In November 2025, The Okmulgee Times first reported on governance concerns surrounding the Okmulgee- Okfuskee County Youth Services (OOCYS) Board following the termination of Executive Director Dr. Sherri Carter-Greene. At the time, multiple meeting minutes, filings and related records were unavailable or pending approval, limiting what could be independently verified.

Since then, additional documents – including board agendas, meeting minutes, correspondence, grievance filings and external records – have been obtained and reviewed. This article presents a consolidated, document-based account of board activity from June through October 2025.

As a youth-serving nonprofit funded in part through public contracts, OOCYS provides prevention, counseling and support services across Okmulgee and Okfuskee counties. How governance decisions are made, recorded and communicated is a matter of public interest. What follows is a fact-based timeline drawn from official records obtained, meeting documentation and written correspondence, identifying where the record is complete and where questions remain unresolved.

— Board Activity & Leadership Changes

Board records reviewed by the Times show that discussion of the Executive Director’s evaluation and agency operations occurred repeatedly in the months preceding October 2025.

Minutes from the June 30, 2025, board meeting reflect that six members were present. During that meeting, then-Board Chair Michelle Christy submitted her resignation, which was accepted by unanimous vote. The minutes further reflect that Shelly Green was elected Board Chair immediately following Christy’s resignation. No concerns regarding the Executive Director’s performance were recorded in the June minutes.

At the July 28, 2025, meeting, again with six members present, the agenda included a Director’s Report outlining ARPA-funded facility renovations, bids being sought for additional projects, staff promotions and the naming of an Employee of the Month. Under Item #6, the board approved the fiscal-year summary and findings related to critical incidents, formal complaints, grievances and health and safety. Under Item #2B, the board discussed development of a Strategic and Risk Management Plan for Fiscal Year 2026, with Shirley Payne, Shelly Green and Ron Sawyer volunteering to serve on the planning committee. The minutes reflect an intent to present the plan to the full board in September 2025; no record of that presentation appears in the materials provided.

By Aug. 25, 2025, board composition shifted again. Minutes reflect that five members were present when Shelly Green resigned as Board Chair. The board then elected Rae Ann Wilson as Board Chair and Ron Sawyer as Vice Chair. That meeting agenda included a proposed executive session for the annual evaluation of Executive Director Dr. Sherri Carter-Greene. The minutes reflect that no action was taken following the evaluation discussion. The Director’s Report was not presented due to her absence.

— September Meetings, Missing Minutes & Board-Level Concerns Records from September 2025 show there was continued discussion of the Executive Director’s employment, however there were gaps in documentation that were unable to be obtained.

From the minutes of the Sept. 2, 2025, special meeting, the document states that meeting was attended by four board members, again listing an executive session related to the annual evaluation of Dr. Carter-Greene. The minutes listed a motion to take no action following that discussion. The minutes further note that staff members Cindy Lane and Shelly Green were asked to be excused from the executive session.

A special board meeting was scheduled for Sept. 25, 2025. While the agenda for that meeting was provided to the Times, no corresponding minutes were released. The agenda again listed discussion of the Executive Director’s employment. The record does not indicate how many members were present or what actions, if any, were taken.

On Sept. 24, 2025, one day before the scheduled special meeting, then-board member Shirley Payne submitted a written letter to the OOCYS Board expressing concern over the process being used to evaluate the Executive Director.

In the letter, Payne cited the absence of a completed performance evaluation, lack of documented progressive discipline and the absence of evidence of financial mismanagement or conflicts of interest. Payne stated she did not support termination under those circumstances.

For the Sept. 29, 2025, board meeting, only the agenda was provided to the Times. That agenda listed a presentation of the agency’s Annual Report and a Director’s Report by Dr. Carter-Greene.

No employment-related agenda items were listed on that agenda, the documents show. Minutes for that meeting were not included among the records provided to the Times despite formal requests.

The absence of minutes for both Sept. 25 and Sept. 29 limits verification of quorum, discussion and board action during the weeks immediately preceding the Oct. 9 meeting. Approved minutes serve as the official record of board proceedings under agency policy and Oklahoma Open Meeting Law. The Times was initially informed that no September meetings had occurred, a statement later contradicted by receipt of multiple September agendas.

— Section 3: The October 9 Meeting & Conflicting Records

The Oct. 9, 2025, special board meeting remains the focal point of unresolved governance questions.

The meeting agenda listed under Item F: “Discussion and possible action pertaining to employment of Executive Director.”

The signed minutes for that meeting reflect the outcome of Item F as: “Discussion and possible action pertaining to employment of Executive Director – No action taken.”

A call log from the Okmulgee County Sheriff ’s Office, timestamped the evening of Oct. 9, lists a report stating that the “Executive Director had been ‘let go’ and that assistance was requested regarding the return of agency keys.’” The Times reviewed both the signed board minutes, and with the submitted sheriff ’s call log, no amended minutes or explanatory documentation reconciling the two records were provided prior to publication.

Attendance records reviewed indicate that four board members were present at the Oct. 9 meeting, including Shirley Payne, who has stated she walked out of the meeting and did not participate in any vote to terminate Dr. Carter-Greene. No roll-call vote or formal motion regarding termination is reflected in the signed minutes.

Former administrative assistant Koltyn Morehead told the Times she was denied entry to the Oct. 9 meeting and was unable to perform her administrative duties, including note-taking. Earlier that same day, Dr. Carter-Greene submitted a written grievance addressed to the Board, dated Oct. 9, 2025.

— Policy Framework & Post-Termination Actions Records reviewed by the Okmulgee Times show that Dr. Sherri Carter-Greene submitted a signed, written grievance to the OOCYS Executive Board on Oct. 9, 2025, prior to the special board meeting that evening. The grievance did not contest termination, which had not yet occurred, but raised procedural and governance concerns related to board process, workplace conditions and adherence to agency policy and bylaws.

In the grievance, Dr. Carter-Greene cited the absence of written disciplinary actions, lack of a completed performance evaluation and no documented corrective action plan prior to repeated discussions of her employment status. The document also raised questions regarding executive session use and governance procedures. Policy documents reviewed by the Times reference written findings and corrective planning as part of executive oversight. Records provided to date do not include documentation showing that the grievance was formally acknowledged, entered into board minutes or addressed prior to the termination later that evening.

Following the Oct. 9 meeting, the board moved to restore membership and address operational matters. At the Oct. 27, 2025, meeting, four new directors were confirmed, restoring the board to seven members. The board approved financial statements, funding agreements and contracts necessary for continued agency operation. Those actions did not address the unresolved discrepancies surrounding the termination process.

Subsequent to her termination, Dr. Carter-Greene filed for unemployment benefits with the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission. A Notice of Determination dated Nov. 17, 2025, reviewed by the Okmulgee Times, states that while the employer cited allegations of misconduct, “proof of misconduct has not been shown,” and benefits were allowed.

The determination applies solely to eligibility for unemployment benefits and does not constitute a legal ruling on governance practices or personnel policy compliance.

— Records Gaps & Outstanding Questions As of January 2026, the Okmulgee Times has not received minutes from the Sept. 25 or Sept. 29 board meetings, despite formal requests. The absence of those records limits verification of quorum, attendance, discussion and votes during a period when employment decisions concerning the Executive Director appeared repeatedly on meeting agendas.

The Times requested comment from agency leadership with Board Chair Rae Ann Wilson and current OOCYS Co-Director Portia Butler being contacted. Butler responded initially, stating she would review records related to meeting minutes and financial disclosures before responding further. However, no additional response was received from either party prior to publication.

Based on the documents and records received and reviewed, the public record reflects a period of board transition, possible repeated discussion of executive employment without documented disciplinary findings and somewhat incomplete documentation surrounding a termination decision.

Whether those issues constitute policy or statutory violations cannot be determined without release of the missing records. The Times will update this report if additional documentation becomes available.

— Editor’s Note: Reporter Dawn Carter is not related