee” will be Senator Bill Coleman, who was a past Chairman for the Ponca City Chamber of Commerce in 2015.
This entertaining event raises funds for the Pioneer Tech Foundation and will be held at The Summit located in the City Central building in downtown Ponca City, with tickets at $50 each or reserved tables for eight for $500. Starting with a social/cash bar at 5:30 p.m. and followed at 6:30 p.m. by a delicious dinner prepared by the PTC Culinary Arts program the roast begins at 7:15pm.
Rich Cantillon has served in his current position since 2004. He also worked in the same capacity for eight years as the President for the Blackwell Chamber of Commerce, where in 1994 he was named the Blackwell Citizen of the Year. Cantillon, a small business owner to Bob’s Picture Box Too, photographed over 450 weddings over a 15 year span.
Past graduate of Northwestern Oklahoma State University (NWOSU), Cantillon also served as president of the NWOSU Alumni Association and this year has been selected as the 2020 Outstanding Business Graduate for the college. He attended the University of Oklahoma and graduated from the U.S. Chamber Institute of Organizational Management at the University of Arizona. In 2008 he was chosen as Oklahoma’s Chamber of Commerce Executive of the Year.
As a community volunteer, Cantillon is involved with the Ponca City Arts Council, Rotary Club, Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce Executives, Oklahoma Travel Industry Association, and serves on the National Chamber Institute Board with the U.S. Chamber and was chair of the Winter Institute in 2014.
A faithful member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Ponca City, Cantillon has taught a teenage religion class for over 30 years. He participated in Leadership Oklahoma with Class XI and has been president of both the Blackwell and Ponca City Rotary Clubs.
He and his wife Pam have been married for 38 years and have three adult children. Austin and his wife Melissa live in Springfield, Missouri. Nichole and her husband Hayden live in Woodward, while their son Colby calls Minneapolis, Minnesota home. The couple have one granddaughter Harper, who is the light of their life and will soon be followed by another granddaughter in the future.