Mack Chase is a man who is well-known and well-respected by all who know him. Mack is the fourth of eight children born to Edgar and Marie Chase.
Born in Texas, Chase moved to Artesia, N.M. as a youngster where he attended school. Following graduation from Artesia High School in 1950, he joined the Armed Forces and was stationed in Korea. He returned to Artesia in 1953 and married Marilyn Yvonne Stack later that year. They had three children including Robert, Richard and Gerene, and several grandchildren including Jacey, Chance, Kortney, Derek, Dallas and Delany.
Chase started in the oil and gas industry working with his father, Edgar, and his brother, George. In 1968, he purchased a pulling unit from his brother and was on his way upward in the oil and gas industry.
He and his sons also own and operate Chase Farms based in New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and Georgia. Chase Farms has become one of the largest pecan producers in the United States with pecan processing plants in Texas and Georgia.
Chase has also expanded into ranching with Caza Ranches with ranches in New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming including the N/X Bar and 28 ranches located in Sheridan and Buffalo, Wyo.
In 2006, he formed the Chase Foundation with his late-wife Marilyn as a way to give back to the communities they serve. Their foundation is deeply committed to the importance of partnerships and their desire to make a difference in shaping lives in a positive way through community involvement, quality education programs and helping the youth reach their full potential.
In 2007, Chase struck a deal with Artesia High School graduates from the class of 2007 in starting a scholarship program through the Chase Foundation committing $1.5 million over a four-year period to help students obtain a college education and degree.
Each year Mack and the Chase Family have made the same commitment to graduates of Artesia High School; through 2019 the Chase Foundation has committed more than $17.5 million to provide over 1,400 scholarships for students to attend college. Chase’s goal through the scholarship program is to give students an opportunity to further their education by making college affordable for families in an effort to help grow our future leaders. The youth of Artesia mean a lot to Chase, and he wants to give them opportunities he didn’t have growing up.
It takes caring people to make things happen and Mack Chase is certainly recognized as one of those caring people in “Helping People Do Great Things.”