Founders
Pat Potts
Pat Potts co-founded the Community Resource Development Foundation and its successor, the Potts Family Foundation (PFF). She also founded the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits and served as president and CEO for over 20 years. Pat was also a founder of the Oklahoma Women’s Coalition. She previously served as President on the Oklahoma City School Board, Oklahoma City Beautiful, the Zoo Trust, and the Society of Fund Raising Executives.
Pat was honored by the Journal Record as “Woman of the Year” in 2012. Among her awards were subsequent induction into the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame and with her husband, Ray Potts, into the OCU Business School Hall of Honor in 2017. In 2019 she received the Lifetime Achievement award from Leadership Oklahoma.
She focuses 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.”
Ray Potts
Ray Potts, after achieving the rank of Lieutenant in the United States Air Force, returned to school to obtain a Masters in Geology and later a law degree. He co-founded PSEC, an independent energy company and served as its President and CEO for over 30 years until its sale to ONEOK. At that point the company became Potts Exploration.
Ray has served as chairman of the Natural Gas Committee of the Independent Association of Petroleum Geologists of America. Ray also was president of the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association. He served for eight years as a member of the State Board of Education and later as the first President of the Oklahoma City Public School Foundation.
He was recently inducted into the OCU Business School Hall of Honor in 2017 with his wife, Pat Potts. Ray supports investment in early childhood education because, “it produces the best return for the individual and for society.”
Board of Directors
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.
Jennifer Hays-Grudo
Jennifer Hays-Grudo, PhD is a Regents Professor of Development and Family Science and an adjunct professor of Pediatrics at OSU, where she is principal investigator and Project Director for the Center for Integrative Research on Childhood Adversity (CIRCA). CIRCA received an $11.3 million, five year grant from NIH focused on the effects of trauma and poverty on children’s health and development. Before coming to Oklahoma she was on the faculty for the Baylor College of Medicine , where she led the Office of Health Promotion and a principal Investigator for the Women’s Health Initiative.
Teresa Burkett
Teresa is a partner in the healthcare practice group of Connor & Winters, LLP. She graduated from Norman H.S and worked through law school as a cardiac care nurse. In addition to her legal work, she is a community volunteer. She serves on the board of the City of Tulsa Parks, Gilcrease Museum, the Oklahoma Academy, the Community Service Council of Greater Tulsa, Tulsa Community College Foundation, and Tulsa’s Animal Welfare Commission. A graduate of Leadership Oklahoma Class XVIII, she and her husband Robert enjoy hiking in the Ozarks with their two dogs and California wine tasting.
Ginny Bass Carl
Ginny is Founder and CEO of Giving Well, LLC, a fifth generation Oklahoman, and a licensed attorney. She has accounting and law degrees from OU and has extensive experience with nonprofits, including work with Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. She achieved her Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy designation in 2019 and currently leads a public-private partnership — Community Cares Partners – a program funded by the Communities Foundation of Oklahoma. She serves on the boards of Leadership Oklahoma. Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness’s Foundation, and Healthy Living OKC. She and her husband have two children.
Jill Daugherty
Jill Daugherty served as the district director for Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Cole for 10 years before serving as her current position as the director of governmental affairs for the Chickasaw nation Division of Commerce. As a mother and “political junkie,” Daugherty is passionate about family and her state.
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.
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 Community 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
She began her career with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma in 2005 as a closeout clerk at Grant Casino. She held various Gaming positions including purchasing agent, human resource specialist, and executive assistant to the executive director of gaming before transferring to the Government side of the tribe where she served as the senior executive assistant to the senior executive officer of member services in 2014. She currently serves as the director of child care and oversees 6 Child Development Centers within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation.
Amanda is passionate about her role in enhancing her tribe’s values of faith, family and culture. She is most proud of the work she and Child Care staff accomplish by teaching children life skills that will serve them throughout life. Amanda considers implementing prayer and the flag salute in the Child Development Centers as her greatest achievement as a director.
Outside of work, Amanda enjoys gardening, spending time with her family, and serving in her community.
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.
Larry Potts
Larry Potts is a State Farm agent in Norman, Oklahoma. Larry is a proud alumnus of Oklahoma State University with a degree in Business Administration and Economics. He currently serves on the board of Bridges in Norman and is a recent board member of the Norman Public Schools Foundation. Larry is married to Susan who runs a successful retail store in Norman named Occasions. They have 3 grown children, Jessica who lives in Dallas, Wade, a PFF board member and recent graduate of the University of Oklahoma, and Paige who is a recent alumna of Oklahoma State University.
Mark Potts
Mark Potts is a managing partner of Potts Exploration, L.L.C., an oil & gas company, working with his father Ray and 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.
Paula Potts
Paula Potts is a part time worker for TRC Designs as a bookkeeper. Her love for travel assists her in furthering her passion for photography. Paula’s preference for photographing are centered on landscapes and wildlife. She showcases her artistic side hands-on in her quilt making and enjoys the simple things in life.
Steve Potts
Steve Potts is a partner with his father and 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 and Board Chair of Smart Start Central Oklahoma. Steve is also a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma Class XXIV.
Susan Potts
Daniel Schiedel
Dan Schiedel currently the Executive Director and CEO of United Way of NW Oklahoma, where he works with the community as a collaborator, convener and helps raise funds for 15 partner agencies who provide human service needs in Enid and NW Oklahoma. Prior to coming to Enid and the United Way, Dan was in Public Television for over 25 years where he managed stations and statewide networks and produced diverse media projects for PBS stations in South Dakota, Missouri, Wyoming and Oklahoma. He is a native of South Dakota, and a graduate of the University of South Dakota where he received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degrees in Journalism and Contemporary Media. Dan is married to Sharon and together they have four children and six grandchildren.
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, Sunbeam Family Services, and Friends of the Governor’s Mansion. She also serves as the 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, their sons Clay and Clark, and their 3 grandchildren.
Valerie Thompson
Since 1999, Valerie has served as President/CEO of the Urban League of Greater OKC, whose mission is to assist African Americans, other minorities, and the poor to achieve social and economic equality. She has served on a number of local and national boards, including the Governor’s Workforce and Education Council, the City of OKC’s MAPs Public School Trust, Seniors Health and Wellness Committee, the OKC Public Schools Foundation, r the National and the Association of Executives for the National Urban League. She earned an MBA and her doctorate in Political Science from OU. She is also an adjunct professor at OCU’s School of Social Work.
Bailey Perkins Wright
Bailey represents both the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma as the State Advocacy and Public Policy Director. She also serves on Feeding America’s national policy advisory committee where she contributes to network-wide strategies to influence federal policy. She previously worked in a congressional office leading healthcare, education, nutrition, science, space, and technology policy initiatives in Washington, D.C. She 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 from the University of Oklahoma.
Tim Tippit
Tim currently runs a hedge fund that trades equities, fixed-income investments, commodities, options, and other assets. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a B.A. in Public Administration and from Washington University in St. Louis with an M.B.A in finance.
He previously served as President of DaVinci Equity Group that was a Top 50 Optical company for the time Tim served as President. Prior to DaVinci, Tim worked for three Fortune 500 companies where he served as an executive in international mergers and acquisitions, finance, public affairs and governmental relations.
Currently, Tim serves as a Communion Minister and a member of the Finance Board at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. An Oklahoma native, Tim and his wife, Patty, have two grown children and three grandchildren with whom they share a majority of their spare time.