March 2014 LeagueLink

J u n i o r l e a g u e o f O k l a h o m a C i t y, I n c .

Changing Lives Through Literacy

march 2014

Concluding Our 10-Year Focus of Literacy Plus: New Health Projects for 2014!

President’s Letter Dear friends,

“

Kristen Brown

MISSION The Junior League of Oklahoma City, Inc. is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.

VISION

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This old African proverb was quoted at the January General Meeting by our inspirational guest speaker Pete Winemiller, Senior Vice President of Guest Relations for the Oklahoma City Thunder. This quote is so very true here in the Junior League of Oklahoma City. We can do more and be more when we work together! He gave us inspiring advice and helped remind us how to treat others out in the community and our members within the League. Our February General Meeting was an exciting sneak peak into next year’s new projects. Sara Sweet and Toni Parks-Payne did a wonderful job educating our members at the Community Fair. We were fortunate to hear from the Oklahoma Commissioner of Health, Terry L. Cline, Ph.D., on where Oklahoma falls in relation to our Nation’s health, and how we can help. With these new projects we will EMPOWER volunteers to IMPACT our community and ENRICH lives. The Annual Member Luncheon is right around the corner. This year’s co-chairs, Sara Crooks and Janie Kinsinger, have planned a luncheon you won’t want to miss. Come as we honor two amazing women, Mary Baker Rumsey award winner, Susan Edwards, and Sustainer of the Year winner, Jennifer Grigsby. These ladies have made a powerful impact on our community. I know you won’t want to miss this opportunity to learn from these women and also to celebrate our membership in the League. Our main focus this spring will be spent celebrating 10 years of Literacy. In this issue, you can read how the women before us made it possible for the League to concentrate our efforts throughout our community. What a wonderful accomplishment. This is a true testament to another quote brought to us by Pete at our January meeting: “People don’t remember the days, they remember the moments, and moments matter.” The days have flown by these past 10 years, but the moments we all remember from our 10 years spent in literacy have mattered! The debut of the book, Goodnight OKC, will be a legacy piece to our time spent in Literacy. Margaret Reynolds Hoge, past President and Sustainer, has illustrated a masterpiece to highlight our city. Thanks to the generosity of Christy Everest and the E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation, our initial printing of the book has been completely underwritten! Look for upcoming announcements as the book is released to our membership and into the community. I hope you all will join us at the April General Meeting to celebrate our 10 years of “Changing Lives Through Literacy”! Let’s go far, together~

The Junior League of Oklahoma City, Inc. will empower volunteers to impact our community and enrich lives.

FOCUS Changing Lives Through Literacy

w w w. j l o c . o r g

2 March 2014

Kristen Brown President 2013-2014

march 2014

Contents

Link Vision

To inform members and increase awareness of Junior League of Oklahoma City projects and events. Editor Summer DeFehr Assistant Editor & Business Manager Deanne

McGehee Sustaining Advisor Heidi Cohn Committee Members Amy Bradt, Shirley Consedine,

Emma Flinton, Tori Raines, Claire Robison, Laura Steen, Jenifer Stehr, Leah Sullivan, Lydia Sullivan-Benham 2013-2014 Board of Directors President Kristen Brown President-Elect Kristi Leonard Administrative VP Kim Riley Bylaws Chair Wendy Mounger Communications VP Jenifer Stehr Community VP Sara Sweet Finance VP Nicole Dobbins Fundraising VP Amy Parrish Membership VP Amy McDougall Nominating Chair Shannon Gottschalk Sustaining Advisor Patty Anthony

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Community Projects/Project Managers A Soldier’s Story Stacy Fagan Amachi: Big Brothers Big Sisters Jennifer Patterson Back to School Tara Gard Boys & Girls Child Literacy Mandi Briggs Cultural Literacy Melauna Wescott Family Fun in the Zone Rachael Brancich Family Reading Nights Lauren Williams Health Literacy Tiffany Backus JETS After School Reading Casi Williams Kids in the Kitchen Meredith Williams KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) Lauren

Hauschild Life 101 Catherine Creppon OCCC Adult Literacy Adrienne Elias Positive Tomorrows Kathryn Johnson Prime Time Amber Brock Reading Rainforest Liza Cryder Journeys Deborah Baucom

[ e ve nts ]

GMM Highlights Transfer Events Provisional Events: KITK 2014 AML Honorees Named

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Community Advisory Board

Cherokee Ballard, Lillie-Beth Brinkman, Clytie Bunyan, Clay Christiansen, James Farris, Debbie Forshee, Douglas Gibson, Vicki Clark-Gourley, Stanley Hupfeld, Randy Lewis, Linda Mares, Mel Martin, Brian Maughan, Matthew Mollman, Monique Naifeh, M.D., Mikio Nihira, M.D., Sandra Payne, Paul Ryckbost, Claudia San Pedro, Sean Simpson, Charles Spicer, Jr., Joe Strunk

SCENE

PROFILE

[ p e op l e ] Legacy of Literacy 2014-2015 Board of Directors Girls on the Block STAR and ABC Awards A New Direction­—Health Focus

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FOCUS

[ pr oj e c ts ] What a Year for READ Family Fun in the Zone JLOC Presents: Goodnight OKC YWCA Financial Literacy

ET CETERA

[ va ri ous ]

Fundraising Family Focus Bookshelf The Fresh 5!

Variety Care Health & Nutrition Literacy Wendi

Shipp Variety Pack Rebecca Farris Whiz Kids Heather Messer Wild Tuesday Story Time Safari Regan Raff YWCA Financial Literacy Paula Wackenheim

League Link is published 4 times a year by the Junior League of Oklahoma City, Inc. HEADQUARTERS

The Junior League of Oklahoma City, Inc. 1001 NW Grand Blvd Oklahoma City, OK 73118 Phone (405) 843-5668 Fax (405) 843-0994 www.jloc.org FUNDRAISERS

Financial Development Mistletoe Market

ON THE COVER:

J u n i o r l e a g u e o f o k l a h o m a C i t y, i n C .

Changing Lives Through Literacy

marCh 2014

Concluding Our 10-Year Focus of Literacy Plus: New HealtH Projects for 2014!

JLOC Presidents from the past 10 years: (Left to Right) Front Row: Ann-Clore Duncan, Katie Blaik James, Betsy Mantor. Back Row: Karla Wallace, Ann Cameron, Jill Greene, Whitney Tero, Christi Reiger, Kristen Brown (not pictured—Laura Ogle).

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Scene [ events ]

GMM Highlights

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ecember: Junior League partners with OKC Barons for literacy. This year’s holiday open house was held in the beautiful home of Cynda Ottaway on December 10th with a couple of special guests. The PR Committee invited the Oklahoma City Barons to help promote literacy among children in Oklahoma City. Members were asked to bring a few children’s books allowing us to spread the holiday cheer throughout our community this holiday season. “For the past 10 years, the Junior League has focused on raising literacy awareness in our city, and this partner-

ship is an opportunity for us to reach even more children in this area,” said Kristen Brown, Junior League President. We are indeed “Changing Lives Through Literacy.” Thank you, Mrs. Cynda Ottaway, for hosting a lovely open house and allowing us to continue to make an impact in our Community. January: “Small Things Make A Big Difference.” We were fortunate to hear from Pete Winemiller, Senior Vice President of Guest Relations with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Pete spoke about improving the customer experience by having an attitude of invitation. His mantra is summarized in the mnemonic “CLICK.” His presentation was both

Kristen Brown and Guest Speaker Pete Winemiller

entertaining and informative as he drew parallels between serving guests at Thunder games and our work in serving the community. Membership was also thrilled to hear the financial results of Mistletoe Market. The big surprise of the night was the announcement of our very own JLOC book in honor of 10 years of Literacy, Goodnight OKC.

ommunicate Courteously isten to Learn nitiate Immediately reate Connections now Your Stuff Pete Winemiller

Community partners were in attendance at the February GMM to answer questions about our new projects for 2014

4 march 2014

Pete Winemiller is the Senior Vice President of Guest Relations with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Pete has been a franchise executive for 19 seasons, and as the head of guest relations, he is charged with creating repeat customers. In 2008, Pete and his staff led the implementation of a results-producing customer service program in the inaugural season of the Oklahoma City franchise, under what Commissioner Stern called “the most compressed beginning ever in professional sports.” In 2010 the American Business Awards recognized the Thunder with a Gold “STEVIE,” one of the nation’s most prestigious business awards, for “Front Line Customer Service Team of the Year.” Recently the Thunder was recognized as the 2012 Gold Award winner in the “Customer Experience Excellence”

category of the coveted Gartner & 1 to 1 Media CRM Excellence Awards. ESPN the Magazine ranked the Thunder number one in its Ultimate Standings recognizing it as the top sports franchise in North America in 2012. Mr. Winemiller has been a keynote speaker and featured presenter at numerous customer service conferences throught the country. He has been an adjunct professor at Arizona State University and the University of Washington, sharing his business perspective with undergraduate students, graduate students, and business executives. Mr. Winemiller has also been recognized among a select few executives in North America by 1 to 1 Magazine as a “Customer Champion.” For 2013, he has been selected as “Chief Customer Officer of the Year” by the Chief Customer Officer Council. A graduate of Washington State University, he is an alumnus of the Disney Institute in Orlando, Florida and the Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland. He received his professional certification in Customer Experience Management in 2010. February: Throughout the year, we have been wrapping up our 10-year focus on literacy. At the February meeting, we got our first look at what we will be doing in the years ahead. The room was packed as members enjoyed the Community Fair preceding the meeting where many of our new projects were on display. Community partners were on hand to answer questions and were recognized during the meeting. Members enjoyed an informative presentation from our guest speaker, Dr. Terry Cline, Commissioner, Oklahoma State Department of Health. Dr. Cline spoke about the social determinates of health and how health outcomes are determined more by what individuals do than by an individual’s access to healthcare. He noted that Oklahoma was ranked 44th this year in America’s Health Ranking! This statistic is driven by obesity, life expectancy and the smoking rate in our state. He encouraged members to push: 1) eating better, 2) moving more and 3) being tobacco free in our homes, schools and in our greater community. Sara Sweet said it best when she said, “Ladies, we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Don ’ t

Miss Up coming

G MM All General Meetings will be held at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club. Social Hour Starts at 6, Meetings at 7

April 8, 2014

Wrap up Literacy Celebration! Come Celebrate with the Junior League as we say “Goodnight to Literacy” and we recognize the efforts of our 10-year focus of “Changing Lives Through Literacy.”

may 13, 2014

Celebrate the End of the League Year! We will welcome the Provisionals into Active Members, welcome a new Provisional class, and have the installation of the new Board of Directors and the Passing of the gravel to incoming President Kristi Leonard.

Network with Members at JLOC’s “Women in Leadership and Business” The new JLOC group, “Women in Leadership & Business” is for Active members and Sustainers who would like to share ideas, share business connections, and learn from other League members who are growing in their leadership skills! Many of the skills we learn in JLOC transition into our lives. Are you “leading” your family? Are you “leading” at work or in business? Are you “leading” in the non-profit world? Do you want to lead in one or more of these areas? If so, this group could be for you! Future Meetings: You are invited to join as your schedule permits or as the topics interest you!

• April 2, Wednesday 6:00pm–7:00pm First Impressions, how important are they to you? • May 5, Monday 6:00pm–7:30pm­— LaTasha Givens, KFOR, shares how to prepare for media interviews. This group will meet monthly, on rotating nights, throughout the school year. We are looking for topics of interest. If you have an idea or questions about the group, please contact Shelly Soliz at ssoliz@swbell.net or (405) 354-7510. Our format allows for introductions of attendees, a program, then table topics for discussion and feedback in small groups, to facilitate meeting and learning from others.

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Trainings and Socials and Transfer Events

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n December, the Transfer Committee celebrated the holidays and enjoyed food, holiday sangria and great conversation at the home of Amy Reen. There was a great turnout including Actives, Provisionals, Transfers and Sustainers who all enjoyed a festive gift exchange before wrapping up the evening. At every Transfer Committee meeting, a list is compiled and distributed to help transfers acclimate to OKC. If you are new to OKC or are just looking for a new place to try, here is a list of restaurants that were recommended by members of the Transfer Committee at the September meeting (bottom of page 7). The Transfer Committee is an open committee and would love to see you at the next meeting!

6 march 2014

Upcoming Events • March 27th 6:00-7:00 Olive Oil Class and Tasting, Olive & Co. (TLDC/ Transfer Event) • April 9th 6:00-7:00 Public Speaking, Headquarters (TLDC) • April (TBD) Wine and Food Pairing (Transfer Event)

 (TOP) President-Elect Kristi Leonard enjoys decorating ornaments at the December TLDC event. (BOTTOM) January TLDC Event: JLOC members get a tour of the Chamber, learn about the process of running for office and about the role of state government as they enjoy hearing from guest speakers, Senator David Holt (R-OKC) and Representative Kay Floyd (D-OKC).

Provisional Events: Kids in the Kitchen By Tori Raines

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ecause of the loss of the Remarkable Shop, this year’s Provisional class took on a new endeavor to fulfill their service requirements. They worked hard throughout the year to organize an event called Kids in the Kitchen. The event was held February 21st from 3-6 at the Boys and Girls Club in OKC. The main goal of the event was to educate children from K through 12th grade about healthy snack options that anyone can make without the need for heat (safety first!). The importance of snacks that can be made without using heat is that many children will spend hours at home alone in the afternoons, evenings, and over weekends. Care was taken to plan a menu that would be attainable by most families on a tight budget. So many of the ingredients were non-perishable, and those that were fresh were easy to find in most grocery and convenience stores. Though there is currently a placement called Kids in the Kitchen that has similar goals and activities, this event was much larger in scale. It included more menu items, activities, and even included a special guest ap-

pearance from the Thunder Girls! JLOC volunteers also took part in a Zumba class to help the kids work out a little energy during the event. Small groups were designated with the help of Boys and Girls Club staff and volunteers. The groups worked together and were taught six different tasty snack recipes. The children participated by creating their very own snacks, so they got to eat along the way! The six items on the menu included a fun mix of savory, hearty snacks and some sweeter treats. Our peanut allergy-safe take on the classic ants on a log was “Bugs on a Log” which was made of celery sticks with cream cheese and raisins. And who doesn’t love pizza? The “Mini Bagel Pizzas” are pretty self-explanatory but were served chilled so there was no need to use an oven. For a savory and filling snack with several options, “Quick Kebabs” offered different combinations of cold cuts, cheese, grapes and dried apricots. To help keep the kids entertained, the whimsical “Rice Cake Fish Bowls” combined plain rice cakes, cream cheese, blue food coloring and Goldfish™ crackers as decoration. Introducing the

Restau rant B u cket L ist recommended by the transfer committee Whiskey Cake Cheever’s Paseo Grill Sushi Nekko Upper Crust Pizza The Ranch Steakhouse Cafe 7 Thai Kitchen (downtown) Ludivine Ajanta Hot Tamale (downtown) Metro Wine Bar Boulevard Steakhouse (Edmond)

Cafe 501 Saturn Grill S&B Burger Joint Flat Tire Burger (Edmond) Kitchen No. 324 (downtown) Red Rock Canyon Grill Signature Grill (Edmond) Tucker’s Burgers Cool Greens Red Piano Bar (Skirvin Hotel) The Mule (The Plaza District) Big Truck Tacos

The Thunder Girls assisted members of the Provisional class at the Kids in the Kitchen event

children to different cultures, “Breakfast Sushi” was a fun take on a daunting type of food for kids; instead of raw fish, our sushi was made by rolling banana in honey and Rice Krispies™, mimicking the sesame seeds on many rolls. And who could forget dessert? The “Sweet Wheat Snack Mix” was a hit and consisted of a mixture of Triscuit™ whole-wheat crackers, Golden Grahams™, mini marshmallows, M&M’s™ candy, and raisins. Yum!

Financial

Results of 2013 Mistletoe Market Are In!

A sincere “Thank You” to every member for their support in making the 20th Anniversary of Mistletoe Market such a tremendous success! We raised

$124,634.50 to support the League! —Shannon Love, 2013 Mistletoe Market Chair

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2014 AML Honorees Named

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ach year the Junior League of Oklahoma City honors two sustaining members for their achievements in volunteer service to the community. The Annual Membership Luncheon Selection Committee had the pleasure of surprising our 2014 award recipients January 22nd. Congratulations to this year’s Mary Baker Rumsey Award recipient, Mrs. Susan Edwards and to this year’s Sustainer of the Year, Mrs. Jennifer Grigsby. Please plan to attend as we will honor and celebrate these outstanding women at our Annual Membership Luncheon. To find out more information about the event and to purchase tickets log in to www.jloc.org.

 Janie Kisinger, Sara Crooks, Cristi Reiger, Gayle Semtner and Kristen Brown drop in on a lunch date to surprise Mrs. Susan Edwards with news that she is the Mary Baker Rumsey award recipient for 2014!  Kristen Brown, Cristi Reiger, Hilarie Blaney and Sara Crooks surprise Mrs. Jennifer Grigsby, 2014 Sustainer of the Year, at her office!

Annual Membership Luncheon April 3, 2014 at the Oklahoma Cit y Golf and Country Club

8 march 2014

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Profile [ people ]

Legacy of Literacy

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How Our Focus on Literacy Has Changed OKC

ne in five Oklahomans is functionally illiterate. In 2003, JLOC embarked on a 10-year mission to address this issue by “Changing Lives Through Literacy.” This journey encompassed countless hours spent in the community by volunteers and by leadership behind the scenes. It resulted in the formation of the Literacy Collaboration Initiative, which led to the development of the OKC Metro Literacy Coalition of which JLOC was a founding member. In this 10-year span, we also saw the publishing of the book “Helping Hands” illustrated by Desmond Mason of the OKC Hornets, the 80th Anniversary of the League and the Oklahoma State Centennial, completion of “The Zone” at the Children’s Hospital, a history kiosk highlighting the work of JLOC at the Oklahoma History Center, the Bear Cave Library at Citizens Caring for Children Resource Center, the 85th Anniversary Gala and a gift of $85,000 to the Myriad Gardens Bringing Books to Life and YWCA’s Hand-in Hand Learning Center. This year, we celebrated the 20th Anniversary of Mistletoe Market and concluded with another book, Goodnight OKC, illustrated by our very own past President Margaret Reynolds Hoge. President Kristen Brown summarized our impact best when she said, “We have changed lives through literacy and I think all of us have been changed by the lives we have touched. We can boast the hours we have spent, and books read, but no number can touch the feeling we have created throughout the community.” To reflect on the past 10 years, we asked our Presidents to share how they felt our focus of literacy has changed OKC and what they were most proud of from their Presidential year of this 10-year focus.

10 march 2014

worked closely with the Kansas City and Washington D.C. Leagues to consult with each of them on their long-term commitments to literacy. The Literacy Collaboration Initiative had begun and a committee was created to oversee it. The new Ronald J. Norick Metropolitan Library opened and we helped with the bookpass from the old library to the new building. JLOC gave more than 2,250 books to the community in its first year, and nine of the League’s traditional projects had a literacy component. The aspect that was especially notable was how well our 1,200 members embraced this huge change. From Provisional to Sustainer, the Members were very enthusiastic about moving to an important single focus.

Ann-Clore Duncan 2004-2005 In 2003-2004, when Claire Thompson was President, the League Membership voted to change from having three focus areas that were voted on each three years to one focus area for a period of 10 years. The purpose of this radical change was to put all of our volunteer energy and resources into one issue in our community over a longer period of time to truly impact a need that OKC was facing. During the 2004-2005 inaugural year of the single focus area, “Changing Lives Through Literacy” was adopted as our tagline with a black and white image of a woman in glasses peering over a book as the primary campaign image. That year, the League sent three Actives to the ProLiteracy Worldwide conference in Oklahoma City. CRPD Chair, Rebecca Schimandle led a workshop at the AJLI Conference in St. Louis and she spoke to the OKC Community Foundation on literacy. Five JLOC members went to the Plano League and

Katie Blaik James 2005-2006 In May, 2006, we completed the second year of our 10-year focus area on literacy. It was a very busy year for us. All of our projects had a literacy component. JLOC partnered with Barnes and Noble and passed out book vouchers where we received a percentage of the sale proceeds. Margaret Doughty, National Literacy Advocate, was brought in by Community Literacy Centers to discuss the formation of a Community Literacy Coalition. JLOC, OKC Community Foundation, United Way, RSVP and Community Literacy Centers became the coalition known as the Literacy Coalition Initiative. The League was featured in a four-page ad in The Oklahoman which was paid for by Chesapeake Energy. The League’s focus area of literacy, new headquarters and mission were all highlighted in this piece. The League also became community partners with the NBA’s New Orleans/OKC Hornets. Little did we know that relation-

“The national Center for Family Literacy reports that low family income and a mother’s lack of education are the two biggest risk factors that hamper a child’s early learning and development. Oklahoma faces many challenges educationally in breaking the cycle of poverty. Assisting adults with low literacy skills, helping them prepare for better paying jobs and the ability to provide for their children both financially and educationally is critical for a successful lifetime.” —Literacy Resource Office Oklahoma Department of Libraries

ship with the NBA would carryover into a relationship with the OKC Thunder. The League was also in the beginning phases of publishing a book created by our Members. Words that our membership brainstormed during a GMM were used to create this wonderful book. Desmond Mason of the New Orleans/OKC Hornets illustrated the book called Helping Hands. Incoming President Betsy Mantor and incoming Communications VP and future League President Jill Greene, spearheaded the Helping Hands project. At the end of May 2006, plans were also in the works for a book drive in June with Bank of Oklahoma. During the second year of our focus area, the League established valuable relationships with various entities in our community. Many of those relationships continue today and many more have been created through those relationships.

Betsy Mantor 2006-2007 Our literacy focus was most importantly a catalyst to conversation on the topic of literacy in our great city that spoke to so many organizations and was successfully heard. Because of our work, others joined in the conversation. The needle moved in a forward direction to not only making our community more literate, but helping everyone to realize the importance of literacy. I’m biased to our work with the Literacy Collaboration Initiative, which led to the development of the OKC Metro Literacy Coalition. A now sevenyear old non-profit in our community that continues to disseminate literacy information and share best practices of ways to help those in need of literacy services. OKCMLC advocates at the Capitol once a year on DEAR Day (Drop Everything and Read) with local students and teachers that come to the Capitol to hear Senators and Representatives read. OKCMLC sponsors quarterly meetings where direct service literacy providers share what is new in the literacy community and discuss ways in which to improve and better their services. They also hold a now four-year-old annual fundraiser for awareness of literacy called Scrabble Showdown that JLOC has proudly supported. Their work has been a

JLOC Presidents from the past 10 years: (Left to Right) Front Row: Ann-Clore Duncan, Katie Blaik James, Betsy Mantor. Back Row: Karla Wallace, Ann Cameron, Jill Greene, Whitney Tero, Christi Reiger, Kristen Brown (not pictured—Laura Ogle)

gift to this community because they have been a consistent catalyst of conversation resulting in new ideas and best practices implemented in many of our literacy nonprofits and literacy based organizations. If I’m limited to speak to just my year as President, I’d say that it was a privilege to represent the League as a founding member of the OKCMLC. In September of 2006, we began a ninemonth process of convening individuals interested in being a part of a literacy conversation and formed eight task forces that studied the state of literacy in our community. This important work resulted in the formation of the OKCMLC, a nonprofit organization with a vision for OKC to be 100% literate and a mission to lead an active collaboration of literacy providers and supporters in order to strengthen services and present a united voice for literacy in metropolitan OKC. I also had the privilege of premiering Helping Hands at the 2007 March GM. There was not a dry eye in the crowd as a young man from Boys and Girls Club read our book assisted by his teacher. Work on the book began in 20052006 when Jill Greene, Deborah SennerMcAuliffe and myself conducted a round table discussion at the 2005 October GM. Membership selected words to be used in the League’s alphabet book on volunteerism. In 2006-2007, we partnered with the NBA’s New Orleans/OKC Hornets and player Desmond Mason to fund and illustrate the book. 2,000 books were printed, and it was debuted at the 2007 March GM. There were book signings and all kinds of fun events related to the book that year. Projects of the League continued to be literacy based and we welcomed new

projects: YWCA Financial Literacy, Wild Tuesday Story Time at the OKC Zoo and KIPP (Knowledge is Power). We also conducted our first book drive in partnership with Bank of Oklahoma. Thousands of books were collected and then redistributed to local agencies, schools and non-profits. We were busy in 2006/2007. Everyone had fully grasped the potential of our focus and all of our work within and outside of the League was proudly dedicated to “Changing Lives Through Literacy.”

Karla Wallace 2007-2008 The 10-year literacy focus in the Oklahoma community defined our League and its members as visionary action leaders of the 21st century. As a result, the Oklahoma community identified Junior League as the “go to” organization committed to improving literacy. During my Presidential year, the League celebrated its 80th Anniversary and the Oklahoma State Centennial. The JLOC literacy focus was incorporated into the Oklahoma Centennial Celebration and “Bookin’ It for Oklahoma” was commissioned as an official Centennial Junior League event. The second annual book drive was the “Oklahoma Book Run,” and the Provisional class held their project, “Bookin It’ at the Zoo,” reading to children Continued on page 12

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Profile Continued from page 11 about Oklahoma history. The League participated in the Oklahoma Centennial Parade and rode the Educational/ Literacy “Book” float as characters from classic children’s books. In 2009 as Area V Director on the AJLI board, it was refreshing to see that our league’s work in literacy was far ahead of the leagues that had multiple focus areas. Many leagues were facing problems with low interest and community buy-in as a result of multiple focus areas. Our league’s dedication and commitment to a 10-year focus initiative is a perfect example that the size of your league does not matter. What’s key to visionary leadership is a dedication, commitment and willingness to take on a community problem to help improve the community and those affected. Reliance upon a long term focus makes a huge impact and raises public awareness of otherwise overlooked needs for improvement and change. Today, AJLI strongly encourages leagues to work on community focus areas that are long term, rewarding and measurable to its membership. Focused projects such as the 10-year literacy initiative make a huge impact and strengthen the community. The JLOC is a League that is ahead of its time and I’m proud we stayed the course and kept projects interesting and appealing to our volunteers. Our work has paid off, and we have changed many lives through literacy. The goal in the early part of the 21st century, “Changing Lives Through Literacy,” will continue for decades.

Laura Ogle 2008-2009 Being a part of the literacy focus during my years in the Junior League was a truly rewarding experience. I had the opportunity to be a part of so many different areas in which the JLOC provided literacy events for the OKC community. My personal favorite was the reconstruction of The Zone at the Children’s Hospital with which the Junior League was per-

12 march 2014

sonally involved. Upon completion, The Zone opened for those wonderful children. The League has a library and interactive area there where the children can read and do activities related to the books that we provided. The small impact that the League made will hopefully continue to allow patients to take time away from treatments and enjoy being children. It’s hard to believe that 10 years has passed and our literacy focus is concluding. However, I’m confident that the impact the League has had will be with our community for many years to come.

Ann Cameron 2009-2010 The focus throughout the 2009-2010 year was heavily community oriented with constant attention on the League’s long-term commitment to fighting illiteracy. JLOC members were in the community for GMMs, as well as for their placements working with more than 20 partnering agencies. GMs took place at city landmarks such as: the State Capitol, the Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma National Memorial & Museum, OKC Museum of Art, Lyric Theatre, Science Museum Oklahoma, and Infant Crisis Services. Each respective Executive Director talked to the membership about our city’s needs and how the Junior League can more effectively focus on improving literacy. Our efforts in 2009-2010 centered on finding ways to combat illiteracy by assisting community literacy agencies, working to increase the interest and investment in literacy by large corporations and the media and educating the membership on the issue of illiteracy. The League supported the Community Literacy Center (CLC) in numerous capacities such as their literacy fall fest and holiday party. Junior League members also took part in Septemberfest at the Governor’s Mansion, encouraging reading to thousands of children. The Thunder

partnered with the Junior League for Kids in the Kitchen to promote health literacy. Thunder player Kevin Ollie attended the event and told the students at Will Rogers Elementary that eating right and exercising regularly is important for a successful future. The League donated $3,000 to the OKC Metro Literacy Coalition to assist with funding community literacy events. Another highlight was cohosting more than 40 representatives from different agencies, schools and corporations for a community-wide literacy roundtable. One of the accomplishments of which I’m most proud is our work in preserving our history and promoting the League at the Oklahoma History Center. A special thanks to my Sustaining Advisor Kris Frankfurt and Sustainer Barbara Thompson, who joined me in 2009-2010 to propose the “History of the Junior League of Oklahoma City; Women in Voluntarism” project to Dr. Bob Blackburn, Executive Director of the Oklahoma History Center. Without their support and belief in this project from the beginning, the JLOC kiosk, which is on exhibit today at the History Center, wouldn’t have been possible.

Jill Greene 2010-2011 During my tenure as President we completed our seventh year of the literacy focus. The LARC committee, completed a “Literacy Report Card.” The report included Oklahoma literacy statistics as well as the League’s inputs and outputs from our current projects. This piece was created as a tool for JLOC as well as the agencies we served. The intentions were to have a report card of sorts for our community to show where we as a community are, where we need to go and to assist in planning how to get there. We continued efforts in our existing projects to find new creative ways to im-

pact the community we served through the literacy focus. We heard many stories about the impact our volunteers were making in our projects such as stories from Veterans, notes about the fun and joy our JLOC women brought to their days and better grades from kids at the Boys and Girls Club.

Whitney Tero 2011-2012 In 2011-2012 we celebrated JLOC’s 84th year and the eighth year of our focus on literacy. In the summer of 2011, the Book Drive project, led by Lisa McConnell, had its most successful year ever with more than 21,000 books collected. In addition to the traditional collecting of books for the Book Drive, the committee also applied for several grants through First Book. As a result, JLOC received over 600 new, hard-cover children’s books. The Back to School project, led by Macie Craven-Liles saw nearly 370 children with an estimated 20% increase from the previous year, and a total of 700 foster children that received backpacks filled with school supplies. These are only a few amazing accomplishments of our volunteers endeavouring to change illiteracy statistics in OKC in the eighth year of our focus. Currently, one in five Oklahomans are functionally illiterate; consequently, it is my firm conviction that choosing illiteracy as our focus area 10 years ago was a wise and strategic decision. The women of The JLOC, Inc. have made a very real impact on that statistic. Our volunteers gave approximately 115,000 hours to our community in an effort to change illiteracy rates in Oklahoma City in the seven years leading to the eighth year of our literacy focus. I’m most proud of the work our organization has done in our community over the last 10 years. I’m certain that we do not truly know all of the lives we changed as we were “Changing Lives Through Literacy.”

Cristi Reiger 2012-2013 The impact of our JLOC 10-year Literacy focus has been extraordinary. We have had a profound effect on a countless number of lives both directly and indirectly. Serving as President, I had the opportunity to work with the leaders of literacy-based non-profits and other organizations, which implement a literacy component in their curriculum and/or services. Through these collaborations, and with JLOC’s financial, volunteer, and training resources, we were able to assist children, adults and seniors with literacy skills in the areas of health, finance, culture, reading, writing and math. A. Jaye Johnson, Unit Director at the Boys & Girls Club, reported that as a direct result of the JLOC Child Literacy Program at the club, the student participants were seeing higher grades on their report cards. Better scores were not all A. Jaye was seeing. He was seeing better behavior and higher self-esteem in these children. One boy at the club was well below reading level when he began the JLOC program. During his time in the course, his grade jumped from failing to a “C.” At the end of the program, he read aloud, an entire book he was unable to read before, to a group of 175 adults. During the year I served as President, I invited a student of our JLOC KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) project to speak at a General Meeting. He spoke of our volunteers as role models. He said the ladies always arrived on time and prepared, and treated the kids with respect. He said they had taught him skills he uses on a daily basis, including budgeting his money, table manners, and how to properly greet and introduce himself to peers and adults. He also said he felt more confident about speaking in front of people, and thinks his opportunities for success are greater because of his time in the JLOC KIPP program. During my Presidential year, one of the accomplishments of which I am

most proud, is our success in the Annual Campaign/85th Anniversary Gala. In celebration of the JLOC’s 85 years of service, we were able to gift $85,000 to our community. The funds established, and will support for two years, The Myriad Botanical Gardens “Bringing Books To Life” program and will contribute to the YWCA’s Hand-in-Hand Learning Center and Economic Empowerment Program. In addition, we also raised close to another entire year’s annual campaign budget to go toward our other community projects.

Kristen Brown 2013-2014 It’s hard to imagine we are wrapping up our 10-year focus on literacy. It seems like just the other day, as a young Active, I was voting on the new focus and the new projects. I keep thinking wow, so much has changed in the past 10 years in my life as well as in our community. Our efforts have made a positive impact. I think about how many people our volunteers have made an impression on, books we have read, games we have played and hearts we have filled with hope through the love of Junior League members. I am so proud to have been a part of these past 10 years, looking up to each of the women before me, not even imagining that I would end up here at the conclusion of this focus. They each paved the way and laid the groundwork for our organization to be able to concentrate our efforts and what an impact we have made. I think I am most proud to celebrate this milestone and showcase all of the work the League has done in the past 10 years. It has been so fun to create, with a group of special women, a Literacy Legacy piece, Goodnight OKC, that we can share with our community to leave a lasting impression, of “Changing Lives Through Literacy” through the JLOC.

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Profile

2014-2015 Board of Directors

Congratulations to all these members on being elected to the 2014-2015 BOD who will join President Kristi Leonard.

Kristi Leonard President

If you could be any superhero, which one would you be and why? Wonder Twins. Actually, my twin brother and I used to pretend we were the Wonder Twins. Form of a bucket of water! Shape of an eagle! What are you most excited about in our new health focus? I’m excited to do my part to make our city a healthier place, whether it’s by teaching kids to put down the remote and play outside, showing women at the YWCA shelter how to make healthy meals on a budget or by giving patients at Children’s Hospital their own prom. What is your favorite place to eat in the OKC metro? Nachos at Michael’s Grill. Wowza! What are you most looking forward to in your new year as a member of the BOD? I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to shape our League’s new focus area. Not many Boards get the opportunity to launch a new focus and I’m ready for the challenge. If you had a theme song that best describes you, which one would it be? My motto for 2014 is Be Brave. Lucky for me Sarah Bareilles came out with a song by the same name this year.

Pam Campbell

Nominating Chairman If you could be any superhero, which one would you be and why?

14 march 2014

Supergirl. Who wouldn’t want to fly! What are you most excited about in our new health focus? I love the new health focus because it’s so important that children and adults learn to take good care of themselves. It impacts every area of life from finances to learning. What is your favorite place to eat in the OKC metro? West. I love the Zucca chips and Beef tenderloin salad. What are you most looking forward to in your new year as a member of the BOD? I’m looking forward to helping support the implementation of the new focus as well as working with the smart, energetic ladies who are my fellow board members. If you had a theme song that best describes you, which one would it be? “Beautiful Day” by Jamie Grace—this song just makes me happy.

Erin Fong

Finance Vice President If you could be any superhero, which one would you be and why? The superpower I’d most want is to be able to speed up or slow down time, or to be able to be in two places at once. I consulted my resident superhero expert and was told that The Flash is the closest to having that ability. What are you most excited about in our new health focus? I think OKC has made some great strides in health and wellness in recent years, but there are still so many needs. It’s a broad focus with lots of different opportunities to impact our community, so there should be something everyone can get excited about! What is your favorite place to eat in the OKC metro? Guernsey Park. What are you most looking forward

Congratulations and thank you for serving JLOC!

to in your new year as a member of the BOD? I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to impact our organization and the community and to work closely with ladies I really admire and want to get to know better. I’ve always found that you get out of a volunteer opportunity what you put into it, so I’m excited to take on this new role!

Mandy Heaps

Community Vice President If you could be any superhero, which one would you be and why? I don’t know if Princess Leia counts as a superhero but she would be my first and only pick. No super powers, just straight awesomeness. Plus, the bonus of Han Solo as a boyfriend and cinnamon buns for hairpieces. Yes, please! What are you most excited about in our new health focus? I’m most excited about rolling out new, fresh community projects that are going to energize our membership and make an impact on our city’s health. What is your favorite place to eat in the OKC metro? Cheevers always delivers no matter the time: brunch, lunch, dinner. I’ll have one of each. What are you most looking forward to in your new year as a member of the BOD? I always say my favorite thing about JLOC is working with smart women. I’m really looking forward to many thoughtful conversations and planning sessions about moving our league forward this year and building on all the hard work and accomplishments of past boards. If you had a theme song that best describes you, which one would it be? “Run The World (Girls)” by Beyonce. Continued on page 16

Trae Rahill & Katie LeHew

Drew Hendrix & Jessica McElvany

To be Wed May 31, 2014

To be Wed August 16, 2014

Mr. and Mrs. Bennett Geister married July 13, 2013

To announce your engagement or wedding in the League Link, go to the Members Only portion of the jloc.org website and submit your requested information. The NearlyWed/Newly Wed form is located under the Forms/References tab. If you would like to submit a photo, please send it to Deanne McGehee at dstein94@cox.net

To announce your engagement or wedding in Brides of Oklahoma Magazine, contact us at 405-607-2902 or visit www.thebridesofoklahoma.com

Junior Leaguers receive $100 off your announcement in Brides of Oklahoma Magazine

Profile Continued from page 14

Jennifer Randle

Administrative Vice President If you could be any superhero, which one would you be and why? How can one go wrong with Super Girl?! The ability to fly tops my reasons, but to be able to run fast, have incredible strength, and of course the lasers from my eyes would be awesome! What are you most excited about in our new health focus? It’s exciting beginning our new projects. I can’t wait to work with our members and agencies in working to improve our community’s health needs. What is your favorite place to eat in the OKC metro? Anywhere, as long as I am with family or friends! What are you most looking forward to in your new year as a member of the Board of Directors? I’m excited for a year of great service to our projects and members. If you had a theme song that best describes you, which one would it be? “We’re All in This Together” by Ben Lee.

Amanda Kirkpatrick Fundraising Vice President

If you could be any superhero, which one would you be and why? Jem from Jem and the Holograms. She’s an awesome rock star with big pink earrings and she secretly helps and saves people. I am obviously a 80’s child! What are you most excited about in our new health focus? I’m excited to see our new projects and think of our new focus as a way that we can make an even stronger impact in the community.

16 march 2014

What is your favorite place to eat in the OKC metro? Cheevers and The Nomad. What are you most looking forward to in your new year as a member of the Board of Directors? Learning even more about the Junior League and making great friends. I am also really excited that this is such a transition year for JLOC. I’m honored to be on the board as we launch into our new health focus and form our new fundraising project. If you had a theme song that best describes you, which one would it be? “Switchin’ in the Kitchen” by Asleep at the Wheel. I have absolutely loved this song since I was a baby. My friends have been forced to love it during every stage of my life. I really wanted this song played at my wedding but forgot to bring it for the band. I love to entertain, love to cook, and just really love this song! It will make anyone happy!

Kristen Ferate

Communications Vice President If you could be any superhero, which one would you be and why? Ralph, The Greatest American Hero. When I was very little I loved a television show called, “The Greatest American Hero.” The hero was a curly haired high school teacher named Ralph. I used to fly around on my big wheel with a cape pretending to be Ralph. What are you most excited about in our new health focus? I’m addicted to the gym and working out. For me, it’s the best therapy. I’m excited to share my love of nutrition and exercise with others. What is your favorite place to eat in the OKC metro? I’m a good Kansas girl who loves steak. I’m partial to Boulevard and Red Prime. What are you most looking forward to in your new year as a member of the Board of Directors? I’m thrilled to be working with such an amazing and talented group of women. Each member of the board is gifted in very unique ways.

I believe that this year will be a great learning experience for me. If you had a theme song that best describes you, which one would it be? “For Good” from Wicked sung by Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel. I lost my mother this past year. This was her favorite song from her favorite Broadway Musical. Just hearing this melody makes me feel that she is with me.

Nazette Zuhdi President-Elect

If you could be any superhero, which one would you be and why? It is between Rogue from Avengers or Catwoman. Rogue is one of the most powerful superheroes of all because she can absorb anyone’s powers and then recall any power she has absorbed over time. Catwoman because I think she is smart, cool, adventurous and has a great outfit. What are you most excited about in our new health focus? I am excited to see the new dynamics of the health focus take shape and grow for JLOC. I think the health focus brings a renewed energy to the organization and reaches everyone in the community. No matter who you are or where you are in life, health is one of the most important aspects of your life. What is your favorite place to eat in the OKC metro? La Baguette. What are you most looking forward to in your new year as a member of the Board of Directors? I can’t wait to help JLOC move forward with an amazing new focus with a great group of fantastic women. If you had a theme song that best describes you, which one would it be? Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life.”

to in your new year as a member of the Board of Directors? I’m most looking forward to the overall learning experience and getting to know the talented women I’ll be serving with.

Blair Bradley Bylaws Chairman

If you could be any superhero, which one would you be and why? Storm—it’d be nice to control the weather! What are you most excited about in our new health focus? I’m a little bit of a fitness fanatic so I’m excited to get everyone moving more. What is your favorite place to eat in the OKC metro? I’ll go with Iron Starr. There are so many great local restaurants but The Starr is definitely one of my favorites! What are you most looking forward

Jamie Maddy

Membership Vice President If you could be any superhero, which one would you be and why? Bubbles from the Powerpuff Girls because she can speak foreign languages and can communicate with animals. Her friends think she’s ditzy so she is always underesti-

mated by those around her. She singlehandedly defeated Mojo Jojo the “Master of manipulation and trickery”. What are you most excited about in our new health focus? Our Membership seems ready to focus our time and treasure on something new while still providing a meaningful service to our community. Focusing on health will not only help those we serve but will energize all of us! What is your favorite place to eat in the OKC metro? Iguana Lounge. What are you most looking forward to in your new year as a member of the Board of Directors? I’m looking forward to the opportunity to guide our membership into our new focus area with the support of a strong, talented and thoughtful Board. If you had a theme song that best describes you, which one would it be? “Airstream Song” by Miranda Lambert.

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Profile

GIRLS ON THE We all signed the necessary papers and earned our hours as a Provisional in the Junior League, but when do you feel that moment was when you truly became a member of the Junior League? Was it a certain project you worked on? A committee? A night at the Remarkable Shop? When did it all click?

Stacie Evans Active

I truly felt like I was a member of JLOC after a night of working at my Financial Literacy placement because I really felt like I was making a difference in these women’s lives.

Shannon Medley Active

Although I made many lasting friendships at the Remarkable Shop, I feel that being a Junior League member truly “clicked” for me at my Life 101 placement. We were sitting around a table eating pizza with the youth that we taught basic life skills to every week. One boy in particular was so excited

18 march 2014

“Making a Difference” every time we came, so eager to hear what we had to say. When he began to tell us how he would expand on what he learned from us, his plans for his future, I felt so honored and encouraged. We really were making a difference in his life.

“Financial Literacy” As a bonus, I was working with friends in the League who were in my Provisional class and was meeting new friends through my placement.

BLOCK Jaclyn Christensen Active

My “it clicked” moment is twofold. I love the social and the community involvement aspects of the League. My Provisional class planned a Christmas party road trip to Eischen’s our first year. We had so many fun, smart and caring girls on the trip, and I realized this was a great place for me. The League was not only beneficial to the community but a great place to meet amazing women I wanted to be friends with for years to come. We all wanted to help our community and have fun doing it! My first Active year I served on the YCWA Financial

“Social and Community” Literacy community placement, which helped with Money Mania, a financial literacy based event at the MLK YWCA. While helping serve hot dogs at the event, a little girl came up to me, hugged me, and told me thank you. She explained how her belly is never this full because she doesn’t get to eat very much at home. I realized how many different ways JLOC impacts the community. Our main focus of the day was to educate people about their finances. We were very successful in doing that but we also made a major impact in ways I had never really thought about.

Peggy Burris Sustainer

My Junior League “journey” was filled with many memories of meetings, getting acquainted activities, General Meetings, new friends, projects, and of course, the countless hours we spent in the backroom of the Remarkable Shop, sorting, hanging clothes and sharing our lives with each other, but my “ah ha” moment came when I was chairman of the Pre-School Vision Screening Project. We went throughout the Oklahoma City area to various preschools, but it was at one inner city pre-school, Celebrations, where I found the true meaning of helping those in need.

“Lucy, a Special Friend” Lucy, one little girl, was lucky to be in a pre-school situation due to her extreme vision problems. There had been many before her, and many after her, whom we helped discover they had a vision problem. Lucy was the one that captured my heart. Through some special friends, I was able to secure her a vision exam and took her to be fitted for her new glasses. Hopefully, we made a change in the direction her life would take. When we all come together with a great cause, we can indeed go out into our community and make a huge contribution that enhances the lives of others!

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Profile

STAR & ABC Awards ABC Awards January: Nazette Zudhi and Margaret Brooks, nominated by Amy Parrish. Nazette and Margaret have ably led the members of the fundraising task force team since September. Both eagerly took on this appointment with their typical determination and hard work and developed and researched numerous fundraiser ideas. Their leadership of this all-important task force has been invaluable. December: Rebecca Farris, nominated by Sara Sweet. Serving as a Project Manager means balancing volunteer hours, managing a budget and communicating effectively with our agency partners—to say the least. Multiply those responsibilities times eight projects and you get some insight into what Rebecca Farris, our fabulous Variety Pack PM, has been doing this year. She has volunteered over 100 hours juggling many “done-in-a-day” projects and she has done so with grace and positivity. November: READ Committee, nominated by Sara Sweet. It’s no easy task to develop eight projects in a brand new focus area but the ladies on READ have worked together exceptionally well to bring a wide variety of health projects to you for next year. This year’s READ committee reflects a true collaborative effort with valued input from all ladies, including members at large. Everyone

involved contributed under the excellent leadership of Mandy Heaps. READ Committee Members: Jennifer Blackwood, Carla Bloomer, Mei Cheng, Margaret Creighton, Sabrina Froehlich, Nichole Glover, Arlena Hamby, Mandy Heaps, Caroline Joyce, Sheena Karami, Allison Lawrence, Aletheia Lawry, Katie LeHew, Pam Newby, Toni Parks-Payne, Sara Sweet, and Erin Williams.

STAR Awards January: Katie Stuewe, nominated by Melauna Wescott, Project ManagerCultural Literacy. Each volunteer with Cultural Literacy researches and teaches on a country of her choosing at one of the Metropolitan Libraries. Katie’s husband Chad is in the Navy and stationed in Afghanistan. Not only did Katie research Afghanistan, but she had Chad send her artifacts from Afghanistan for the children at the library to see and touch. Chad also translated a book for Katie to read to the children. At the session at Ralph Ellison Library, Katie called Chad in

LI TTLE LEAGUERS

Whitaker Wayne and Whitley June Mashaney Born November 8, 2013 To Kendall & Jared Mashaney

20 march 2014

 Katie Stuewe’s husband, Chad, spoke to students at the Ralph Ellison Library via FaceTime. Chad is a member of the U.S. Navy and is currently stationed in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan and Chad talked to the children via FaceTime. The children listened to Chad from Afghanistan and were able to ask him questions. Due to Katie’s hard work and dedication to her placement, Katie was able to make an impact in our community. November: Amanda Essaili, nominated by Leah Sullivan, Boys and Girls Club. Amanda goes above and beyond and takes a genuine personal interest in the kids. She brought flash cards and extra materials for the kids who cannot read and is very patient with teaching them how to read. Overall she has been an inspiration and is amazing with the kids!

“The largest of Blessings are those that are small.”—Unknown

Robert Harvey Jackson

Dillon Luke Blad

Lucy Catherine Harding

Born September 18, 2013 To Leah & Bob Jackson

Born November 3rd, 2013 To Nicole Dobbins & Brian Blad

Born November 16, 2013 To Amanda & Nathaniel Harding

C o n grat u latio n s ! Congratulations to Active, Christi

to balancing work and life, strength

Woodworth, Director of Digital Com-

as a role model and a mentor in the

munication and Social Media for Sonic

workplace and positive influence within

Co. who received Working Mother maga-

her community—not to mention her

zine’s “Advertising Working Mothers of

own family! Christi was celebrated at an

the Year” award. A new mom, Christi

awards luncheon on February 27, 2014

was honored based on her commitment

at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.

MEMBERSHIP Resignations

Jennifer Moore (A)

Brett Barnes (P)

London, England

Lucinda Bugh Huffman (S) Becky Johnson (S) Janis Butler Mildren (S)

Lisa Penner (S) to Houston Maggie Webber (P) to Houston

Ellen Morgan Records (S)

Congratulations

Jennifer Sims (A)

Kristen Bruce (A) birth of baby

Kendall Mashaney (A)

Karen Eagleston (A) birth of baby boy Susan Edwards (S) 2014

NRA Lesley Hays (A)

Mary Baker Rumsey award winner Randis Galloway (A)

Completed Transfer

service on OCAPL

In

committee

Megan Anson (A) from Tulsa Roxanne Maynard (S) from San Antonio

Jennifer Grigsby (S) 2014 Sustainer of the Year award winner Kelly Guinn (A) birth of baby girl

Completed Transfer Out Courtney Boring (A) to

Leah Jackson (A) birth of baby boy Kendall Mashaney (A)

Bryan-College Station,

birth of twins, boy &

TX

girl

Christa Caraway (NRA) to Tulsa Emmy Hann (XP) to Dallas

baby boy Christi Woodworth (A) Working Mother Magazine Advertising Mother of the Year award

Ashley McDaniel (A)

Maternity LOA

Andi Smith (P) birth of

Claire Dower- Nichols (A) birth of baby girl May Reiley (A) birth of

Care and Concern/ Condolences Joli Babek (P) father undergoing cancer treatment Emily Blanding (P) death of grandmother Linda Garrett (S) death of husband Betty Jane Garrett (S) death of father-in-law Katie Moore (A) death of grandfather Gayle Semtner (S) surgery recovery Jenifer Stehr (A) death of grandfather Kathy Swift (A) surgery recovery Jane Thompson (A) death of father-in-law Robin Thompson (A) death of grandfather

baby girl

21

Profile

A New Direction—Health Focus By Kristi Leonard, President-Elect

A

s I prepare to take our League in a new direction when we launch the Health Focus, I find inspiration in the leadership of the women who navigated 10 years of literacy based projects and initiatives. When we first began, could they have foreseen the impact our members would make in the Oklahoma City community? For instance, did they know our members would teach women recovering from domestic abuse how to balance a checkbook and save for their children’s college? Or, that partnering with the Zoo for a summer reading program would become one of our most popular projects, both for the members and the hundreds of children that attend Wild Tuesday’s Storytime Safari every year? What about the lasting friendships made with the veterans at the VA Medical Center? How exciting it has been for me to play a small part in

the League’s literacy legacy! I look forward to the challenge of impacting our community’s emotional and physical health through the nutrition programs, physical education activities and counseling services our newly formed projects will provide to Oklahoma City residents. Our members are enthusiastic about the new focus area and the exciting projects our READ committee developed. Whether a League volunteer wants to work with adults or children, needs a day or evening placement, or wants to learn how to manage people and budgets in a leadership position, the Junior League of Oklahoma City stands ready to train women to impact our community. No matter the focus, the Junior League of Oklahoma City is making a difference, and I am humbled to follow in the footsteps of the amazing women who have led before me.

Kristi Leonard, President-Elect

Members in the Community: loyal Leaguers LOYAL, Linking OKC’s Young Adult Leaders, is a highly competitive leadership program for young professionals presented by Leadership OKC. Each year, the class learns essential skills relating to community service, such as building relationships, fundraising, and presenting special events. Out of the 60 class members, JLOC has seven representatives in this years’ LeadershipOKC LOYAL Class IX. Actives Lauren Ottaway, Sheena Karami, Juliann Strange, Amanda Essaili and Lauren Quick, and Provisionals Hayley Moore and Claire Robison are continuing to build on skills learned in JLOC.  Left to right: Hayley Moore, Lauren Quick, Juliann Strange, Lauren Ottaway, Amanda Essaili, Sheena Karami, Claire Robison

22 march 2014

Focus [ projects ]

What a Year for READ!

t

New Health Focused Projects By Mandy Heaps, READ Chair

he 2013-2014 READ Committee has been working hard since June to discover, develop, and implement exciting projects for our new health focus area. The year began with town hall meetings for representatives from the nonprofit community who were incredibly excited about the opportunity to partner with the League and to use our volunteers to promote healthy lifestyles to their clients. Thirty projects from nineteen different agencies were submitted for consideration. From that initial pool of projects, the READ committee put forward 24 projects for a vote last fall. The committee was incredibly pleased with the participation and feedback from the membership. The READ Committee started our year knowing that we were ultimately hoping to decrease the number of community projects and increase the number of members participating in each project. This goal extended from membership feedback that our community projects, while incredibly important to the people we serve, are meaningful relationshipbuilding opportunities for our members working together in the community. The projects listed below are possible thanks to the hard work of a fantastic READ team: READ Vice Chair—Sheena Karami; READ Developers—Mei Cheng, Margaret Creighton, Nicole Glover, Arlena Hamby; Committee Coordinator— Toni Parks-Payne; Committee members— Jennifer Blackwood, Carla Bloomer, Sabrina Froehlich, Caroline Joyce, Allison Lawrence, Aletheia Lawry, Katie Lehew, and Erin Williams. The READ Committee was made even stronger with the leadership of Sara Sweet, Community Vice President, and Pam Newby, Sustaining Advisor.

24 march 2014

We hope our entire League is as excited as we are to dive into these exciting new projects and begin impacting our community’s physical and mental health. Cheers! Eat Better, Move More with Oklahoma City’s seniors! Partnering with the Oklahoma Healthy Aging Initiative, League volunteers will have the opportunity to provide mini talks on nutrition and present accessible and effective exercises to the seniors participating in this 12-week program. Healthy Practices for Survivors of Domestic Violence continues our partnership with the YWCA. Providing an in-depth and meaningful opportunity to connect with and impact women staying in the YWCA shelter, volunteers in this program will develop and present a program that will teach participants how to implement healthy activities during their time at the shelter and for their transition to independence. “Healthy You” Parents Night Out connects League volunteers with an often overlooked population—the parents/caregivers of children receiving treatment at The Children’s Hospital. Volunteers will create fun and healthy activities for parents to attend and gain some much needed rest and respite. Kids in the Kitchen/Top Chef expands our Kids in the Kitchen program at The Boys and Girls Club. Top Chef provides a step-up for the tweens and teens with volunteers teaching them how to prepare healthy meals for themselves and their families and putting their skills to the test with regular competitions. Kids on Track is an opportunity for League volunteers to get running with members at The Boys and Girls Club. Volunteers aren’t required to run but they’ll work with participants to

implement a 5k training plan and learn healthy eating habits to help achieve their running goals. Prom Night at The Children’s Hospital will create all the fun and memorable moments of Prom for kids receiving care at The Children’s Hospital. Volunteers will plan all the details from obtaining all the prom necessities to decorating the venue for an extra-special evening. Summer Food and Fun at Youth Services for Oklahoma County will provide the teens staying in the Family Junction shelter with necessary information on preparing healthy meals. Volunteers will plan each meal and a healthy activity to coincide with the menu’s theme. Four new Variety Pack projects are also being introduced: Haunt and Harvest is Citizens Caring for Children’s safe, fun, and healthy trick-or-treating experience for children in foster care. Volunteers will provide healthy snacks and games during the day-long carnival. ArtsREACH is Oklahoma City Ballet’s outreach effort to 4,000 school-age children. Volunteers will teach kids about healthy habits including choosing healthy snacks, staying active, warming up, and stretching. Deck the Halls of Positive Tomorrows is an opportunity for volunteers to create a fun and festive atmosphere at Oklahoma’s only elementary school specifically for homeless children. EYE-SPY partners League volunteers with the Health Alliance for the Uninsured as they provide preventative measures against vision loss caused by diabetes. Volunteers will provide simple eye assessments that will provide the organization with much-needed information for additional intervention and care.

Family Fun in the Zone By Leslie Kearns

C

alling all carnival goers and master puppeteers!!! It has been a whirlwind of fun this year at OU Children’s Hospital. Each Junior League member within the placement partakes in exciting and motivating activities with the kids. We alternate each time between fun carnival themed activities and throwing a puppet show using the silly and educational Super Sprowtz book collection. Project Manager, Rachael Brancich, introduced Super Sprowtz to our placement and it has been a great addition to the Zone. The kids enjoy listening to the enticing and nutritional tales narrated by the dynamic team that include Colby Carrot, Brian Broccoli, Erica Eggplant,

and Suzy Sweetpea. The puppet shows educate the children on the importance of nutrition, while also displaying the value of vegetables and vitamins they supply to the human body. Basically what we are saying is “Eat your vegetables kids!” The carnivals have been creative and crafty. We have been impressed with the beautiful artwork and cute little yarn dolls that the kids create to take back to their rooms. Hopefully, they provide a pop of color and a little excitement. It has been extremely rewarding to see the moment when the children enter the Zone and their faces light up knowing that they have two hours with us to let loose and have some good ‘ol Junior League filled fun. The

parents and the staff at OU Children’s Hospital truly appreciate our time and dedication. It has been an eye opening experience for all of us. Each of the children that we interact with truly knows the key to making light of a situation and it has been inspirational to all of us at the Family Fun in the Zone placement.

Christ the king Catholic School

Christ the King Catholic School is a Christ-centered environment for children in Pre-K through 8th Grade. We offer a low student/teacher ratio, weekly Mass and service opportunities, as well as state-of-the-art computer and science labs. Call today to schedule a private tour to meet our certified teachers, tour our outstanding facilities, explore our classrooms and discover the superior curriculum we offer. We want you to be part of our thriving community!

1905 Elmhurst Ave. | Oklahoma City, OK (405) 843-3909 | ckschool.com

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Focus

JLOC Unveils New Book to Honor 10 Years of Literacy! Goodnight OKC

A

s we conclude our incredible 10-year focus of “Changing Lives Through Literacy,” the Junior League of Oklahoma City is proud to present Goodnight OKC, a legacy book to help mark the League’s last decade of service. Goodnight OKC highlights the many people, places and businesses that make OKC a wonderful place to work, play and live. The words of the book come to life thanks to the remarkable illustrations of Margaret Reynolds Hoge. Margaret, who served the League as President in 1998-99, is an artist currently teaching art at Heritage Hall. Her passion for the League and excitement about the book led Margaret to donate her talent and time to making Goodnight OKC a reality. The generosity of another sustaining League member, Christy Everest, allowed for the book to be published. Christy and the E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation graciously underwrote the publishing costs

for the book. Without these two amazing Sustainers and their support of the project, the book could not have become a reality. You will be learning more about the book, as well as when and where you can purchase a book, in the coming weeks! We are excited to work with local retailers to make the book available around OKC. In addition, the Board of Directors has appointed two book co-chairs for the next year to shepherd the book into the community and coordinate collaborations with appropriate community organizations. Shannon Love and Amy Parrish will serve as co-chairs and I know you will hear many exciting developments from them in the year ahead. Be on the lookout in your Monday emails for all the details on Goodnight OKC and how you can be a part of this exciting project!

“Goodnight OKC” Illustrator, Margaret Reynolds Hoge

M

Margaret Reynolds Hoge

26 march 2014

argaret Reynolds Hoge was born and raised in Oklahoma City. After graduating from Heritage Hall, she attended Trinity University (San Antonio,TX) for 2 years and received a BFA in All Level Art Education from the University Of North Texas. Post graduate work at the University of Oklahoma lead to her Minor in Geology. Margaret created the art curriculum and taught at The Greenhill School (Dallas, TX), created the art curriculum and taught at Will Rogers Elementary School (Putnam City, OK), and created the art curriculum and teaches in the Lower School at Heritage Hall. Her students have won numerous local, state, national and international art awards. Her art program has been recognized as one of the top 10 programs in the state of Oklahoma. Margaret has been

named the State of Oklahoma Elementary Art Educator of the Year. She has been listed in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World. She designed and created the Oklahoma State ornaments for the Pageant of Peace (Washington DC). Margaret is known for her realistic renderings of wildlife and landscapes. Her oil pastels can be found in residences and businesses throughout Oklahoma City. In addition to serving as Past President of the Junior League of Oklahoma City, Margaret has served on numerous other community boards including the Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Board, the OKC Art’s Festival Children’s Art Coordinator, and All Souls Episcopal Church Vestry. Margaret is married to Arthur F. Hoge III and has 2 wonderful children: Margaret Kathryn “Katie” Hoge and Arthur F. “Cort” Hoge IV.

YWCA Financial

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JLOC volunteers placed at the YWCA work with the Y’s Economic Empowerment de-

majesticroofingoklahoma.com MAJESTIC_JRLEAGUE.1.indd 1

8/15/12 4:06 PM

partment to provide financial literacy classes to women living in the Y’s transitional housing program and emergency shelter. Women attending the financial literacy classes are provided with dinner, and classes cover topics ranging from budgeting to identity theft to teaching children how to save. During the last week of February JLOC volunteers will also provide a “crash course” in savings, as a part of the America Saves Week initiative, for the women served by the YWCA. The week, entitled “Passport to Financial Freedom,” will include a kick-off event where YWCA clients will learn about healthy eating on a budget, a week of financial

405.889.4430 okc@therileygroup.info www.therileygroup.info

literacy sessions provided by partnering financial institutions, and a celebration luncheon.

—Paula Wackenheim

Concierge & Organizational Services

@therileygroup facebook.com/rileygroup

27

Et Cetera [ various ]

100

%

Fundraising Annual JLOC Financial Campaign

o

ur mission has always been to promote voluntarism by effectively training women to become active leaders in our community. Our community partners today not only depend on the JLOC for our volunteers but to contribute to their success also requires financial partnership. As Active and Sustaining members of JLOC your additional financial donation above our annual dues is a major part of the JLOC’s Financial Campaign’s success.

Participation

to win Donate today to be entered s! ring ear tt Sco dra Ken of r pai a aining Drawings will be at the rem have not do You gs. etin Me l era Gen to be present to win.

JLOC would easily meet our annual goal if 100% participation from our membership was attained! A donation (minimum of $25/person) given by many hands make light work for all and would touch our community projects by each of you; our dedicated membership. It is the generous financial contributions of our Active and Sustaining members and our numerous donors that continue to allow JLOC to EMPOWER volunteers to IMPACT our community and ENRICH lives. That generosity is YOU!

congrats! to

Sandy Shapard for finding the hidden glasses in the December issue and winning a $25

Nominating 101 N o m i n at i n g N e w s ! We’ve passed the halfway mark of the 2013-2014 year, and it’s been another great year in JLOC history! The Nominating Committee has been busy at work since the Fall planning for the next group of women leaders that will continue the legacy of the League that so many have worked tirelessly to create. It’s never too early to start thinking about which community project or inLeague appointment you would like to serve on during the 2014-2015 year, and the Nominating Committee wants to hear from you! Here’s what you can do: • keep your electronic membership information (PRF) current, down to the last detail of education, work and skills/interests • be aware of the opportunities to serve in-community and in-League • self-submit for positions that are of interest • give feedback to the Nominating Committee on what qualities or skills will be necessary for a particular position going forward, particularly if you are the current position holder For any questions please contact Shannon Gottschalk, Nominating Chair, shannongottschalk@cox.net.

Starbucks Gift Card!

Find the hidden glasses!

email summer dEFehr (SUMMERANN@gmail.com) if you spot the reading glasses. The glasses were hiding here in the December 2013 issue! 28 March 2014

you will win a really great prize!

Family Focus

Enjoy the most requested recipes from the Transfer Holiday party

Cheese Appetizer

O’Henry Bars

½ lb sharp white cheddar cheese 1 lb sharp yellow cheddar cheese 1 bunch green onions, chopped (white & green) ½ cup toasted pecans 2-4 Tbsp Mayo 1 jar raspberry jam

4 cups of Quick Oats 1 cup of butter, softened 1 cup of brown sugar ½ cup of white sugar 1 cup of milk chocolate chips 1 cup of smooth peanut butter

Recipe contributed by Lauren Lambeth (served at the December Transfer Event)

Recipe contributed by Amy Reen (served at the December Transfer Event)

Grate cheese and chop onions. Toast pecans in the oven for a few minutes. Mix together cheese, onions and pecans, add mayo 1 Tbsp at a time, until mixture binds together. Place in a spring form pan. Chill until set, place on a platter. Warm jam in the microwave, pour on top of cheese. Serve with wheat thins.

Spray a 9x13” pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix together quick oats, butter and sugars and press flat in pan. Bake at 350° for 14-15 minutes. In another bowl, melt chocolate chips and peanut butter together in the microwave (you can also do this on a stove top). Spread evenly over crust. Let set in refrigerator.

M at e r n i t y

15

say you saw this ad in the League Link and receive

% off

designer Maternity clothing from the industries top designers of maternity dresses, tops, jeans, pajamas, nursing bras, swimwear, skincare and a huge selection of diaper bags from Petunia Pickle Bottom, Ju-Ju-Be, and timi & leslie, and more! trendy, stylish and Fashionable maternity apparel that will make every expecting mother glow even more.

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29

Et Cetera

Bookshelf QUESTIONS

1. What is your favorite children’s book? 2. What’s your favorite book of all time and why? 3. What book are you currently reading? 4. What’s your “Go-to” cookbook?

Jenifer Stehr

Summer DeFehr

Heidi Cohn

Tori Ledue Raines

Board Member

Active

Sustainer

Provisional

1. “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Seuss. 2. “Redeeming Love” by Francine Rivers—It is such a powerful and inspirational book that continues to capture me and pull at my heart strings each time I read it. 3. “First Love” by James Patterson. 4. My Mom’s old “Better Homes and Garden Cookbook” with all her little notes handwritten in. :)

1. “The Little Blue Truck,” A great story about being a good friend. 2. “Sarah’s Key” by Tatiana de Rosnay. I really enjoy novels that incorporate historical facts and events. I also loved “Harry Potter” and the “Hunger Games” for their creativity and uniqueness. 3. “The Longest Ride” by Nicholas Sparks and “The Triple Package, The Three Unlikely Traits That Explain The Rise And Fall Of Cultural Groups In America” by Amy Chua. 4. “The Pioneer Woman”but I more often use eMeals (meal planning and menus) for our weekly dinners.

1. “The Maggie B.” I bought it for my nieces when they were born and my own daughter. We’ve read it together to the point of falling apart! 2. Loved the “Josephine Bonaparte Trilogy” by Sandra Gulland. After 3 books you felt like you really got to know her and the history was fascinating! 3. “The Bones of Paris.” 4. Can’t say I have a “go-to” cookbook. I’m more of a recipe Googler! I love epicurious.com.

1. The “Amelia Bedelia” series and “Where the Sidewalk Ends” by Shel Silverstein. 2. I can’t possibly narrow that down, but one of my faves is “The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America.” It’s a true story about the preparation for the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 and a serial killer that used the chaos to prey on visiting women. Kind of dark! But for a history nerd it is chock full of really interesting information about major advances in architecture and science, and the relationships among some of the most famous people in those fields. 3. “Life,” the memoir of Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones. Pretty intense! I always wonder how someone who spent so many years in a haze can remember things clearly enough to write a memoir… 4. The old school Betty Crocker Cookbook has so many cool tips and I love the retro look and feel! Also, Epicurious online is a lifesaver.

30 March 2014

The Fresh 5!

Five websites, apps or blogs that will help simplify and enhance your life! Check them out! By Heidi Cohn

Hollywood Housewife Just for the pure fun of it! This blog pairs up an Oklahoma girl with Hollywood and brings a little southern grace to the City of Angels. hollywoodhousewife.com Lara Casey Media Visit this inspirational blog/website for great messages and bubbling positivity. This organizational tool helps you find and follow your passion, goal set and even has tips on branding! laracasey.com Groove Book Okay photo junkies, this app is for you! Make photo books ON your phone from your photos taken WITH your phone. Your photos revolutionized! Red Stamp Another super handy app! Create invitations, thank you cards, photo cards & more! You’re gonna love this one. TwoFitMoms This website by two yoga teachers includes great blog posts about body image, health, recipes, etc. The “Ditching Your Scale” post is a favorite, but it’s the “Training Yourself to Be an Early Riser” that I really need! twofitmoms.com BONUS website!!! MindBodyGreen This website is a cornucopia of info on health, happiness, nutrition, fitness and way more! Today for example, a blog on “15 Ways to Improve Your Health in 15 Mins”…who doesn’t need that?!?! mindbodygreen.com

Katie Blaik James Real Estate Broker Associate

KeeseE & Company, Inc. 6421 Avondale Dr., Suite 209B, OKC, OK 73116 405.842.8841 office 405.842.1775 fax OKCKatie@gmail.com

Calling All Sustainers Can you help the ZooZeum? I don’t know if you are aware of the unique history between the Zoo and JLOC, but in the 60’s JLOC helped establish the outreach education program at the Zoo. The Zoo is in search of “JLOC Zoo Docent” memorabilia for the ZooZeum, the Zoo’s on site historical museum. They are particularly interested in obtaining one of the zebra striped shirts and/or a zebra striped hat (they have plenty of the khaki safari uniform pieces). If you would like to donate your “zebrastriped” Zoo Docent outfit to the ZooZeum contact Amy Stephens, Education Supervisor and ZooZeum Coordinator, (405) 4250277 or astephens@okczoo.com.

31

Changing Lives Through Literacy

MISSION The Junior League of Oklahoma City, Inc. is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.

VISION The Junior League of Oklahoma City, Inc. will empower volunteers to impact our community and enrich lives.

FOCUS Changing Lives Through Literacy

Thank you for advertising with us! Belle Blu Brides of Oklahoma Casady School Christ the King School

Keese & Company, Inc. Majestic Roofing The Riley Group Shannon Love Photography

Increase your business and advertise with us! Get on board for the 2014-2015 League Link year and start advertising. The circulation is over 1,500 and sent to not only JLOC members but also to numerous businesses and community organizations. Special rates are available for all League Members; Actives, Sustainers and Provisionals.

w w w. j l o c . o r g

Shirley Kay Photography United Way Warhall Designs Westminster School

Contact Deanne McGehee, League Link Business Manager, for more information at dstein94@cox.net.

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The next deadline is may