Oklahoma Farm Bureau members will have an opportunity to attend a variety of educational breakout sessions Nov. 10 during the organization’s 76th annual meeting in Norman, Oklahoma. The sessions will cover popular issues facing agriculture and rural Oklahoma and will begin following Friday’s opening general session. Learn about the breakout session speakers below.
RURAL EDUCATION
Brent Bushey – Executive Director, Oklahoma Public Schools Resource Center
As executive director, Brent Bushey is helping to establish the Oklahoma Public Schools Resource Center and is responsible for building relationships with school leaders while also focusing on recruiting and hiring the OPSRC’s staff. This position is a return to his career “roots” as he began his career as a teacher in the New Orleans public schools on behalf of Teach for America and also served Teach for America as national recruitment director. Prior to joining the OPSRC, Brent served as a program manager with the federal government.
Rep. Mike Rogers – Chairman, Oklahoma House Common Education Committee
Rep. Mike Rogers serves the people of Oklahoma’s House District 98, which consists of parts of Tulsa and Wagoner counties. Rogers was appointed as House Common Education Committee chairman by House Speaker Charles McCall in December 2016. He previously served as vice-chair of the committee. The Broken Arrow native was first elected in 2014.
RURAL HEALTHCARE
Dr. Kayse Shrum – President, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences
President Shrum is a native Oklahoman who earned her doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. She joined the medical school faculty at OSU Center for Health Sciences in 2002 and served as chair of the Department of Pediatrics from 2004 – 2011.
During her tenure, she has made addressing the healthcare workforce shortage in rural Oklahoma a top priority for OSU-CHS. A fervent champion of rural health and primary care medicine, President Shrum led the strategic efforts to create a sustainable rural primary care physician pipeline program, which starts with rural high school outreach programs and culminates with rural-based residency training programs. President Shrum launched award-winning high school recruiting programs like Operation Orange and Blue Coat to White Coat, established the Rural Medical Track (a rural-focused medical curriculum), and expanded the number of residency training programs in Oklahoma by securing a $3.8 million grant from the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust and a $5.6 million grant from the Oklahoma Health Care Authority.
Brett Coble – Board President, Oklahoma Association of Healthcare Providers
Brett Coble is the vice president of Elmbrook Management Company and oversees the daily operations of seven skilled nursing and assisted living facilities in southern Oklahoma. Additionally, Coble currently serves as the president of the board of the Oklahoma Association of Health Care Providers which represents nearly two-thirds of the state’s nursing homes. In 2012, Coble was appointed by the governor to the Oklahoma State Board of Examiners for Long Term Care Administrators, the agency responsible for licensing nursing home, assisted living, residential care, and adult day care administrators. Cable and his family live in Ardmore. He is a graduate of Oklahoma State University.
Ted Haynes – President, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma
Ted Haynes is responsible for all Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma operations, including sales and account management, network management, health care management, medical policy and external affairs. BCBSOK is the state’s oldest and largest private health insurer.
Prior to assuming his current position in 2012, Haynes had served as vice president of Health Care Delivery for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, with responsibility for health care provider networks, provider services, pharmacy programs and Medicaid operations. Haynes earned a bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University and a master’s degree in Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management from Southern Methodist University.
OIL & GAS
Terry Stowers – Executive Director, Coalition of Oklahoma Surface and Mineral Owners
Terry Stowers is one of the principal shareholders in the law firm of Burns & Stowers, P.C. The firm has been widely recognized as one of the leading legal firms representing the rights of Oklahoma’s surface and mineral owners for over 30 years. He also serves as the executive director for the Coalition of Oklahoma Surface and Mineral Owners, which works to protect the rights of Oklahoma’s surface and minerals owners at the Capitol and Oklahoma Corporation Commission, and often files briefs with the Oklahoma Supreme Court on important legal issues related to surface and mineral owner issues as a “friend of the court”.
Find more details about the OKFB Annual meeting here.
