Board of Directors

Jeff Berrong, Chair.  A resident of Weatherford, Berrong is a third-generation owner in his family’s independent insurance agency, Ed Berrong Insurance Agency, Inc., which has been in business since 1948 and now has locations in Weatherford and Edmond.  He received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Oklahoma in 2004.  Before returning home to western Oklahoma in 2006, Jeff served as a field representative for former Oklahoma Congressman Dan Boren. He is very involved in his community where he has served on the board of directors of the Great Plains Family YMCA, the Weatherford Rotary Club, the Weatherford Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Weatherford Industrial Trust.  Jeff has enjoyed a lifelong interest in public policy, government, and politics and was a candidate for the Oklahoma State Senate District 38 seat in 2018.

Kelsey Karper, Vice Chair. Karper is an Oklahoma City-based curator, artist, and project manager, and she was a co-founder for the Factory Obscura art collaborative in Oklahoma City. As a curator, Karper focuses on projects that build community and create new opportunities for artists. She previously served as Associate Director of the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, and she works as an independent project manager, helping organizations with research and planning. 

Ashley Harris Philippsen, Secretary. Philippsen serves as ImpactTulsa’s Senior Director of Community Engagement and Advocacy where she partners with teams to drive policy, systems-change, and programs that create sustainable outcomes for students in the Greater Tulsa area. She is a systems, culture, and equity coach with more than a decade of experience in education, leadership development, civic engagement, and school and curriculum design. Her previous professional experience includes  Executive Director at Met Cares, Managing Director of Teacher Leadership Development at Teach For America, Founding Dean of Students at YES Prep Public Schools, and Deputy Chief of Community Development and Policy at the City of Tulsa. She graduated with honors from the University of Oklahoma.

Sarah Brune Edwards, Treasurer. Edwards is an attorney and Of Counsel with Hartzog Conger Cason in Oklahoma City. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform, Inc., Oklahoma Justice Action Inc., and Citizens for Children & Families, Inc. Sarah recently assisted the Civil Legal Clinic at the University of Oklahoma College of Law as a visiting professor, and is a former attorney and Director with Crowe & Dunlevy; former Deputy General Counsel for the Office of Governor Brad Henry; and former attorney for the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Sarah is active in Oklahoma County Child Welfare initiatives, as well as criminal legal system reform. She received the Alma Wilson Award from the Oklahoma Bar Association in 2022 for her work to help Oklahoma families and children. Sarah worked with local and national coalition members to help pass State Questions 780 and 781 in 2016, and was the president for State Question 805 in 2020.

Caroline Guerra Wolf is an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Tulsa. She formerly worked as Assistant Professor of Legal Writing at the University of Tulsa College of Law and was a judicial law clerk for Chief Judge John E. Dowdell of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma. She is a 2014 alumna of OK Policy’s Oklahoma Summer Policy Institute, which she attended as a law student at the University of Tulsa. Before law school, she worked for the Tulsa City Council as a council aide and as a Spanish dual language immersion kindergarten teacher through Teach for America. 

Rodger T. Kerr has served as the President and CEO of the Altus Chamber of Commerce since 2018. Before joining the chamber, he served nearly 27 years with the Southwest Technology Center, including more than six years as its Chief Operating Officer. He graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics, and he also earned a Master of Business Administration from Baker College and a Master of Education from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. 

Roger Knak has served as the CEO of Fairview Regional Medical Center for 16 years. Knak started his medical career after working as a professional firefighter paramedic and then rose through the profession to hospital management. He was named the Rural Health Leader of the Year in 2017 by the Rural Health Association of Oklahoma. Before joining Fairview Regional Medical Center, he served as CEO of Russell Regional Hospital in Russell, Kansas, where he previously served as its Director of Emergency Services and Chief Operating Officer. He earned an Associate Degree in Nursing from the University of the State of New York and a Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management and a Master of Business Administration, both from Friends University. 

Mike Woods is a retired professor of agricultural economics at Oklahoma State University. As a professor, Woods focused on rural economic development research, teaching, and outreach, traveling the state and working with community leaders. He served as department head for 12 years. Woods is active in his community serving on the board of directors for the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce, the Public Library , the Lions Club, and the Stillwater Community Foundation. Woods served a term as an elected member of the Stillwater Public School Board. He is a member of the Payne County Sales Tax Oversight Committee.