Don Nickles

Don Nickles served as the U.S. Senator from Oklahoma from 1981 to 2005. During his time on the Senate, Don was elected by his peers to several leadership positions including Assistant Majority Leader, served as Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and was a senior member of the Senate Finance and Energy Committees.

Over his 24 years in the Senate, Don championed economic growth and free enterprise. Among many legislative achievements, Don successfully fought to repeal inheritance tax on surviving spouses, cut dividend and capital gains taxes and repeal the Windfall Profits Tax. He also was a staunch advocate to eliminate onerous regulations, especially in the natural gas markets.

Prior to his time in the Senate, Don served in the Oklahoma State Senate and worked for family-owned Nickles Machine Corporation. He has served on the Boards of Directors at the Chesapeake Energy Corporation and the Valero Energy Corporation.

He is Chairman and CEO of The Nickles Group, a firm he founded in 2005.

He earned his BA from Oklahoma State University.