Leroy Lage
A humble and dedicated public servant for the past 48 years, who always give credit to his “team”, never to himself, is a theme that resonated throughout the nomination form and support letters for inductee Leroy Herman Lage. Although he “retired” in 2000, this Watonga native continues to serve his hometown today as City Treasurer - a position to which he was first elected in 1994. He was elected Treasurer while also serving as the Finance Director and Light and Water Commissioner for the city for a total of 41 years from 1959 to 2000. And for the past 29 years, he has represented the Watonga-Geary-Calumet area as a trustee for the Pioneer Telephone Cooperative, the third-largest such cooperative in the country.
Two common themes that have distinguished Leroy’s municipal career are essential qualities for an electric utility. Those two qualities are being prepared and being dependable, qualities which he mastered and demonstrated repeatedly in his professional skills. As one person wrote, “his regular attendance could be depended upon. In times of disaster, his crews were ready to be of assistance to others, and in times of legislative need, he was always ready to make a call.”
Throughout his career over the past 43 years, Leroy was tapped to serve on numerous local, state, regional, and national boards and posts, especially where his leadership skills and financial acumen were needed to move organizations forward. Even today as a retiree, he continues to serve -
on the boards for the Oklahoma Municipal League, the Northwest Oklahoma Development Association, the Oklahoma Municipal Retirement Fund, the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association, and the National Telecommunications Cooperative Insurance Trust.
In addition, he is the chairman of the Oklahoma Municipal Service Corporation and was appointed by Governor Henry to the State Geographic Information Council.
Leroy is credited with helping to expand MESO services to include Depart of Labor certified lineman apprentice training, on-site drug testing services, supervisory training, and on-site training for administrative personnel. As an early visionary for the Oklahoma Municipal Retirement Fund, Leroy helped to create the fund and was instrumental in Watonga becoming one of the charter members in 1966.
He has been honored for his public service many times by numerous local, regional, and state organizations. Highlighting these honors, he was twice recognized by MESO, first with the MECO Outstanding Service Award and later with the Ray Duffy Personal Service Award for outstanding career contributions to municipal power systems.