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Melton Leadership
Bob Peterson
Chairman & Chief Executive OfficerRobert “Bob” Peterson is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Melton Truck Lines, an open-deck trucking company headquartered in Tulsa, OK. Mr. Peterson began his career in trucking by obtaining a Commercial Driver’s License in 1985, which he maintains currently.Mr. Peterson acquired Melton in 1991, and operations have expanded to include a number of companies with diverse business activities organized under The Hawthorn Group, the parent company of Melton. These additional activities include freight brokerage, equipment sales and leasing and commercial real estate holdings.
Mr. Peterson holds a BA in Economics and Environmental Studies from Gustavus Adolphus College and an MBA from the University of Southern California. He also has practiced as a Certified Public Accountant.
Recently he was reappointed by Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt to be one of nine Commissioners of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and serves as Vice Chairman.
She served in that capacity until October 1997 when she assumed the responsibilities of HR & Recruiting Manager and progressed to the VP of Safety and HR position. In January of 2019, she assumed the VP of Operations position. She holds both a Bachelor of Business Management and MBA degree from Northeastern State University.
Mike Dargel is VP and General Counsel for Melton Truck Lines, Inc, its parent company The Hawthorn Group and several affiliated sister corporations. Mike joined Melton in late 2004, but altogether has 40 years’ experience in litigation and claim management, including ten years of private practice in defense litigation and another ten years as associate general counsel to a national transportation insurer.
Mr. Dargel has a Bachelor of Science from Marquette University and his law degree from the University of Arizona; he is a practicing member of the Oklahoma Bar Association.
He has since served within the Operations department as Manager, Director, Vice-President, and Senior Vice-President. He also previously served as Vice-President of Safety, Loss Prevention, and H.R. In his current role as Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Elliott assists the Operations, Safety, H.R., Recruiting, and Sales departments on a daily basis. Mr. Elliott holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Oklahoma.
and has steadily progressed, serving most recently as VP of Safety & HR. “Lisa’s commitment to the continuous improvement of Melton’s outstanding Safety department is truly admirable. Her upbeat and positive personality, all-encompassing experience, and attention to detail will continue to serve her well. I am most appreciative of her efforts over the years.” said Bob Peterson, Chairman & CEO. Lisa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Human Resources from Northeastern State University.
In addition to designing, developing and overseeing the property management of Melton’s truck terminals, she also develops and oversees asset and property management of a commercial investment real estate portfolio. Rhonda is a Certified Commercial Investment Member Designee and has a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education and Physical Education from Oklahoma Christian College.
He formerly held eight different job titles at Melton before sales management, including territory sales responsibilities as a Regional Sales Representative. Mr. Peters oversees the domestic sales force and pricing management to ensure customer expansion and satisfaction. He holds a combined Bachelor degree of Marketing and Management from Missouri Southern State University.
He formerly served as Executive Director of Finance for a trucking specific software company. Mr. Ragan oversees all financial aspects of Melton and its parent company, The Hawthorn Group. Mr. Ragan holds a Bachelor degree of Accounting from the University of Oklahoma and an M.B.A. in Marketing from Oklahoma City University. He is the past Chairman of the National Accounting & Finance Council for the American Trucking Association.
After serving 5 years as a programmer analyst with CFI in Joplin, MO, Mr. Rhines joined Bob Peterson’s startup team as Information Services Manager for GlasTran, Inc. founded in 1989, which was eventually merged with Melton after that acquisition in 1991. He was promoted to Vice President of Information Technology in November 1996 and then to Sr. VP and CIO in 2010. Mr. Rhines oversees the functions of the IT department which includes the procurement and management of all computer, communication and security systems. Mr. Rhines holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from Missouri Southern State University.
He has over 22 years of experience in marketing and sales both domestically and internationally. Mr. Taylor oversees the management of the Sales and Marketing Department to ensure the continual growth and development of Melton's customer base and sales force. Mr. Taylor has a Bachelor of Science degree from Oklahoma State University.
In 2005, he was promoted to Director of Safety, Compliance, and IP. Prior to joining Melton, Mr. Stephan worked in the insurance industry for 10 years.
Mr. Stephan is responsible for managing our truck and trailer maintenance facilities in both Tulsa and Laredo, focusing on maintaining a customer-friendly department that meets quality, timeliness, and productivity goals. Mr. Stephan holds a degree from OSU in Communication, and served in the Army Reserve for 6 years.