Hundreds of farmers and ranchers from across the state will gather for the 78th Oklahoma Farm Bureau Annual Meeting to be held Nov. 8-10 at the Cox Convention Center in downtown Oklahoma City.
At the three-day convention, the organization will recognize member achievements, set grassroots policy, elect leaders and hear from state and industry leaders. Below, meet several of the speakers Farm Bureau members will hear from during the meeting.
Sen. James Lankford
U.S. Senate
Worship Service and Breakfast – Sunday, Nov. 10 at 8 a.m.
Sen. James Lankford has served Oklahomans in the U.S. Senate since his election in 2014 after serving four years in the U.S. House of Representatives for central Oklahoma.
He serves as chairman of the Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management Subcommittee, which covers federal spending, regulatory reform, and the federal workforce. He also serves on the Senate Committee on Finance, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, the Senate Committee on Appropriations and Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.
Brent Kisling
Oklahoma Department of Commerce Executive Director
General Session – Saturday, Nov. 9 at 9:30 a.m.
Named executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce in January 2019, Brent Kisling oversees the operations of the Department of Commerce, which is the primary economic development entity in the state.
Kisling previously served as the executive director of Enid Regional Development Alliance beginning in March 2009. Prior to his work for Enid, he served eight years as the state director for USDA Rural Development in Oklahoma. From 2001 to 2009, he oversaw the rural housing, utilities, and business programs statewide.
Kisling has also served as the chair of Leadership Oklahoma, the Governor’s Economic Development Marketing Team, the Oklahoma Economic Development Council, the Career Tech Foundation Board and the OSU Ag Alumni Board.
Dr. Thomas G. Coon
Oklahoma State University Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources President, Dean and Director
General Session – Friday, Nov. 8 at 1:30 p.m.
Dr. Thomas G. Coon joined Oklahoma State University’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in July 2014. Before joining OSU, he was director of Michigan State University Cooperative Extension and a professor of fisheries and wildlife at MSU for 25 years. Dr. Coon received his Ph.D. from the University of California-Davis and served on the faculty at the University of Missouri before his move to Michigan State.
As vice president, Tom has responsibility for the integration of the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service and the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. These three entities embody the land-grant mission that is the heart of DASNR, and include more than 250 faculty, 400 Extension staff and 360 support and administrative staff, both on-campus and in 77 county Extension offices and 18 research stations across the state.
Dr. Damona Doye
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Associate Vice President
General Session – Friday, Nov. 8 at 1:30 p.m.
Dr. Damona Doye was named associate vice president of the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service in January 2018, where she provides administrative oversight to Extension educators and staff in all of Oklahoma’s 77 counties, in addition to area, district and state specialists. Prior to her role as associate vice president, Doye served as OCES farm management specialist.
Doye earned her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree – both in agricultural economics – from OSU in 1980 and 1981, respectively. She earned her doctoral degree in agricultural economics from Iowa State University in 1986, before returning to Cowboy nation by joining the OSU faculty.
Dr. Kayse Shrum
Oklahoma Secretary of Science and Innovation; Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences President
General Session – Friday, Nov. 8 at 1:30 p.m.
A native Oklahoman, Dr. Kayse Shrum earned her doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. In 2013, Shrum was named president of OSU Center for Health Sciences, becoming the youngest and first female president and dean of a medical school in the state of Oklahoma. Under her leadership, student enrollment at the OSU-CHS has more than doubled as new academic programs have been established to meet the healthcare workforce needs of Oklahoma.
Shrum has also launched award-winning high school recruiting programs like Operation Orange and Blue Coat to White Coat, established the Rural Medical Track curriculum, and expanded the number of residency training programs in Oklahoma by securing support from the Oklahoma Legislature, Oklahoma Health Care Authority and Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust.
Click here to view a detailed agenda of OKFB’s 78th Annual Meeting.
