As chief operating officer for Select Specialty Hospital, Eric Cantrell, 33, assisted his company in a multi-million dollar merger and relocation project. The hospital has earned a profit since day one, making it the only freestanding institution within Select Medical’s inpatient division to see profits immediately following relocation.

Cantrell went to Select after working in assisted living and auditing business office patient accounts. Within two years at Select, he had been promoted to COO.

Though he’s been recruited for lucrative, out-of-state opportunities, he and his wife have always chosen to stay in Oklahoma City and are active in several community organizations.

“The city has given much to me, so I strive to do my part to give back,” Cantrell said.

Diagnosed with Type I diabetes as a teenager, Cantrell now volunteers with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and says he is passionate about helping future generations living with the disease. Cantrell also has worked with Big Brothers / Big Sisters mentoring a young man for four years, which began when the boy was 11. During that time, the boy transformed from a shy, withdrawn child to an active teenager.

Along with his wife, Cantrell founded a real estate investment company, Cantrell Properties and Design. Through the company, Cantrell restores and renovates older homes, helping attract people to neighborhoods they once were moving out of. It is gratifying to hand the keys to a new home owner, knowing the property had been nearly uninhabitable, he said.

He and his wife are also members of the Allied Arts Circle 500 Club and the Lyric Understudies program. His wife helps him balance career and personal life, he says.

“I’m extremely fortunate to be in a relationship with someone who is independent and understanding,” Cantrell said. “However, if I begin to push the limits, she is strong and can communicate effectively. My wife is my rock.”