Ranger2Ranger

Adair Brown

Former President/Owner of Adair Group, Inc.

1970, Economics

Career Specialties: Business Owner and Leadership; Construction Services, including Business Strategy, Planning, Operations, Financing and Development

 

Adair Brown launched Adair Group, Inc., in Denver, Colorado, on September 1, 1992. The firm offered high quality residential and commercial projects. In his first year of business, Brown built $2 million worth of projects. Two years later, the business doubled. Brown ultimately achieved a total value of completed projects nearing $1 billion. 

For a number of years, Adair Group, Inc. opened an average of 365 new doors a years – or one each day of the year. This included single family homes, multiple family facilities and commercial buildings. Projects were located across the country, including sites in Denver; Carlsbad and Pasadena, California; Chicago, Illinois; and San Antonio and Houston, Texas.

In 2014, Brown turned over the leadership of Adair Group, Inc. to his son, Roger. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548AAAD2DA3F5C70-65958519-adair#/

 

Roger Brown

Vice-President of Operations and Chief Operating Officer, St. Mary’s Academy, Denver, CO; former President/Owner of Adair Group, Inc.

1988, Business Administration

Career Specialties: Business Owner and Leadership; Construction Services, including Business Strategy, Planning, Operations, Financing and Development

 

Before joining his father in the launch of Adair Group, Inc., Roger Brown’s early career out of college included a fast-paced upward progression in the savings and loan industry at Columbia Savings and Loan. He quickly learned the complexity of transactions during the S&L crisis, providing him with a greater understanding of financing. He served in roles in Dallas with the FSLIC, FDIC and RTC. His success eventually brought him back to Denver, a move that opened a new opportunity in the Family construction arena. When his father retired in 2014, Brown stepped in to lead the award-winning company.

Following his retirement from the family business in 2020, Brown began serving on the Board of Trustees for St. Mary’s Academy, a Catholic, independent K-12 school in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado, offering co-educational preschool through grade 8 and an all-girls college preparatory high school. In 2021, Brown was asked to serve in the roles of vice president of operations and chief operating officer, and continues in these roles. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548AAAD2DA3F5C70-65958516-roger#/

 

Donnita Drain-Rogers

Director of Athletics, Langston University

1991, Health and Physical Education

Career Specialties: Athletic Administration, Coaching

 

Donnita Drain-Rogers has served as the Director of Athletics at Langston University for ten years. During her athletic administrative tenure she has served on the NAIA National Athletic Council and the Sooner Athletic Conference Executive Leadership Team. Rogers has also served on the NAIA RISE committee that coordinates the NAIA Leadership and Governance Academy for men and women who wish to learn more about careers in athletic administration. Rogers currently serves on the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Tournament Committee.

Prior to being the athletic director, Rogers led the Langston University Lady Lions to six NAIA Division I National Tournament appearances, one of which was a Final Eight appearance. She is the winningest women’s basketball coach in Langston University’s history.

Rogers obtained her Master of Education in education administration at Texas A&M University of Commerce, Texas.

Rogers is member of the Northwestern Oklahoma State University Sports Hall of Fame, Red River Athletic Conference Hall of Fame, and Langston University Athletics Hall of Fame. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548AAAD2DA3F5C70-65958394-donnita#/

 

Joshua Faulkner

High School Principal, Hennessey Public Schools

2015, Vocal Music Education; 2021, Educational Leadership

Career Specialties: Educational Leadership, Instrumental and Vocal Music Education

 

Joshua Faulkner has served as the high school principal at Hennessey (Oklahoma) Public Schools since 2021. Faulkner has served as a public school band instructor and Pre-K-12 music teacher as well as Director of Bands in Newkirk, Oklahoma for five years. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548AAAD2DA3F5C70-65958512-josh#/

 

Woodrow “Woody” K. Glass

Lawyer, Glass & Tabor, LLP

Former Student

Career Specialties: Civil Litigation, Chief of Staff

 

Woodrow “Woody” Glass is a founding partner of Glass & Tabor, LLP in Norman, Oklahoma. For more than 30 years, his practice has focused primarily on complex civil litigation, including medical negligence, wrongful death, insurance bad faith, and catastrophic personal injury.

Glass previously served as Chief of Staff to University of Oklahoma Head Football Coach Brent Venables, working with the program during its transition to the Southeastern Conference and through a period of significant change in college athletics.

Glass began his college career at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, where he played football for three years before a knee injury brought his playing career to an end. Wanting to remain involved in the game, he accepted an opportunity to serve as a student coach at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. While at Southeastern he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science - History and, went on to receive his Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1994. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548AAAD2DA3F5C70-65958466-woody#/

 

Janell Goodno

CEO, Kiowa District Healthcare (Kansas)

2001, Agriculture Business

Career Specialties: Finance and Healthcare Administration

 

Janell Goodno is the Chief Executive Officer of Kiowa District Healthcare in Kiowa, Kansas. Goodno began her career in 2001 as an internal auditor for Citizens State Bank in eastern Kansas. In 2004, she transitioned from agriculture finance to healthcare, building more than 22 years of experience in healthcare finance and administration.

After returning to her hometown of Kiowa in 2011, Goodno served as Chief Financial Officer of Kiowa District Healthcare (KDH) until her promotion to Chief Executive Officer in 2019. From 2012 to 2014, she also served as project manager for Kiowa District Hospital’s $8.5 million construction project.

Today, Goodno leads a comprehensive rural healthcare system that includes a critical access hospital, rural health clinic, long-term care facility, and employee childcare center. In 2022, she led the opening of the KDH Childcare Center, which provides dependable childcare for KDH employees and supports the organization’s workforce recruitment and retention efforts.

Goodno earned her Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Administration from Western Governors University in 2020. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548AAAD2DA3F5C70-65958460-janell#/

 

Cherrie Greco

Member, Juvenile Parole Board, Colorado; Former Warden

1969, Speech

Career Specialties: Criminal Justice

 

Cherrie Greco’s outstanding career in the criminal justice field has included several leadership positions. She served as Director of Administration, warden at two facilities, Colorado Department of Corrections Legislative Liaison at the state capitol, Director of Training for Corrections and Parole, and offender correctional educator. Greco is a past president of the Colorado Criminal Justice Association.

Post-retirement, Greco worked as a senior consultant for MGT of American and provided technical assistance and expert witness services to several state corrections agencies, jails and the U.S. Department of Justice. In 2022, Colorado Governor Jared Polis appointed Greco to the Juvenile Parole Board on which she continues to serve.

Prior to her career in criminal justice, Greco taught high school language arts, speech, debate and theatre, holding teaching certificates in eight states.

In addition to her Northwestern degree, Greco holds an M.A.Ed. from Lesley University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548AAAD2DA3F5C70-65958448-cherrie#/

 

David Johnson

Entrepreneur and Owner of Several Businesses

Former Student

Career Specialties: Entrepreneur, Business Startups and Business Leadership

 

Johnson is the president of Johnson Properties, LLC, which has a variety of investments in oil and gas properties, commercial real estate, restaurants, oilfield services and construction, and the equipment rental business.

Johnson joined Sanguine, Ltd., a privately-owned oil and gas exploration company. Beginning as the director of the Revenue Department, he was appointed president in 1990. Johnson also retained controlling interest in Anadarko Dozer and Trucking, LLC, an oil field service company.

In 2002, Johnson and a long-time associate formed Southwester Energy, LP, a natural gas marketing company with offices in Houston, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The company is one of the largest independent natural gas companies in the United States.

Johnson served as the Investment Committee Chair and a member of the Executive Committee for the Northwestern Foundation & Alumni Association.

David Johnson attended Northwestern for three semesters before earning his accounting degree in 1976 from the University of Oklahoma. Johnson passed his CPA exam in 1977 and worked for an accounting firm for six years, serving as an auditor and tax manager before moving to private business in 1982. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548AAAD2DA3F5C70-65958505-dave#/

 

Darrell Keltner

Manager of Exploration and Production IT Systems

1969, Physics/Math

Specialties: IT Systems and Development, Data Analysis, Programming, IT Security, Team Leadership

 

Darrel Keltner served as the Manager of Exploration and Production IT Systems for Phillips Petroleum, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, from 1974 to 2005. At the time, Phillips Petroleum was listed in the Fortune Top 10 Companies list.

Prior to Phillips Petroleum, Keltner was the supervisor for the Apollo-Soyuz Systems and Development of Space Shuttle Online Systems for NASA from 1972 to 1974.

After graduating from Northwestern, Keltner served as team leader, data analyst and programmer for the United States Air Force R&D at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

Keltner has experience in leading IT teams of more than 100 employees and understands the demands of a changing, growing industry. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548AAAD2DA3F5C70-66049966-darrel

 

Xin Xin Liu

Senior Digital Strategist, Hearst Television/KOCO 5 News

2011, Mass Communications

Xin Xin Liu has more than 13 years of experience in digital news and media. She serves as a Senior Digital Strategist for Hearst Television, the parent company of 27 local television news stations across the country, including KOCO 5 News in Oklahoma City, where she is based.

In her role, Liu works with local news teams from coast to coast, providing research, strategic guidance, coaching and support on everything from daily digital content to long-term planning for major coverage. She helps transform television newsrooms for the future by strengthening digital storytelling, guiding teams through emerging platforms and developing content that connects with audiences across screens.

Before joining Hearst Television’s corporate team, Liu spent five years as Digital Content Manager at KOCO 5. She began her career as a Web Content Producer at KWTV News 9.

Her work has earned industry recognition, including a 2026 Silver Telly Award in the General News & Information—Social Media Video category for informative and engaging news storytelling. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548AAAD2DA3F5C70-66141429-xinxin

 

Mike Martin

Farmer and Rancher

1980, Agri-Business

 

Mike Martin has been a wheat farmer for 46 years. He began his operation with 350 acres and had grown to 2,000 acres at the peak of his career. Outside of cutting his own wheat, he contracts to harvest other farmers’ crops. Martin also has a seed wheat cleaning business that has grown over the years.

Martin is a board member of Value Added Products and is a founding member of Rowdy Rangers, a group that supports Northwestern athletics. Previously, he has served on various boards including the Farmers Co-op and the Northwestern Foundation & Alumni Association Alumni Board. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548AAAD2DA3F5C70-65958410-mike#/

 

Trent Penner, LPC, MCP

Behavioral Health Counselor, Great Salt Plains Health Center (Cherokee, Enid, Canton)

2014, Psychology; 2017, Master of Counseling Psychology

Career Specialties: Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Severe Mental Health Illnesses, Substance Abuse

 

Trent Penner is a Behavioral Health Counselor at Great Salt Plains Health Center.

Penner began his career in 2017 as a Behavioral health counselor at Lighthouse Substance Abuse Services in Woodward, Oklahoma. In July 2020 he transitioned to being a counselor at ACU in Fort Supply, Oklahoma, then returned to being a substance abuse counselor at Catalyst Behavioral Services in Enid, Oklahoma, in 2021. In 2022 he joined the Program of Assertive Community Treatment in Ponca City, Oklahoma, through Grand Mental Health with a focus on intensive, community-based services to support individuals with severe mental illnesses. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548AAAD2DA3F5C70-66050077-trent

 

Dr. Clay Reed, M.D.

Integris Health, Oklahoma City

2013, Biology/Chemistry

Specialties: Thoracic Oncology, Hematology, Medical Oncology, with Expertise in Lung Cancer

 

Dr. Clay Reed was previously a clinical fellow of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Reed completed an NCI-sponsored combined clinical fellowship in hematology and oncology through the NIH Intramural Research Program, which is one of the largest research hospitals in the world. His research has provided him with expertise in immunotherapy via the NCI center for immuno-oncology.

During his fellowship, he received extensive standard of care experience at Johns Hopkins, Georgetown, and the Walter Reed National Military Hospital. He was lauded awards including the NCI Fellow Teaching Award, the highest NCI oncology in-training exam score, and the highest hematology in-training exam score (Perfect 800/800, the first in program history). He was also an associate chief fellow at the NCI.

Prior to his fellowship, Reed completed residency training in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic which was ranked as the number one hospital in the world during that time. He received his medical degree (with highest honors) from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine where he graduated #1 (The Dr. Lewis J Moorman Scholar) of his class of almost 200 students. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548AAAD2DA3F5C70-65958406-drclay#/

 

Cheney Schaeffer

Nurse, Integris Canadian Valley Hospital in Yukon, Oklahoma

2019, Nursing

Specialties: Labor and Delivery, NICU

 

Cheney Schaeffer is a labor and delivery nurse at Integris Canadian Valley Hospital in Yukon, Oklahoma. She works in the Level 2 NICU as well as being a newborn advocate on the labor and delivery unit. Schaeffer began her nursing career at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Enid, Oklahoma, working on the labor and delivery floor. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548AAAD2DA3F5C70-65958386-cheney#/

 

Dr. Brock Schnebel

Orthopedic Surgeon, Retired

1977, Chemistry/Biology

Specialties: Spine Surgery, Trauma Orthopedics, General Orthopedics, Joint Replacement, Sports Medicine, Non-Surgical Management and Diagnostic Evaluation

 

With more than 45 years of experience before his retirement, Dr. Schnebel gained extensive experience in treating complex musculoskeletal conditions. His career is marked by significant surgical achievements and long-standing presence in the state’s medical community. His fellowships include A.O. Trauma (Vienna, Austria) and multiple spine surgery fellowships in San Antonio, Texas; Los Angeles, California; and Basel, Switzerland.

Dr. Schnebel served as the Olympic team physician in Atlanta in 1996, and as the Olympic Head Team Physician in Sydney, Australia, in 2000. Before his retirement, he served as an orthopedic consultant and head team physician for the University of Oklahoma, beginning in 1996. He also served as team physician for the Northwestern Athletic Department for many years beginning in 1986.

Dr. Schnebel earned his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in 1981 and completed his residency at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548AAAD2DA3F5C70-65958352-drbrock#/

 

Kylene Sharpton

Remote Therapist IV; Red Rock Behavioral Health Services (Oklahoma City) and Owner of Private Practice, Shaded S Wellness and Supervision, LLC

2012, Social Work and Substance Abuse

Career Specialties: Social Work and Business Owner

 

Kylene Sharpton is a Remote Therapist IV at Red Rock Behavioral Health Services. She completing her PRN (pro re nata) work as needed for the geriatric psychiatric population at Horizon Health. Sharpton owns and operates her own private practice Shaded S Wellness and Supervision LLC.

Sharpton has over 13 years of experience working within the Mental Health and Substance Abuse field across four levels of care and in various roles. She has worked in both the hospice and nursing home populations, serving individuals ranging from ages 4 to 89. She has been a supervisor and a therapist for the outpatient level of care, serving individuals with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, low self-esteem, anger and adjustment disorders, trauma, severe mental illnesses and substance abuse, partnering with individuals to address and resolve difficult situations within their lives.

In addition to once serving as the director of an acute psychiatric hospital, Sharpton served as the director of a forensic unit, leading her co-workers and the program in providing the highest quality of care for individuals who are experiencing some of their darkest times. In her role of director, she worked closely with psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, nurses and other therapists to continue to expand her knowledge and professional relationships. As lead therapist at an intensive substance abuse treatment program, she provided individual and group therapy and supervised licensed clinicians and case managers.

After receiving her Northwestern degree, Sharpton earned her Master of Social Work Degree from the University of Oklahoma in 2013. In 2015, She became fully licensed in the state of Oklahoma as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. In 2025, Sharpton became licensed in Texas with plans to expand her license into Kansas in 2026. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548AAAD2DA3F5C70-65958341-kylene#/

 

Mitzi Smith

Retired Teacher and Principal

1985, Elementary Education

Additional Certification: Reading Specialist, Elementary Principal, Superintendent, English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

 

Mitzi Smith has 38 years of experience as a public-school teacher and elementary principal in both Oklahoma and Kansas. She has taught all grades kindergarten through 8th grade as both a classroom teacher or remedial reading teacher. Her role as principal included grades Pre-K through 4th grade. She served one year as Interim Assistant to the Superintendent. Smith has worked in both small and large districts in a variety of roles.

Smith Earned her Masters of Education from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 1988. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548AAAD2DA3F5C70-65958323-mitzi#/

 

Connie Sturgeon

Owner, Chick Fil-A, Enid, Oklahoma

1986, Psychology

Career Specialties: Business Owner

 

Connie Sturgeon is the owner and operator of Chick-fil-A in Enid, Oklahoma, Sturgeon has grown the business from a small operation in a mall to a free-standing restaurant with a drive-through and in-store dining.

Sturgeon has been recognized with the Symbol of Success for sales increase within the Chick-fil-A Corporation – multiple times. And she has earned numerous awards both on state and national levels.

Sturgeon received the Governor’s Award of Excellence in 2012, which is given for hiring individuals with disabilities and enabling them to succeed. Beyond her professional achievements, she actively serves her community through volunteer leadership, including on the Board of Directors for 4RKids (an organization supporting youth with special needs) and as a member of the Visit Enid Advisory Board. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548AAAD2DA3F5C70-65958317-connie#/

 

Amanda Vermillion

Chief Financial Officer, Presbyterian Health Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

2004, Accounting

Career Specialties: Public Accounting, Financial Management, Investment Oversight, Auditing

 

Amanda Vermillion serves as the Chief Financial Officer at the Presbyterian Health Foundation. Prior to this role, she served as Partner and Chief Financial Officer of Reign Capital Holdings, an Oklahoma-based investment firm and family office founded by the CEO of Templar Energy. She has also been the Vice President of Strategic Planning and Vice President of Accounting at Templar Energy.

Vermillion began her career as an auditor with Grant Thornton in Oklahoma City. Vermillion worked in public accounting for eight years, serving as an audit manager. She served clients across various industries, including oil and gas, manufacturing, governmental, non-profits, and others. Her responsibilities included managing initial public offerings, quarterly and annual public filings, and integrated audits of financial statements and internal controls.

Her professional background encompasses overseeing accounting, human resources and information technology departments; working closely with internal and external legal departments; evaluating and monitoring investments; producing financial statements; managing banking, audit, tax, legal, investing and financing relationships; and participating in executive and strategic planning teams.

 

Vermillion is a certified public accountant and a member of both American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Oklahoma Society of Certified Public Accountants. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548AAAD2DA3F5C70-65918975-ranger2ranger#/