Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, July 1, 2017 – Oklahoma City Ballet is proud to announce four new board members for the 2017-2018 season. They will join the over twenty returning board members to complete the panel.
Incoming Board of Trustees President is Sally Nichols Starling. Mrs. Starling will transition into the role after assisting outgoing board president Scott Davis for two years. Mrs. Starling comes to Oklahoma City Ballet with many years of volunteer and board member experience, including Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum Board of Trustees, Leadership OKC Class 35, and the Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma. Her experience with the art of ballet is also considerable, having grown up in what is now the School of Oklahoma City Ballet, and performing in “The Nutcracker” for many years. One of Starling’s daughters has also been involved with the ballet in recent years.
In addition, Mrs. Starling’s father, and Devon Energy’s founder, Larry Nichols, served as OKC Ballet Board President from 1985-1986. Mr. Nichols has been a pillar of the community for many years, and active in organizations such as United Way, Arts Council of Oklahoma City, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, and Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.
“I am honored to be a second-generation President of the Oklahoma City Ballet Board,” said Starling. “Like my father, who was President in the 1980s, I believe that the entire Oklahoma City community benefits from a thriving and successful ballet company.”
Starling and Nichols serve as co-chairs for the Turning Pointe Comprehensive Capital Campaign that was launched in January. The campaign was started when the opportunity presented itself to purchase the facility at 6800 North Classen Boulevard.
Under Starling, D. Benham Kirk of Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson LLP will be the new President-Elect. He will take the helm at the conclusion of Starling’s tenure in July of 2019.
Nancy Hyde of Hyde & Company, CPA will continue as Treasurer, Libby Nelson as Secretary, and Scott Davis of Scott Cleaners/ Magic Services will assist Starling as Past President in an advisory role.
Joining the Executive Committee are Jeff Blake of Gumerson Blake Design & Build, Sandy Cotton of Cotton Consulting, LeAnn Harmon of Nancy Larson Publishers, Michael Laird of Crowe & Dunlevy, P.C., and Courtney Melton of Derrick & Briggs.
New additions to the Board of Directors are The Honorable Vicki Miles-LaGrange, United States District Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma, Lisa Mullen of Lotocka, LLC, Cindi Shelby of Worth New York, and Nazette Zuhdi-Cleaver of The Christensen Law Firm.
They join the current roster of 23 returning board members that will take an active role in the newly launched Capital Campaign that will fund the renovations and the planned endowment for the Ballet’s recently acquired, state-of-the-art facility on Classen Boulevard.