The Oklahoma Economic Summit on Early Childhood Investment will bring together a select group of business leaders from across the state to discuss the importance of a high-quality and well-educated workforce through investments in early childhood development. By investing in young kids, Oklahoma can build the human capital needed for businesses to grow and succeed.
This event is co-hosted by the Potts Family Foundation, Advance Foods, BancFirst, Bank of Oklahoma, Chesapeake, Chickasaw Nation, The Oklahoman, Devon Energy, First Fidelity Bank, Integris, Oklahoma Business Roundtable, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, The State Chamber of Oklahoma, Noble Foundation, Sandridge, Sonic, Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Foundation, Storage "R" Us, Tulsa Metro Chamber, and United Way. This is an invitation-only event.
For the agenda, please click here.
James Heckman - 2000 Nobel Laureate in Economics and Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago
Rob Dugger - Managing Partner of Hanover Investment Group and Advisory Board Chair for the Partnership for America's Economic Success
Sonya Anderson - Education Program Director, the Oprah Winfrey Foundations.
Dick Rush –President & CEO for The State Chamber of Oklahoma & serves on the Governor’s International Team
Jari Askins – Lt. Governor of Oklahoma & former state legislator and judge
Pat Potts- President of Potts Family Foundation & founder of the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits
Ken Levit – Executive Director of George Kaiser Family Foundation and former President of OU-Tulsa from 2001-2006
Dave Lopez- President of American Fidelity Foundation & Chair of the Greater OKC Education Committee
Ken Miller Ph.D.– Chair of Oklahoma House of Representatives Appropriations and Budget Committee & Economics professor at Oklahoma Christian University
Steve Agee, Ph.D. - Professor of Economics & Director of the Economic Research & Policy Institute at Oklahoma City University.
Susan Illgen- Executive Director of Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness (Smart Start Oklahoma) & former Oklahoma Teacher of the Year
Sandy Garrett – Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction and serves as Chair of the Early Childhood National Task Force for the Council of Chief State School Officers
Blake Wade – President of Oklahoma Business Roundtable and former Director of Oklahoma’s Centennial Committee
Terri White –Oklahoma Secretary of Health & Commissioner for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services
Steven Dow – Director of the Tulsa Community Action Project and Oklahoma State Three Year Old Pilot Program in collaboration with Kaiser Foundation
Mike Burke- Program Director for the Buffet Early Childhood Fund & formerly with the Ounce of Prevention Fund
Lisa Klein Ph.D– Executive Director of the Birth to Five Policy Alliance & formerly Vice President of Early Education at the Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City
Susan Harris – Senior Vice President of Tulsa Metro Chamber’s Education & Workforce and previously served as Vice President of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy
Mark Funke - President of Bank of Oklahoma-OKC & responsible for the BOK Financial Corp.’s Political Action Committee
Howard Hendrick – Director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services & President of the American Public Human Services Association Board
David Thompson – President of OPUBCO Communications Group & Chairman of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber
Bob Harbison –Retired corporate executive, and long time early childhood advocate currently consulting for Inasmuch Foundation
"Nobel Prize winner to keynote summit." July 21, 2009. The Norman Transcript.
Sean Ely. "Pre-K among topics for Oklahoma education summit." July 19, 2009. NewsOK.
Steve Lackmyer. "Speakers at the Oklahoma Economic Summit on Early Childhood Investment tout early education." July 28, 2009. NewsOK.
Brian Brus. "Summit explores options." July 28, 2009. The Journal Record.
The Partnership is managed by:
The Pew Charitable Trusts
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