FRIDAY’s Baby of the Week

This is Nash, Dylan and Sarah Gather’s 10-month-old baby boy.

Nash loves playing ball and with any toys with wheels. He also enjoys swimming and watching his parents.play basketball.

He loves chasing his dogs, Malou and Tank, around the house and watching “Miss Rachel.”

Email Dog, Cat, Pet and Baby of the Week nominations with complete descriptions to rose@okcfriday.com.

Public Schools by recognizing alumni who have gone on to become influential leaders in the city, state and beyond. The new honorees will join 100 other Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS) alumni who have been inducted since the creation of the Wall of Fame in 1985.

Cuong Do (Northwest Classen High School) is president and CEO of BioVie Inc., a See WALL, Page 2 clinical-stage company developing innovative therapies for Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s disease and refractory Ascites. Prior to BioVie, Do was president of Samsung’s Global Strategy Group, Chief Strategy Officer for Merck, Tyco Electronics and Lenovo, and a senior partner at McKinsey & Company for 17 years. He holds a BA from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.

J. Don Harris, D.D.S. has dedicated over 45 years to the field of dentistry with a focus on providing services to those who are less fortunate. Specializing in serving those with developmental or congenital disabilities and elderly Oklahomans who are in dire need of free comprehensive dental care due to lack of financial resources, Dr. Harris’ passion for helping those less fortunate led to his establishment of D-DENT, Dentists for the Disabled and Elderly in Need of Treatment, which has provided over $22.6 million in free dental care to the elderly and mentally challenged in Oklahoma.

His belief that no one should be denied the right to health care due to social or economic status has led him to donate critical dental services to hundreds of patients across the United States and as far as Honduras, Peru, the Amazon, and Africa.

Pamela Ruth Henry was born in Ardmore in 1950. Just 14 months after her birth she contracted polio; this would eventually leave her unable to walk without crutches and ultimately force her to rely on the use of a wheelchair. In 1959, she was selected to be the national polio poster child for The March of Dimes and became the last child to represent polio victims in the annual campaign.

While representing the campaign on a nationwide tour, she met several influential journalists who inspired her to pursue a career in the industry. After graduating with a degree in journalism and broadcasting from the University of Oklahoma in 1973, Henry became the first female news reporter for WKY television in Oklahoma City. She fearlessly broke through the glass ceiling and led a successful 30-year career working with multiple television and radio stations.

Florence JonesKemp was born in 1931 in Boley to sharecroppers Robert and Elizabeth Jones. Florence learned how to cook from her mother in their farmhouse kitchen and in her home economics class at Douglass High School. In 1952, just two short years after graduating from high school, she opened the doors of Florence’s Restaurant with only a secondhand stove and one table. The restaurant was immediately popular and quickly outgrew its original space in downtown OKC. In 1969, she moved to her current location on NW 23. Her fresh, homemade Southern cuisine has received national media attention and several accolades, including the ultimate recognition when Florence’s Restaurant was named a 2022 James Beard Foundation America’s Classics Award winner.

Florence’s was the first restaurant in Oklahoma to receive this prestigious award. At 92 years old, Florence can still be found working in the restaurant alongside her beloved daughter, Victoria.

Ray and Pat Potts married in June of 1955 after meeting at the University of Missouri, where Ray received his bachelor of arts and a masters in geology, and Pat received a bachelor of arts in Political science. Since moving to OKC in 1959, the couple have made a significant impact on the community, especially in the nonprofit sector.

Pat founded the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits and served as its president and CEO for over 20 years while Ray co-founded an independent energy company called PSEC and served as its president and CEO for over 30 years. In 1980, the Potts created the Community Resource Development Foundation (CRDF) to provide nonprofits with financial support for the provision of management training to turn their good intentions into tangible results.

Improving and supporting education in OKC has long been a priority in their philanthropic efforts. Pat was elected twice to serve as chairman of the Oklahoma City School Board and Ray served for eight years as a member of the State

Board of Education.

The Potts were a critical part of the establishment of the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation in 1984, with Ray serving as the foundation’s first chairman of the board.

In 2000, the CRDF became the Potts Family Foundation, and the organization continues to provide vital support to nonprofits that focus on education and early childhood development in Oklahoma.

“We are extremely proud to announce our 2023 Wall of Fame honorees,” said Mary Mélon-Tully, the president and CEO of the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation.

“The scope of their respective influence is profound, and each of them serves as an amazing inspiration to us all, as well as for today’s OKCPS students. We look forward to coming together with former honorees and our community in October to honor and highlight their accomplishments.”

The Wall of Fame Humanitarian Awards are set to take place at the Skirvin Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City. For more information contact kelli@okckids.com or visit aokckids.com/wall-of-fame.