ChE University of Tulsa

Mark Agee Inducted into ENS Hall of Fame

Mark Agee, BS chemical engineering, 1976, was inducted into the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences Hall of Fame in a ceremony on April 6th, 2007. Mr. Agee is currently a member of the Chemical Engineering Advsory Board.

With a remarkable entrepreneurial spirit, Mr. Agee has been the driving force behind the start up of several Tulsa-area companies - two of which he helped take public. Following his graduation, Agee joined McGill Environmental Sciences where his responsibilities quickly accelerated to include the supervision of the company's hydrocarbon processing systems designed to meet air pollution control standards for refineries. Answering the call to start his own enterprise, Agee co-founded XETA Technologies in 1981. XETA created and marketed a specialty computer for the hospitality industry. As company president, Agee guided XETA through its 1987 initial public offering. Today, XETA Technologies is a recognized leader in computer/communications solutions with more than 16,000 customers and revenues exceeding $60 million per year.

Building on his experience in the telecommunications industry, Agee in 1989 founded Convergent Communications, Inc. which focused on the creation and marketing of "private label" long distance programs for affinity groups, including universities, nonprofit organizations, and trade associations. Under Agee's leadership, the company developed a groundbreaking network- based billing system that was hailed as being 12 to 18 months ahead of the rest of the industry. The system creates custom bills and tracks rebates to affinity groups.

When Convergent was sold in 1993, Agee turned his experience in raising capital, negotiating alliances and strategic planning toward helping his brother, Kenneth's, fledgling company, GTG. Inc. (later to become Syntroleum.) Agee's success with raising capital led him to join the company as vice president of finance, and he later became the company's president and chief operating officer. Agee was instrumental in leading Syntroleum through negotiations with several major oil companies for licensing rights to the technology and a public offering in 2000 that raised more than $90 million for the company. In addition to his focus on the business aspects of Syntroleum. Agee was also inventor or co-inventor of eight U.S. patents held by Syntroleum.

Syntroleum was the first company in the world to claim an economical process for converting natural gas into synthetic fuels. Today, Syntroleum is one of a handful of companies in the world with technology to convert both natural gas and coal into ultra-clean synthetic fuel. In 2002, Agee left Syntroleum to pursue his personal interests, which include investments in a variety of young companies in and around Tulsa.


Dean Bellovich (left), Mark Agee, other inductees, and University of Tulsa President Steadman Upham (right). (Click for a larger image)