CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS
BIO
(from https://johnlewis.house.gov/john-lewis/biography)
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Often called "one of the most courageous
persons the Civil Rights Movement ever
produced," John Lewis has dedicated his life
to protecting human rights, securing civil
liberties, and building what he calls "The
Beloved Community” in America. His
dedication to the highest ethical standards
and moral principles has won him the
admiration of many of his colleagues on both
sides of the aisle in the United States
Congress.
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He has been called "the conscience of the
U.S. Congress,” and Roll Call magazine has
said, "John Lewis…is a genuine American
hero and moral leader who commands
widespread respect in the chamber.”
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He was born the son of sharecroppers on February 21, 1940, outside of Troy, Alabama.
He grew up on his family's farm and attended segregated public schools in Pike County,
Alabama. As a young boy, he was inspired by the activism surrounding the Montgomery
Bus Boycott and the words of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., which he heard on radio
broadcasts. In those pivotal moments, he made a decision to become a part of the Civil
Rights Movement. Ever since then, he has remained at the vanguard of progressive
social movements and the human rights struggle in the United States.
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As a student at Fisk University, John Lewis organized sit-in demonstrations at
segregated lunch counters in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1961, he volunteered to
participate in the Freedom Rides, which challenged segregation at interstate bus
terminals across the South. Lewis risked his life on those Rides many times by simply
sitting in seats reserved for white patrons. He was also beaten severely by angry mobs
and arrested by police for challenging the injustice of Jim Crow segregation in the
South.
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During the height of the Movement, from 1963 to 1966, Lewis was named Chairman of
the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), which he helped form. SNCC
was largely responsible for organizing student activism in the Movement, including sitins and other activities.
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While still a young man, John Lewis became a nationally recognized leader. By 1963,
he was dubbed one of the Big Six leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. At the age of
23, he was an architect of and a keynote speaker at the historic March on Washington
in August 1963.
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In 1964, John Lewis coordinated SNCC efforts to organize voter registration drives and
community action programs during the Mississippi Freedom Summer. The following
year, Lewis helped spearhead one of the most seminal moments of the Civil Rights
Movement. Hosea Williams, another notable Civil Rights leader, and John Lewis led
over 600 peaceful, orderly protestors across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma,
Alabama on March 7, 1965. They intended to march from Selma to Montgomery to
demonstrate the need for voting rights in the state. The marchers were attacked by
Alabama state troopers in a brutal confrontation that became known as "Bloody
Sunday." News broadcasts and photographs revealing the senseless cruelty of the
segregated South helped hasten the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
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Despite more than 40 arrests, physical attacks and serious injuries, John Lewis
remained a devoted advocate of the philosophy of nonviolence. After leaving SNCC in
1966, he continued his commitment to the Civil Rights Movement as Associate Director
of the Field Foundation and his participation in the Southern Regional Council's voter
registration programs. Lewis went on to become the Director of the Voter Education
Project (VEP). Under his leadership, the VEP transformed the nation's political climate
by adding nearly four million minorities to the voter rolls.
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In 1977, John Lewis was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to direct more than
250,000 volunteers of ACTION, the federal volunteer agency.
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In 1981, he was elected to the Atlanta City Council. While serving on the Council, he
was an advocate for ethics in government and neighborhood preservation. He was
elected to Congress in November 1986 and has served as U.S. Representative of
Georgia's Fifth Congressional District since then. He is Senior Chief Deputy Whip for
the Democratic Party in leadership in the House, a member of the House Ways &
Means Committee, a member of its Subcommittee on Income Security and Family
Support, and Ranking Member of its Subcommittee on Oversight.
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John Lewis holds a B.A. in Religion and Philosophy from Fisk University, and he is a
graduate of the American Baptist Theological Seminary, both in Nashville, Tennessee.
He has been awarded over 50 honorary degrees from prestigious colleges and
universities throughout the United States, including Harvard University, Brown
University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, Duke University,
Morehouse College, Clark-Atlanta University, Howard University, Brandeis University,
Columbia University, Fisk University, and Troy State University.
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John Lewis is the recipient of numerous awards from eminent national and international
institutions, including the highest civilian honor granted by President Barack Obama, the
Medal of Freedom, the Lincoln Medal from the historic Ford’s Theatre, the Golden Plate
Award given by the Academy of Excellence, the Preservation Hero award given by the
National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Capital Award of the National Council of La
Raza, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Non-Violent Peace Prize, the President’s Medal of
Georgetown University, the NAACP Spingarn Medal, the National Education Association
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Award, and the only John F. Kennedy "Profile in
Courage Award" for Lifetime Achievement ever granted by the John F. Kennedy Library
Foundation.
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John Lewis is the co-author of the #1 New York Times bestselling graphic novel memoir
trilogy MARCH. The first volume, MARCH: Book One, received a 2014 American Library
Association (ALA) Coretta Scott King Book Award Author Honor, an ALA Notable
Children's Book designation, and was named one of YALSA's 2014 Top Ten Great
Graphic Novels for Teens. It was named one of the best books of 2013 by USA
Today, The Washington Post, Boston Globe, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, School
Library Journal, The Horn Book Review, Paste, Slate, Kirkus Reviews, and Booklist,
among others. He is also the author of Across That Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision
for Change, winner of the 2012 NAACP Image Award for Best Literary Work-Biography.
His biography is entitled Walking With The Wind: A Memoir of the Movement. He is
also the subject of two other books were written about his life: Freedom Riders: John
Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement, by Ann
Bausum and John Lewis in the Lead, by Jim Haskins and Kathleen Benson, with
illustrations by famous Georgia artist, Bennie Andrews.
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He has been interviewed for numerous documentaries, news broadcasts, and journals,
including the The Colbert Report, Morning Joe, the Rachel Maddow Show, the Today
show, CNN Headline News, CNN’s American Morning, CSPAN’s Washington Journal,
Time Magazine, Newsweek Magazine, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The
Washington Post, USA Today, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Boston Globe, the
Dallas Morning News, the Miami Herald, the Philadelphia Tribune, Roll Call magazine,
and many more.
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John Lewis lives in Atlanta, Georgia. He has one son, John Miles.
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•••JULIA CLIFFORD
••1677 Mt Baker Hwy #A • Bellingham WA 98226 • (360) 305-7837
•director@thecivilproject.com ~ cildrenofthecivilrightsfilm.com ~ cliffordcreations.com
HIGHLIGHTS OF QUALIFICATIONS
•
Over twenty-seven years planning; marketing; program management: public relations; leadership and managing;
educating; researching, designing and conducting educational programs and public presentations. Experiences
include: producing films; painting; designing and conducting art exhibitions, strategic business and marketing
planning; producing marketing materials; fundraising and development; building relationships and networking;
budget and financial management; community event coordinating; writing and editing; policy and procedures.
EDUCATION
Master’s in Secondary Education!
Western Washington Univ., Bellingham WA!
1992-96
with History and Art Endorsements
Bachelors of Fine Art !
Southeastern Oklahoma State Univ., Durant OK!
1992
WORK HISTORY
Owner & Multi-media Artist!
Clifford’s Creations, Bellingham WA!
2003-Present
Current Project - Children of the Civil Rights documentary film
CPA Accounting Assistant!
Vaughn Hagen CPA, Bellingham WA !
2008 - 2014
Executive Assistant & Marketing Director!
Morrison Glass Art, Bellingham WA!
2002-07
Executive Director!
Allied Arts of Whatcom Co., Bellingham WA!
1999-02
Exec & Development Director’s Assistant!
Cancer Lifeline, Seattle WA!
1997-99
Graphics Production Specialist!
Eddie Bauer, Redmond WA!
1997-98
Interpreter, Naturalist, Fee Collection Supervisor!
National & State Parks Services!
1982-91
Denali National Park, AK; Zion National Park, UT; Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID;
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park, LA; Tucker Tower Museum at Lake Murray State Park, OK
OTHER EXPERIENCE
Board Member !
Pickford Film Center !
2003-2007
Co-Chair Capital Campaign Committee !
Pickford Film Center!
2004-05
Board Member/Volunteer !
Allied Arts of Whatcom County!
1992-97
Chair Events Committee !
Allied Arts of Whatcom County!
1994-95
Clifford, Resume, 2
HONORS
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Funding Recipient, Documentary, Oklahoma City Community Foundation, OK
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Juried Participant, Artist Trust EDGE Program, Seattle WA
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Grant Recipient, Public Installation In Cecilia’s Garden, City of Bellingham Municipal Arts Grant
2006
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Nominated for Best Narrative Short -“The Script”, Projections Film Festival, Bellingham WA
2006
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Mayor’s Arts Award, Bellingham Art Commission, Bellingham WA
2003
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High Achievement Award, National Park Service, Denali National Park, AK
1991
2008-Present
Fall 2006
FILM
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Children of the Civil Rights Documentary (1hr version), Co-Producer & Director!
2015
Seven years in the making: research, fundraising, production, marketing, screenings, presentations
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A Boy’s Journey, Artist & Set Design!
2011
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The Balloon Man Animation, Writer, Artist & Director !
2011
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Lipstick, Assistant Director - NW Projections in Bellingham!
2007
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The Script, Writer & Director - NW Projections in Bellingham!
2006
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Go Fish, Assistant Director - NW Projections in Bellingham!
2005
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Secret Life of a Soccer Mom, Actress - NW Projections in Bellingham!
2005
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Who’s On First, Line Production - Northwest Film School in Bellingham!
2004
Art Exhibitions
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Whatcom Artist Studio Tour in Whatcom County!
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The Color of Spring Solo Exhibition - A traveling show in Bellingham!
2009, 2010 & 2011
2011
The Chrysalis, The Amadeus Project, Cascadia Physical Therapy, The Cancer Center & Chuckanut Brewery
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In Cecilia’s Garden – A Seven Foot Tall Working Picture Book Sculpture in Bellingham!
2007, 2010 & 2011
The Children’s Literacy Conference at Western Washington University, Literacy in Action in Skagit County,
Bellingham Library, Western’s Performing Art Center & Washington Ferry Terminal
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Orchards in Three Seasons Solo Exhibition - The Amadeus Project in Bellingham!
2009
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Illuminations Group Exhibition - igallery in Bellingham!
2009
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Participating Artist - The Dream Space Artist Studio Gallery Walks in Bellingham!
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Landscapes & the Abstract Solo Exhibition - Fairhaven in Bellingham!
2009
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The “EDGE” Artist Trust Group Exhibition - Edmonds Convention Center in Edmonds!
2007
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Sunshine & Blue Group Exhibition - Bellingham Frameworks Gallery in Bellingham!
2006
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Process & Product Solo Exhibition - Mindport Gallery in Bellingham!
2005
2005 - 2007
Joyce Henderson, Retired Education Administrator and Community Volunteer
1214 NE 67th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73111, 405/478-1049
Joyce A. Henderson is a 1964 graduate of Dunjee High
School. She received her B.S. Degree from Langston
University, M.Ed. Degree from the University of Central
Oklahoma, and Secondary School Administration Certification
from the University of Oklahoma.
In 1963, while in high school, and a member of the NAACP
Youth Council, Joyce Henderson went to Washington, D.C.,
with Clara Luper and others to hear Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr., deliver his “I Have A Dream” speech as part of the Civil
Rights March.
On January 20, 2009 and January 19, 2013, she traveled to
Washington, DC to see the Inaugurations of our President Barack Obama which were
priceless experiences! Her experiences as a sit-in participant prepared her for life.
Of her thirty-seven years in education, Mrs. Henderson spent twenty years of those
years as principal at five different area high schools in the Oklahoma City Public Schools
(Emerson High School, original Classen High School, Northeast High School, Star
Spencer High School, and returned to open one of the district’s first magnet schools,
Classen School of Advanced Studies).
The Classen School of Advanced Studies is now listed as one of the nation’s top
schools. Her last 10 years in the school district, she served on the Superintendent’s
Cabinet as the Executive Director of School and Community Services.
She was honored for her outstanding education career by being named to the 2012 Wall
of Fame by The Foundation of Oklahoma City Public Schools.
She has served on several community boards and received numerous awards and
honors, including the National Award from John F. Kennedy for the Performing Arts
Administrator Award. Minister of Music Emeritus after 30 years as pianist of St. John
CME Church, currently the pianist for the church’s Missionary Choir.
Marcus Garvey Charter School named their tutorial program in her honor. She was
appointed by Gov. Brad Henry to serve on the Health Disparities Task Force and she has
been appointed to other positions by former Governors. She has served on many
Boards which included Youth Services of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma City Public
Schools Foundation, Oklahoma City Leadership Alumni Association, and with Oklahoma
African American Education Hall of Fame; International Connection Committee of Alpha
Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc.
AYANNA NAJUMA
Ayanna Najuma is a woman filled with the passion
needed to change the world.
She is a Renaissance woman, a true visionary, and has
accepted the responsibility of manifesting ideas that
allow people, from every walk of life to determine
their own destiny by using their talents, skills and
resources to make a difference in the world – to
enhance the quality of life.
A native of Oklahoma, Ms. Najuma’s days as an
advocate began as a young child. She was one of the
original sit-inners at Katz Drug Store in Oklahoma
City. This sit-in was held several years before the sitins in North Carolina. She has continued to fight for
equity and equality for many issues that impact one’s ability to empower themselves and
add value to society. She is currently traveling the country with Julia Clifford,
documentary filmmaker of Children of the Civil Rights, the story of the sit-in movement
in Oklahoma City, to share the importance of advocacy and activism in society. They
have launched I Have a Voice, a campaign designed to empower, educate and encourage
young people to utilize their own voice for equity and equality in society.
Ayanna was presented The Trailblazer Award in 2014 by the Oklahoma Department of
Human Services, Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Oklahoma Corporation
Commission and the Oklahoma Historical Society for her work in the civil rights
movement.
In addition to being an advocate for creating a quality of life that allows one to be
empowered and create their own destiny, she has developed an impressive range of
creative skills. It is for this reason that she launched the column, THE BEST IS RIGHT
NOW! Honor It! Embrace It! Live It!™, featured on Retirement LivingTV.com and in
The Oklahoman. Her work as host and producer of WPFW’s radio talk show Business
PUBLIC RELATIONS
P. O. Box 34541, Washington, D.C. 20043
202-997-9529
lincoln_mcleod@yahoo.com
World in Washington, DC, allowed her the opportunity to touch the minds of many. She
has written for numerous newspapers and magazines.
Ayanna is a noted speaker, motivating and empowering people to take a second look at
their lives, to step outside themselves, and examine what is necessary and required to live
a healthy and prosperous life. Ayanna is making a major impact among the young and
old and women around the world as she provides insight into how to live life to the
fullest.
Ms. Najuma is also a principal with Lincoln-McLeod, a public relations and marketing
firm. As Ms. Najuma travels the world representing clients, her desire to maintain
balance and harmony is paramount in creating a society that can have a legacy to be
proud of – a history that can be passed on from one generation to another.
With over 25 years of international experience in communications, Ms. Najuma has
worked with clients that range from authors, artists and entertainers to trade associations,
nonprofit organizations and Fortune 500 corporations plan and respond to changes in the
market place through strategic planning, brand and image development, market research,
media relations, and media related special events. She has made great strides in making
dreams come true.
Ms. Najuma is also passionate about the healthcare of the underserved. She is committed
to eliminating healthcare disparities in all healthcare areas, specifically kidney disease
and issues related to women’s health. In 2005, she donated a kidney to a friend and now
speaks nationally to educate and inform people of color on the importance of organ
donation.
Ayanna is a member of the NAACP and formerly a national board member of the
National Coalition of 100 Black Women, the National Great Black in Wax Museum
national advisory board, as well as the National Association of Women Business Owners.
She is a member of the Justice Roundtable of the Open Society.
Ayanna has been featured in Essence, Heart and Soul and Emerge magazines.
She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from George Washington University and a
Masters degree in Urban Planning from Howard University in Washington, DC.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
P. O. Box 34541, Washington, D.C. 20043
202-997-9529
lincoln_mcleod@yahoo.com
Hannibal B. Johnson is a graduate of Harvard Law
School. He did his undergraduate work at The
University of Arkansas, where he completed a
double major in economics and sociology. Johnson
is an attorney, author, and independent consultant.
Johnson has also served as an adjunct professor at
The University of Tulsa College of Law, Oklahoma
State University, and the University of Oklahoma.
Johnson is past president of Leadership Tulsa, past
president of the Metropolitan Tulsa Urban League
and past president of the Northeast Oklahoma
Black Lawyers Association. He directed Anytown,
Oklahoma, a statewide human relations camp for
teens, for more than a decade. Johnson served as Chairman of the board of directors of The
Community Leadership Association, an international leadership organization, during 2001 –
2002. He is a founding director of the Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, serves
as Chairman of the board of directors of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, and is a
member of The Rotary Club of Tulsa.
Johnson’s books include: Black Wall Street –From Riot to Renaissance in Tulsa’s Historic
Greenwood District; Up From the Ashes -A Story About Community (children’s book); Acres of
Aspiration -The All-Black Towns in Oklahoma; Mama Used To Say -Wit & Wisdom From The
Heart & Soul; No Place Like Home -A Story About an All-Black, All-American Town (middle
reader); & IncogNegro: Poetic Reflections on Race and Diversity in America. Johnson’s
play, Big Mama Speaks-A Tulsa Race Riot Survivor’s Story, has been performed at the Tulsa
Performing Arts Center, Philbrook Museum of Art, and was selected for the 2011 National Black
Theatre Festival. Johnson has also penned articles for the Encyclopedia of African American
History(2010).
Johnson’s honors include: the 2012 “Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher Diversity Award” from the
Oklahoma Bar Association; the “Don Newby/Ben Hill” award from Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry;
the “Keeping The Dream Alive” award from the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration
Society; the “Outstanding Service to the Public Award” from the Oklahoma Bar Association; the
“Ten Outstanding Young Tulsans” award from the Tulsa Jaycees; the “Distinguished Leadership
Award” from the National Association for Community Leadership; and the 2005 “Ralph Ellison
Literary Award” from the Black Liberated Arts Center; and the 2006 Oklahoma Human Rights
Award from the Oklahoma Human Rights Commission; induction into the 100 Black Men of
Tulsa, Inc. “Hall of Honor” in 2007; and the “Goodwill Appreciation Award” from the Islamic
Society of Tulsa in 2008. In 2004, Mr. Johnson graduated with the inaugural class of the national
“Connecting Community Fellowship Program” based in Richmond, Virginia.
BILL CLIFFORD
405-848-7858 2744 ~ Lancaster Ln, Oklahoma City OK 73116 ~ bill.sue.clifford51@gmail.com
VITA
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Extensive organization management experience wit hvaried volunteer, non-profit,public sector constituencies
Well grounded in governmental operations, grantsmanship, grants management and program administration
Adept at business recruitment, community and economic development, work with small business operations
Skilled in demographic research, strategic planning, start-up operations, systems innovation, consensus building
Results-oriented self-starter with proven capabilities to move concepts to accomplishments and market ideas
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
• Managed chambers of commerce; focused on volunteer support, community needs assessments, programs of work
• Staffed Special Joint House/Senate Economic Development Committee - Oklahoma LegislativeService Bureau
• Founded Technology In Motion, Inc., 501(c)(3) organization for technology transfer/new product development
• Devised/implemented economic diversity strategy for sub-state council of governments in Southwest Oklahoma
• Drafted Cooperative Research & Development Agreement (CRDA) for Manufacturers’ Alliance & Tinker AFB
• Directed multi-county technical assistance/grant-in-aid efforts for consortium of local government jurisdictions
• Organized and staffed City of Stroud’s Economic Development Department, serving as agency’s first director
RESULTS:
• Expanded chamber memberships, dues income, budget, programs of work and government liaison operation
• Staffed Legislative review that consolidated multi-agency capabilities to form the Oklahoma Department of
Commerce; increased business loan fund availability in Oklahoma Finance Authorities; created economic
development parks authority for School Land Commission and a more coordinated state development effort
• Enacted space/intellectual property access agreements between Conoco Research and private sector sources
• Set up federal loan authorities (SBA/504; RECD/IRP; EDA/RLF) in SWODA; linked Manufacturers’ Alliance to
Tinker AFB technologies resources; founded ‘G2’, an areawide technology transfer consortium
• Coordinated interdisciplinary SODA staff to meet program needs of 53-member government consortium
• Helped create 220 jobs and finance industrial park in city of 3,000 in three years from office start-up
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Present!!
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Nov 00 - Oct 01!
Feb 96 - Dec 98!
Feb 94 - Jan 96!!
Feb 89 - Dec 92!
Oct 85 - Jan 87!!
Mar 74 - Dec 85!
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Retired, Servic in voluntary capacity with various community-centered organizations
Marketing Manager-Oklahoma, WATCO Companies, Pittsburg KS
Director, Economic Development Department, City of Stroud OK
Manager, Technology Commercialization Support, SWODA, Burns Flat OK
Executive Director, Ponca City Economic Development Foundation, Ponca City OK
Committee Coordinator, Oklahoma Legislative Service Bureau, Oklahoma City OK
Director of Economic Development, then Executive Director for the Southern Oklahoma
Development Association (SODA), Ardmore OK
EDUCATION
Bachelors of Arts Degree, Boston College, Chestnut Hill MA
MILITARY SERVICE
United States Army Artillery, Honorable Discharged as Captain
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