Tulsa Tech Board of Education Members Honored

January was School Board Recognition Month and an opportunity for local schools and communities to honor the more than 2,700 elected school board members for their untiring dedication to children and schools. Tulsa Tech faculty and staff celebrated and recognized board of education members during their monthly board meeting on Jan. 28.

At Tulsa Tech, our board members not only must develop policies and make tough decisions on complex educational and social issues impacting the entire community, they also bear responsibility for over 600 employees across six campuses, and over 58,000 students annually in full-time, part-time, as well as corporate training classes. We’re very proud of the board members who help guide our district, and the impact each individual has on our community and region.

Ray A. Owens, PhD
The Rev. Dr. Ray A. Owens is the Pastor of the Metropolitan Baptist Church in Tulsa. In addition to his parish work, Owens serves as the Affiliate Assistant Professor of Ethics and Black Church Studies at the Phillips Theological Seminary. He is deeply involved in the Tulsa community. He serves on the Steering Committee of IMPACT-Tulsa and is a board member for Tulsa Educare. He is also the founder and chairman of the board of the Met Cares Foundation, a non-profit organization that seeks to facilitate the development of high performing schools in the north Tulsa community. Owens is an active member of both Alpha Phi Alpha and Sigma Pi Phi fraternities.

Rick Kibbe
Rick Kibbe graduated from Southwestern Oklahoma State University with a bachelor’s degree, and a major minor in social science and secondary education. He completed his Master’s Degree in secondary administration from Northwestern Oklahoma State University, and completed his superintendents certification from Oklahoma State University. Kibbe has been in education for 34 years, 26 of which have been in administration. He has also served as an adjunct instructor at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. While serving as superintendent at Catoosa Public Schools, he was named Superintendent of the Year for the 2008-09 and 2010-11 school years. Kibbe is also active in his community as a member of the Catoosa Economic Development Authority, as well as a part of the Catoosa Chamber of Commerce.

Mark Griffin
Mark Griffin is continuing his lifelong dedication to serving Tulsa area students. After 32 years at Tulsa Public Schools and Tulsa Tech in instructional, support and administrative roles, Griffin retired from his previous duties at Tulsa Tech in 2014. His professional emphasis has been in educational technology, both using technology to enhance instruction and teaching technology to students. Griffin is a Fellow of the J.C. Sparkman Institute has received numerous national and state awards for his instructional work including the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education’s “Friends of Trade and Industrial Education Award,” a rare honor for an individual. His core beliefs center on building strong relationships within Tulsa Tech, as well as with other schools and enterprises in our service area.

David E. Charney
David E. Charney is an attorney, real estate developer and owner of a local homebuilding company. Charney is co-owner and Managing Partner of Owasso Land Trust, L.L.C., a real estate development company with investment activity throughout the Tulsa area. He is involved in several civic organizations in the Tulsa area and currently serves as Chairman of the Owasso Economic Development Authority and Chairman of the Tulsa County Board of Adjustment. Charney also serves on the Board of Directors of RCB Bank Holding Company, an Oklahoma Banking corporation with over 40 branches throughout Oklahoma and Kansas. He is on the Board of Directors for the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice, as well as currently representing District 4 as a member of the Tulsa Technology Center’s School Board.

Danny Hancock
Danny Hancock has been part of the construction industry for more than 30 years. Hancock is a construction manager for Cowen Construction, a 120-year-old company based in Oklahoma. Hancock is a graduate of Charles Page High School and also received a certificate of completion from the plumbing program at Tulsa Tech. He attended OSUIT in Okmulgee receiving his Associate’s Degree in applied science, with emphasis on construction technology in 1993. Hancock stayed active in multiple training programs, including HVAC training at Tulsa Tech, while working for a Tulsa mechanical construction company. He carries a plumbing contractors license in Oklahoma, as well as a master plumbing license in Arkansas. He has served as an adviser for Tulsa Tech and OSUIT programs for nearly two decades. Hancock recently served as president of the Association of Oklahoma General Contractors and was appointed in 2014 to serve as a state code commissioner on the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission.

Sharon Whelpley
Sharon Whelpley brings many years of experience and knowledge to the Tulsa Tech community. After retiring from Tulsa Tech following 12 years of service, Whelpley was elected to the Broken Arrow Public Schools Board of Education, where she provided 20 years of service to help guide a path for student success. An avid volunteer, Whelpley has served the Broken Arrow community through organizations and events such as Gateway Balloon, Tulsa Garden Center, Broken Arrow PTA, and the Broken Arrow School Foundation to name a few. Whelpley has been a resident of Broken Arrow for over 35 years, married to husband Lee, has three children, four grandchildren, and is a member of First Baptist Church in Broken Arrow.

Dr. Jim Baker
Dr. Jim Baker’s background in education serves him well as a board member by providing the perspective of a practitioner in formulating policy-making decisions. Not only has Baker served in all executive positions on the board, but also led an effort to define and address safety issues long before school violence became a national concern. Baker was named to the 2000 Oklahoma State School Boards Association All-State School Board, a select group of five board members from the more than 3,500 across the state.

Tulsa Tech is both honored and fortunate to have the leadership, guidance, and vision provided by our outstanding board of education, and we thank each board member for helping all of our great students ‘Make Their Own Path’.
If you’re currently looking for exciting classes for high school and adult students, quality corporate training, or a challenging new career, Tulsa Tech invites you to visit today. For more information, please call 918-828-5000 or visit us online at tulsatech.edu.

Updated 02-14-2019