Christian K. Keesee

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Christian K. Keesee, a banker and energy industry executive, is the chairman of Kirkpatrick Bank, the Kirkpatrick Oil Company, and Timelines Transportation Company.

Kirkpatrick Bank, a subsidiary of American Bancorp, is headquartered in Edmond, Oklahoma, serving both Oklahoma and Colorado with branches in Edmond, Oklahoma City, and Colorado Springs. Originally chartered as American Bank and Trust in 1970, the bank was acquired by the Kirkpatrick family in 1988, and Mr. Keesee was named chairman. In 1990, American Bank and Trust in Edmond acquired Heritage Bank and Trust in Edmond, and in 1998, Mr. Keesee acquired Intermountain Mortgage Company in Colorado Springs. In 2004, American Bank and Trust officially became known as Kirkpatrick Bank.

Kirkpatrick Oil Company is a private exploration and drilling company with approximately sixty employees. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the company was founded in 1926 and has district offices in Denver, Colorado; Midland, Texas; and Hennessey, Oklahoma. The company’s focus areas include the Anadarko Basin, the Permian Basin, Southern Oklahoma, Ark-La-Tex, and the Gulf Coast. In 1993, Mr. Keesee became chairman of the board, a position he holds today. Since that time, Kirkpatrick Oil Company has grown by 86 percent.

Mr. Keesee’s interest in the arts is evident through his civic and business affiliations. He is the founder of the Brett Weston Archive in Oklahoma City and the Green Box Arts Festival in Green Mountain Falls, Colorado. He is the founder and president-elect of City Arts Center in Oklahoma City, and he is a member of the director’s circle for the Frick Collection in New York. Mr. Keesee serves as chairman of the Kirkpatrick Foundation’s board of trustees and as president of the Kirkpatrick Family Fund. He is a trustee of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, a public charity established by John Kirkpatrick and eight other civic leaders in 1969.

A native of Oklahoma City, Chris Keesee is son of Konrad Keesee and the late Joan Kirkpatrick. He received his associate of arts degree from Menlo College in Atherton, California, and his bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Central Oklahoma. Mr. Keesee and his son, Blake, live in Oklahoma City and New York.