Leslie Osborn
Leslie will address what the OK Department of Labor is, their function, and what are the available programs for people and businesses across the state. Examples are free programs for small businesses on workplace safety trainings, wage and hour assistance for individuals who do not receive paychecks or for new businesses to properly pay wages. Also, she will be talking about occupational licenses across the state and the work done to make it easier and more efficient in acquiring and renewing. She usually ends with a call for civility and working together for a better Oklahoma.
405-406-6419 [email protected]
Speaking Date: Friday, March 22nd @ 12:00pm
Beth Adele, Ph.D., MBA
Navigating Fundraising with the Power of Collaboration
Unlock the door to successful nonprofit fundraising by discovering the power of collaboration between fundraising and marketing teams. This presentation introduces you to the basics of navigating the intricate world of fundraising for nonprofits, building meaningful connections with donors, crafting compelling messages, and avoiding common pitfalls. Join us for an engaging session that combines practical tips for fostering synergy between fundraising and marketing.
Beth, joined Oklahoma City University (OCU) as its Chair of the Mass Communications Department in the fall of 2019. Since then, she has added the titles of Associate Professor and Director of the Nonprofit Leadership graduate program. Prior to serving OCU, she was the Director of Marketing at Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma. Beth as also served as the Acting Chair and Assistant to the Dean at Cameron University’s School of Business, as well as the Director of Career Services and Instructor of Marketing at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) where she was instrumental in the creation of the Veteran Higher Education Resources Office.
Beth earned her Ph.D. in Human Resource Development at The University of Texas at Tyler with an emphasis in organizational development and change management. Her dissertation focused on examining the beliefs, behaviors, and outcomes of managerial coaching. Beth is also a graduate of UCO with her Bachelor of Music and Master of Business Administration degrees. She is an alum of Leadership Edmond Class XXIX and holds a Nonprofit Management Certification from the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits as well as an Instructional Design Certification from the Association for Talent Development (ATD).
405-208-5326 [email protected]
Speaking Date: Friday, April 5th @ 12:00pm
Rachel Hubbard
Rachel Hubbard is a news veteran of more than 20 years and serves as KOSU’s executive director.
She began her radio career while still in high school, reading obituary and hospital reports as a part-time announcer and board operator at KTJS in Hobart, Oklahoma. Hubbard continued her radio career in 1999, joining KOSU as a student reporter. Following graduation from Oklahoma State University in 2003, Hubbard served as the station’s state capitol reporter and news director. She was promoted to associate director in 2007, managing the day to day programming and news operations of KOSU.
Hubbard spearheaded KOSU’s innovative collaboration with The Spy in 2012, giving a platform for local music and music otherwise not represented on the radio dial. She brought StoryCorps to Oklahoma City in 2018, allowing Oklahomans to share, record, and preserve their stories.
She serves on the board of directors for the Association of Independents in Radio (AIR) and mentors young journalists through NPR’s Next Generation Radio Project.
During her tenure at KOSU, Hubbard has won national awards for her news coverage from the Public Media Journalists Association, the Scripps Howard Foundation and Society for Professional Journalists. She has also received numerous state and regional journalism awards and has been named to Oklahoma Gazette’s Forty Under 40 and Oklahoma Magazine’s 40 under 40.
Hubbard holds a Master’s of Entrepreneurship and a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Communications from Oklahoma State University.
405-714-4422 [email protected]
Speaking Date: Friday, April 12th @ 12:00pm
Ryan Haynie
Criminal Justice Reform Fellow – Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
Ryan Haynie serves as the Criminal Justice Reform Fellow for the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. Prior to joining OCPA, he practiced law in Oklahoma City. His work included representing the criminally accused in state and federal courts. Ryan is active in the Federalist Society, serving as the Programming Director for the Oklahoma City Lawyer’s Chapter. He holds a B.B.A. from the University of Oklahoma and a J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. He and his wife, Jaclyn, live in Oklahoma City with their three children.
405-724-2464 [email protected]
Speaking Date: Friday, April 19th @ 12:00pm
Joe Dorman
Joe Dorman serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy. OICA, founding in 1983, is the statewide nonprofit organization that serves as the voice for Oklahoma’s children within state government. OICA continues to work with policymakers to help shape laws and policies based upon suggestions from the annual Fall Forum policy conference. In addition to working on various grant programs with collaborative partners, OICA is the state affiliate for the Kid Governor program, which provides curriculum to 5th grade teachers to help educate their students about the importance of civics and voting.
Joe served House District 65 as the state representative for 12 years, which included parts of Caddo, Comanche, Cotton, Grady and Stephens Counties. He authored key pieces of legislation for education, public safety, and government accountability. He was a candidate for Governor in 2014, and formerly served as a town council member in Rush Springs, as well as the chairman of the Watermelon Festival held on the second Saturday of August.
Joe is a board member of the Oklahoma Academy, Ground Zero, the Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum, the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature Foundation, and is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Oklahoma City and was selected by the Journal Record as one of the 50 most influential Oklahoma CEOs in 2022. He is also a former President of the Bricktown Rotary Club.
405-833-1117 [email protected]
Speaking Date: Friday, April 26th @ 12:00pm
Meredith Dennis
College and Career Readiness Specialist at State Department of Education
Meredith Dennis is a two-time graduate from the University of Oklahoma with professional history in family services and workforce development. Originally working with adults and families to strengthen employment skills and self-sufficiency, Meredith recently transferred that knowledge to youth-centered services and now works with the Oklahoma State Department of Education in the Office of College and Career Readiness. Her goal is to work with education and employment teams to identify barriers and help develop initiatives to provide access to meaningful and equitable work-based learning opportunities for students
Speaking Date: Friday, May 3rd @ 12:00pm
Vicki Behenna
OK County District Attorney
Vicki Behenna, is the newly elected District Attorney for Oklahoma County and the first female ever elected to that position. She is a former Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma. During her tenure as an Assistant United States Attorney, she tried numerous fraud cases including bank, wire, mail, corporate and healthcare and was responsible for the prosecution of complex public corruption cases. Behenna’s background and extensive investigative experience with complex investigations resulted in the conviction of many high-
profile defendants.
Among her noteworthy prosecutions, Behenna was selected to participate in the Oklahoma City bombing case against Timothy McVeigh as a special attorney to then U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno. Upon completion of the case, Behenna was selected by U.S. Attorney Pat Ryan to serve as senior litigation counsel for the Western District of Oklahoma. Behenna has tried numerous bank fraud cases including a case against State Senator Paul Taliaferro and Dale Mitchell. She was involved in the investigation and prosecution of two high profile public corruption cases involving the Oklahoma State Treasurer’s office and the Senate Pro Tempe. She also was involved in an off-label marketing case that resulted in a criminal conviction of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and a settlement to the government in the amount of $491 million.
Behenna left the U.S. Attorney’s Office after 25 years and entered private practice representing clients charged with a variety of state and federal crimes. Immediately upon leaving the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Behenna joined Crowe & Dunlevy as an advisory director and then opened her own firm of Behenna, Goerke, Krahl & Meyer. She also served as Executive Director of the Oklahoma Innocence Project at the Oklahoma City University School of Law.
Behenna has received several accolades during her 39 year career including the Trial Advocacy Award given by the Association of Government Lawyers in Capital Litigation, Distinguished Service Award from by U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, Integrity Award presented by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, was recognized by the Western District of Oklahoma as an Outstanding Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2012, and was awarded Distinguished Law Alumna by Oklahoma City University School of Law in 2013.
Behenna is an active speaker and a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, American Bar Association, Oklahoma Association of Women Lawyers and William J. Holloway, Jr. American Inn of Court. She served as an adjunct professor at Oklahoma City University School of Law instructing on trial practice and evidence courses.
Behenna received her Juris Doctor from the Oklahoma City University School of Law and her bachelor of arts in journalism from the University of Oklahoma.
Vicki has been married to her husband Scott for 45 years. She has three sons, three daughters-in- law, six grandchildren, two horses and one pound puppy named Lucy.
405-713-1600 [email protected]
Speaking Date: Friday, May 10th @ 12:00pm
Shane Morris
Shane is the General Manager and VP of Sales with the Oklahoman. He previously held a variety of local and regional sales leadership roles during his tenure with Gannett and most recently relocated from Fort Collins, CO to lead the Oklahoman team. He enjoys the outdoors, sports, has a passion for golf, and having grown up in Michigan will always be a Detroit Lions fan – for better or worse.
970-219-4591 [email protected]
Speaking Date: Friday, May 31st @ 12:00pm