Sheryl Sandberg author of Lean In

I watched Sheryl Sandberg's commencement address at Barnard College.  I encourage everyone to watch the video.  Sheryl cites interesting statistics on women in leadership roles.  She also makes some great points about our nature to lean back instead of in.  Mentees, Sheryl is right, we are looking to you to continue the path of building women in leadership.

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdvXCKFNqTY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Off to a great start!

What a great kick off meeting! Special thanks to Amy and Ashley for the superb organization. It was great to be in a room full of women from all walks of life with a common goal.

See you all next week!

Chrissi

Kate Kelly

Age and/or Generation: 52

Current Job(s):  Tourism Director.

Former Job(s):  Director of Community Relations at Cherokee Heritage Center.

Education and/or Training:  Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and English from NSU.

Greatest Professional Accomplishment:  Winning RedBud award for Red Fern Festival.

Areas of Expertise:  Writing; tourism; public speaking.

Hometown:  Proctor, Oklahoma.

Other Towns of Residence:  Fairbanks, Alaska; Tulsa; Skiatook, Oklahoma.

Family:  Two sisters.

Hobbies: hiking, bird watching, gardening/yardwork, reading, music, traveling.

The Role of Mentors in Your Life: Instilled the importance of intergrity in my life and in those with whoms I assoicate and work. They also encouraged me to believe I could accomplish whatever I wanted, and to aim high.

Favorite Quotation: He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.

Christy Landsaw

Age and/or Generation: 40 Something, Generation X

Current Job(s): I am currently the Director of Budgets & Planning for Northeastern State University and the owner of KTK Angus Steakhouse in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

Former Job(s): I was originally hired by NSU as the Payroll Supervisor.  Prior to joining NSU, I practiced public accounting with a Broken Arrow CPA firm.  I was also one of four partners/owners of a Wings to Go Franchise in Muskogee.

Education and/or Training: As a Navy “brat” I went to fifteen different schools across the US before graduating from Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  After high school, I attended Tulsa Community College then transferred to NSU as a “non-traditional” first generation college student.  After receiving my Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Northeastern State University, I went on to study and pass the Certified Public Accountant exam.

Greatest Professional Accomplishment:  Thus far, I would have to say one of my greatest professional accomplishments was passing the CPA exam.  At the time I was eligible to sit for the exam, it was only offered twice a year; once in May and once in November.  The two day exam consisted of four parts: Finance, Accounting & Reporting, Audit and Law and you had to take all four sections at the same time.  If you passed at least two sections and achieved a score of at least 62% (as compared to your peers also taking the exam) on the sessions you didn’t pass, you could “condition”.  Conditioning meant you didn’t have to retake those sections again. 

Three weeks before I sat for the exam, on the one year anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, my father passed away unexpectedly.   Needless to say, instead of studying, I spent the next few weeks making funeral arrangements and helping my family through a rough time.  One week before the exam, I had to make a decision whether to go ahead and sit for the exam or forego my exam fee and the time I had already devoted to studying and postpone sitting until six months later.  I made the decision to take the exam, “conditioned” then went on to pass the remaining sections.

I can’t really put into words any other specific event I would claim as my greatest professional accomplishment.  I don’t think I’ve reached my full potential and believe there is so much more I have to contribute. I’m hoping I haven’t achieved my greatest professional accomplishment just yet.

 Expertise:  Financial Planning & Accounting. 

Hometown: Our home resides in Hulbert, Oklahoma.

Other Towns of Residence:  Tulsa, OK; Washington, DC; Decatur, IL; Lafayette ,  IN; Ferndale, Eureka,  McKinleyville and Oxnard, CA; Corpus Christi, TX; and Adak, AK.

Family:  I am married to my best friend! We have been together for almost twenty seven years.  We have three children:  our oldest son, Devin; our daughter, Jordan; and our youngest son, Mason.  We also have two dogs: Jasper, a three year old Jack Russell; and Roxie, a three pound Yorkie that thinks she is the boss.

Hobbies: I enjoy entertaining and spending time with friends and family.  Cooking, baking, interior decorating and anything relating to home design or remodeling projects are things I enjoy most outside of work and helping out at the restaurant.

The Role of Mentors in Your Life:  I have been fortunate and have had many mentors in my life.  Unfortunately, I haven’t always told them how much of a difference they made because I wasn’t even aware of how much influence they had until much later in my life.   One mentor in particular, Mrs. Christian (my high school Accounting teacher) was such an inspiration to me and definitely guided my decision to major in Accounting several years later.  Since we moved so many times, I lost contact with her and never had a chance to thank her.

Professionally, two women I have looked up to with great admiration are Ms. Kim Cherry and Dr. Janet Bahr.  These women had a huge impact on NSU.  They devoted a large part of their lives to shaping our institution and left an everlasting impression on me.

Favorite Quotations: These are just a few of my favorites:

I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate.  George Burns

The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.  William Morris

Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.  Og Mandino

Dana Eversole

Hello, my name is Dana Eversole and I am a professor of Media Studies at NSU. I have been teaching at NSU for 25 years, but I did start at a really early age.

I received my undergraduate degree in journalism education from NSU in the 1980s when Vanilla Ice was hot and all hair styles were bad. After graduation I landed a pure journalism gig in Joplin, Mo. where my students were almost as old as me and would say things like "I have a sister older than you." Good times. I taught for five years and kept a daily journal of all things Parkwood High School and later Joplin High School. I do not think I have re-read those entries in many, many years.

From Joplin I cruised over to Pittsburg, Kansas and taught for a year at PSU while earning a master's degree in public relations. It was great. I was jobless and wanted to return to Oklahoma. My parents had sold my childhood home in Muskogee and were redoing an old turn of the century house just a few blocks over. They were residing in a duplex until the house was completed so what was one more in a tiny space. I moved in. I was highly educated, homeless, jobless and getting ready to attend my high school 10-year reunion. More good times.

I finally (two weeks) found a job announcement for a job and the name in the ad was a friend from my NSU days. I called. She said I was over qualified for the job posted, but before I went into shock visualizing about more nights on a blow up mattress in the living  room at that duplex she said she had another job For the next two years I was the news editor for the Tahlequah Daily Press. This was a great job. No money, but I got to know everyone in town. I wrote a lot of stories, covered beats and received many awards. This was the best stepping stone to a career teaching journalism and public relations to 18 year olds and older. Sometimes really older.

In the fall of 1989, before many of you readers were born, I received a call from Dr. Tom Cottrill, dean of the College of Arts and Letters (now, the College of Liberal Arts) to see how much experience I had in advertising. "I have sold an ad," I said to Dr. Cottrill. He took a chance and hired me to finish and ad class for a professor who was ill. The next semester, I taught two classes in public relations and was asked to apply for the fulltime line in the mass communication department.  I did. I got the job and the next thing I knew was the staff of The Northeastern decided to put a nude man on the cover of its publication that hit stands on Media Day (500 to 1,000 high school students on campus for  contests, lunch and speakers). The adviser left for Texas, so instead of just PR classes I inherited The Northeastern for the next 20 years or 60 semesters which ever sounds better.

During that time I earned a doctorate in driving the car or endurance. It is really all still a haze. Really it is in Higher Education with some mass communication thrown in for good measure. It is from OSU, go Pokes. During that time of always in my Chevy Cavalier, aka tuna can, I also adopted my two nephews who were 1 and 2 at the time and are now 17 and 18.

My greatest professional accomplishment(s) are seeing students seek and obtain the ultimate job - and there have been many, and watching them grow into the great individuals they are today. My favorite quote is my own, "Redo" because I believe we can all do things a little better if we work at achieving a higher standard than expected.

My mentors were my parents who told me I could accomplish whatever I set my mind to. Wow I forgot to tell you that I am the oldest of three children, the only girl and I was born without a left hand. I never questioned my worth or my intelligence. I did, have done what my goals were growing up - playing school and bossing people around. My life is really really good.

Now, I did not tell you how old I am or my generation, but I found a great quiz to determine your generation. It is fun.

According to a blog by Penelope Trunk "if you really want to know how old you really are, look at the media you use rather than the generation you were born into."

So here is a test Penelope Trunk put together with the help of an interview with Weigel and an evening reading her blog. Add up your points to figure out what generation you’re really a part of:

Do you have your own web page? (1 point)

Have you made a web page for someone else? (2 points)

Do you IM your friends? (1 point)

Do you text your friends? (2 points)

Do you watch videos on YouTube? (1 point)

Do you remix video files from the Internet? (2 points)

Have you paid for and downloaded music from the Internet? (1 point)

Do you know where to download free (illegal) music from the Internet? (2 points)

Do you blog for professional reasons? (1 point)

Do you blog as a way to keep an online diary? (2 points)

Have you visited MySpace at least five times? (1 point)

Do you communicate with friends on Facebook? (2 points)

Do you use email to communicate with your parents? (1 point)

Did you text to communicate with your parents? (2 points)

Do you take photos with your phone? (1 point)

Do you share your photos from your phone with your friends? (2 points)

0-1 point – Baby Boomer

2-6 points – Generation Jones

6- 12 points – Generation X

12 or over – Generation Y

Muriel Saunders

Age and/or Generation:  Mature

Current Job(s):  Adjunct Professor

Former Job(s):  Human Resources Professional

Education and/or Training:  Masters +

Greatest Professional Accomplishment:  First Black Female Manager in IBM's Data Processing Division, First Black Personnel Officer in the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health

Areas of Expertise:  Human Resources, Communication

Hometown:  Muskogee, OK

Other Towns of Residence:  Washington, D.C., Salina KS, Greensboro NC, Dallas, TX,, Los Angeles, CA, Menlo Park, CA, Tulsa, OK

Family:  Two daughters, son deceased, two g4randdaughters.
Hobbies:  Music and Puzzles

The Role of Mentors in Your Life:  The man who taught me how to be successful in big business, and how to communicate with people in all circumstances.  He polished my rough edges.

Favorite Quotation:  Reach for the stars and build your ladder as you go./

Rachel Younger

Age:  36
Currently employed with Cherokee Nation as the Finance & Administration Manager for Talking Leaves Job Corps.
Previously employed with Bank of America as the Assistant Manager for the Tahlequah, OK branch.
I am most proud of 3 of my previous direct reports at Bank of America.  All 3 were tellers for me and now 2 are Banking Center Managers for different branches and 1 is the Assistant Banking Center Manager of the Tahlequah branch.  I spent alot of behavior coaching with all 3 of these associates and  am so glad I invested the time with them because they are now reaping the rewards professionally and financially!
I grew up in a small town south of Tulsa - Mounds, OK.  We moved from Mounds to Sand Springs which is where I graduated high school.
The majority of immediate family lives here in Tahlequah, OK which makes my roots here very deep now.  I have a husband and 7 year old son who are my life!
I truly enjoying reading as much as possible with such a hectic professional and home life, but have been known to stay up all night to finish a great book.  My most recent good read is Spoons are for stirring coffee, which is written by a man from Ft. Smith, OK.  My other favorite hobby is watching my son in ALL of his sports activities.  It keeps us really busy but is worth every minute invested.
I have 3 mentors that are still involved in my life on a regular basis.  These women have taught me to be strong when i thought I couldn't, how to realize things about myself that were hard to take but have benefited me professionally and how to excel at any position that I am placed in.  I hope to be that type of mentor to my current staff and other young women in my community.

Words to live by - "Write your hurts in sand and your blessings in stone"

Amber Fite-Morgan

Age and/or Generation:  33

Current Job(s): NSU General Counsel 

 

Former Job(s):   Assistant District Attorney for Tulsa County

Education and/or Training: NSU, B.A. Mass Communications, 2002; University of Tulsa College of Law, J.D. 2005

 

Greatest Professional Accomplishment:  Passing the Bar Exam 

Areas of Expertise:  Higher Education Law 

Hometown:  Muskogee, OK

Other Towns of Residence:  Tahlequah, OK, Tulsa, OK, Fort Gibson, OK

Family:  Husband, Jordan and Bruiser Bear, Shih Tzu (more like our child)

Hobbies:  Cycling, gym, cooking and baking, spending time with Jordan and Bruiser Bear 

The Role of Mentors in Your Life:  I have numerous mentors. They include so many people from all walks of my life.  One of the most influential mentors was my best friend from middle school and high school, Amelia. We were very competitive with one another. She taught me to use the competitiveness as motivation and encouragement. Other mentors include the colleagues I work with in my current role at NSU.  They have each added immensely to the person I have become and continue to become.  

Favorite Quotation:  "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."-Eleanor Roosevelt

Amber D Wright

Age and/or Generation: 34, Gen X'er

 

Current Job(s): Owner, DreamCatcher Sports

 

Former Job(s): Early Childhood Unit @ Cherokee Nation, Charity Chairperson @ Jets Womens Organization (JWO), and Boys and Girls Club of Tahlequah the first year it was organized in Tahlequah.

 

Education and/or Training: Graduated from Tahlequah High School, Child Development Associate, Bacone College also attended the School of Screenprinting :) .

Greatest Professional Accomplishment: Opening my own business.

 

Areas of Expertise: Child Development, which comes in handy with four children.  

 

Hometown: Tahlequah, Ok

 

Other Towns of Residence: Stillwater, Ok Orchard Park, NY Point Lookout, NY 

Fort Gibson, Ok

 

Family: Husband, Kenyatta Children: Alexis 14, Elijah 11, Solomon 10, Avery 6

 Heidi- our puppy

 

Hobbies: Exercising, reading, junking, and hanging with my kids outdoors 

 

The Role of Mentors in Your Life: Mentors in my life shaped who and where I am.  Growing up I was able to see first hand where taking chances and working hard would take you. My mother worked everyday went to school at night and graduated the same year I graduated from high school with her Bachelors in Education.  Nothing was ever easy for her, but it never slowed her down.

 
Favorite Quotation:

Laura Boren

Age and/or Generation - I am in my 40's.

Current Job(s) - I serve as Vice President for Student Affairs at NSU.

Former Job(s) - Dean of Students, Assistant to the Associate VP for Student Affairs/Dean of Students, Coordinator for Leadership and Extended Orientation Programs, Student Development Specialist, Director of Student Activities, Catering Sales Manager

Education and/or Training - Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration, M.S. in Student Personnel Services, BBA in Meetings and Destination Management

Greatest Professional Accomplishment - I am struggling with this question.  At this point in my life, the lessons I've learned through my career successes and failures have become most valuable to me. 

Areas of Expertise - I am passionate about higher education law and policy, student development, leadership, civic engagement, and TQM. 

Hometown - I consider Tahlequah my hometown.  My parents moved back and forth between Perkins, OK and Stillwater, OK when I was growing up.  I graduated from Stillwater High School.

Other Towns of Residence - My husband and I have lived in Tulsa and Bryan/College Station, Tx.

Family - My husband, Shane, and I will celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary in June.  We have two children, Cooper age 6 and Elle age 7 months.  Yes, we waited a long time before having children.

Hobbies - I am happiest when I am spending time with my family and friends.  I love to entertain guests at our home.  I enjoy working in my flowerbeds.  I love to read books.  I enjoy shopping and treating myself to mani/pedicures and messages.  Someday I want to learn how to oil paint.  Oh, I also love to drink coffee!

The Role of Mentors in Your Life - Mentors have shaped my entire life.  I believe that our paths intentionally cross with individuals at the most crucial times in our lives.  My mentors have been men and women, young and old.  Mentors have pushed me to be more than I thought I could be.  Mentors have believed in me when I didn't believe in myself.  Mentors have helped me figure out my professional values.  Mentors have inspired me to learn more. 

Favorite Quotation - "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." - Mahatma Gandhi 

Lacey Horn

Generation

Generation Y

Current Job

Treasurer, Cherokee Nation

Former Jobs

HORN CPA, KPMG, Hunt Oil

Education and Credentials

Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX

Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Financial Consulting

Master’s of Science in Accounting

Certified Public Accountant

Chartered Global Management Accountant

Greatest Professional Accomplishment        

Striking a balance between motherhood and work-life.

Areas of Expertise

Accounting, Finance, Business

Hometown

Vian, OK

Other Towns of Residence

Dallas and Chicago

Family

Husband and son

Hobbies

Yoga, pilates, swimming, painting and reading

The Role of Mentors in Your Life

I have been blessed with countless mentors in my life, both women and men, but I will focus on a few of the women who shaped my life. My mother is a nurse practitioner. Throughout my life, I have witnessed her commitment to changing lives for the better through her work. My 91-year old grandma still works to this day, and living by her example pushes me forward to make every day count. Growing up, my Sunday school teacher taught God’s word by living it.  In high school, I had two teachers that encouraged me to be myself. KPMG had a formal mentoring program and my mentor was Russian. She challenged me to make myself better. It was tough at times, but looking back, I value and appreciate that experience so much. If it weren’t for these outstanding women acting as personal and professional role-models in my life, I would not be the person I am today.

Jo Prout

Age and/or Generation: 
68  (a World War II baby)

Current Job(s): 
Executive Director, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Cherokee Country, Tahlequah, since March, 2002

Former Job(s): 
Executive Director, Tahlequah Area Chamber of Commerce. 1990-1999
Executive Director, YWCA of Palm Beach County, Florida, 1980-1989
Secondary Teacher (8th grade American History), Florida, 1966-1970

Education and/or Training: 
I am a proud, positive product of public education in the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio, New York, and Alabama. 

BA in American Studies from Wesleyan College (for women), Macon, Georgia.

I am a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma, Class VII; a graduate of the Oklahoma Institute for Non-profit Leadership; and a graduate of the State Chamber Executive Leadership Program.

From 1991 through 2004 I served on six Tahlequah non-profit boards of directors for different lengths of time, serving as secretary or president several times.

Greatest Professional Accomplishment:  
This is difficult to answer because I have been a catalyst for change and improvement in each place I served as a non-profit administrator; however, I would probably say my greatest accomplishments came while I was at the Chamber of Commerce. 

As the director of the Tahlequah Area Chamber of Commerce from 1990 - 1999, I was pleased to improve the image of the Chamber and restore public confidence in the Chamber by adding 18 new programs and services to the program of work, including Shop Tahlequah First, Legislative Focus,    Leadership Tahlequah (the program of which I'm most proud), and Illinois River BalloonFest.  Chamber membership increased by 120 members, the annual operating budget increased from $51,000 to $121,000, media coverage throughout the area boosted tourism revenue in the county, and Tahlequah sales tax revenues increased annually. The physical offices of the Chamber, which had been located in the Cherokee Capitol on the square for many years, were moved to their present location at the corner of Delaware St. and Water Ave. in 1994 after negotiations with Bank IV to make a gift of the building to the Chamber.

My work at CASA of Cherokee Country has also been most gratifying.  When I was hired as the director of CASA in early 2002, the program was operating on a part-time basis, there was $300 in the bank, and fund raising activities consisted of yard sales.  Although the program was six years old, very few individuals in the community knew about CASA and its mission to train volunteers to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in Cherokee County District Court, Adair County District Court, and Cherokee Nation Tribal Court.  Today, after continuous efforts to keep CASA's name in front of area residents through newspapers articles, radio advertising, and community-wide fund raising events, CASA is a full-time program and is a much more familiar name in the community; an endowment exists in the amount of $95,000, and a reserve account exists in the amount of $25,000.  CASA of Cherokee Country has trained hundreds of men and women who have been advocates for hundreds of young victims of abuse and neglect.  The recruitment and retention of volunteer child advocates continues to be the greatest challenge of my position along with identifying, acquiring, and maintaining sufficient operating revenue.

Areas of Expertise: 
Leadership, public speaking, board training, non-profit management, publicity/promotion, organization and implementation of special events.

Hometown: 
Born in Muskogee, OK, the first of two daughters, while father was flying bomber missions in the Pacific Theater during World War II. 

Other Towns of Residence: 
In 1945, at war's end, my parents began the nomadic life required of a career Air Force officer's family, moving roughly every three years to a new post.  Our family lived in the following locations:  Victoria, Texas; Muskogee, OK; Columbus, Ohio; Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York; Montgomery, Alabama.  My parents also lived in Paris, France; southern England; Belleville, Illinois; Misawa, Japan; and Colorado Springs, Colorado.

During my college years my parents lived in Paris,France, and at Mildenhall Air Force Base, England, so I flew to Europe for summer visits.  As a young bride, I was fortunate to spend time in Japan with my parents, enjoying, among many other things, the 1970 World's Fair.

Family: 
Parents:  My father, John W. Bogan, was born in Wapanucka, Oklahoma, in 1920, the third of 14 children born to George and Lula Bogan.  Daddy earned a BS in Economics from Oklahoma A & M (now Oklahoma State University) in Stillwater.  Although my father's mother was Choctaw, his family was never interested in the Native American bloodline, and consequently, no one knows the Choctaw blood quantum.

My mother, Nannie M. Vann, was born on Cherokee allotment land along the Canadian River in the Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, area, in 1919, fourth of five children born to Frank and Polly Vann.  Mother earned a BS in Home Economics at Oklahoma A & M where she and my father met and fell in love.  My mother's parents were both Cherokee citizens registered on the Dawes Rolls.  My maternal grandfather was a direct descendant of James Vann, a Cherokee chief and plantation owner in Spring Hill, Georgia. The Chief Vann House is a Georgia Historic Site on the National Register of Historic Places.  My Cherokee blood quantum is 5/32.

My parents married following graduation from Oklahoma A & M in 1942, and when they came out of a matinee movie one afternoon in Muskogee and heard the newspaper boy calling out that the United States had declared war on Japan, my father swung my mother up in the air and said, "Honey, I'm gonna' learn to fly an airplane!"  And he did. 

When I was three years old my sister, Linda, nicknamed Cooki, was born.  Cooki's sophomore year in college was spent living with a French family while she attended the American University in Paris.  Cooki was killed at age 19 in an automobile accident in England that nearly took the life of my mother, as well.  They were driving from Mildenhall Air Force Base to Stratford-on-Avon to see one last Shakespearean play before returning to the States.  An oversized British tank transporter was traveling toward the base, and swung wide to make a curve on the narrow, two-lane road, crashing headlong into the Peugeot my mother was driving.  Taken for dead, both Mother and Cooki were transported to a nearby hospital.  A candy striper was sent to the morgue to take information off the medical bracelet placed on Mother's wrist in the ambulance and was startled to realize she could feel a pulse.  Mother required extensive surgeries through several months, but lived a long, full life, passing away in 2011 at age 92.

My parents moved back to their home state of Oklahoma when my father retired from the Air Force, finding a lovely home on property just outside of Tahlequah. Eight years later my father died of a rare disease at age 64.  No doctors in Tahlequah nor at the VA Hospital in Muskogee could figure out what was wrong as he began to lose muscle control.  Following a stroke, he was hospitalized at Tahlequah City Hospital and the VA Hospitalin Muskogee for four months.  Upon his death, an autopsy was performed which revealed that Daddy died of Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease, a slow-acting human strain of mad cow disease, very likely contracted by eating tainted beef while fighting in the Pacific Theater during World War II. 

Marriage & Children:
When I graduated from Wesleyan College in 1966, I was a certified secondary teacher.  My first teaching position was at a junior high school in a paper mill town, Springfield, Florida, a bedroom community to Panama City, Florida.  My take-home check each month was $250 and I had plenty of money to put gas in my Volkswagen Beetle, pay rent on an apartment, buy food and clothes! 

At the end of that first year of teaching, I married, and my husband and I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida.  The marriage lasted only a short time, but brought me a lively, chubby baby boy, Kyle.  When Kyle was 18 months old, we were divorced.  Then Hedley Prout and I married in 1973 and shared a full, exciting life together for 32 years.  He was an architect of great skill who traveled throughout south Florida to manage large projects such as schools, condominiums, hospitals, etc. 

A young lady who lived next door to us when Kyle was a youngster became Kyle's regular babysitter.  She was living with an aunt because her mother had died a year earlier.  She was soon spending more and more time with our family, learning to cook and participating in family activities.  When she was 17, Bern (short for Bernadette) moved into our lives on a permanent basis.  Our family has been deeply enriched by her becoming a family member.  She attended and graduated from my alma mater, Wesleyan College, spent four years in the U.S. Navy, and settled in Atlanta, Georgia.  Hedley and I formally adopted Bern when she was 42 years old, after Hedley began experiencing serious health problems and we were all concerned that there might come a time that she would be denied access to him if he were hospitalized unless she was a family member.


I was hired as the director of the Tahlequah Area Chamber of Commerce and we moved from West Palm Beach to Tahlequah in summer, 1990.

We learned that Hedley was suffering from congestive heart failure in 2001; in 2003 he suffered a massive stroke that required extensive rehabilitation.  He died of a heart attack in 2005 as he and Bern and I were preparing to watch a movie on television.

Kyle, an independent insurance agent, is married and living in Tahlequah.  He and wife, Sherry, have three sons:  Erik, age 18; Zack, age 8; and Kyler, age 7.  I do love being Gramma Jo!

Hobbies: 
Reading, needlework, plants, cats (I have three: Simon Sez, Miss Java, and Gus-Gus)

The Role of Mentors in My Life:
There have been many strong women pass through my life who have inspired and encouraged me, but a couple stand out:  In college, my history professor and student advisor, Dr. Leah Strong, convinced me that although recognition comes easily to some, we owe it to ourselves and others to strive harder, stretch farther, and produce more, that the adage "To whom much is given, much is expected" is an inescapable daily challenge; my mother's sister, my dear Aunt Coowee, reminded me often of the strength of our Cherokee ancestry and pushed me to embrace that legacy. 

The most powerful mentor in my life was my mother, who, until her death, was the wind beneath my wings as I encountered challenging experiences, painful experiences, rewarding experiences.  She mentored not only through words, but by example, exhibiting a never-give-up attitude despite disabling physical difficulties.  She was my bright star, a shining example of graciousness coupled with strength, demonstrating the courage to stand and face a problem rather than run from it, turning a deaf ear and a blind eye to malicious, hurtful words and behaviors, and calmly and lovingly refusing to compromise her principles.  I shall forever be grateful for her love and support that held me up as I achieved goals that often appeared beyond my reach.   

Favorite Quotation:
"All that is necessary for evil to prevail is that good men do nothing." 
 -  Edmund Burke  

Mary McMillen

Age and/or Generation

36 y/0--GenXer

Current Job(s)

I'm a solo-practicing attorney in Tulsa.  I have an office in the Mid-Continent Tower on 4th and Boston, and I primarily practice criminal defense.  I also do estate planning and family law.

Former Job(s)

I taught freshman level English courses at Northeastern State University (Tahlequah campus) for seven years.  It was a great job, and I truly loved every single minute of teaching.  My favorite part of teaching at the college level was the ability to interact with so many students.  

While in college, I had many jobs on campus.  I worked for the NSU parking and traffic office (processing tickets; not writing them), NSU Veteran Education Services, North Leoser computer labs, and the College of Arts and Letters (before it became the College of Liberal Arts/COLA) as assistant to the English Department Chair.  Off campus, I had jobs all over Tahlequah.  My favorite off-campus job was working for David and Jack Spears at Arrowhead Camp on the Illinois River.

Education and/or Training

I hold a Bachelor's in English, a Master's in English, and Juris Doctor degree.  Both English degrees are from NSU, and I earned my Juris Doctor degree at the University of Tulsa College of Law.

Greatest Professional Accomplishment

I'm still working toward my greatest professional accomplishment.  Thus far, my greatest professional accomplishment is probably getting the education I needed to enter my chosen career field.  My education is what allows me to be part of the discourse going on within my professional community.

Areas of Expertise

Criminal law and legal research.

Hometown

Stigler, Oklahoma

Other Towns of Residence

Bakersfield, California; Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Family

Married, three kids, one brother, two sisters, two sisters-in-law, two brothers-in-law, two nieces, five nephews, one great-nephew--the usual accumulation of people who keep me headed in the right direction.

Hobbies

I enjoy gardening, cooking, reading, and knitting.

The Role of Mentors in Your Life

Mentors have played a great role in my life.  Jackie Wilcox (professor emeritus at NSU and my former boss at NSU) has been my most influential mentor.  Over these past fourteen years, Jackie never wavered in her support and encouragement.  She truly helped shape me into the person I am today, and I am grateful that she is part of my life.

As a student, my mentors helped me find the confidence to carry on, gave me insights to help me understand where I was going, and proudly stood beside me when I finally found my way.  I am grateful for all the mentors who've been part of my journey.

Favorite Quotation

"Dreams are the touchstones of our character."  H.D. Thoreau

Margaret Cook, JD

Margaret Cook, J.D.

Age and/or Generation:  40's

Current Job:  Executive Director, Help-In-Crisis, Inc.

Former Job(s):  Supervisor of Home Visitation Program, Child Advocate for Domestic Violence shelter

Education and/or Training:  Law Degree from University of Tulsa, Music Degree from Southwest Baptist University, Music Therapy Degree from Southwestern State University.

Greatest Professional Accomplishment:  Graduated from Law School while raising 2 children and working part-time.

Areas of Expertise:  Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Child Abuse, and Prevention

Family:  married, two grown step-sons, two children at home, three grandchildren

Hobbies:  knitting, crocheting, flower gardens

Role of Mentors in my life:  I wouldn't be where I am today without the consistent support of some very strong women in my life.

Favorite Quotations:  Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide." Napoleon Bonaparte; "And in the end, it is Not the years in your life that count.  It's the Life in your years."  Abraham Lincoln;  "Live in such a way, that if anyone should speak badly of you, no one would believe it." Anonymous; "Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.  I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be.  This is the interrelated structure of reality."  Martin Luther King, Jr.  

Kristen Thomas

Age: 28

Current Job(s): Program manager, Northeastern State University
                           Regional College Outreach, Cherokee Nation

Former Job(s): Cherokee Cultural/Language Specialist

Education: BA Cherokee Studies, Northeastern State University

Greatest Professional Accomplishment: My greatest professional accomplishment is being greeted in Cherokee by a young child. Another is seeing a first generation college student receive his/her diploma.

Areas of Expertise: Language Revitalization and Cherokee Culture
 

Hometown: Tahlequah, OK 

Other Towns of Residence: Tulsa, OK 

Family: I come from two large, wonderful families. My husband and I have one daughter. She's training to rule the world.

Hobbies: I enjoy toddler wrangling, basket weaving, being outdoors and traveling. 
 

The Role of Mentors in Your Life: Aside from my mother and grandmother, my first role model was Wilma Mankiller. From these women, I've learned sacrifice and leadership.
 

Favorite Quotation: “Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve.”
- Martin Luther King Jr.

Lara Searcy

 

Age and/or Generation: about to join the "thirty-somethings"

Current Job(s): Literacy Resource Specialist at Tahlequah Middle School

Former Job(s): HS English Teacher (9th & 10th grades); Adjunct Teacher at NSU (Learning Styles & Technology)

Education and/or Training: B.A. Secondary Education, English; M.Ed in Teaching, English; National Board Certified Teacher (AYA-ELA)

Greatest Professional Accomplishment: Becoming a NBCT! 

Areas of Expertise: English Education and Structure= Folder Organization! ;) However, I am quickly becoming an "expert" in the unknown transition of Oklahoma P.A.S.S. objectives to Common Core State Standards.

Hometown: Tulsa, OK

Family: I live in Tahlequah with my “high-school sweetheart,” Brian, my son, Blake (6months), and our 3 dogs- Daisy (a shepherd mix), Lily (a border collie mix), & Ivy (a shepherd mix). Brian works at NSU as an Academic Advisor and he is a great listener, speaker, and drinker of coffee. 

I have an older brother, Justin, who works in Oxford, England; a twin sister, Lesley, who lives in New Jersey and works with International/Abroad programs; and a younger stepbrother who is in HS in Tulsa. My parents both work for colleges– my mom and stepdad live in Kansas City, MO and my dad lives in Tulsa, OK. 

Hobbies: My hobbies include: reading (especially by my pool), writing, hiking, kayaking, and playing w/ my pups! My favorite books are Pride & Prejudice and To Kill a Mockingbird.

The Role of Mentors in Your Life: I am the cliche of "it takes a village to raise a [teacher]" because there are many teachers who have shaped my own journey to the podium. To be a teacher is to instill hope, passion, perseverance, patience, and a love for learning in others. These are the attributes my own teachers have taught me which is why I am a teacher today. 

My journey to the podium began with my second grade teacher, Mrs. Pat Leader. She gave me the gift of hope by turning my "make-believe" classroom into a reality. I was never the kid who played with barbies or toys, I played school. I wanted paper, markers, and a chalkboard for Christmas. I had a room full of highly educated stuffed animals. I had a working intercom, a name on my door, and chalk on my hands. Mrs. Leader recognized my love for learning early on and provided me with real worksheets and real "teacher" responsibilities to enhance my experience. She trusted me with the task of writing the D.O.L. (grammar) lesson on the board every day before school for the rest of my elementary career. This instilled in me the value of hope... that one day I would become a real teacher and I would have a real classroom. 

In middle school, Mrs. Janet Thomas showed me how to have passion when you teach. She was passionate about history and making it applicable and relevant to her students. She dressed up for the time period, created reenactment lessons, and again acknowledged the teacher within me by giving me responsibilities as her student aide. She instilled within me the attribute of passion and showed me how to really love what you teach. 

My teaching journey continued in high school when I had the fortune to befriend a dynamic pair of teachers, Ms. Krista Baxter (now Waldron) and Mr. John Waldron. They both taught me the lesson of perseverance, by challenging me as a thinker, as a writer, as a reader, and still today as an educator. I am proud to now call them my friends and to share this task of "education" with them. 

In college, as I began the true process of becoming a teacher, I was blessed to take my Secondary English Methods class with Ms. Lori Walker which has forever shaped my path to the podium and where I am today. The true lesson she taught me is of patience, that those people who you meet early in life can indeed change your life. Ms. Walker has been my mentor teacher not just officially as I interned and began my teaching career in her school, but as a classmate during our Masters, as an encourager as I pursued National Board Certification, and as a reference for my future career endeavors. Ms. Walker is the epitome of a storyteller as she has lived a life of lessons. Due to this, she teaches by example and has shown me that truly caring for your students and listening to their stories is the greatest teaching method of all. 

I am also grateful for the mentorship of Kim Meigs as she has been the biggest advocate and encourager of my professional development. As my mentor teacher during my first year of teaching and now as one of my dearest friends, she has taught me the power of friendship and of being a voice in education. Through her recommendations and belief in my success, I have been given numerous professional experiences that are molding me into a more well-rounded and better educated woman. She is the strongest person I know and her life story is one of triumph, healing, and redemption. I am just as proud of her as she is of me!

Finally, I am continuing my relationship with two of my favorite college teachers/mentors through this Mentoring program, Dr. Amy Aldridge Sanford and Dr. Renee Cambiano. Both of these strong women educators have invested in my life and in my career which has given me the support I have needed to be a successful educator. They have spoken words of encouragement, given experiential advice, provided opportunities for leadership, and have modeled to me that showing that you believe in your students and will partner with them is a key to success. I am fortunate to stay in contact with them and to continue learning from them. I know that my journey to the podium would not have been as prosperous without their direct guidance and influence. I am grateful for the interest they have taken in me and in my own students. Teaching truly becomes a "discipleship" process.

All of my teachers have taught me the lesson of being a life-long, perpetual learner. As I attended Mrs. Leader's retirement party- the same year I started my own teaching career- as I get ready to say "goodbye" to Ms. Walker for her retirement, and as I become the "mentor" with my own mentors, Amy and Renee, I see so clearly the full circle effect teachers have on their students. Teaching is the ultimate "pay it forward" career, but it is also a "thankless" job. So it's true, the students really do become the teachers and now that I am a teacher, I am grateful for the opportunity to say "thank you" and to hopefully return the favor... to share the hope, passion, perseverance, patience, and love for learning that others have shared with me. "I am a teacher because THEY were..."

My Masters "Stand & Deliver" with my College Mentors!

Favorite Quotations: 

"I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit." (-John Steinbeck)

"When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young. (-Maya Angelou)

"Teachers never die. They live in your memory forever. They were there when you arrived; they were there when you left... like fixtures. Once in awhile, they taught you something-- but not that often. And, you never really knew them; any more than they knew you. Still, for awhile, you believed in them. And, if you were lucky, maybe there was one that believed in you..." (-The Wonder Years)

"I go to the woods- to feel good. I go to the river- to let my mind run. I go to the mountains- to gain perspective. I go the fields- to open up. I look to the lake- to reflect. I look to the skies- to imagine. I travel highways- to go somewhere new. I go to the woods..." (-Patchouli)

"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated." (-Mahatma Gandhi)

"...the journey is the destination..."