ALUMNI AWARD Tom Friedemann, Ed.D. (MEd ’74)

For more than 30 years, Tom Friedemann, Ed.D., has served education in Oklahoma.

Friedemann began his career as a marketing education teacher with Putnam City West High School before serving as assistant superintendent at Great Plains Technology Center in Lawton, Oklahoma.

In 1974, Friedemann graduated from Central with a Master of Education in counseling psychology, later receiving his Ed.D. in occupational and adult education from Oklahoma State University in 1991.

After his time at Great Plains, Friedemann served nearly 20 years in the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education as assistant state director, before joining Francis Tuttle as chief of staff in 1997. Friedemann retired in June 2019 as superintendent and CEO of Francis Tuttle Technology Center, after a decade in the role.

Friedemann is widely recognized as a leader in his field. In 2009, he was named the recipient of the Arch Alexander Award, presented by the University of Oklahoma. The award is one of the most prestigious given in career and technology education.

He also earned the Distinguished Service Award from the National Council of Local Administrators, the Francis Tuttle Career Excellence Award and was named one of The Journal Record’s “Most Admired CEOs” in 2015.

In February 2019, Friedemann was honored as the recipient of the 2019 InnoVision Award, an award sponsored by the Francis Tuttle Foundation, Inc. Outside of career technology and education, Friedemann has been active in many civic organizations, including the OKC Downtown Rotary Club, Edmond Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Oklahoma, among many others.

Friedemann and his wife, Cindy, are proud parents to four adult children and have six young grandchildren. They reside in Oklahoma City.