WHO WE ARE

In 1983, the National Commission on Excellence in Education released a report stating, “The educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a Nation and a people.” In the aftermath of the report, public school foundations began forming across the nation, including the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation, which was established in 1984.

Ray Potts, the Foundation’s first chairman, and its governing body of 22 trustees laid the groundwork for many of the Foundation’s lasting collaborations with the district, and by the 1990s, the Foundation’s role in creating a bridge between the community and the district was firmly established.

Throughout the years, the Foundation has made strategic pivots to align with the needs of the District. Today, the Foundation continues its ongoing effort to develop and support programs that improve education for the children of Oklahoma City and to elevate its critical role in connecting the resources of the community to the needs of students and teachers in Oklahoma City Public Schools. Our mission: to advance excellence, advocate for equity, and build strong community support for Oklahoma City Public Schools has never been more important.

Board of Directors

Board Chair

KOCO

Chair Elect
Tana Cashion

Devon Energy Corp.

Vice Chair
Brooke Townsend

Blue Cross Blue Shield

Treasurer
Charles Holland

BancFirst

Toni Allen

Gladstone & Main PR

Katy Boren

Cox Communication

Stephen Butler

The Butlers Did It, LLC

Jason Constable

AT&T

Lisa Dodson

Bank of Oklahoma

Jimmy Duncan

OU Health

Courtney Franklin

Love’s Travel Stops and Country Stores

Rafael Garcia

American Fidelity

Matt Garner

Chesapeake

Carla Harry

First United Bank

Kelli Hayward Walsh

OG&E Energy Corp.

Brenda Hernandez

Tango PR

Justin Lawrence

OK Shirt Company

Megan Muir

EDGE Productions

Shani Nealy

Urban League

Cathy O’Connor

Coalign Group

Erin Oldfield

OKC Thunder

Jaclyn Pyle

Oklahoma Natural Gas

Jodi Sanchez

Lopez Dorada Foods

Wendi Schuur

Bank of America

Jabar Shumate

It’s My Community Initiative

Advisory Board

John Baker

John A. Marshall Co.

Kevin Gordon

Crowe & Dunlevy

James Johnson

David Kimmel

LSB Industries

Nathan Shirley

Compellier

Glenna Tanenbaum

Gardner Tanenbaum Holdings

Tommy Thompson

4 Feathers Consulting Inc.

Gary Tredway

American Fidelity

Dr. Subha Varahan

The Oklahoma Heart Hospital

Clint Williams

Brooke Johnson

Paycom

Lauren Doyle

CASA of Oklahoma County

Katy Saint

American Fidelity

Maggie Shaffer

Alzheimer’s Association

La’Daesha DuBose

Greater OKC Chamber

Jess Eddy

Live Free OKC

Bradley Fritch

The University of Oklahoma

Austin Hamm

Box Law Group, PLLC

Mady Hendryx

Arts Council OKC

Cesar Holguin

Small Business Dev Center

Caleb Janssen

OKCPS

Matt Kaufmann

First United Bank

Halsey Musselman

DICK’S Sporting Goods

Brook Price

LifeShare Network

Rylee Sisney

BOK Financial

Ex-officio Members

Mayor David F. Holt

Mayor of Oklahoma City and Dean of the Oklahoma City University School of Law

Paula Lewis

Chair of the OKCPS Board of Education

Dr. Jamie Polk

OKCPS Superintendent

Rhonda Baker

Greater OKC Chamber

Jennifer Reyes-Garcia

2024-25 OKCPS District Teacher of the Year

Meet Our Team

Kendra Horn

PRESIDENT & CEO

Read More About Kendra

Kendra S. Horn is a visionary leader and dedicated advocate for public education and community-driven solutions. As President and CEO, Kendra leads efforts to advance excellence in education, support innovative classroom initiatives and build strong partnerships that uplift OKCPS students, educators and families.

A fifth-generation Oklahoman and proud product of Oklahoma public schools, Kendra brings a deep understanding of the connection between education, building strong communities and workforce development. Her career is defined by service, impact and collaboration.

As a former Congresswoman representing Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District, she earned recognition for her bipartisan approach, securing over $1.6 billion in relief for Oklahoma businesses, advocating for military families and strengthening federal oversight for space and aeronautics programs as Chair of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee.

Kendra’s experience spans nonprofit management, government relations and strategic advocacy. She is known for bringing people together to solve challenges and deliver meaningful, measurable results.

Kendra earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Tulsa and a Juris Doctor from SMU Dedman School of Law. A lifelong Girl Scout and Gold Award recipient, she is passionate about creating opportunities that build stronger communities and empowering future leaders.

Newt Brown

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & OPERATIONS

Read More About Newt

Newt Brown currently serves as the Director of Finance & Operations for the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation and has been with The Foundation since 2011 when he was hired as Accounting Manager.  In this role at The Foundation Newt performs, coordinates or oversees all duties related to HR, payroll, accounting and IT.  Newt is a native of Norman, OK where he graduated from Norman High School and attended the University of Oklahoma obtaining a B.M.E in Vocal Music Education, magna cum laude.

He began his career in the private sector working in restaurant management, customer service, accounting & HR and after approximately 10 years transitioned to the non-profit sector in 2010.  When not at The Foundation, Newt enjoys singing, travel, cooking/entertaining and spending time with family and friends.  He shares his home with two ornery cats, Erwin & Cody, which adopted him and mostly keep him out of trouble. 

Abbie Vaughan

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS & COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Read More About Abbie

Abbie Vaughan currently serves as the Senior Director of Programs & Community Outreach for the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation. She has been with the Foundation since 2018 when she was hired as the Administrative Assistant/ReadOKC Coordinator. Abbie is a native Oklahoman and a product of Oklahoma City Public Schools, a graduate of the International Baccalaureate program at Classen School of Advanced Studies.

She has worked in the non-profit sector since graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2014. She graduated from UCO with dual degrees in Outdoor and Community Recreation and Exercise/Fitness Management. Outside of work, you’ll find her cooking and hosting parties for friends and family, practicing yoga, and spending time with her husband Clay and their Bernese Mountain Dog, Norah.

Rachel Davis

Readokc & communications manager

Read More About Rachel

Rachel Davis serves as the ReadOKC and Communications Manager for the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation. In this role, she oversees ReadOKC programming including Reading Challenges, Reading Buddies & Book Clubs, and Access to Reading Materials. Rachel works closely with team members to plan Foundation Events, develop community partnerships, and make reading materials readily accessible to children in Oklahoma City Public Schools. She is also responsible for organizing communications materials for the organization.

Rachel was born and raised in Oklahoma, graduating from Duncan High School, then earning her bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Oklahoma State University in 2014, and a bachelor’s in Fine Art from the University of Oklahoma in 2020. Rachel has experience working in the non-profit sector since 2020, and is proud to be returning to Oklahoma to serve the Oklahoma City community.  Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, going on walks, and starting new art projects.

Caiti Brumley

COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENTS MANAGER

Read More About Caiti

Caiti serves as the Community Outreach Events Manager for the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation. In this role, she oversees Percy and Stella, our ReadOKC On the Go! book buses. She was born and raised in the Oklahoma City metro, but moved to Seattle for several years while holding a couple of positions in the concert industry, where she ultimately landed in the non-profit sector in 2022. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Music Business with a focus of live events from Full Sail University in early 2023. After moving back to her home state, Caiti was able to find the most perfect fit with Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation by combining her passions for reading and learning with her professional experience in event management. Outside of work, you can find Caiti reading, painting, or front row of any local concert. She also loves playing video games with her husband Daniel and hanging out with her two rescue pups, Abbey & George.

Mia Rojo

Pipeline Programs Manager

Read More About Mia

Mia Rojo serves on the team at the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation as the Pipelines Program Manager. In this role, she serves as manager/liaison/coordinator of all faces of the Bilingual and Diversity Teacher Pipeline programs, High School to Teacher Pipeline Program and the Bilingual and Diversity Aspiring Administrator Pipeline Programs.  Mia is a native of Mexico City but has been living in the United States since high school and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma.

Upon completing her Master’s degree in Adult and Higher Education she found that her passion is education and wants to help first generation students and adults achieve their educational goals. Outside of work, you will find her reading, crafting and organizing her schedule based on the activities of her teenager, and spending time with family and their Pomeranian dog, Becker. 

Karrie Reiswig

Finance & Operations Specialist 

Read More About Karrie

Karrie Reiswig serves as the Finance and Operations Specialist for the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation. She joined the team in August of 2022. In this role at the Foundation, Karrie supports the Director of Finance and Operations with bookkeeping and other projects. Karrie is a native of Oklahoma where she raised two awesome children.

She comes to the Foundation after 20 years spent in quick service restaurant management roles, with the last 11 served at Chick-fil-A as the Director of Drive-Thru Operations. There, she polished her skills in systems creation, customer service, and creative problem-solving, which she looks forward to using in new ways to support the Foundation’s mission. Outside of work, Karrie can be found trying out new recipes with her son, Face-timing with her daughter at school, or reading the kind of mystery/thriller book that you just have to finish in one night.

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