All Inductees
Matt was elected at the age of 18 to serve as a council member for the City of El Reno and served for five years and has now served as mayor for the last 15 years. He was awarded the Mayor of the Year by the Mayor’s Council of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Municipal League in 2019 and was instrumental in gaining the Innovation Award from the Oklahoma Municipal League for the Route 66 sign in El Reno.
Matt has served on the Oklahoma Municipal League Board of Directors since 2017 and has also served on the boards of the Oklahoma Emergency Management, the Mayors Council of Oklahoma and the Association of Central Oklahoma Government, as well as the ACOG 911 Board.
He was instrumental in securing a partnership with SSM to build the new Healthplex, Healthcare in El Reno. In addition, Matt played a huge part in securing the 1-40 interchange in El Reno on Radio Rd; and $10 million in capital improvements from the Capital Improvements Program.
Matt is an accomplished Real Estate Developer and Property Owner/Aggregate Consultant with extensive experience in strategic planning, and problem-solving, and is experienced in building solid partnerships among businesses, city, state, and community leaders that produce tangible results. His strengths include skills in communication, community outreach, management, partnerships, advocacy, marketing, and problem-solving. As the Mayor of El Reno, his responsibilities include initiating and managing capital improvement projects and representing his community in the legislative process.
He launched the program “El Reno NOW,” a partnership between City of El Reno, local school districts, and county and state officials that focuses on issues facing our community and state; initiated and implemented a successful marketing campaign to promote El Reno: TV ads, El Reno Living Brochures, creating local landmarks on Route 66 and other fairways leading into the city; and facilitated the acquisition of a failing local hospital, taking a 1-million-dollar loss and turning it into a long-term profitable contract with Mercy Hospital.
Phil has been committed to providing safe, reliable public power throughout his distinguished career spanning 50 years. Phil began his career as Operations Engineer to the Director of Operations at Kay Electric Cooperative in 1972. Phil was the engineer when the Kaw Lake building project was completed and a large portion of the system in that area was rebuilt. Phil's efforts led to system improvements with the implementation of the MilSoft distribution analyzing software and digital mapping of the Kay Electric Cooperative system.
Throughout Phil's 27 years of service with Ponca City Energy, he has continued to plan, promote, and develop both system improvements and staff development. Under his guidance, Ponca City Energy instituted a proactive vegetation management program to limit the impact of tree growth during storms, led the City's efforts to become the first Oklahoma municipality to convert to automated metering for both electric and water systems, and enhanced service and reliability through dedicated maintenance programs and substation and distribution system improvements.
He was presented the 2021 Pruett-Lamb Lifetime Achievement Award by the Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma. This award is presented to individuals committed to public power and the success of public power communities in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Municipal League named him to the Honor Roll of Service recognizing him for 25 years of honorable service to municipal government.
He has served on the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority Competitive Utilities Program
Committee as both a member and the chairman; since 2010 he has served on the Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma Board of Directors; and was president in 1990 of the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives.
Locally Phil has served with the Ponca City Tippers Club and ln the Cherokee Strip Credit Union Board.
Phil and his wife Sharon are proud parents of three sons, grandparents to eight grandchildren and great-grandparents to six great-grandchildren.
Michael Doublehead has served in a municipal utility capacity for the communities of Stilwell, Pryor and Tahlequah either as a utility board member, an assistant general manager or a general manager for the past twenty-five years. In 2010, the American Public Power Association (APPA) awarded him with the Larry Hobart 7 Hats Award signifying his excellent leadership in Accounting, Administration, Community Leadership, Field Supervision, Human Resources, Planning & Design and Public Relations. During his service to his communities, his focus and commitment has never wavered as it is always about what’s best for the customer and those he works with. His professionalism, character and actions set an example for all who have the privilege to work with him.
He served as President, Vice President and Secretary of the Grand River Dam Authority Customer Group beginning in 2002 to the present. The focus of this group is to advocate for all GRDA Wholesale Customers. Since 2007 he has served Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma – MESO and the Oklahoma Municipal Utility Services Authority as President, Vice President, Secretary and board member - both entities focus on job safety training for all municipal employees.
He has had a great deal of involvement with the Tahlequah Chamber of Commerce, Tahlequah Regional Development Authority, Adair County Rural Water District, Cherokee Nation Industries, and the United Way. He is a dedicated and proud citizen of the Cherokee Nation where he serves his tribal nation as a Commissioner on the Cherokee Nation Tax Commission. His work and leadership within the Cherokee Nation has had a profound impact on educational services, health care, rural community fire and police departments and economic development throughout the 22 county Cherokee Nation boundaries.
For 38 of the last 46 years, James Crosby has served as City Manager for the City of Norman, the City of Piedmont and the City of Yukon, where he is currently serving. He received the 2018 Citizen of the Year Award presented by the Yukon Chamber of Commerce as someone who makes significant contributions to the Yukon community. In 2008 Crosby was the recipient of the Oklahoma Municipal League Gerald Wilkins Award given to a city manager who has demonstrated outstanding performance. And in 2003 he was a finalist for the Oklahoma Municipal League Don Rider Award, one given to individuals who have made significant contributions to their community and profession.
Crosby has served as a board member of the National Recreation and Parks Association, the Arts Festival of Oklahoma, the INTEGRIS Canadian County Hospital and Yukon Chamber of Commerce. He has received many accolades for initiating Yukon’s Christmas in the Park, having a vision for Chisholm Trail Park, establishing a commercial corridor in Yukon, and returning to the helm to provided superb financial leadership during the worst financial setback the City of Yukon has ever suffered.
Noted as being wise beyond his years, he is considered one of the most forward-thinking city leaders in Oklahoma. One with an open-door policy who enjoys engaging citizens, businesspeople, city personnel and elected leaders as he works for the betterment of Yukon. He is thought of as a “hands-on” leader.
Randall Ross chose a financial career path to become a Certified Public Accountant, but his accomplishments definitely didn’t stop there. Among his greatest accomplishments, he has served the City of Choctaw as mayor since 2004 and his financial background has been a great benefit. In 1995 Ross received the National Administrator of the Year Award presented by U.P.L.C., (Fortune 500 companies). His financial education and background led his career to positions with the Oklahoma Accountancy Board, Medical Consultants Inc., Oklahoma Group Insurance and the Oklahoma Tax Commission. The Oklahoma Society of Certified Public Accountants inducted him into the Oklahoma Accounting Hall of Fame due to his contributions to the Society and the accounting profession in Oklahoma. In 2017 the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame honored him with the Outstanding American Award.
He has served the Oklahoma Municipal League in several capacities over the year, among them President of the Board of Directors and Member of the Executive Committee, both elected positions gained through his leadership and foresight of municipal needs. In 2012 he was named Mayor of the Year by the Oklahoma Municipal League. He was also honored by OML with the Don Rider Award in 2015. The Choctaw-Nicoma Parks Schools named him Citizen of the Year in 2000 and he served as Speaker of the House in 2012 during the Mayors Congress of Oklahoma.
His service to his community is never ending as he continues to work with the Chamber of Commerce and the public school system to assist in making his community the best it can be. He believes in putting others and his community above self and shows a high level of effort to stay connected to his citizens. He meets regularly with various community groups to hear ideas and new ways of moving forward in order to make them a reality.
Daniel Bradley began his career the City of Sand Springs as a police officer in 1980. He received several promotions over the years and served 20 years as the police chief. During his time as police chief, he received only one grievance which was declared unfounded and not supported by the FOP. In 2015, he was named assistant city manager and served in various capacities in city management.
Throughout his years with the City of Sand Springs he has received multiple awards for dedication and service to municipal government such as a Mayoral Proclamation; Outstanding Citizenship; 38 Years of Service; Safety Advocate Award; Employee of the Month; Employee of the Year; and Tulsa-Metro Police Officer of the Year. He has received various commendations from various local organizations such as the American Legion and Elks Lodge; as well as local businesses. He was also a member of the Sand Springs Rotary Club. He is a founding member of the Oklahoma Firearms Instructor Association and over the years participated in training many people in field training for officers, firearms training, women’s handgun defense and emergency response. He is thought of by his fellow employees and peers to be a highly intelligent individual with common sense and one who displays high standards of conduct both personally and professionally.
A little known fact is that he portrayed a police office in the film The Bounty Hunter.
The Hall of Fame for City and Town Officials encourages an appreciation for the heritage of municipal officials who have dedicated at least a portion of their professional career to the advancement of municipal government.
The next Inductee has served in city management and Councils of Government positions in both Oklahoma and Oregon. However, he is being honored principally for his work in advancing municipal government through his more than 20 years as Executive Director of the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments.
What is there to say about Bill Moyer that most of you don't already know? But more importantly, what is there about nearly every city or town in Oklahoma that Bill doesn't know? If he hasn't been to every city or town hall in this State, then I suspect your city or town doesn't have a permanent office! But, if you have a restaurant in your city or town, he's probably eaten there.
Wanda Jo Evaige, is passionate in her advocacy of rural issues such as housing and job creation, whether with other local government officials or before the Oklahoma legislature or U.S. Congress. She has used her 26 years of service as a Councilmember, Vice Mayor and Mayor of her hometown of Frederick as a springboard for service and advocacy of rural issues. She is a pioneer among local government officials in southwest Oklahoma, as the first female, minority Mayor of Frederick. Council members first elected her as Vice Mayor from April 1985 to 1987 and again in 2007, a position she continues to hold. She served as Mayor from 1987 to 1989.
He is currently the Central Services Director for the City of Jenks, after serving as City Manager there for 26 years, beginning on September 8, 1981. Ewing was the 1996 recipient of the Don Rider Award from the Oklahoma Municipal League that recognizes an individual for significant contributions to their community as well as their profession through personal growth and involvement.
Tommy Leon Melton is only the fourth posthumous inductee into the Hall of Fame. This mentor to most every Oklahoma municipal clerk or treasurer who took office between 1963 and 1999 succumbed on March 19 to cancer. He learned prior to his death that his colleagues were intending to nominate him for the Hall of Fame.
Thomas Welborne Talley is serving his eighth year on the Hobart City Council and as mayor the past seven. A private practice attorney in Hobart, he also serves on the boards of the Southwestern Oklahoma Development Authority and Hobart Main Street. He was recognized by the Oklahoma Conference of Mayors in 2007 as “Mayor of the Year for a Community of 5,000 or Under”. His service to Hobart was also honored that year by the Oklahoma Community Institute for “Exemplary Leadership in Your Community”.
The Hall of Fame for City and Town Officials may induct one person posthumously each year. The Foundation has selected for 2004 an individual who served in Oklahoma local government for 34 years prior to his death earlier this year at age 60. Terry H. Powell served in three Oklahoma communities and on the international board for his profession. Throughout this service, he was known for his compassion, integrity, dedication, respect for elected officials, and most of all his passion for the communities he served.
Susan Savage had a remarkable career of progressive advancement in municipal government before being appointed, in January 2003, to her current position as Oklahoma Secretary of State. Her municipal service began in 1974, when she became a pre-trial representative for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas after graduation from Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania. Mary Susan Savage's career eventually led to becoming the first woman to serve as Mayor of Tulsa, a position she held for almost 10 years, the longest tenure of any mayor of that city.
A support letter for the nomination of Stephen Reel noted that while he may resist the title, his efforts qualify him as one of the early “pioneers” in building local government support organizations that now number in the hundreds throughout the USA, Canada, Australia and in Europe. In addition to his significant accomplishments, he was also a prevailing co-counsel in a landmark case that held unconstitutional an attempt by the state legislature to impose a fee on municipalities for autopsies performed by the State Medical Examiner. And, if you have ever attended a training session he presented you are well aware that the photo of him in the clown suit is not the only time he has used his sense of humor to help us feel good about what we do.
Stanley Warren Alexander, a native of Phillips, Texas, served nearly 32 years on The Village City Council in two stints. His first service on the council was from May 1971 until late November 1978, when he was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives. He was re-elected to the city council in May 1985 and served this time for 24 years until he did not seek re-election in May 2009.
Being inducted into a hall of fame is nothing new to Robert J. LaFortune. This legendary public official was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1975, the University of Tulsa Engineering Hall of Fame in 1986, and the Tulsa Hall of Fame in 1988.
A law-enforcement career spanning more than 38 years, three cities and one state agency, has brought about a strong commitment in Oklahoma to professionalism and enhanced agency cooperation in all sectors of the criminal justice system. In 1963, as a rookie patrolman on the Oklahoma City Police Department and throughout his career as a Police Chief, Director of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and head of a corporate investigative service, Robert Hicks has been a catalyst for professionalism and cooperation in law enforcement.