Our Approach
Ideas to Action
Our methods for creating engagement start with education–you can find research on almost every issue in Oklahoma public policy in our online library–and they move into motion with our Town Hall events, where citizens can discuss policy and discover solutions, together.
Change Through Collaboration
Oklahomans are stronger together, and after reaching consensus through the discourse at a Town Hall event, we empower citizens to lobby leaders to enact the necessary change, bringing the civic engagement plan of action full circle.
Our History
Oklahoma’s first Republican governor, Henry Bellmon, was surrounded by top officials who were Democrats when he was first elected. This challenge, coupled with the fact that Bellmon truly saw himself as a representative of the people of Oklahoma and sought their engagement in the development of public policy, led to the founding of the Oklahoma Academy for State Goals by Bellmon in 1967.
Bellmon knew that a well-informed populace with the confidence to approach and engage their representatives was necessary for a strong, successful state, and he saw the need for an independent, nonpartisan, inclusive public policy organization to bring that level of enlightenment to fruition…and then continue to grow it throughout the years.
The Oklahoma Academy has remained focused on strengthening public policy through citizen engagement and has continued to uphold Henry Bellmon’s vision, which often stands in stark opposition to divisive and lobby-centered modern politics.
Our Story
The Oklahoma Academy underwent a revitalization in 1985 and used a traditional conference format to form recommendations addressing critical public policy issues facing the state until 2000. The adoption of our current Town Hall model occurred in 2001, and has only strengthened our mission of fostering collaboration, even as most modern politics get more divisive and specialized.
Our Mission
Raise Awareness of the Issues, Provide Non-Partisan, Evidenced-Based Research and Hold Space for Civil Discourse and Consensus Building.
Our Staff
Julie Knutson
President and CEO
April Maddry
Membership & Program Manager
Lynn Thompson
Communications & Development Director
Board of Directors
2025 Officers of the Board
- Board Chair & Co-Development Vice President – Darryl Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer, BancFirst
- Immediate Past Chair – Michael Neal, CCE, CCD, President & CEO, Tulsa Regional Chamber, Tulsa
- Vice Chair & Board Governance Vice President – Lana Reynolds, President, Seminole State College, Seminole
- Treasurer/Secretary – Lee Denney, DVM, Treasurer, Payne County, Cushing
- Investment Vice President – David Nimmo, President and CEO, Chickasaw Nation Industries, Norman
- Membership Vice President & Regional Team Leader – Michael Gordon, External Affairs Manager, PSO, Tulsa
Executive Committee Members of the Board
Howard Barnett, Jr., of Counsel, Barnett Family Law Firm, Tulsa
Laura Butler Claussen, M.Ed., Associate VP of Public Affairs, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond
Hon. Lee Denney, D.V.M., Treasurer, Payne County, Cushing
Canaan Duncan, Deputy Secretary of State, Cherokee Nation, Stilwell
Margaret Erling, CEO, Erling and Associates, Tulsa
John Feaver, Ph.D., President Emeritus, University of Science & Arts, of Oklahoma, Chickasha
Michael Gordon, Manager, External Affairs– Northeast OK, PSO/AEP Company, Tulsa, Membership Vice President
Dwight Hughes, Superintendent & CEO, Autry Technology Center, Enid
Hollye Hunt, J.D., Vice President of Executive Affairs and Chief of Staff, The University of Oklahoma, Norman
Barry Koonce , VP & Chief Govt. Affairs Officer, American Fidelity Assurance Co., Oklahoma City
Chris Meyers, General Manager & CEO, Oklahoma Association of, Electric Cooperatives, Oklahoma City
Hon. Ken Miller, Ph.D., Vice President of Public and Regulatory Affairs, OG&E, Oklahoma City
Michael Neal, CCE, CCD, President & CEO, Tulsa Regional Chamber, Tulsa
David L. Nimmo, Consultant, Chickasaw Nation, Norman
Seth Paxton, Manager of Government Affairs, Paycom, Oklahoma City
Stephanie Regan , Director of Corporate Citizenship, AAON, Tulsa
Lana Reynolds, President, Seminole State College, Seminole
Darryl Schmidt, CEO, BancFirst, Oklahoma City
Andy Sherrer, Regional President , First United Bank, Norman
Hon. Kris Steele, Executive Director, The Education and Employment Ministry (TEEM), Oklahoma City
Sara Jane Smallwood-Cocke, Senior Govt. Relations Strategist, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Durant
At Large Board Members
Hon. Chris Benge, Vice President of Operations, OSU Institute of Technology, Okmulgee
Hon. Dan Boren, Secretary of Commerce, the Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma City, Development Vice President
John Budd, Chief Operating Officer, George Kaiser Family Foundation, Oklahoma City
Teresa Meinders Burkett, Partner, Conner & Winters, LLP, Tulsa
Michael Davis, J.D., Ph.D., Special Assistant to the President for Compliance, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Durant
Hon. Joe Dorman, CEO, Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, Oklahoma City
W. Jeff Greenlee, President, NBC Oklahoma Bank, Altus
Hon. AJ Griffin, Ed.D., President & CEO, Potts Family Foundation, Oklahoma City
John Harper, Tulsa
Hon. Danny Hilliard, CEO, DCH Strategies, LLC
Hon. Kim Holland, Principal, East Consultant Group, Tulsa
Rachel Hutchings, Principal, Chart Consulting, Skiatook
Brittani Jones, Local Govt. Affairs & Project Outreach, Williams, Tulsa
Craig Knutson, Chief Retirement Officer, The Knutson Estate, Norman
Karen Langdon, Attorney, Tulsa
Holly Rosser Miller, Broker Associate, Interstate Properties, Inc., Muskogee
Matthew Morgan, Special Envoy, the Chickasaw Nation, Ada
Adrienne Nobles, APR, Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond
Craig Perry, Manager of Govt. Relations Oklahoma, ONE Gas, Oklahoma City
Mark Schell, President, Security State Bank of Oklahoma, Seminole
James J. Sluss, Jr., Ph.D., Regents’ Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, The University of Oklahoma, Tulsa
Craig Stephenson, City Manager, Ponca City
Steve Valencia, VP of Development, Rogers State University, Claremore
Richard Wansley, Ph.D., Principal Consultant, Advocate Oklahoma, LLC, Tulsa