Susan Savage had a remarkable career of progressive advancement in municipal government before being appointed, in January 2003, to her current position as Oklahoma Secretary of State. Her municipal service began in 1974, when she became a pre-trial representative for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas after graduation from Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania. Mary Susan Savage's career eventually led to becoming the first woman to serve as Mayor of Tulsa, a position she held for almost 10 years, the longest tenure of any mayor of that city.
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Larry Joseph Shelton began his municipal government career in November 1982 as Assistant City Manager in Guthrie. This position followed 12 years in private sector engineering or county planning and development jobs. He retired June 30, 2011, after 20 years as the city manager of Chickasha. He now resides in Norman. Larry served in city management positions for nearly 30 years, including stints in Maumelle, Arkansas, and Chandler, Oklahoma. He is one of the few individuals to receive the highest honors granted by both the Oklahoma Municipal League and the City Management Association of Oklahoma. As such he is a past recipient of the Don Rider Award from OML and the Gerald Wilkins Award from CMAO.
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Jeff served 26 years on the City Council of Poteau Oklahoma, the first six as a councilmember and the next twenty as mayor. He is the recipient of the 2006 Oklahoma Mayor of the Year for Large Cities presented by the Oklahoma Conference of Mayors.
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Widely recognized for his leadership in law enforcement professional development, Edward Leonard Smith hoped in 1973 simply to become a Seminole police officer upon graduation from the local junior college. He wasn’t hired. But now 35 years later, after having served in eight other Oklahoma municipal police departments - and as Chief in seven of them – he is now Chief in Seminole. Ed later earned his Master in Criminal Justice Administration degree from Oklahoma City University.
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Thousands of dedicated Oklahoman's have helped to build the 589 great hometowns in our state over the past century. The Hall of Fame Foundation Board early realized that one of their most difficult tasks would be to determine whether to induct some of these municipal officials posthumously. For this first induction, Dr. Charles F. Spencer is deemed to be a person deserving such recognition, even though he passed away in 1989. Dr. Spencer is perhaps best recognized for his over 23 years as President of East Central State University in Ada. He graduated from East Central in 1928 and then received his Master's degree the next year from OU.
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Her career began in 1979 after graduation from Oklahoma State University when she was hired as a clerk in the trust department at what was then known as Liberty National Bank and Trust. Bank officers had helped officials from OML and several cities to establish the Oklahoma Municipal Retirement Fund. Her community spirit, can-do-attitude, and compassion helped her advance quickly through promotions at the bank.
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It’s been stated that Craig Stephenson is thoughtful, fair-minded and his character above reproach. He strives to make a meaningful contribution to every task he undertakes. Craig is an achiever in all categories and is a servant to his lord, his family, and his community. He has a very sensitive understanding of people and knows how to cultivate relationships and get things done with the proper techniques and unsolicited cooperation to achieve the goals.
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