EXECUTIVE OUTLOOK Celebrating those behind the scenes By Monica Wilke Executive Director, Oklahoma Farm Bureau and Affiliated Companies
ach and every day, hundreds of Oklahomans work tirelessly to ensure that Oklahoma Farm Bureau is achieving the goals of our members and providing our customers with premiere products and customer service. And while we don’t always have the chance to recognize their efforts, these oftenunsung heroes of Oklahoma Farm Bureau and Affiliated Companies – our employees – play a crucial role in driving our organization’s progress. As we celebrate our organization’s 75th year, we planned special events for both our Farm Bureau members and our staff. While we will celebrate our diamond anniversary with our members this coming November, our 75th anniversary employee gala, held in Oklahoma City on Friday, May 19, was a fantastic way to honor our organization’s employees. It was an incredible event that brought together our family of employees, agents, retirees and their guests to celebrate OKFB’s 75 years of service to our members. The gala was an elegant evening, providing an opportunity for our employees to visit, enjoy a dinner and entertainment, and see the achievements won through OKFB history. I was proud to be able to take part as we honored these very deserving individuals. It is our employees – from our first staff member in the 1940s to our most recent hires in 2017 – who have worked tirelessly to ensure our organization is the best it can be. These unsung heroes of Oklahoma Farm Bureau and Affiliated Companies don’t seek recognition or awards. In the true agrarian spirit of our state, a job well done is a reward in and of itself. However, we strive to recognize our employees and the spirit of dedication they embody. During the gala, we acknowledged employees for their years of service. Each employee honored –
whether they received their five-year service pin or their 40-year service pin – is a valued member of our staff. But to make our 75th anniversary employee gala even more special, we honored our first employee to serve 50 years at OKFB. This sort of dedication is almost unheard of, but OKFB is the sort of organization where our employees go the extra mile – and beyond. This commitment runs through our entire organization, and it reaches beyond the awards and recognition. OKFB employees took time in April to stand outside our home office in Oklahoma City on a Sunday morning and hand out water to runners in the annual Oklahoma City Memorial — Monica Wilke Marathon. This dedication to serve our community while representing OKFB is a shining example of the mindset our employees bring to work each and every day. While the gala was an amazing evening and a great opportunity to show our appreciation to our employees across the state, I deeply appreciate the daily commitments our employees make when they set foot in our offices or take to the road to represent and serve Farm Bureau around the state. It is through decades of employee efforts, alongside our members' vision, that our organization has achieved all that we can list as accomplishments today. And it is my honor to work alongside these dedicated individuals as we all tirelessly work to improve rural Oklahoma.
It is our employees – from our first staff member in the 1940s to our most recent hires in 2017 – who have worked tirelessly to ensure our organization is the best it can be.
8 — Oklahoma Country