Marilyn is a Program Planner in the City’s Planning Department. Marilyn is the staff liaison to the City’s process of updating its development codes, including the Zoning and Planning Code and Subdivision Regulations. She is focused on moving the code update project forward. This includes working with consultants, serving as staff for the mayor-appointed Stakeholder Advisory Team, assisting with community engagement and outreach, and aligning drafts with the needs of departments across the City. 

Marilyn has been in the Planning Department for almost 6 years. Before joining the Oklahoma City Planning Department, Marilyn worked in Austin, Texas where she spent three years on the code update team in that City, focusing on parts of the code related to open space, urban design, streetscapes and stormwater management. 

JaNae K. Barnard is the Executive Director for Major County Economic Development Corporation in Fairview, Oklahoma. Skilled in grant writing, Barnard has helped secure a number of federal and state grants including $1.25 Million from the Economic Development Administration for the Fairview Regional Medical Center Physical Therapy Expansion Project; the project recently received the Aliceann Wohlbruck NADO Impact Award for its creative approach to advancing economic development and improving quality of life as well as the Star of the Southwest Award. In addition to overseeing a variety of commercial, industrial and housing development projects, Barnard is the Incubator Manager for MCEDC’s award winning Small Business Incubator Program. In 2021, Barnard was awarded OSU’s Rural Renewal Citizenship Prize for important contributions to the renewal of one or more rural communities in Oklahoma.

Darrell Beavers is the Housing Development Director at the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency where he has responsibility for several affordable housing finance programs. He is also a college adjunct professor in finance and real estate , and is an active real estate broker and investor.

Darrell holds a JD and MBA. He holds the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation from the Nat’l Assoc. of Realtors, the Housing Development Finance Professional (HDFP) designation from the Nat’l Development Council, and the Housing Credit Certified Professional (HCCP) designation from the Nat’l Assoc. of Homebuilders. He is a graduate of both the Executive Leadership Program at the University of Notre Dame and the Oklahoma Governor’s Executive Development Program for State Officials.

Carrie Blumert has served as the District 1 County Commissioner in Oklahoma County since January 2019. District 1 includes 9 municipalities in central and northeast Oklahoma County. She is the youngest woman in Oklahoma history to be elected County Commissioner. Carrie is passionate about making county government more transparent and accessible to all people. She has spent her time in office working to reform the county jail and improve access to mental health treatment, addiction treatment, and affordable housing. Carrie has a Master of Public Health from the University of Oklahoma Hudson College of Public Health and a Bachelor of Science in Child and Family Services from Oklahoma State University. Prior to serving as County Commissioner, she worked for the Oklahoma City-County Health Department, Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma, and the OU Department of Behavioral Pediatrics. Carrie currently serves on the boards of ReMerge, OK Humane, and Circuit Engineering District 5, in which she serves as the treasurer.  Carrie is also the chair of the 911 Association of Central Oklahoma Governments board and the co-chair National Association of Counties’ Justice and Public Safety committee.

Sabine Brown joined the Oklahoma Policy Institute as a Housing Senior Policy Analyst in January 2022. She previously worked at OK Policy from January 2018 until September 2020 as the Outreach and Legislative Director, and received a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa. Sabine also earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Health Science from the University of Oklahoma and was a physician assistant prior to discovering policy work. She grew up in Germany but has called Oklahoma home since 1998.

Darin Dalbom serves as President of NPVal, LLC. Actively engaged in real estate valuation and consulting assignments since 1990, Mr. Dalbom has performed appraisal services for a wide array of clients and commercial property types. Mr. Dalbom also has a nationallyscoped specialty practice in the valuation of mobile broadband communication towers, broadcast towers, tower portfolios, and tower-related ownership interests. Tower analysis & valuation includes a unique array of considerations for this niche investment class. Mr. Dalbom has developed customized report formatting for tower valuation assignments to best serve an array of clients in this emerging specialty class. Experience Prior to founding NPVal, Mr. Dalbom managed the Oklahoma City office of a nationally-scoped Fortune 500 valuation firm. Mr. Dalbom’s early valuation career included specialization in investment grade office and industrial property throughout the country with concentrated expertise in the Washington D.C. metro markets. Clients served primarily included pension funds and their advisors.

Kellon Dixon is the Director of Programs Planning (CDBG) for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce Community Development Division. Before taking on his leadership role as director, Kellon was a CDBG Program Manager for several years and spent some time working in the Procurement and Financial Services Division. While working at ODOC, Kellon earned his Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Central Oklahoma and now uses those skills to help administer CDBG-related programs, including Disaster Recovery and the CARES Relief Program.

Valenthia Doolin is a 4th generation Oklahoman, raised in Arcadia, Oklahoma. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Oklahoma.  Valenthia has dedicated her 30 -year professional career to the uplift of others including multiple roles within the Real Estate Finance and Housing Industry where she’s served as an independent mortgage lender Assistant Vice President, Licensed Mortgage Loan Originator, US Department of HUD Housing Specialist and independent mortgage lender Compliance Manager responsible for Community Outreach.

Valenthia has been recognized for excellent leadership and service to the community by organizations like Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency, the Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City, Union Home Mortgage and Neighborhood Housing Services of Oklahoma City.  She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Better Living Center, a non-profit committed to meeting the social and life cycle needs of the elderly and developmentally delayed adults and serves on the Housing Committee for the local non-profit, OKC Restore committed to improving the life of residents in Northeast Oklahoma City.   

The opportunity to lend 100% of her talents, skills and abilities to her Oklahoma neighbors led Valenthia to accept a position as Director for Homeownership within the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency in October 2021.  Valenthia is a sought-after speaker for the general public and real estate finance industry professionals on topics including the journey to homeownership and increasing diversity, equity and inclusion in mortgage lending. Her work and life motto can be attributed to Booker T Washington who is quoted as saying, “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” 

“I seek always to being a servant leader, with the ultimate goal of achieving the highest good and leaving the world better than I found it as my foremost thought”. – Valenthia Doolin

Andrea Frymire is Vice President of the Southern Region for Midwest Housing Equity Group.  She is a founding organizer, inaugural President, and current Board Member of the Oklahoma Coalition for Affordable Housing.  She serves as the Oklahoma liaison to the Coalition of Independent State Housing Associations.  She currently represents the affordable housing industry on the Board of Directors for the Oklahoma Association of REALTORS® and has served on their Fair Opportunity in Housing Committee. At the national level, she has represented the affordable housing industry for the National Association of REALTORS® Federal Financing & Housing Policy Committee, the Public Policy Coordinating Committee, and the Federal Taxation Committee.  Andrea is chair of the Regional Housing Forums – a consortium of organizations that includes the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City – OKC Branch and the FDIC – that promotes awareness, advocacy, and training on housing issues for attorneys, housing providers, social workers, lending institutions and real estate professionals affecting low to moderate-income households.  In 2018 she is serving as an education liaison for the 2018 Oklahoma Fair Housing & Health Equity Seminars which will provide regional training on fair housing, accessibility, and health equity issues.  She has also served on the Section 42 Housing Work Group for the Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma.

Sharon Gordon-Ribeiro is the Field Office Director for Oklahoma City and Tulsa Field Offices with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  As the principal management official in the field, she is responsible for coordinating outreach activities and program delivery to HUD customers, and communities throughout the state of Oklahoma.

Knowledgeable of the broad range of HUD programs, policies, and initiatives, she interactives with elected officials, governors, mayors, congressional representatives, government agencies, non-profits, and other public and industry groups.  Sharon has 36 years of public services, 32 of which are with HUD where she has served as Acting Brach Chief of Asset Management, Supervisory Project Management, and various other roles.  Prior to joining HUD, she worked for Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and General Service Administration.

Sharon received her Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Texas Woman’s University, in Denton, Texas and a Bachelor of Science Degree at Wiley University in Marshall, Texas.  She is an Excellence in Government Senior Fellow for the Partnership for Public Service, Certified Financial Manager in property management, and Certified Occupancy Specialist. 

Ms. Gordon-Ribeiro is motivated by the quote, “for unto whom much is given, much shall be required”.   Sharon’s motto and mission, therefore, is to encourage and empower others to engage in activities to improve the quality of life for themselves and the community.

Jake joined Hoppe Development in 2019 to support an intergenerational transition, and currently leads the company's real estate development, construction, management and shared service functions. Hoppe Development delivers affordable housing solutions in partnership with communities and supportive service providers, and is a leader in utilizing financing programs to meet unique affordable housing needs. The company is currently focused on designing "mixed income" subdivisions that layer affordable housing resources alongside market rate housing, enabling affordable housing to be integrated into high opportunity areas and achieving affordable housing goals at scale, while preserving a unique sense of neighborhood.

Prior to 2019, Jake worked at the intersection of renewable energy, finance, and technology at venture-backed companies in San Francisco and Boston. He started his career in rural community economic development and investment banking. Jake has a bachelor's degree in Economics from Carleton College and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.

Jake lives in Omaha with his wife, Lauren Simpson, and daughters Frankie (7) and Ada (3). He enjoys outdoor adventures, indoor racket sports, and aquatic escapades. In addition, he is on the board of the Immigrant Legal Center and works with a recently resettled refugee family to support their transition to the US.

Dan Kassik is the Planning Director for the City of Guthrie, Oklahoma, managing the building and code enforcement staff and overseeing all planning related activities. His areas of specialization include zoning code development, form-based concepts/traditional neighborhood development and legislative policy analysis.  He is a strong advocate for zoning reform that implements multi-modal transportation opportunities and built environment standards that create better livability and affordability in cities.

Dan is a graduate of the University of Iowa with a B.A. in Geography and has worked as a city planner for over 25 years previously working for municipal and county governments in the Western United States before joining the City of Guthrie 5 years ago. He is a member of the American Planning Association, Urban Land Institute, Congress for the New Urbanism and Strong Towns.

Dan Kassik is the Planning Director for the City of Guthrie, Oklahoma, managing the building and code enforcement staff and overseeing all planning related activities. His areas of specialization include zoning code development, form-based concepts/traditional neighborhood development and legislative policy analysis.  He is a strong advocate for zoning reform that implements multi-modal transportation opportunities and built environment standards that create better livability and affordability in cities.

Dan is a graduate of the University of Iowa with a B.A. in Geography and has worked as a city planner for over 25 years previously working for municipal and county governments in the Western United States before joining the City of Guthrie 5 years ago. He is a member of the American Planning Association, Urban Land Institute, Congress for the New Urbanism and Strong Towns.

​Little was elected to the OMPA Board of Directors in 2023. She was hired as the first City Manager of the City of Watonga in 2021 and General Manager of the Watonga Public Works Authority, where she has brought the City government and public trust authority through the transition of changing the form of government in the 21st century. She is a member of the City Management Association of Oklahoma (CMAO) and the Oklahoma Municipal League (OML) and is active in the organizations. She is also part of the 12th Oklahoma Arts Council Leadership class. Little’s board term runs to 2024.

Sheryl Lovelady is Executive Director of the Oklahoma City Housing Services Redevelopment Corporation, a non-profit housing development organization that works to revitalize urban neighborhoods and provide affordable homeownership opportunities. She also directs an education non-profit that focuses on expanded learning opportunities for children in Oklahoma City's urban core. Sheryl spent over two decades in politics and public policy at the local, state and national levels. Most recently, she served as Director of Communications for the City of Tulsa, and as Director of the Women’s Leadership Initiative at the University of Oklahoma.

She bought her first investment house over thirty years ago and has been feeding her passion for buying, building and renovating homes ever since. Lovelady is a graduate of Leadership Tulsa, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections Leadership Academy and the United States Department of Defense JCOC leadership program. She is past president of the Gordon Cooper Technology Center Foundation and serves on the advisory board of the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Tulsa's John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation and is a commissioner for the Oklahoma Judicial Compensation Commission. She holds a degree in History from the University of Oklahoma.

Bryce Lowery is currently an Associate Professor of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design at the University of Oklahoma Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture. He recently served as the lead of the Oklahoma HOME-ARP allocation plan team that assessed issues of housing insecurity statewide. He researches housing, food access and cannabis policy and teaches food systems planning, geographic information systems, public health and the build environment, and herban planning: policy and land use for cannabis.

After beginning her career at a local financial institution, Kylie Mergen found a passion for housing. Ms. Mergen joined FHLBank Topeka in 2007 as a Collateral Review Officer. For 15 years, she focused on credit and collateral to support members. In 2017, Ms. Mergen was promoted to Vice President and Director of Financial Services overseeing collateral review, collateral operations, and safekeeping. In 2022, Ms. Mergen was provided an opportunity to lead the Housing and Community Development team as First Vice President, Community Investment Officer, and Director of Housing and Community Development.

FHLBank Topeka supports and sustains affordable housing, economic development and community lending in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. As a privately owned, federally chartered corporation, FHLBank Topeka promotes housing and homeownership by providing wholesale products, services and programs to provide housing solutions to address the needs in the communities served.

Matt Pinnell was elected as the 17th Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma on November 6, 2018. Pinnell is President of the Oklahoma State Senate and serves on multiple constitutional boards and commissions, including serving as Chairman of the Oklahoma Tourism Commission and Route 66 Centennial Commission. He has set his Lt. Governor agenda focused on workforce and economic development issues.

Pinnell is the chief marketer of Oklahoma and spends much of his time promoting Oklahoma. In partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, he launched a talent recruitment campaign targeting the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. He also works to retain and attract companies to the state by hosting events throughout the year, including the annual Lt. Governor’s Turkey Hunt, a two-week event that showcases Oklahoma to prospective out-of-state companies and site selection representatives. As an entrepreneur himself, Pinnell champions small business growth. He advises the Oklahoma Department of Commerce on small business growth, entrepreneurship, and workforce development. In 2022, he launched ‘A Look at Oklahoma CareerTech,’ a video interview series that showcases the education and employment opportunities the state’s CareerTech system provides.

Pinnell launched a statewide rebrand in 2020, a campaign that has streamlined state agency processes and saved taxpayer dollars.

Matt has an advertising degree from Oral Roberts University. He lives in Tulsa with his wife of 22 years and their four children.

Cassi Poor joined the Alliance for Economic Development in 2012 and currently serves as the Director of Real Estate Development. She holds a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture from Oklahoma State University and a master's degree in sustainable design with emphasis in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Sydney, Australia. She is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma City’s Young Adult Leaders and Signature programs. She also serves on the Board of Directors with Uptown 23rd District Association and as the Treasurer for Urban Land Institute Oklahoma.

Sarah Reed is the President and CEO of MetaFund, a mission-driven financial institution that takes a market-based approach to supporting communities across the State of Oklahoma. As a Certified Public Accountant with over two decades of experience, Sarah is a seasoned finance professional who has been a vital part of MetaFund since 2014. She has held the past positions of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. 

Since 1999, MetaFund has provided more than $450 million in support of jobs, housings, education, and health. In her current role as President and CEO, Sarah provides strategic direction and oversight to the company and her team of professionals as they work to equitably invest in local businesses and communities, both urban and rural. MetaFund collaboratively works with both the public and private sector to improve the flow of capital to underinvested populations with a primary focus on quality jobs, affordable housing, community health and wealth, and child wellbeing.

Steven C. Shepelwich is a Senior Community Affairs Advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank,
Oklahoma City Branch. In this role, he leads the Branch efforts to promote economic
development and fair and impartial access to financial services in Oklahoma’s low- to
moderate-income communities. Mr. Shepelwich has worked in the community economic
development field with financial institutions, microenterprise funds, and affordable housing
and currently leads the Bank’s workforce development portfolio.

Bruce W. Schultz is Senior Vice-President for Community Development Banking and CRA Officer for Gateway First Bank headquartered in Jenks, OK. In his role at Gateway, Bruce oversees CRA and community development strategy and execution for the Bank’s residential mortgage lending, bank lending, investments, and services performance. With over 20 years in community banking, Bruce has served in a variety of senior management capacities in residential mortgage lending where he has led the originations, secondary marketing, compliance, investor relations, and operational risk functions. Having started as a mortgage loan originator, Bruce still possesses an active NMLS number and prides himself on staying current with the trends and issues facing the mortgage banking industry. He is a strong advocate for the role that community banks such as Gateway play in strengthening families and communities by providing paths to homeownership. Bruce serves as Vice-Chair of the American Bankers Association’s Mortgage Markets Committee and is a member of the ABA’s CRA Working Group as well as a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governor’s Community Advisory Council, Freddie Mac’s Affordable Housing Advisory Council, the Oklahoma Affordable Housing Coalition’s Government Relations Committee, the Oklahoma Academy for State Goals, and Board of Directors for the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy. 

For over 20 years Trina Stewart has dedicated her professional career to creating opportunities for Housing through her various positions at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  She has been a noteworthy leader in the Department for the past thirteen years, with her most recent position serving as an Underwriting Branch Chief in the Southwest Region and overseeing FHA loan underwriting in the states of Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Arkansas.  She has been an effective speaker at various conferences, most notably at Affordable Housing Conferences in Texas and Oklahoma, lending her expertise and educating developers on the opportunities to partner with HUD on expanding affordable housing to serve the low-income population.  Trina received her B.A. degree in Business Administration, with a concentration in Psychology from the University of Kansas.

Rhonda Teague is the Planning Director at LIFT Community Action Agency, Inc. Employed with LIFT since 1998, Teague has served in several roles with the agency including Enterprise Community Coordinator, Executive Administrative Assistant, Purchasing/Procurement Officer and Grant Writer. Teague was named Planning Director in 2012 after having served as a grant writer for six years. She and her staff are actively involved in preparing and submitting Foundation, State and Federal grants. She works closely with funders, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify and secure resources, especially for addressing the housing needs of families in LIFT’s Service Area. She received the Friend of Affordable Housing Award from the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency in 2012. Teague has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. She resides with her husband, Gary in Hugo.

Jack Werner is a distinguished professional with a rich background in education, military service, and community involvement. He holds a B.A. in Political Science, a Ph.D. in Finance, and an A.A. in Construction. As the owner of A to Z Inspections, he has been a licensed home inspector in Oklahoma since 2002 and has achieved numerous certifications in the field. Jack has served as a founding board member and president of various associations, completed over 3,000 building inspections, and has been recognized as a Master Instructor by the NAHB. His community contributions are extensive, including serving on several boards, teaching, and being a Rotary District Governor Nominee. A veteran of the U.S. Army, Jack served two tours in Vietnam. His dedication to his profession and community has earned him multiple awards, including the NAHB CAPS Instructor of the Year 2018 and the Angie’s List Super Service Award. Jack’s commitment to excellence and service is evident in his wide-ranging impact and the recognition he has received.