Kristy Lambert, Kansas City Chapter

No stranger to what life in Stillwater could be like, Kristy Lambert, vice president of the Kansas City OSU Alumni Chapter, followed in her family’s footsteps when she chose to be a part of the third generation to attend Oklahoma State University.

After growing up in Stillwater, when Lambert was a senior in high school, she had a drawer full of recruitment letters from other universities, but she only applied to OSU.

“I knew OSU had strong academic programs,” Lambert said. “The university’s strong Greek system also attracted me. Specifically, the prospect of joining the OSU chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta, as my three older sisters had, led me to decide to attend OSU over all the others.”

Lambert graduated with a degree in finance with minors in accounting and economics. In addition to being a Theta, Lambert was involved in the President’s Leadership Council, Order of Omega and Phi Kappa Phi.

Since graduation, Lambert has worked as an attorney in Kansas City, Missouri. She has continued to stay involved with OSU by joining the Kansas City OSU Alumni Chapter. The chapter hosts events in support of OSU athletic teams, community service and social activities.

“One of the most important endeavors the chapter has ever taken on is actually underway right now,” Lambert said. “We have officially launched an effort to endow a scholarship with the OSU Foundation for an incoming OSU freshman from the Kansas City metro, a long desire of our chapter.”

Alumni chapters can give people the opportunity to make a difference, meet new people and have access to a network of fellow alumni that can enhance professional and personal life, Lambert said.

“It is never too late to get involved,” she said. “Whether you are a recent graduate, an empty nester or retiree who finally has time to enjoy one’s own pursuits a bit more, joining in the activities of your local chapter can be rewarding and meaningful.”

Student Network

OSU Student Network welcomes recent alumni back to campus for an Emerging Professionals Night. Student Network members were able to meet and build connections with current professionals in their future career fields.(Photos by Ashton Cartmell)

JACKSON/HARMON COUNTIES

The Jackson/Harmon Counties Alumni Chapter visit Stillwater for an evening at O’Brate Stadium. Alumni enjoyed watching Cowboy baseball go head-to-head with the Baylor Bears.

Kansas City Alumni Chapter hosts local alumni for a morning coffee to mingle and make new friends!

Cleveland County

The Cleveland County Alumni Chapter hosted Pete’s Pet Posse member, Sophie, and her mom, Joy, at their board meeting. Local chapter members gathered for a meeting of furry fun.

Okc Metro Chapter

OSU Alumni Association President Ann Caine joins fellow alumni in Kansas City as they prepare to cheer on Cowboy and Cowgirl basketball at the Big 12 Championship tournaments.

BRIGHTER ORANGE OF NORTH TEXAS

North Texas chapter leaders and volunteers dedicate hours of service to Brighter Orange of North Texas to help raise funds for student scholarships. (Photo by Bri Crow Creative)

BRIGHTER ORANGE OF NORTH TEXAS

Future student Parker Fort receives a surprise scholarship from the OSU Alumni Association. Fort has already demonstrated great leadership and service before ever even arriving on campus as a student.

’50s

Harry Wickes , ’53 agricultural economics, retired from dentistry and is now 90 years old.

Helen K. Brown (Underhill), ’59 education, is 84 and still plays golf twice a week.

Richard L. Tredway, ’59 architecture studies, and his wife, Cherry L. (Pyron) Tredway, ’61 home economics, ’92 interior design, will celebrate their 64th anniversary on Aug. 29, 2023. They have two sons: Tory Anthony, who is in Nashville, Tennessee, and Tyler Garren, who is in Fort Worth, Texas. Tredway and his wife now have eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. ’60s

Dennis R. Logan , ’60 geology, and his wife, Judy, are doing well and continue to live in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, after retiring from ConocoPhillips. The two continue to follow OSU activities — athletics and in the Boone Pickens School of Geology.

John W. Reynolds , ’60 mechanical engineering, is retired and expecting his sixth great-grandson.

Connie Sheridan , ’64 elementary education, has two grandchildren who have attended OSU. One of her grandsons will be getting married in July.

Jerry Smith ’65 electrical engineering, retired from Lockheed Martin after 45 years working at Johnson Space Center in Houston.

’70s

Stephen R. Frazier, ’72 accounting, is retired and enjoys crappie fishing as much as possible.

Barry G. Stafford , ’73 business administration, recently retired from the legal services division of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. He enjoys visiting campus and attending athletic events.

Kenneth Long , ’75 business administration, is enjoying his retirement in Stillwater and driving a black and orange 2008 Ford Mustang in America’s Greatest Homecoming parade each year. On Valentine’s Day 2023, he and his wife, Jody, celebrated 50 years of her saying yes to his proposal in front of the Kappa Kappa Gamma house. This July, the two will celebrate 50 years of wedded bliss and are taking an OSU trip to celebrate.

Frank Max Smith , ’75 construction management technology, celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary in May 2022 with his wife, Angie (Albrecht) Smith. Their daughter, Patience, passed away last April and the two are working to find a new normal.

’80s

Debra L. Lester, ’82 business administration, is an instructional designer for Novant Health in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has been working remotely from her home in Grady, Oklahoma. Her oldest niece and nephew, Regan Lester, ’21 civil engineering and Jacob Wade, ’19 animal science, are now both OSU alumni. Wade married Ivy McPherson on April 29, 2023. The two of them met at OSU. Wade is graduating in May 2023 from pharmacy school and McPherson will be getting her master’s degree in counseling in 2023. Another niece, Larin Wade, will be graduating from OSU in May 2024 with a degree in education.

Thomas Blalock , ’83 marketing, was recently elected to serve on the OSU Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Meredith Everett , ’88 animal science, ’21 master’s in engineering and technology management, started a new role in her program as a project integration engineer for a minor projects team at Boeing Company.

Godwin Dixon , ’89 business, recently decided to go out on his own to create a new reimagined senior care facility with memory care called Teresa’s House. The facility opened in the summer of 2022. Teresa’s House is unlike any care center a person will find and provides quality care while feeling like home.

Dixon opened the first facility in 2020 and opened a new location in March 2023. He was lucky to have the support of his wife, Christa, who helped in the opening and works at Teresa’s House.

Mark McNitt , ’89 business administration, is celebrating 30 years in residential real estate. He is joining Berkshire Hathaway Homes Service in Phoenix as an associate realtor.

Polly Wenzl (Basore), ’89 journalism and broadcasting, is the newly named editor of The Wichita Beacon. Wenzl is a graduate of Stillwater High School and a former editor of the Daily O’Collegian. She has deep ties in the Wichita community to journalism, nonprofits and education. Wenzl’s background includes 15 years as a reporter and editor with experience covering government at all levels, including as a Washington correspondent. The author of five books, she also specializes in narrative nonfiction and teaches a course at Wichita State University called “The Power of Storytelling,” with her husband, Roy Wenzl. Her newest book, Apocalyptic Polly: A Pandemic Memoir, is now available on Amazon. She also has a son, Henry Elliott , who graduated from OSU in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in math. Wenzl holds a degree in journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

’90s

Jeff M. Livingston , ’90 finance, came to OSU as a legacy himself. Livingston now has a daughter, Lauren, who will graduate from OSU in May 2025.

Billy Parker, ’90 accounting, was named the new vice president of Blue Peak Business and Connected Properties.

Stacy Coleman , ’91 marketing, was promoted to the president of SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital – Midwest in Midwest City, Oklahoma.

Cecilia Robinson-Woods , ’94 elementary education, was recently elected to serve on the OSU Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Deedra Determan , ’95 journalism, was recently elected to serve on the OSU Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Bryce Herkert , ’96 political science and ’98 masters in speech, was assigned as the resident agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Springfield, Missouri, office.

Delana A. McManus (Campbell), ’96 masters in curriculum and instruction, ’99 doctorate in curriculum and instruction, was awarded Bixby Public Schools District Educator of the Year in 2010-11.

Gene Brown , ’98 architectural engineering, took over FSB Architects and Engineers as its next president and CEO in January 2023. Brown, who previously served as principal over the firm’s Federal Market Sector, will lead FSB’s overall strategic growth in each of its market sectors and continue to play a critical role in fostering client relationships, including key federal contracts. Brown is a leader on both a local and national scale. His impressive resume includes overseeing the construction of the future Air Force One facility, performing the engineering modeling for the Dome over the Oklahoma State Capitol and an influential position on the Professional Advisory Council at OSU’s School of Architecture.

Kevin Cooper, ’99 finance, was named Oklahoma City market president of Commerce Bank. Cooper will bring 24 years of broad experience in commercial banking, capital markets transactions, treasury solutions and strategic advisory services.

’00s

Eric Grote, ’00 engineering technology, is now a partner in Grote-Caston Construction Management.

Denny Kellington, ‘00 health is an assistant athletic trainer for the Buffalo Bills. On Jan. 2, he performed life-saving CPR when Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin suffered an on-field cardiac arrest against the Cincinnati Bengals. Kellington was honored for his efforts with an official fifth-place MVP vote from ESPN’s Suzy Kolber on the league’s official voting ballot. Michelle Maxwell, ’04 psychology and journalism, and husband, Joseph, welcomed their fifth child, Hart Maxwell, this year. In addition to the birth of their son, Joseph sold his chiropractic practice and purchased a Hotworx franchise in Charleston, South Carolina. The family will relocate to the coast this summer.

’10s

Jordan Dean , ’11 business administration, has earned her certified trust and fiduciary advisor designation and has been promoted to assistant vice president, relationship management associate.

Robbie Maples , ’13 agricultural education, recently started his position as a capital consultant with Pennington & Co. Pennington serves as a fundraising and alumni services firm.

Madison Bryant (Anders), ’14 elementary education, ’19 master’s in teaching, learning and leadership, was named the 20222023 Ada City Schools Site Teacher of the Year. She teaches 5th grade English and social studies at Willard Grade Center.

Cameron Moist , ’17 sports media, recently accepted a position as a producer for NASCAR.

Adam Hoak , ’19 fire protection and safety engineering technology, left his safety engineering position this March to continue his self-storage business along with his two other partners. He never would have guessed this would be the career path he would end up being on.

Friends

Bertha “Bert” Thomas , has two great-grandsons and is expecting a third one in March 2023.

Mary Jo Gibson , was a freshman in 1948. She is now 92.

Paul V. Fleming , ’90 graphic design, ’00 masters in mass communications, will retire at the end of April after more than 32 years at OSU. As a senior graphic designer in Brand Management, Fleming has worked on various iterations of STATE magazine since starting at the university. For many years, he designed and art directed magazines for colleges across campus. He was also the art director of OSU Athletics’ POSSE magazine for several years. During his time at OSU, Fleming earned many local and national design awards, including for the alumni and athletics magazine. He and his wife, Pam, recently found out that they will be grandparents. His stepdaughter, Lindsey Cathey Santoy, an elementary school librarian in Tulsa, is due this fall.

Valerie Cummins Kisling , BFA in design, visual communications, University of Kansas ’84. Kisling began her career as a graphic designer at OSU on April 8, 1991. The first full-color issue of OSU Alumni (later STATE magazine) was being designed at that time. Kisling retired from OSU on April 1, one week shy of 32 years at OSU. She has worked at OSU through five university presidents and 35 building/ construction/renovation projects. She looks forward to enjoying retirement.

Gas Co. He and his former wife later bought the company where he served as president until his death. He was the proud father of three children who all graduated from OSU: Rex, Heath and Kayla. He also has four grandchildren: Jackson, Gracie, Caden and Connor. Miller loved life, golf and watching Oklahoma State sports.

Sylvia T. Buse, ‘83 doctorate in philosophy, passed away on Oct. 17, 2022. She was born in San Francisco on Oct. 8, 1926. She graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco in 1944. She married her husband, Donald, in 1948. Buse received her bachelor’s degree in physiology and psychology from the University of California in 1948 as a psychometrist at the San Francisco Children’s Hospital Birth Defects Clinic. She followed Don to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and earned her doctorate from OSU in 1983. While living in Oklahoma, she worked at Southwest Missouri State, commuting three hours each way, before eventually moving to Springfield, Missouri. She taught and founded the Learning Diagnostic Clinic with Dr. Virgil McCall in 1984 and served as director until she retired in 1997 as emeritus professor. Buse loved living, traveling and teaching abroad. She was happiest watching tennis and basketball with her husband and visiting with her grandkids and great-grandkids.

Kendra was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2020 but tried to make the most out of her last two and a half years. She cherished her time being the most loving and patient mother and wife to Ross, Riley and Kendall. Kilpatrick worked as a math teacher and girls basketball coach at Stillwater High School. While battling cancer, she led Stillwater to the 2022 state playoffs. She was named the Oklahoma Girls’ Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year. Kilpatrick loved to travel with her family and touch as many lives as she could.

Weddings

Kaylee Gillette, ’15 accounting and ’17 master’s in business administration, married Grayson H. Gillette, ’16 athletic training, on July 2, 2022, in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Births

Amber Batiste (Livingston), ’15 marketing and management, and her husband, A.J. Batiste, ’14 Spanish, welcomed their son, Quinton Isaiah Batiste, on May 6, 2022.

Darren Burns, ’94 civil engineering, welcomed his first grandson, Jace Daxton Burns, into the family on Jan. 6, 2023.

Bailey T. Stacy (Gollihare), ’16 agricultural communications, and her husband, Ezra James Stacy, ’16 agricultural economics and accounting, welcomed their daughter, Reeve McKayde Stacy, on April 25, 2022, in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and she already bleeds orange. She attended her first OSU baseball game at 2 weeks old and has since gone to Cowboy football and basketball games. Her parents think her first words will be “Go Pokes.”

Sheila J. Thomas-Boone (Laskey), ’87 therapeutic recreation, welcomed her first grandson, Jameson, on Sept. 23, 2022.