The Visions Awards honors those who act as agents of change in the community, providing leadership to enrich and enliven those whom they serve. These individuals are thoughtful, passionate, tenacious and creative in seeking out solutions to problems that affect change. They inspire others with their conviction and drive, give a voice to those without, and act with the highest integrity to provide Oklahomans with resources otherwise not available. Visions recognizes these great individuals as passionate champions of service to Oklahoma.
OUR 2024 VISIONS HONOREES:
Kody Suanny Pat Potts Visionary Award
Mary Mélon-Tully The Rodney Bivens Innovation Award
Frankie Garcia Leon Inasmuch Special Recognition Award
Judy Kishner Lifetime Achievement Award
Senator Kay Floyd President’s Award
Charlie Swinton Shirley Shanker Volunteer Award
VISIONS 2024 COMMITTEE
Bob Spinks (Chair), Deena Fisher, Kelly Gray, Sarah Roberts, Dustin Stokes, Peggy Kates, Brooke Clark, Kyle Impson, Wes Haddox, Debbie Schramm
THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS
VISIONARY SPONSORS
PATRON SPONSORS
AMBASSADOR SPONSORS
American Fidelity Foundation Arvest BancFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma The Chickasaw Nation Cory’s National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum OKC Good Oklahoma Natural Gas Pam and Bob Spinks Stride Bank Marnie and Clayton Taylor The William K. Warren Foundation Williams
HOST SPONSORS
Bethany Children’s Health Center Commerce Bank Feed the Children Pat Rooney and First National Bank of Oklahoma Wes Haddox Peggy Kates Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation Oklahoma City Community Foundation Oklahoma City Thunder Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation Maxine and Jack Zarrow Family Foundation
PARTNER SPONSORS
Avedis Foundation Lori and Jeff Blumenthal CMR Jennifer and Jeremy Colby Deena and Tom Fisher Foundation Management Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma Dr. JaHannah Jamelarin & John Harper HoganTaylor Kirkpatrick Bank Joy and Bob LaBar Polly and Larry Nichols REES Sarah and Hayden Roberts Kathy L. and John Michael Williams
FRIEND SPONSORS
Bruce and Sheryl Benbrook/Stock Exchange Bank Ginny Carl Kathie Coyle Amy Curran Ann-Clore and Walt Duncan The Kerr Foundation Phil Kliewer Patti Mellow Deborah Schramm
CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS
THE SHIRLEY SHANKER VISIONARY VOLUNTEER AWARD
Volunteers are the life-blood of nonprofits, rolling up their sleeves day after day to provide that important set of helping hands. Named after an Oklahoma legend of volunteering, the late Shirley Shanker, this award honors the ongoing work of a champion
volunteer in the nonprofit sector.
THE PAT POTTS VISIONARY AWARD
Named in honor of the founder of the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits, this award will go to an individual executive leader who through focus, tenacity and leadership has inspired the success of a singular organization in carrying out its charitable mission.
THE RODNEY BIVENS INNOVATION AWARD
This award will go to a visionary leader(s) or volunteer(s) in the charitable sector who has burst on the scene with a new, dynamic and innovative idea that inspired groundbreaking changes bringing newfound success to the mission of an organization or
pioneering, exciting program that changes lives.
The honoree will receive a $10,000 award thanks to a generous contribution from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation in honor of Rodney Bivens’ lifetime achievements with the Regional Food Bank.
THE INASMUCH SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD
This award will go to a nonprofit employee that has exhibited excellence throughout the past year. It could be any nonprofit practitioner (e.g., executive director, program director, support staff, etc.) who has worked tirelessly to make a difference
in the everyday work of a charitable organization. This employee has demonstrated a dedication to mission above and beyond his or her call to duty, changed lives of those they serve and shown leadership to peers. Sometimes working with limited resources
in difficult circumstances, the recipient of the Special Recognition Award is a selfless and tireless employee that exemplifies service to community and constituents. Wherever possible, this is a person that isn’t regularly recognized for their service,
so that we may honor those everyday heroes that make Oklahoma and our citizens thrive.
THE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
This award will go to an individual (s) who dedicated a lifetime of philanthropy and volunteer leadership to charitable causes and has been instrumental in the success of one or more charitable organizations.
THE PRESIDENT’S AWARD
This award will go to an individual (s) as a special recognition of the President and CEO.
