Thousands of Reasons Gala –
Celebrating Distinguished Alumni and Educators

Monday, November 16, 2015
Lincoln Learning Center, 425 Mercy Drive, El Reno
Doors open at 6 pm; dinner at 6:30 pm
Event Chairman:  Maribeth VonTungeln
Event Committee:  Jay Emory, JP Fitzgerald, Dana Gibson, Karen Reed
Auctioneer:  TE Mayo

Special host:  Mr. Jay Hanna
Jay Hannah is Executive Vice-President of Financial Services BancFirst, Oklahoma City.  He has been in banking for 33 years.  Mr. Hannah holds a BA/ED from Northeastern State University in his native Tahlequah, a Masters degree from Oklahoma State University, is a SLEP Graduate of the University of Oklahoma, and holds banking certificates from the University of Colorado’s Graduate Banking School and from the American Bankers Association’s National Lending School at the University of Oklahoma.  He is a charter class graduate of Leadership Oklahoma.
Mr. Hannah is a Citizen of the Cherokee Nation where he served as the Secretary-Treasurer and chaired the Nation’s first Constitutional Convention in 1999.  He has written extensively on Native Government Reform, and was a participant in Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government Executive Project on Native Constitution Reform.
A biographical sketch in The Oklahoman sheds light on the distinction of his profession by identifying him as a “connector.”  He connects customers to their dreams and ambitions; he uses his musical talent to connect the causes he supports to their goals; and, as a Cherokee and citizen of Oklahoma, he ‘connects practically everything with his heritage and upbringing.”
Mr. Hannah received his minor in history.  He says “history is a very vibrant weave in my personal tapestry.  Concepts of history, the continuity between the past and present, are very apparent.”

LIVE AUCTION ITEMS:
VonTungeln Bread, baked by David & Maribeth VonTungeln
Two Courtside Thunder Basketball Tickets, donated by Randy & Terri Hurst
Four Starlight Theatre Tickets with VIP Parking Pass, donated by Curtis & Linda Blanc

CORPORATE SPONSORS FOR THE 2015 GALA:

MidFirst Bank
Wise Sales Company, Inc., and Stone Chase Stables

Cavin Wrecker
C2 Security
CMS-Willowbrook
El Reno Board of Education
Festivities Event Center
Gemini
Gibson Aviation
Handley Law
Hensley’s Hospitality
King Electric
Mercy Health
OGE Energy
PBK Architects
Ratliff Accounting
Russell-Murray Hospice

Advantage Insurance Group
Bill’s Auto – Gary and Terry Bates
Diffee Ford and Lincoln
Farmer’s Insurance Group – Bud Chronister and Jill Phillips
Edward Jones, Lynn Tate
El Reno Family Dentistry
Interbank
Midwest Music
State Farm Insurance – Gary Baumwart
Ward Construction
Robin White, DDS

Carder Chiropractic
Toni and Robert Grantham
JKM
Dr. Karen and Larry Jennings
Rick Jones Buick GMC
Alan Mauldin, DDS
Rinehart, Rinehart, Rinehart, Attorneys at Law
Schwarz Oil
George Wells and Company

Others:
Donald L. Ledbetter