Academic Awards Banquet

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Roger Mitchell (from left), president of Oklahoma Natural Gas Co., and his wife, Nancy, visit with Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence trustees Leslie Hudson and her husband, Cliff Hudson, prior to the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Academic Awards Banquet. Cliff Hudson, who is chairman and chief executive officer of Sonic Corp., served as an award presenter at the gala celebration.

Peter Regan (from left), chairman of Devonshire Investments of Tulsa, and his wife, Amy, visit with Norman community leaders Lynda and Fred Gibson during a reception preceding the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Academic Awards Banquet in Norman. Peter Regan and Lynda Gipson are both trustees of the foundation.

John C. Danforth, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and former U.S. senator from Missouri, was the keynote speaker at the 2009 Academic Awards Banquet

Keynote speaker John C. Danforth and OFE Founder and Chairman David L. Boren are joined by this year’s recipients of the Medals for Excellence in Teaching. Front left to right: Dr. Andrew Arena Jr., Danforth, Boren, Dr. Topan K. Bhattacharya. Back left to right: Georgie Chapuis, Barbara Gabel, Claudia Swisher.	Tulsa City auditor Phil Wood (from left) and his wife, Emily Wood, a 1990 Medal for Excellence-winning educator, greet Tulsa leaders Clifton Taulbert, founder and president of the Building Community Institute, and his wife, Barbara. Emily Wood and Clifton Taulbert both serve as trustees of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.
OFE Local Education Foundation Outreach Director Karen Rose greets trustee Frank C. Robson and his wife, Ludmila.	Medal-winning Oklahoma arts educators Roxy Merklin, Kathleen Blake, Barbara Gabel and Susan Gabbard visit during the annual Circle of Excellence meeting.
Longtime Oklahoma City community leader Mary Nichols is seated with Adita Jalla, an Academic All-Stater from Putnam City North High School. Also pictured are Nichols’ grandsons, Jeff (left) and Randy Street. Nichols sponsored Jalla’s Academic All-State Scholarship, which was presented at the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Academic Awards Banquet.	Dori and Mark Blohm (center), chief financial officer of Tulsa Winch Group, congratulate Tulsa Academic All-Staters Grady Briggs (left) and Sam Briggs, graduating seniors at Tulsa Memorial High School. The Tulsa Winch group is a company of Dover Industrial Products, which sponsored $1,000 Academic All-State Scholarships for each of the Briggs twins.
Keynote speaker John C. Danforth provides an autograph to a 2009 Academic All-Stater.	John C. Danforth (left) and David L. Boren visit with Les Risser, chair of the foundation’s 23rd Academic Awards Banquet, following the May 16 banquet at the new Embassy Suites Hotel in Norman.
OFE trustees Sue Ann Hyde (left) of Oklahoma City and Susie Thurmond of Cheyenne join foundation executive director Emily Stratton at a Trustee/Donor Reception preceding the foundation’s 23rd annual Academic Awards Banquet. Hyde served as chairwoman of the reception.	OFE trustee and banquet decorations chair Lee Ann Bratten works with drama students from Choctaw High School to prepare the table decorations.