Oklahoma commission names award recipients

Senator Roger Thompson of Okemah will be be among those honored by the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women (OCSW). Thompson, along with Representative Cyndi Munson of Oklahoma, are set to receive the 2023 Guardian Awards April 28 in Oklahoma City.

The 2023 Kate Barnard Award will be presented to Seminole State College President Lana Reynolds (Seminole); and the Commission’s Lifetime Achievement Award to Lou Kerr (Oklahoma City), a nationally- renowned community philanthropist and advocate for women.

Thompson, Munson, Reynolds and Kerr will be recognized and presented the awards at the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Friday, April 28th, at 5:30 p.m. at the Omni Hotel located at 100 Oklahoma City Boulevard.

Created in 2010, the Guardian Award recognizes Oklahoma legislative, executive, and judicial officials who have made significant contributions to guarding, protecting, and preserving the rights of women and families.

Senator Thompson was first elected to the Oklahoma State Senate in 2014. He represents Senate District 8, which includes Okmulgee and McIntosh counties, as well as portions of Okfuskee and Muskogee counties. Currently he is serving his second term as Chairman of Appropriations, where under his leadership, the committee was able to make historic investments in core government services, including Oklahoma schools. In 2022, the committee approved appropriations for the Commission’s “Not Me - Stop Human Trafficking” Initiative, the first official statewide effort to educate Oklahoma students and educators at high schools, universities, colleges and career and technology centers on how to recognize the early signs of human trafficking.

The Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony has several sponsors, including the Chickasaw Nation as the Presenting Sponsor. For more information, visit www.ok.gov/ocsw.