OKPOLICY.ORG
On January 30th, Oklahoma Policy Institute will celebrate its fifth anniversary with a dinner at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa. Two of Oklahoma’s most venerable statesmen, Robert LaFortune of Tulsa and Melvin Moran of Seminole, will receive the OK Policy Good Cents/Good Sense Award for their lifetimes of civic engagement based on respectful political dialogue, sound fiscal stewardship, and concern for the less fortunate.
Individual tickets for the event are $100 apiece and are now available online or by calling 918-794-3944. The event will begin with cocktails at 6:30; the dinner and awards ceremony begin at 7:00 pm. Musical accompaniment will be provided by a pair of supremely talented and accomplished local performers, Rebecca Ungerman and Jon Glazer. Dinner will be catered by the McNellie’s Group and will feature a range of cuisines from their various restaurants, including the Tavern, Yokozuna, and El Guapo’s. Dress is business casual.
Oklahoma Policy Institute is a state policy think-tank with a mission to promote adequate, fair, and fiscally responsible funding of public services and expanded opportunity for all Oklahomans. Established in 2008, OK Policy has gained widespread recognition among policymakers from both parties and the general public as a trusted source of policy information, analysis, and ideas. Our policy work focuses on state fiscal policy issues and issues of economic security, with a particular emphasis on the concerns and perspectives of low- and moderate-income Oklahomans.
Robert LaFortune served as Tulsa’s Commissioner of Streets and Public Safety from 1964-70 before winning election as Mayor of Tulsa in 1970. He served four two-year terms as Mayor before leaving office in 1978. A Tulsa native, he served in the United State Merchant Cadet Corps from 1945-46 and United States Air Force reserves from 1951 – 1962. Among his many honors, LaFortune has been elected to the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, Tulsa Hall of Fame, and Engineering Hall of Fame. In 1995, the University of Tulsa awarded him an honorary doctor of laws degree. LaFortune will be introduced at the dinner by his grandson G.T. Bynum, who currently chairs Tulsa’s City Council.
Melvin Moran is a former mayor of Seminole and a past president of the Seminole Chamber of Commerce. Moran moved to Seminole with his family as a young child; after serving two years in the U.S. Air Force in England, he and his wife Jasmine settled in Seminole, where Melvin took over his family business, becoming CEO of Moran Oil Enterprises and Moran-K Oil. He is member of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, Higher Education Hall of Fame, Seminole Hall of Fame, Tulsa Central Hall of Fame, and Oklahoma Oil Museum Hall of Fame. He and Jasmine co-founded the world-class Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum in Seminole. Moran will be introduced at the dinner by Judge Robert Henry, the current President of Oklahoma City University.
Click here to purchase tickets for the event or call us at 918-794-3944. Anyone wishing to purchase a table or half-table for the event should contact David Blatt at 918-794-3944 or dblatt@okpolicy.org.If you are unable to attend the event but wish to make a contribution in support of Oklahoma Policy Institute, you can do so through our secure website or by mailing a contribution to PO Box 14347, Tulsa, OK 74159.
