Founders
Pat and Ray Potts
The late Pat and Ray Potts co-founded the Community Resource Development Foundation and its successor, the Potts Family Foundation (PFF). They also co-founded the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits where Pat served as president and CEO for over 20 years.
Pat’s focus has always been on leveraging resources “to address root causes and build the human potential of the people of our state one child and one organization at a time.” In her work in the nonprofit sector, she previously served as President on the Oklahoma City School Board, Oklahoma City Beautiful the Oklahoma City Zoo Trust and the Society of Fund Raising Executives.
Pat was honored for her accomplishments and contributions by being named Journal Record’s “Woman of the Year” in 2012, and in 2019 she was inducted into the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame and awarded the Lifetime Achievement award from Leadership Oklahoma.
Pat and Ray were a team and thus often honored as one. In 2011 they were honored with the World Neighbors Namaste Award; inducted into the OCU Business School Hall of Honor and received the Aspire Award from Sunbeam Family Services, both in 2017. In 2023 they were inducted into the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation Wall of Fame and awarded the Community Impact Award from A Chance to Change.
Ray joined Pat in supporting their community as well as his profession. He supported investing in early childhood education because, “it produces the best return for the individual and for society.”
Ray served as chairman of the Natural Gas Committee of the Independent Association of Petroleum Geologists of America, as president of the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association, was a member of the State Board of Education for eight years and later served as the first President of the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation.
After achieving the rank of Lieutenant in the United States Air Force, he obtained a Masters in Geology and later a law degree. He co-founded and operated PSEC, Inc., an independent energy company, for over 30 years until its sale to ONEOK. At that point the company became Potts Exploration, LLC.
Board of Directors
Community Members
Megan Benn
Megan is a governmental affairs consultant specializing in public education, healthcare, and state tax/revenue legislation and policies. With over 25 years of public policy experience, she has worked at the White House, OCAST, the Oklahoma State Senate Staff, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, and the Oklahoma Policy Institute. She currently has her own consulting business and on the Foundation Board for USAO in Chickasha. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Texas Christian University. She and her husband, Jason, have two children and reside in Norman.
Stacy Dykstra, PhD
Stacy Dykstra is the CEO of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, a position she has held since October 2020. Driven by a lifelong desire to ensure children thrive, Stacy has taught both children and adults, conducted research and in 2006 transitioned to nonprofit management. Under Dykstra’s direction, both Smart Start Central Oklahoma and the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma have ensured thousands of Oklahomans gained access to resources and knowledge, leading to changed behavior and improved quality of life for themselves and their families. Stacy and her husband, Chris, have two daughters.
Kevin Evans
Kevin Evans is has been the Executive Director of Western Plains Youth & Family Services since 1993. He helped reorganize the board of directors, raising money and revitalized relationships with funding partners to restart programs for children and families in Northwest Oklahoma. Kevin has received the 2018 Visions Award for the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits. He also received the “Distinguished Humanitarian Award” for lifetime achievements from Alva High School in 2019.
Wes Haddox
Wes Haddox is an investor in real estate and in new growing companies. He considers his true work though to be investing in our community through mentoring youth, nonprofit advocacy and volunteer board service. He is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma City LOYAL Class XVIII. He has been a mentor for teens for more than 11 years where he focuses on emotional health and character development with his 10 mentees across 4 states. Wes considers his parents to be his own greatest mentors. He lives in Oklahoma City and also serves on the board for Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County.
Dr. Martina Jelley
Dr. Martina Jelley is a Professor of Internal Medicine and the Julian Rothbaum Chair for Community Health Research at the OU College of Medicine Tulsa. She also serves as Assistant Dean of Clinical Research. Her interests include intimate partner violence, adverse childhood experiences and their effects on adult health outcomes. She is working with a multi-disciplinary team, using simulation, to help trainees in health programs improve skills in counseling adults with childhood trauma. She is a board member of the Academy of Violence and Abuse and co-founder of the Trauma-Informed Healthcare Education and Research Collaborative.
Amanda Johnson
Amanda Johnson serves as executive director of education for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, leading 23 programs that support over 38,000 students nationwide—from early childhood to higher education and workforce training. She also oversees a BIE residential school and the School of Choctaw Language, currently taught in 48 public schools and one university within the reservation.
With 20 years of service to her tribe, Amanda has held various roles in education and commerce. She actively contributes to several advisory councils and boards, including the Oklahoma State Department of Education Advisory Council on Indian Education, Southeastern Oklahoma State University Foundation Board, Southeastern Oklahoma State University Teacher Education Advisory Council, Eastern Oklahoma State College Nursing Board, Murray State College Child Development Advisory Committee, and Potts Family Foundation. A proud first-generation college graduate, she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SE. Amanda is committed to education, cultural preservation, and the Choctaw values of faith, family, and culture. Most importantly she is busy trying to live up to the coffee mug her husband and children gave her as the world’s greatest Mom and Momo.
Mariana Llanos
Mariana Llanos is an award-winning writer, poet, artist, and translator. She’s a Pura Belpre Honoree (American Library Association), two-time Oklahoma Book Award winner (2024 and 2022) in the children’s category, among other accolades. Born in Lima, Peru, her titles include Vampirita and the Angry Mob, Benita and the Night Creatures, Run Little Chaski!, the audio story Qoritika and the Three Alpacas, among several others. Mariana is passionate about literacy and the arts. In 2017, she received the Oklahoma Human Rights Award and was selected as the Best Latino Artist by the Hispanic Arts Council of Oklahoma. She’s a co-founder of LatinxPitch, a virtual event that boosts the representation of Latino creatives in the children’s publishing industry and co-chair of the Latino Committee for the Firehouse Arts Center in Norman, Oklahoma. In addition to writing, Mariana is an experienced speaker who visits schools regularly. She resides in Oklahoma City with her children.
Stacy McNeiland
Stacy McNeiland brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in education and the nonprofit sector to as CEO of Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma. She is a proud Girl Scout alum and former troop member. Stacy began her career in higher education, serving for 18 years in various leadership roles, including as an adjunct faculty member and director of the President’s Leadership Council. She served as CEO of The CARE Center, Oklahoma County’s only nationally accredited child advocacy center, for 12 years. She founded ROAR, a groundbreaking child abuse prevention program that has now educated more than 125,000 children and 27,000 adults. The program is the only nationally accredited prevention curriculum designed for children ages 3–8.
Stacy actively serves on the board of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Oklahoma and is involved with several civic and leadership organizations, including the FBI Citizens Academy, Leadership Oklahoma City, and Rotary Club 29. She has been recognized with numerous honors. Stacy holds a master’s degree in leadership with a Business Administration emphasis from Oklahoma City University and is a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma. She lives in Edmond with her soon-to-be husband and two rescue dachshunds, Gypsy and Goldie.
Carrie Sanders
Carrie Sanders represents Northwest Oklahoma with over a decade of nonprofit leadership experience. As Executive Director of the Cherokee Strip Community Foundation and former leader of Loaves & Fishes of NW OK and YWCA Enid, she has dedicated her career to strengthening communities through strategic partnerships and resource development.
After transitioning into nonprofit leadership, Carrie embraced training opportunities to deepen her expertise in governance and financial stewardship. She is passionate about supporting fellow nonprofit leaders in their growth, believing strong leadership is key to lasting impact.
Carrie understands the critical role early childhood initiatives play in shaping Oklahoma’s future. She is a strong advocate for the work of partner nonprofits in Northwest Oklahoma, supporting efforts to expand education, healthcare, and family resources so that all children can thrive. Inspired by philanthropists like Paul Newman, she believes collaboration is essential to building a brighter future.
Marnie Taylor
Marnie has been President/CEO of the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits since 2011. She has more than 40 years of leadership in volunteerism, board service, fundraising, and community engagement. She is a board member of the Potts Family Foundation and Sunbeam Family Services. She also is the former Chair for the National Council on Nonprofits. She is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma XXIV, Leadership OKC XV, SALTT Class X, and Founding Director of Youth Leadership Exchange. A graduate of Notre Dame, she enjoys spending time with her husband Clayton, sons Clay and Clark, and their three grandchildren.
Valerie Thompson
Dr. Valerie Thompson is a transformational leader and accomplished strategist with a proven record in housing development, fiscal oversight, and nonprofit innovation. Since 1999, she has served as the second female President and CEO in the 78-year history of the Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City, expanding the organization from a $750K operation into a dynamic, multi-entity institution with assets exceeding $20 million. Under her leadership, Dr. Thompson has assembled a high-performing executive team with over 76 years of combined experience, driving forward a mission to empower African Americans, other minorities, and underserved communities through education, economic development, and social justice.
Dr. Thompson’s leadership extends beyond the Urban League. She is a trusted voice on numerous boards, MAPS oversight committees, and the Potts Family Foundation. Her work has earned her national and statewide honors, including the National Urban League’s Woman of Power Award, Public Citizen of the Year by the NASW-OK, and recognition as one of Oklahoma City’s most powerful women.
An educator and thought leader, she has served over 15 years as an adjunct professor at Oklahoma City University. Dr. Thompson holds a doctorate in political science and an MBA from the University of Oklahoma, and a bachelor’s from Oklahoma State University.
Tim Tippit
Bailey Perkins Wright
A native of Lawton and fifth generation Oklahoman, Bailey (She/Her) has served the Potts Family Foundation board since 2021 and currently leads the grants committee. Professionally, she is a corporate citizenship practitioner and has devoted more than a decade to changemaking through shaping state and federal public policy strategies, strengthening civic engagement and cultivating social impact efforts. She enjoys public speaking, being an Oklahoma County poll worker and an American Government adjunct professor at a local community college.
She is a Rotary Oklahoma City Club 29 member, a Leadership Oklahoma Class 34 graduate and life member, an Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City Life member and serves on the MAPS4 Clara Luper Center community advisory subcommittee, the Leadership Oklahoma City, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Sigma Sigma Omega chapter, Allied Arts, and Potts Family Foundation boards.
She has received numerous awards and recognitions including the Women of Color in STEM Rising Star in Technology award, a Journal Record Fifty Making a Difference and Achievers Under 40 honoree, Top 21 in 2021 Advocacy Practitioners by the Washington DC based Advocacy Association and is annually ranked in the OKC Friday’s Most Powerful Young Professional in Oklahoma City power list.
Bailey graduated with honors from Oklahoma City University, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science and history as a Clara Luper Full Tuition Scholar and Petree College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Senior Woman of the Year. She earned a Master of Public Administration degree, public policy concentration from the University of Oklahoma. In her spare time, Bailey loves to sing across Oklahoma City and for her church, Fifth Street Missionary Baptist Church. Bailey is wife to Rod, bonus mom to Lilli, Auntie to Gwen and Godmother to Fitz.
Reverend Doctor George E. Young, Sr.
Reverend Doctor Young was called back into pastoral ministry in 2021 when he accepted the pastoral at the Greater Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Oklahoma City. He is a leader in his community and has built a compelling legacy by serving on boards with a range of missions such as Leadership Oklahoma, Leadership OKC, Red Cross, United Way and many others. He also has received numerous awards and recognitions and is a lifetime member of the NAACP, the Oklahoma Academy, Urban League of Greater OKC, Kappa Alpha Psi Province, Kappa Alpha Psi National and Leadership Oklahoma. Reverand Young has been recognized with many awards for his vigilant and persistent leadership in the furtherance of his community at work and in his personal life. He authored the book Christology: A Look At Practical Christianity. Reverand Young served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives for District 99 from 2015 to 2019 and then in the Oklahoma Senate representing District 48 from 2019 until his resignation in November 2024. He and his late wife, Dr. Thelma Chambers Young, have two children and three wonderful grandsons.
Family Members
Steve Potts
Steve Potts is a partner with his brother Mark at Potts Exploration, L.L.C. He has a degree in business from Oklahoma State University and holds a Master of Business Administration from Oklahoma City University. He currently serves on the Potts Family Foundation’s Finance Committee. In addition, he also serves as Treasurer of the Oklahoma Youth Hunting & Shooting Program. Steve is also a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma Class XXIV.
Katheryn Potts
Katheryn Potts is Vice President of REES Associates, Inc. and senior member of REES Healthcare Group. Kathy has been involved in the nonprofit arena since 1985. She sits on the Sustainable Implementation Committee for Evidence-Based Home Based Visitation Programs by OUHSC Child Abuse Prevention, The board of Healthy Schools Oklahoma and is a former board chair of the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits. She is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma Class XXV. She holds a Bachelor of Arts, Fine Arts & History from Oklahoma State University. She has been recognized three times as one of the 50 Women Making a Difference in Oklahoma by the Journal Record and was inducted into the Circle of Excellence in 2012.
Mark Potts
Mark Potts is a managing partner of Potts Exploration, L.L.C., an oil & gas company, working with his brother Steve. Mark has also served on the boards of Chance to Change and The Francis Tuttle Foundation. Mark has a passion for those who struggle with addiction and recovery and those who try to help them.
Larry Potts
Larry Potts is a State Farm agent in Norman, Oklahoma, and has been affiliated with State Farm for 37 years. Larry is a proud alumnus of Oklahoma State University with a degree in Business Administration and Economics. He is a former board member of the Norman Public Schools Foundation as well as Bridges of Norman. Larry and Susan have three grown children, Jessica and her husband Corey live in Dallas and have two children, Harper,7 and Murphy, 4. Their son Wade and his wife, Hannah, also live in Dallas and have two children, Jack, 6 and Emma, 4, Their daughter Paige is the proud mother of Ben, 6, and they live in Norman. Larry and Susan very much enjoy being grandparents to these five amazing children and try to spend as much time as they can with them.
Susan Potts