Top Francis Tuttle instructor honored

PHOTO PROVIDED Francis Tuttle Technology Center instructor, Sherri Greaves, receives $10,000 check as the OkACTE 2020 Teacher of the Year.

Francis Tuttle Tech instructor Greaves named top teacher

Francis Tuttle Technology Center instructor, Sherri Gleaves, has been named Teacher of the Year by the Oklahoma Association for Career and Technical Education (OkACTE) at the 53rd Annual Oklahoma Summit Conference this week.

The broadcast and video production instructor received a $10,000 cash prize sponsored by Express Employment Professionals along with the award, and will move on to compete at the ACTE Region IV conference in 2021.

OkACTE awards this honor to educators who demonstrate innovation in the classroom, commitment to their students and dedication to career and technical education in their community.

“We congratulate Sherri on this honor. She deserves this recognition for the outstanding work she does in the classroom every day,” said Michelle Keylon, Francis Tuttle superintendent/CEO. “She shares a passion for learning with her students that will benefit them long after they leave the classroom.”

Gleaves is a National Board Certified Teacher with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in secondary education from The University of Central Oklahoma.

“My goal is to help students develop a love for

Concert set in

Arcadia

Edmond singer-songwriter Fred Hill will present Morning Music on Saturday, Aug. 15, and Whiskey Union will perform during an Elm Tree Concert on Sunday, Aug. 16, at the Arcadia Round Barn.

Hill said his music runs from folk to Americana to country and even the blues. He accompanies himself with guitar and harmonica. He has appeared at Java 39, The Patriarch and Ellis Island in Edmond; the Bluebonnet and Michelangelo’s in Norman; and the Board Room in Guthrie. He has also played at the Taos inn and Black Mesa Winery in Taos, N. M., and at the Norman Music Festival, Music on the Canal in Bricktown, the Paseo Arts Festival and the Made in Oklahoma Festival.

Morning Music is from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every Saturday.

Whiskey Union’s lead singer, Melissa Hembree, has been recording and touring the United States since the age of 9. Fellow Oklahoma musician Nellie Clay, who has also appeared at the Round Barn, said Hembree was “born for the stage and embodies feminine strength with a lowtoned gutsy presentation of smoke- and whiskeydrenched, heartfelt Okie songs.” their craft,” said Gleaves. “I believe in developing skills like leadership, teamwork and communication that will carry them into their future education, career choices and life.“

Francis Tuttle Technology Center serves high school students and adults in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area with career-specific training, in support of developing and maintaining a quality workforce for the region.

Francis Tuttle also offers complete business and industry training and consulting services, and short-term training for career development or personal enrichment. With four locations in Oklahoma City and Edmond, Francis Tuttle offers central Oklahoma diverse training programs in fulfillment of the school’s mission to prepare customers for success in the workplace. More information is available at francistuttle.edu or by calling (405) 717-7799.

Since 1929, the Oklahoma ACTE (formerly the Oklahoma Vocational Association) has provided members with the resources they need to enhance their skills. With over 3,900 members, Oklahoma ACTE is recognized as a dynamic educational leadership organization. More information is available at okacte.org.

Woman helps save five lives

LifeShare’s vital mission continues despite virus

Oklahomans are known to be some of the most generous people, and through the pandemic, it has proved no different with LifeShare on a record pace for both the number of organ donors and organs recovered in 2020.

LifeShare saw more than 120 become donors since the beginning of the year, which provided 303 organs for transplant. Prior to 2020, our highest activity level for January through July in any given year was in 2019 with 102 Madison - a lifesaver donors and 285 organs Madison became a donor this transplanted. spring, and saved the lives of five

Bobbie Renfrow’s daughter, Madiothers through organ donation, and son, was one of those life-saving heenhanced up to 75 through tissue doroes amidst the pandemic. nation.

Madison was 18 years old and full “Despite the effects of the panof life. She was a mother to her onedemic, LifeShare has stayed commityear-old son and had all kinds of ted to fulfilling our donor’s wishes plans for their future together. Madiand supporting our donor families,” son was crazy, silly and outspoken. explained Jeff Orlowski, President Most of all, she was true to herself. and Chief Executive Officer, of Life

Bobbie had always told her daughShare of Oklahoma. “This is a trying ter how important being an organ time for healthcare organizations, indonor was. And a year ago when cluding organ procurement organizaMadison received her license, she ran tions like LifeShare, but it is also a to her mom showing her the ID card time when the commitment and dedand saying, “look what I just did!”. ication of our team shines bright and Madison knew she made an imporallows us to continue our critical, lifetant, life-saving decision. saving work.”

After a tragic event, Madison was There are approximately 110,000 in the hospital fighting for her life. people currently waiting in the United When all lifesaving measures had States for a lifesaving organ. Twenty been exhausted, LifeShare staff got people die every day in the U.S. beto know Bobbie and there was an aucause an organ was not available. In tomatic connection between them. Oklahoma, approximately 600 people

Bobbie remembers being comare waiting for the gift of life. forted by the LifeShare staff. LifeShare encourages all Okla

“I don’t know what kind of stars homans to make the important deciwere aligned,” Renfro said. “The case sion to register as an organ donor, worker was exactly what I needed at and to share the decision with their that time. She has the most beautiful family. For more information about soul, and I don’t think I could have organ and tissue donation or to regiswalked this journey without her.” ter, visit LifeShareok.org.

Dolese is singled out for

Safety Excellence Awards

The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) has awarded multiple Dolese Bros. Co. locations with Safety Excellence Awards, including Coleman Quarry, Hartshorne Quarry, Ponca City’s 7 Mile Mine, Mustang Sand and OKC East Sand. NSSGA will present the awards at its virtual 2020 Legislative & Policy Forum in September.

“These Safety Excellence awards are a direct result of Dolese employees making safety a personal value on the job each day,” Dolese President and CEO Mark Helm said. "The fact that numerous locations were recognized is something to be celebrated. It is also a challenge for us to continue delivering on our commitment to safety.”

The NSSGA Safety Excellence Awards originated in 1987 and are presented to aggregates operations that maintain a safe workplace, evidenced by their safety performance over a consecutive period of time

without a Mine Safety Health Administration (MSHA) reportable injury.

MSHA uses the metric of Total Reportable Injury Rate (TRIR) to monitor reportable injuries. Dolese has seen a consistent decrease in its TRIR as its safety practices have continued to improve during the previous several years.

The NSSGA Safety Excellence Awards recognize operations based upon TRIR performance compared to the rest of the aggregates industry. NSSGA’s safety awards recognize individual operations as well as companies.

“Dolese is focused on improving our safety culture even more by making safety a personal value of all our team members,” Dolese Health, Safety and Environmental Department Director David Finley said. “It’s an honor to receive these awards from the NSSGA because it is an indication of our success compared to our peers in the country.”