»In This Issue
»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
-Top of Page-»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 KimberlingYouth 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 |
-Top of Page-»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 Stager2013-2014 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 TermII - 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 TermI – 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 |
-Top of Page-»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.
-Top of Page-»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
|
-Top of Page-»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 OfficesUS SenateUnexpired term T.W. Shannon, Lawton
US HouseDistrict 5 Patrice Douglas, Edmond Clark Jolley, Edmond
State OfficesGovernorJoe Dorman, Rush Springs
Attorney GeneralScott Pruitt, Tulsa
State TreasurerKen Miller, Edmond
State Schools SuperintendentJanet 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 ElectionsDistrict AttorneyDistrict 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 JudgeDistrict 7, Office 11 Barbara Swinton, Oklahoma City
District 14, Office 1 William Kellough, Tulsa
District 14, Office 8 Mark Barcus, Tulsa
Associate District JudgeHarper County Megan Simpson, Buffalo
|
-Top of Page-»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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