Angelica Martinez Managing Editor
From 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., March 27, in Ross Hall’s Johnson Auditorium, the Cameron University Office of Student Development hosted the Spring 2026 Leadership Summit, “Local Leaders: Voices in Our Community!”
The panel-style event featured Lawton leaders from nonprofit organizations dedicated to community development, members of the Lawton City Council and alumni of the Cameron President’s Leadership and University Scholars (PLUS) program.
The event was open to the public, including students, staff and faculty. Current PLUS students supported the event through introducing panelist, moderating sessions, and assisting with with setup and cleanup.
Session 1 - Community Leadership: Action, Service, Impact
The first session ran from 9 - 9:45 a.m., featuring three individuals from local nonprofit leadership.
One of the panelists was Brenda Spencer-Ragland, founder and executive leader of Embrace Hope Collaboratorium Inc. SpencerRagland assists in life-skill development and oversees the C. Carter Crane emergency homeless shelter.
Another panelist was Adriene Davis, founder of the Henry Hearts Feeding Ministry. Davis works to provide free meals and groceries to individuals in dire need of assistance.
The final panelist was Bernita Taylor, founder and CEO of MIGHT Community Development and Resource Center (MIGHT CDRC).
Her mission is to provide collaboration within the Lawton-Fort Sill area to contribute to individual and family life skills and economic stabilization.
Throughout the panel, each leader answered questions regarding the motivations of their nonprofits, advice for audience members interested in nonprofit work and how students can get involved.
Taylor of MIGHT CDRC explained the importance of engaging with existing nonprofit organizations for the long-term success of the community.
“Know what the groundwork is, where the nonprofits are and how you can support them,” Taylor said. “Because we don't need another nonprofit or to start a new nonprofit if there’s already someone trying to do it. Perhaps you can just go in and help there and be a part of that, expand it, do whatever it is that you need to do to help.”
She emphasized that partnership between nonprofits and community members is the best way to truly get involved in nonprofit work.
Session 2 - Lawton City Council: Shaping Our City
The second session ran from 10 - 11 a.m. and featured four members of the Lawton City Council.
The panelists consisted of Lawton Mayor Stan Booker, Councilman Taron Epps of Ward 2, Councilman Kirby Brown of Ward 3 and Councilwoman Sheren L. Williams of Ward 7.
Each council member provided personal insights on the process of city government, discussed
more than 12 years of accounting experience at Hatch, Croke & Associates and serves on the Cameron University Foundation Board of Directors. She previously served as president of Lawton Business Women, was named the “2020-2021 Business Woman of the Year” and currently serves as the organization’s treasurer.
Each panelist described how their college experience impacted their real-world workplace experiences. Spencer Brown discussed the importance of continuing to learn after graduation.
challenges within government and explained how the next generation can stay informed and involved in Lawton’s local government.
A major point of discussion was building trust among Lawton citizens who may feel disconnected from their local government.
Mayor Booker explained the different ways that Lawton elected officials build trust.
“Trust is a tremendous factor that improves with different elements”
Mayor Booker said. “One of them is availability. One of them is doing what you say you'll do or be working on it. You don't get to snap your fingers and things happen, especially because the mayor doesn't get to make decisions on his or her own. It takes the entire council to make decisions … This is true in any organization: things move faster when everybody trusts everybody. When citizens trust the political body, then it moves faster as when the political body trusts the administrative body.”
two, the summit had a break for lunch.
Session 3 - PLUS Alumni: From Learning to Leading
The final panel featured four alumni of the PLUS program who discussed how their education at Cameron has helped them and their contributions to the Lawton community post-college.
One guest was Kyndall Brown, owner of Ink Boutique Oklahoma where she works in
“I would encourage you to never stop learning. So many people think ‘okay, I'm out of college. I get to stop reading. I get to stop learning things. I just go to work,’” he said. “that’s not how it is. You are constantly learning things about yourself, constantly learning things about your profession and that has helped me find comfort in the uncertainty.”
Blackburn shared the importance of connecting within the community early.
“I would encourage you to never stop learning ... You are constantly learning things about yourself, constantly learning things about your profession and that has helped me find comfort in the uncertainty.” - Spencer Brown Founder of Sanctuary 212
3D areola restoration, scar and stretch mark camouflage and permanent cosmetics.
Another guest was her husband, Spencer Brown, who founded Sanctuary 212 (S212) and, in collaboration with MIGHT CDRC, established The McMahon S212 Guest House dedicated to housing and providing resources to young men aging out of foster care or who are otherwise homeless.
Williams expanded on this point with her own perspective on trust.
“First of all, you have to communicate,” Williams said. “I communicate with my constituents. You have to build a rapport. When you're communicating, you listen to what the constituents in your ward need and what they want.”
After session
Another guest for the panel was Lizzy Reeves, the community engagement manager at United Way of Southern Oklahoma, where she brings together the community with resources that contribute to long-term thriving.
The final panelist was Danielle Blackburn, who has
“If you don't know what to do and you don’t even know where to start, get involved in the community,” Blackburn said. “If your degree path is business, then walk into the Chamber of Commerce and say ‘hey, what is your next thing where I can meet people?’ Go to Lawton Business Women, go to rotary, go to something where you can get plugged in. Take someone out to coffee and pick their brain.”
Students at the event gained impactful first-hand insight.
After each panel guests were able to interact with audience members in one-on-one conversation.
For student Sharon Richardson, she was able to gain impactful first-hand insight.
“I had never really considered working for a nonprofit before, but it really stood out to me how much that it could really (suit) myself and my career development ... to hear from community leaders and former Cameron graduates was great for perspective, advice and opportunities. You can learn a lot by listening to the stories of others.”
