»In This Issue

»Message from the CEO	»Youth Leadership Oklahoma Class XIV Announced	»LOK Ambassadors Report
»Mark Your Calendar and Get Signed Up!	»Class XXVII Travels to Panhandle	»Announcements and Upcoming Events
»LOK Members File for Oklahoma Elections	»Leaders on the Move	»Member Directory Updates

»Message from the CEO

Friday, April 11, was the last day to file for state office in Oklahoma and 578 citizens decided to put their names forward for consideration. Of these, numerous LOK members have decided to run for public office and their names are listed later in this newsletter.  With the elections this year, a new chapter of leadership in our state’s history begins. Those elected officials, both Republican and Democrat, will play critical roles as the state faces budget challenges and expanded needs. These individuals join other LOK members, at least 3% of our membership, who are current or former elected officials including four tribal chiefs, one Governor, two Lt. Governors, two US Congressmen, and numerous statewide legislators and officials as well as local elected officials. Our public servants are making a difference; striving to move Oklahoma forward.  We thank all of them for their service.

As important as our elected leaders are to the future of Oklahoma, there is a collection of people even better poised to grow Oklahoma – Leadership Oklahoma graduates!  Leadership Oklahoma's strength is through its 1,330 graduates from 160 Oklahoma communities. Our graduates are from all sectors: 31% from Business, 10% from Finance, 8% from Law Profession, 3% from Utility, 4% from Health Care, 13% from Education, 6% from Public/Government, 9% from Non-Profit and 13% other sectors.  There are 396 members who are President, CEO, Executive Director, Owner or Chairman of their business or organization.  Our graduates are the leaders in our state and communities. 

Leadership Oklahoma is designed to foster change through its network of diverse leaders and their political and civic engagement. As a result of their individual contributions, members help Oklahoma sustain a strong diversified economy, provide quality career opportunities for its citizens, and create an increasingly attractive quality of life. 

Thanks to those who are seeking public office this fall and exemplifying what LOK represents. Also, we appreciate all of you who work to better our state through community and public service. 

Thanks.

Ann 

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»Youth Leadership Oklahoma Class XIV Announced

The Youth Program Committee and the Leadership Oklahoma Board of Directors are proud to present YLOK Class XIV!

We are so excited about these 52 exceptional youth leaders and look forward to meeting them this summer. The 2014 Class XIV members represent 42 high schools across Oklahoma.

The YLOK program is scheduled for June 8-13, 2014. The communities the Class will be visiting are: Oklahoma City, Norman, Lawton, Sulphur, Ada, Tulsa, Enid and Stillwater.

It’s going to be a great program!

Katie Kimberling
Youth Program Committee Chair

	YLOK Class XIV
Joseph Albert     Elk City High School Tanner Allen    Laverne High School Preston Atwood    Oklahoma Bible Academy Finn Bender    Edmond Memorial High School Cheney Bird    Alva High School Avery Brant    Noble High School Chase Bryer    Forgan High School Sarah Cameron    Edmond Memorial High School Sabrina Chaudry    Deer Creek High School Monica Chavez    US Grant High School Maggie Collins    Lawton MacArthur High School LeAnna Corbett    Owasso High School Kelsey Couch    Norman North High School Tyler Dang    Classen School of Advanced Studies Preston Davis    Blanchard High School Gabrielle Dick     Enid High School Brianna Dowers     Edmond North High School Emma Duncan    Edmond North High School	Thomas Fleming     Casady High School Yesi Galicia    Harding Charter Preparatory Brenna Gollihare    Kellyville High School Madison Henson     Sulphur High School Paige Jackson    Warner High School Jennings Jarman    Bishop McGuiness High School Annie Jordan    Cascia Hall High School Meg Kane    Homeschool Sam Karchmer    Heritage Hall High School Gracie Koonce     Norman High School Lauren Lawrence    Stilwell High School Cooper Little     Plainview High School David Madigan    Lawton Eisenhower High School Coleman Moody     Bishop McGuiness High School Arden Moore     Muskogee High School Madison Morrow    Altus High School Claire Noel     Lawton Eisenhower High School	Angela Nwanko    Putnam City North High School Kurt Pasque    Norman High School Ellen Payne     Casady High School Anthony Rayburn     Norman North High School Addison Rhynes    Ada High School Kara SaeLim     Broken Bow High School Luke Schnare    Bixby High School Summer Simeroth    Durant High School Summer Stevens    Perry High School Austin Stottlemyer    Kingston High School Seth Truitt    Oklahoma Christian School Gloria Tso    Bartlesville High School Katie Warnick    Woodward High School Jessica Watson     Noble High School Abbey White    Deer Creek High School Bailey Wilson    Enid High School Alana Wynn    McAlester High School

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»LOK Ambassadors Report

It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as Chair of the LOK Ambassadors this past year. I was blessed to work with an amazing group of dedicated professionals who took the time from their busy schedules to ensure Leadership Oklahoma (LOK) continues to thrive and provide the best in the way of continuing education and networking opportunities for our members.

As I pass the baton to Beth Kerr (Class XXIV), I know this group will be in great hands. Beth is an amazing leader and the new group of Ambassadors, some returning and some new, will continue to be outstanding representatives for their respective classes. I look forward to continuing on as Ambassador for Class XIII and am excited to see what great ideas emerge from this new group. Many thanks for the opportunity to serve and the ‘best’ to Beth and others for a successful year.

Carolyn Stager
2013-2014 Ambassadors Chair

2014-2015 Ambassadors  

LOK would like to welcome the new 2014-2015 Ambassadors! The kick-off meeting for the Ambassadors new year will be June 16, 2014 and this group has some fun and educational member events in the works.

If you have ideas for member events, please contact your ambassador or Allyson Carson.

2013-2015 Term II - Kay Martin IV - Doug Tippens VI - Tony Zahn – Chair-elect VIII - Linda Grantham X - Sammye Cravens XII - Melinda Johnson XIV - Sandy Pratt XVI - Mary Jane Calvey XVIII - Mary Lippert XX - Samonia Byford XXII - Lisa Wells XXIV - Beth Kerr – Chair	2014-2016 Term I – Lindy Ritz III – Tanya Case V – Phil Kliewer VII – Nancy Parrott IX – Pat Andersen-Robertson XI – Rex Smitherman XIII – Carolyn Stager – Past-Chair XV – Cristy Morrison XVII – Lana Reynolds XIX – Kerry Alexander XXI – Chris Kenney XXIII – Katie Kimberling XXV – Molly Helm
Regional Ambassadors: XIX – Northeast Region - Kimbra Scott XXI – Southwest Region – Matthew Mollman	Regional Ambassadors: XVI - Northwest Region – Brent Kisling XXIV – Southeast Region – Leslie Hicks

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»Mark Your Calendar and Get Signed Up!

Leadership Oklahoma has confirmed dates for several upcoming events. Please double-check dates, locations and agendas in the details below as some have changed.

LOK Lawn Party

Friday, June 20, 2014

Time to shake off those winter blues and make plans for the LOK Lawn Party in Tulsa.  Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett (Class II) and his wife, Victoria, have graciously offered to host the event at their home. LOK members and their guests will enjoy appetizers, beer, wine and great conversations with fellow members.  It is a come and go event from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. There is no cost to attend, but we ask that you RSVP for the event.

For those who would like to spend the night in Tulsa after the party, a special room rate of $79 has been arranged with the Hyatt Regency Tulsa Downtown. You are also welcome to contact the Hyatt directly at 918-582-9000 and mention the LOK group rate when booking.

Click here to RSVP or call the LOK office at 405.848.0001.

LOK Fall Forum

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

It's time to Save the Date for a great educational opportunity. The 2014 LOK Fall Forum will be held Tuesday, October 7 from 1:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at the Devon Tower in Oklahoma City. Online registration will be open later this summer. Due to limited seating, reservations for the attendees will only be complete with payment.

With the election cycle in full swing, this year’s forum will be about the election process, examination of the primary election races, the influence of PAC’s, and more!

Interested in helping plan the Fall Forum? If you would like to be a part of the Fall Forum planning committee, please email Allyson Carson. The Fall Forum Chair is Mark Williams (Class XXV) and current committee members are Chad Alexander (Class XXV), Carolyn Stager (XIII), Brent Kisling (XVI), Ted Streuli (Class XXIV), Xavier Neira (Class XXV), Clayton Taylor (Class III), Molly Helm (XXV), Stephanie Chappell (Class IX) and Mike Strain (Class XXVI).

For those wanting to spend the night, a special room rate has been arranged with the Colcord Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City. LOK members can contact the Colcord at 405.601.4300 for a special group rate of $130. Just mention the LOK Group when reserving your overnight stay for the Fall Forum.

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»Class XXVII Travels to Panhandle

Class XXVII members, Jane Mudgett and Lee Keener, Jr. give their perspective on the class program in Guymon this month. To see photographs from the trip, click here.

I once married into a farm family.  It was one where agriculture – “ag” and cattle – was learned on your grandfather’s 200 acres while sitting on your father’s lap as he was driving the tractor.  Observation and intuition were your greatest skills and any gaps were filled in at the coffee shop or feed store.  Now farmers have law degrees and MBAs, use GPS on their tractors and computer programs to analyze where to apply the appropriate nutrients for specific production results.

For us “down-staters”, we enjoyed the trees shaped by the wind and the independent and genuine approach of the locals who live in an area once called, “No Man’s Land.”

The people live in a 36 mile wide swath of high desert where there are more head of cattle and pigs than there are people on the local census.  As I say, “it’s better to have 10 different experiences”, well, we had them all on this one trip – living museums, dinosaur footprints, 15,000 acre family farms, hog processing and feed lots all shared openly by experts with no ulterior motives other than to help us understand a way of life different than most of ours.

For the 1% of the population that generates 20% of the “ag” output of the state, I raise my bottle to you!

Jane Mudgett
Class XXVII Member

I was asked to report on the latest LOK Class XXVII adventure to the Panhandle. Many of my fellow classmates and I agreed we had only traveled through the Panhandle. I had driven through the Panhandle on my way to somewhere else, stopping only to get gas.  This time, I am glad I was able to walk around the land and visit with the people. I knew of the Panhandle, of course, from Dust Bowl stories, and I thought of it as that faraway place seldom visited by its fellow Oklahomans. I learned a new term this week: we in Oklahoma who do not live in the Panhandle are referred to as "down-staters" because of the higher elevation of the Panhandle.

I greatly enjoyed seeing Black Mesa and hope to return sometime to hike to the top.  I enjoyed seeing a bald eagle, bighorn sheep, deer, and pronghorn antelope. The most impressive thing to me was the spirit of the people. I saw them as proud of the land where they are from, self-reliant, progressive, hard- working, cooperative, tolerant of others, and content with who they are. They face distinct challenges that are unique to the relative remoteness of their land. For example, the Sheriff we met drove his own vehicle covering hundreds of square miles to administer his duties.  Several made the comment that they would not care to live anywhere else but the Panhandle! Another aspect that was often mentioned was the diversity of their population because of immigration. I was impressed by their willingness to work together and to work hard. They really seemed to strive for common-sense solutions to their varied issues.  I see them as all pitching in and meeting those challenges and turning them into opportunities for greatness and forward thinking for the future. I saw these traits exhibited time and again in their leadership.

From this point forward, I will be ever mindful of our "up-state" Oklahomans. They quietly contribute an enormous amount to the state every day.  I think the least we "down-staters" could do to repay their kindness and hospitality is by saying a prayer for rain!

Lee Keener, Jr.
Class XXVII Member

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»Announcements and Upcoming Events

Deadlines:

May 9, 2014:	Deadline: Community Application to Host 2014-2015 class program due. Download Application Here
May 31, 2014	The Oklahoma Humanities Council, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to lifelong learning and cultural opportunities, is seeking nominations for its Board of Trustees. Interested individuals can visit http://www.okhumanities.org/board-nominations for guidelines. For more information please contact Ann Thompson, Executive Director, at 405-235-0280.

 

Upcoming Events:

April 16, 2014	Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits National Speaker Series: Everyone Leads. Oklahoma City program
April 17, 2014	Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits National Speaker Series: Everyone Leads. Tulsa program
April 18-19, 2014	Hey Altus..."Wat-er" You Doing With Water?,  Altus
June 20, 2014	LOK Lawn Party, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m., Home of Mayor Dewey (Class II) and Victoria Bartlett, Tulsa
October 7, 2014	LOK Fall Forum, Devon Tower, Oklahoma City
November 2-3, 2014	Association of Leadership Professionals Central Plains Regional Conference, The Skirvin Hotel, Oklahoma City

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»LOK Members File for Oklahoma Elections

The following are Leadership Oklahoma members who have filed with the Oklahoma Election Commission for upcoming federal, state and county elections. For a complete listing of candidates who have filed for elections across Oklahoma visit the Oklahoma Election Board website. (Multiple candidates are listed in alphabetical order, no preference or endorsement is given to any candidate. LOK's intention was to highlight all LOK members who have filed for elections across Oklahoma, any members omitted from this list is purely an oversight. Please contact the LOK office by email with any missing LOK member candidates.)

Federal Offices US Senate Unexpired term T.W. Shannon, Lawton US House District 5  Patrice Douglas, Edmond Clark Jolley, Edmond State Offices Governor Joe Dorman, Rush Springs Attorney General Scott Pruitt, Tulsa State Treasurer Ken Miller, Edmond State Schools Superintendent Janet Barresi, Oklahoma City Freda Deskin, Edmond Jack Herron, Jr., Norman Corporation Commission (One Seat) Cliff Branan, Oklahoma City Todd Hiett, Kellyville

State Senate and State House State Senate *UPDATED* District 6   Joe Hill, Durant District 40   Joe Howell, Oklahoma City District 48   Anastasia Pittman, Oklahoma City State House *UPDATED* District 7   Ben Loring, Miami District 8   Ben Sherrer, Chouteau District 33   Lee Denney, Cushing District 47   Leslie Osborn, Mustang District 49   Jessica Pfau, Ardmore District 55   Todd Russ, Cordell District 63   Greg Howard, Frederick District 78   Jeannie McDaniel, Tulsa District 82   Kevin Calvey, Oklahoma City District 83   Randy McDaniel, Edmond District 99   George E. Young, Oklahoma City District 101   Gary Banz, Midwest City

County Elections District Attorney District 2: Beckham, Custer, Ellis, Roger Mills and Washington counties Algela Marsee, Weatherford District 19: Atoka, Bryan and Coal counties Emily Redman, Durant District 21: Cleveland, Garvin, and McClain counties Greg Mashburn, Norman District Judge District 7, Office 11 Barbara Swinton, Oklahoma City District 14, Office 1 William Kellough, Tulsa District 14, Office 8 Mark Barcus, Tulsa Associate District Judge Harper County Megan Simpson, Buffalo

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»Leaders on the Move

Janienne Bella (Class XXVI) was honored with the Community Award at the 2014 Friendship Dinner and Awards Ceremony hosted by the Dialogue Institute of the Southwest.

Shane Fernandez (Class XXVII) will be awarded the Minority Small-Business Champion of the Year by the SBA Oklahoma District Office.

Deena Fisher (Class XXIV) was awarded the President’s Service Award by the National Association of Branch Campus Administrators.

Bryan Gonterman (Class XXIII) has accepted a new position at AT&T and will serve as the Vice President/General Manager of New England for AT&T Mobility.

Devin Graves (Class XXVII) has been selected as the Southwest Region Director for the Oklahoma Auto Dealers Association.

Chuck Hall (Class XIII) is a member of the Oklahoma City Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Board of Directors.

Rachel Hutchings (Class XXVII) has been named one of Oklahoma Magazines 40 under 40 outstanding young professionals.

Randy McDaniel (Class XXI) has authored a book entitled Pensions and Prosperity.

Rodd Moesel (Class III) has been selected to receive the Governor’s Outstanding Achievement Award in Agriculture. He is also a recipient of OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, DASNR Champion Award.

Jim Priest (Class IX) will be presented an Executive Pilot Award from the Oklahoma Business Ethics Consortium.

Chris Purcell (Class V) was elected as the executive secretary and vice president for university governance of the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents.

Karen Rieger (Class XXII) was elected as president of the Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma Board of Directors.

Brenda Spencer-Ragland (Class XXIII) will be awarded the Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year by the SBA Oklahoma District Office.

Joe Worley (Class XIX) was recognized as the 2014 Tulsa Press Club Media Icon at the Tulsa Press Club Newsies Award program.

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»Member Directory Updates

Below are member contact information changes received between March 16, 2014 and April 15, 2014. For a listing of ALL directory changes since the 2013-2014 Membership Directory was printed (July, 2013) please click here.

XIII • Jayme Cox President and CEO Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice 100 W. 5th St., LL1030 Tulsa, OK 74103 P: (918) 583-1361 F: (918) 583-1367 jcox@occjok.org	XVI • Nancy Day Retired 31 W. 22nd St. Tulsa, OK 74114 nancyday16@gmail.com	XXVII • Jason Hopkins Senior Vice President Commercial Risk Group, Inc. 1740 SE Washington Blvd Ste 200 Bartlesville, OK 74006 P: (918) 333-9500 ext. 21 F: (918) 333-9505 jhopkins@crgins.com
XXVII • Deidre Myers Deputy Secretary of Commerce	XXII • Mary Blankenship Pointer Sr. VP, Corporate Relationship Manager Republic Bank & Trust 401 W. Main Norman OK  73069 P: (405) 253-8641 mpointer@rbt.com	XI • Rex Smitherman Senior Vice President, Operations

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