Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence announces new board members

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a statewide charitable organization that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools, has announced the addition of 12 new members to its Board of Trustees.

Appointed to serve three-year terms are Casey Gilliam; Stephen G. Butler; Dr. Sonja J. Hughes; Sheryl Lovelady; Marion Paden; Jennifer Dilley; Mike Boynton; Annie Chang; Michael Epps; Melvin R. Gilliam Sr.; Dr. David Kendrick; and Jennifer Loren.

Casey Gilliam of Edmond is a former public school teacher-turned interior designer. After a 10-year period living in California, she and her husband now reside in Edmond, where their three children attend Edmond Public Schools. Gilliam serves on the Parent Teacher Organization board of her children’s school, and is looking forward to serving on the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Board along with her father, longtime board member Ken Ferguson.

Three of the new trustees — Butler, Chang and Kendrick — received Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Academic All-State Awards when they were high school seniors.

One of the keys to the foundation’s success is the leadership of its 180 trustees. They are leaders in business, education and public service who represent every region of the state and help promote the foundation’s mission and its programs.

The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence was founded in 1985 by then-U.S. Sen. David L. Boren to strengthen support for public education in Oklahoma. Through its flagship Academic Awards Program, the foundation has presented more than $5.1 million in cash awards to honor outstanding public school students and educators. Through its Oklahoma School Foundations Network, the foundation provides training and networking opportunities to more than 200 public education foundations across the state.

The foundation partners with the national Fund for Teachers and the Tulsa Community Foundation to provide grants for self-designed summer professional development opportunities for teachers in locations around the world. The foundation recently completed the pilot phase of its Teachers of English Learners Project, an online learning and networking platform to support classroom teachers in elementary schools with high enrollment of English Learners. The platform is now available free to teachers statewide through the State Department of Education.

Since 1987, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and its partners have invested more than $12.6 million in teacher grants, scholarships and awards directly benefiting Oklahoma public school teachers and students.