Mesa Appoints Batchelder to President’s Post

David H. Batchelder has been named president and chief operating officer of Mesa Petroleum, the Amarillo, Tex.-based oil company that has attempted several takeovers during the past few years, including a failed bid in 1985 for Los Angeles-based Unocal.

Mesa founder T. Boone Pickens Jr., 57, who had been president, remains chairman and chief executive.

Batchelder, 36, who is also a Mesa director, previously was executive vice president of finance and chief financial officer. Batchelder joined Mesa in 1978.

In addition, Sidney Tassin has been promoted to the position of vice president-finance and Andrew P. Craig has been named vice president and secretary-treasurer. Tassin, 29, and Craig, 35, previously were assistants to the executive vice president of finance.

Batchelder, Tassin and Craig are part of Mesa’s financial team, which planned the company’s acquisition efforts and handled other strategic planning and corporate investments.