The State Chamber of Oklahoma elected a new Chairman and welcomed several new members to the Board of Directors at its annual meeting last week at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
Steve Hahn, President of AT&T Mid States, was unanimously elected to serve as the 2019-2020 Chairman. Mark Funke, outgoing Chairman of the Board, presented Hahn with the chairman’s gavel.
“I am very excited that Steve will lead our efforts at the State Chamber,” said Fred Morgan, President and CEO of the State Chamber of Oklahoma. “We spent the 2019 legislative session laying a solid foundation for our members and businesses in Oklahoma. Steve is exactly the leader we need to build upon that foundation.”
Each year, the State Chamber gives the Champion of Free Enterprise awards to members who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to advancing Oklahoma’s business climate and competitiveness. The Chairman’s Award recipient was Kevin Lassahn, Vice President and General Manager, Valero Ardmore Refinery. The Outstanding Company Award was given to Hobby Lobby, and the Moore Chamber of Commerce was honored as the Local Partner of the Year.
Rick Grundman, Vice President of Government Affairs & Community Relations with ONE Gas, Inc., received the OK2030 Leadership Award for his commitment to OK2030 and the business community’s efforts by serving as co-chair of the OK2030 Advisory Council.
In addition, members of the State Chamber also elected the following new members to serve on the 2019-2020 Board of Directors:
- William Brown, Senior Vice President of Boeing Programs, Tulsa & Wichita, Kan.
- Patti Davis, President, Oklahoma Hospital Association, Oklahoma City
- Frank Franzese, President of IT, Transport & Telecom, Dobson Technologies, Oklahoma City
- Chad Nance, Vice President of Operations, Nance Precast Concrete Products, Piedmont, Okla.
- Patti Neuhold, President Select, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, Okla.
- Lisa Powell, Executive Director, Enid Regional Development Alliance, Enid, Okla.
Other new members to the board include:
- Byron Bighorse, CEO, Osage Casinos, Tulsa
- Robert L. Bush, Interim President & CEO, CommunityCare HMO, Inc., Tulsa
- Peter Salatich, Regional Director Government Affairs, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Oklahoma City
- Becky Samples, Vice President Insurance Marketing & Communications, Oklahoma Farm Bureau Insurance, Oklahoma City
- R. Scott Vaughn, President & CEO, Global Health, Inc., Tulsa
- Daniel Wyatt, Interim President & CEO, Enviro Systems, Inc., Seminole, Okla.
Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce & Workforce Development, Sean Kouplen, also joined the board as an ex-officio member.
The State Chamber’s annual meeting was held before a record-breaking crowd and featured a keynote address from Kim Lear, a researcher at the forefront of cutting-edge studies to uncover cultural shifts that revolutionize how organizations engage employees and consumers.