Pierce and Debbie Norton both grew up in Alabama and first met at the University of Alabama’s Student Government Office. That chance meeting and their shared enthusiasm for Crimson Tide football kicked off a lifelong journey together.
A few years later, Pierce graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and was later honored as a Distinguished Fellow by the university’s College of Engineering. His career in the oil and gas industry has since spanned four decades, bringing the Nortons to Tulsa in the mid-2000s. Tulsa has been their home ever since or as they love to say, “We weren’t born in Tulsa, but we got here as soon as we could.”
In 2021, Pierce officially became the 17th President and CEO of ONEOK, after serving as President and CEO of ONE Gas from 2014 to 2021, yet he attributes his success to the leadership development he gained from those leaders who invested in him throughout his career and early assignments in field operations. Outside of his primary executive leadership roles, Pierce serves on the board of the American Petroleum Institute and previously served as Chairman of the American Gas Association. Locally, he’s also served on boards of the Tulsa Community College Foundation, Tulsa Community Foundation and the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice and was recognized by the Oklahoma Business Ethics Consortium as their Executive Pilot awardee in 2017. He is quick to credit the time he has been able to spend in business and his various roles to the support he has received from Debbie at home.
In parallel, Debbie’s path, inspired by care and creativity — started as a full-time mom, followed by a surgical nurse, substitute teacher and small business owner, before retiring. Ultimately, Debbie attributes her successes in each of her pursuits to a simple philosophy: listening and service to others.
Pierce and Debbie continue to invest time and energy into strengthening the greater Tulsa area. Pierce most recently served as a tri-chair for the Tulsa Area United Way’s record-breaking centennial campaign in 2024.
In 2025, Pierce and Debbie celebrated 45 years of marriage and love spending quality time with their four kids and four grandkids. But the real star of the family is their white Pomeranian, Ali-Bama (or “Ali” for short).
