MIAMI, Okla. – Several former Northeastern Oklahoma A&M students will be honored this weekend during homecoming festivities.

The ceremony will be during the Outstanding Alumni Banquet on Saturday at 11 a.m. in the Calcagno Family Ballroom.

Honorees:

Monty Franks 2023 Outstanding Retired Faculty

Franks attended NEO from 1967 to 1969 and served as the equipment manager for various sports, including the 1967 and 1969 National Junior College Athletic Association National Champion Golden Norsemen Football teams.

After finishing his education at Northeastern State University, Franks became the public information director, Norse Wind advisor, and journalism instructor at NEO in 1974.

He was selected as the Outstanding Junior College Sports Information Director by the College Sports Information Directors Association in 1978 and 1979. His football media guides were chosen as the best all-around by the NJCAA from 1977 to 1980.

In 2004, he was inducted into the NJCAA Football Hall of Fame as a contributor.

Coleman Proctor, 2023 Young Outstanding Alumni

Proctor attended NEO from 2004 to 2006, majored in agriculture business, and was a team roper for the NEO rodeo team.

As a freshman in 2005, he won the Central Plains Region as a heeler and qualified for the College Nationals Finals Rodeo.

Proctor has earned more than $1.5 million throughout his career.

He finished sixth in the team roping world standings and seventh in the All-Around world standings in 2022 of the Nationals Finals Rodeo. He also qualified for the upcoming 2023 NFR.

Grant Victor, 2023 Outstanding Alumni for the School of Agriculture and Natural Sciences 

Victor attended NEO from 1975 to 1977 and majored in agricultural economics. He was a member of the Aggie Society and Student Senate. He graduated from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor’s in agricultural economics.

In 2019, Victor won the State of Oklahoma Outstanding Quality Water award and was recently appointed to the Oklahoma Conservation Commission by Governor Stitt.

Victor and his wife, Donna, along with their three sons own and operate a 3,700-acre ranch in Afton. The Victor Ranch won National Conservation Family of the Year in 1986, Association of Conservation Districts Local, Area, and State Cooperative of Year in 2015, and received the Oklahoma Leopold Conservation Award in 2020 for their dedication to land, water, and wildlife habitat resources.

Richard Hatfield, 2023 Outstanding Alumni Award of Merit 

Hatfield established the Richard G. Hatfield Future Educators Scholarship Endowment in 2022 because he appreciates educators and in honor of the educators who positively impacted his life. The scholarship is available for first-generation college students from Ottawa County majoring in education. 

Josh Maxson, 2023 Outstanding Alumni for the School of Liberal Arts 

Maxson attended NEO from 1996 to 1998, graduating with an associate degree in journalism. He also worked for the Norse Wind and in sports information under Monty Franks. 

He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Oklahoma State University and landed an internship in sports information with the University of Nebraska Football program for two seasons.  

After his internship, Maxson worked as the assistant sports information director for the University of Miami and spent two years there. Wanting to move closer to home, he took a job with the University of Arkansas, where he worked with the baseball, golf, and football teams for three years. 

Maxson made his final move in 2007. He has worked at the University of Alabama for 16 years, serving as the Assistant Athletics Director for Football Communications for the last nine seasons. 

In 2014, Maxson earned his master’s degree in sports business administration from the University of Alabama. He and his wife, Jana, have one son, and they reside in Alabama. 

Rick Chaney, 2023 Outstanding Alumni for the School of Human Environmental Science 

Chaney attended NEO from 1977 to 1979. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting. 

In 1992, he accepted a position with Shamrock Bank and later became president. In 2009, he became the vice president and senior loan officer for FirstBank and served there until his recent retirement.