About the Board
The Central Oklahoma Workforce Innovation Board is a nonprofit organization incorporated under the laws of Oklahoma and recognized by the the Governor’s Council for Economic and Workforce Development, the State Workforce Investment Board, and the Governor as the proper body to carry out the purposes and functions of the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-128, July 22, 2014).
COWIB was established in compliance with the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-220, August 7, 1998 Enacted Workforce Development Legislation) to act as a full partner with local elected officials in setting policy and overseeing Workforce Investment Programs in the Workforce Investment Area.
Board Chief Elected Officials
County Commissioners from our nine-county area serve as Board Chief Elected Officials (BCEOs) tasked with overseeing the Board's operations and the final review of the Local Workforce Development Plan.
Lacey Dawson
Canadian County Commissioner
(District 2)
(405) 295-6200
DawsonL@canadiancounty.org
Rod Cleveland
Cleveland County Commissioner
(District 1)
(405) 366-0200
RCleveland@ClevelandCountyOK.com
Dwight Barnett
Hughes County Commissioner
(District 1)
(405) 379-2222
captfd@yahoo.com
Lee Doolen
Lincoln County Commissioner
(District 3)
(405) 919-4718
Lee.doolen@fibertell.com
Mark Sharpton
Logan County Commissioner
(District 1)
(405) 282-3581
marksharpton@sbcglobal.net
Mike Yocham
Okfuskee County Commissioner
(District 2)
(405) 786-2338
county-d2@okfuskee.org
John Pettis
Chief Deputy to Oklahoma Co. Commissioner Jason Lowe
(District 1)
(405) 713-1501
John.Pettis@oklahomacounty.org
Melissa Dennis—Chief LEO
Pottawatomie County Commissioner
(District 1)
(405) 273-1564
MDennis-PottCounty@sbcglobal.net
Gary Choate
Seminole County Commissioner
(District 1)
(405) 221-7735
district1@seminolecountyoklahoma.gov
Board Members
Robert Amundson
Tinker Air Force Base
Rob Arrington
Oklahoma Department of Veteran Affairs
Sheila Baber
Stan Tech
KeShana Braxton
OnCue Marketing, LLC
Richard Brown
Citizen Potawatomi Nation
Curtis Chambers
Oklahoma Building and Construction Trades Council
Aaron Collins
Metro Technology Center
Jeff Cover
Metro Library
Don Cox
OFS, Inc
Kathleen Davis
Cross Timbers Insurance Agency
Mike Goza
Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services
Tina Hanna
South Central Industries, Inc
Kristi Hunt
SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital
Kenny McDonald
Special Parts Manufacturing Inc
Chuck Mills
Mills Machine
Jessica Mollica
Hertz Corporation
Tim O'Conner
Central Oklahoma Labor Federation, AFL-CIO
Melissa Peros
Variety Care
Doralicia Sandoval
Oklahoma City Community College
Steve Saxon
City of Seminole and Seminole Economic Development
Dani Shields
Georg Gischer (Central Plastics)
Perry Sneed
Sheet Metal Workers Local 124
Bryce Thompson
Cord Construction Services
Alba Weaver
OG&E
Bradly Wilkerson
Oklahoma Employment Security Commission
Darci Williams
Sovereign Bank
Jill Zimmer
Guthrie Job Corps
Board Orientation Guide
The Central Oklahoma Workforce Innovation Board's Board of Directors Orientation Guide was developed in 2019 as a tool for board members to be better informed of nonprofit board roles, responsibilities and legal duties; the federal and state systems within which COWIB operates; COWIB bylaws, organizational structure, policies and procedures; and, helpful resources.