Author: GTD Group (Page 17 of 23)

CoCo Jernigan Lyle
Author of Letters from England
Air Date, August 12, 2012

Conita ”CoCo” Jernigan Lyle graduated from the University of Arkansas with a BA in Sociology and Government. She is a Life Loyal Member of Tri Delta Sorority. Her Elementary Education Certification is from Texas Tech University. Conita has traveled extensively in Europe, Russia, Asia, South America, and Canada. Her interests include music, the Classic Standards and the Jazz of the 1950s and ’60s, oil painting, gourmet cooking, genealogy, and aerobic exercise. She has lived in Dallas, Texas, since 1965.

Senator David Holt
Oklahoma Senate District 30
Air Date, August 5, 2012

State Senator David Holt represents the 30th District of Oklahoma, which includes portions of Northwest Oklahoma City, Bethany, Warr Acres and The Village. David is a fourth-generation Oklahoman whose conservative values, experience, and deep roots make him uniquely qualified to serve. He was elected on July 27, 2010 with 64 percent of the vote in the Republican primary and was unopposed in the general election. He took office on November 16, 2010.

In the Senate, David serves in Leadership as Majority Caucus Vice-Chair. He serves as Vice-Chair of the Senate Business and Commerce Committee, and Vice Chair of the Senate Redistricting Committee, responsible for Central Oklahoma. He also serves on the Senate Education, Transportation, and Rules committees, the Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services and the Joint Legislative Water Committee.

Senate Career

In his first session in 2011, David emerged as a vocal advocate for taxpayers, leading efforts to restore taxpayer control over local government expenditures and to lower the Oklahoma income tax. David also established a reputation as an effective legislator, successfully shepherding multiple pieces of legislation into law.

David was the primary author of several pieces of legislation that were signed into law. Those included bills to facilitate prosecution of sex offenders, to make grand prix racing possible in Oklahoma, to change the 2012 presidential primary to March, to reform the disposition of surplus county property, and to name the Interstate 44 bridge over the Red River after President George W. Bush.

David also co-authored several pieces of legislation that became law, including bills to allow Oklahomans to consider lowering their property tax, to reform the state education board, to reform workers compensation, to encourage common education scholarships, to improve foster care, to encourage the aerospace industry, to require grading of schools, and to eliminate the social promotion of third-graders that cannot read.

Background

David was raised in Northwest Oklahoma City, attending Putnam City Schools from kindergarten through graduation. His path of public service led him first to the U.S. Capitol, where he served House Speaker Dennis Hastert during 9/11. David then spent two years in the White House of President George W. Bush before returning home as Oklahoma’s coordinator to re-elect the President in 2004.

David then served U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe and Lt. Governor Mary Fallin before becoming Chief of Staff to Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett in 2006, where he served until his election to the Oklahoma State Senate.

Community Involvement

A tireless volunteer, David has been a member of many organizations, including the following:

• Putnam City Schools Foundation Board of Directors
• Oklahoma County Republican Party Executive Committee
• Oklahoma Republican Party State Committee
• Northwest Oklahoma City Chamber Board of Directors
• Oklahoma State Chamber Congressional Activities Committee
• Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum Foundation Board of Trustees
• Oklahoma Municipal League Legislative Committee
• Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park Board President
• Oklahoma City Downtown Club Board of Directors
• Quail Creek Homeowner’s Association Board of Directors
• Allied Arts Board of Directors
• Cultural Development Corporation of Central Oklahoma
• ACM@UCO Business Development Center Advisory Board
• Oklahoma City Zoo Trust
• Arts Commission of Oklahoma City
• Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority Board of Trustees
• Lake Atoka Reservation Association Managing Board
• McGee Creek Authority
• Oklahoma Olympic Engagement Committee
• Big 12 Basketball and Baseball Championships Host Committees
• Oklahoma Academy for State Goals
• Leadership Oklahoma City Alumni Association
• American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)
• Council of State Governments
• National Conference of State Legislatures

David is also a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma City Class XXVI. He was named “40 Under 40” by OKC Business News in 2006 and an “Achiever Under 40” by The Journal Record in 2010. A longtime grassroots Republican activist, David has attended two Republican National Conventions as a member of the Oklahoma delegation.

Personal Life

David holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from George Washington University, and a Juris Doctor from the Oklahoma City University School of Law. He is an attorney with Williams, Box, Forshee & Bullard in downtown Oklahoma City and an adjunct professor at Oklahoma City University. David is also the author of the 2012 book Big League City: Oklahoma City’s Rise to the NBA.

David and his wife Rachel, a former Oklahoma County prosecutor, married in 2003. They have two children, George and Margaret. The Holts are members of St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church. David is a member of the Osage Nation.

Committee Membership

Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services
Business and Commerce – Vice Chair
Education
Redistricting – Central Oklahoma Vice Chair
Rules
Transportation
Joint Water Committee

Salvatore Tagliareni
Author of Hitler’s Priest
Air Date, July 29, 2012

Salvatore Tagliareni is a storyteller,writer business consultant ,art dealer and former catholic priest. For over twenty five years he has successfully engaged private and public companies in their search for outstanding performance. A gifted speaker he is blessed with a great sense of humor and can invigorate an audience with his insights on life and  He was profoundly influenced by his relationship with Dr.Viktor Frankl the author of Man’s Search for Meaning.

Steve Reifman
Author of Chase Against Time
Air Date, July 22, 2012

Steve Reifman has been an elementary school teacher for the past 17 years. After earning his Master’s degree in education and teaching credential at UCLA in 1994, he began his career teaching first grade for two years at Loyola Village Elementary (part of the Los Angeles Unified School District) in Westchester, CA.

During this time Steve discovered the work of W. Edwards Deming and William Glasser and developed a passion for Quality Theory and its implications for teaching and learning in the classroom. He threw himself into the literature, took numerous courses, and created his own philosophical framework. In 1996 he began sharing his ideas with fellow educators through a UCLA Extension course entitled “The Eight Keys to Classroom Quality.” UCLA Extension still offers this course annually in an online format. In 2008 Corwin Press published Steve’s work under the title Eight Essentials for Empowered Teaching and Learning, K-8: Bringing out the Best in Your Students.

Steve’s eight principles comprise a comprehensive approach to organizing and managing classrooms at every level. His philosophical framework encourages educators to embrace quality as the number one priority in their classrooms and describes how to create a productive, enthusiastic team-oriented environment where students are likely to thrive. In his book Steve emphasizes the importance of clear goals, parent involvement, continuous improvement, and intrinsic motivation, and he explains how teachers can create the conditions where students work exceptionally hard, understand the purposes of their learning, experience joy, hold themselves to high personal standards, find meaning in their work, and develop the habits of mind and habits of character that will empower them to live fulfilling lives and contribute to society.

After moving to Roosevelt School in Santa Monica, CA in 1996, Steve continued to develop his teaching philosophy – learning, innovating, and adapting to meet the needs of his students and empower them to reach higher levels of academic success. Class and Personal Mission Statements, The Tower of Opportunity, Student Leaders, and the Quote of the Day are just some of the hallmarks of his approach that have enjoyed great success at Roosevelt and beyond. In addition, since his move to Roosevelt, Steve has earned National Board Certification and traveled to Japan as a Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholar.

More recently, Steve has developed a passion for brain research and its implications for improving teaching and learning in the classroom. Again, Steve has thrown himself into the literature, presented four times at the annual Cal Poly Elementary Physical Education Workshop in San Luis Obispo, CA, and developed a workshop series for teachers in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. His new book project Rock Your Students’ World features over a hundred strategies and ideas Steve has gathered, adapted, and created over the past few years to help children become more successful and more enthusiastic learners. With a special emphasis on movement, music, and storytelling strategies, the ideas contained in Rock Your Students’ World promise to take student learning to a new level.

Carolyn Berry
Author, Buster Tells It All: Stories From Pony Creek Ranch
Air Date, June 17, 2012

Carolyn Berry was born in Dallas and is a life-long Texan. Her blended family — including four sons, one daughter and two daughters-in-law — has given her the true blessing of being called “Mom.” Her husband, Jim, is the “love of her life and the light of her night.” Jim shared his dream at Pony Creek Ranch and opened the door for Carolyn to share her love of animals. Her involvement with zoos, schools, humane societies, Operation Kindness and other organizations has given Carolyn the opportunity to experience the deep respect that can be forged between man and animal, which can make the world a better place.

Linda Gilleland
Author, Former School Teacher
Air Date, June 10, 2012

Linda Gilleland grew up in an agricultural family and graduated from college with a dual degree in sociology and elementary education. She has always loved the outdoors and animals horses in particular. The first and most loved book that she ever owned was Bambi, and as a young girl she was always bringing home stray animals. Originally, Linda wanted to write this story as a gift for her granddaughter, Grace. She wanted Grace to remember her legacy of agricultural life and how life used to be on the farm as Grace grew older and started her own family. Through this story, Linda wanted Grace to remember what life is really all about. This faith in love, kindness, and friendship between people and animals can be carried over into our individual lives and will give all of us, in time, many opportunities to make life nicer for someone else. So, with the encouragement of her husband and friends, Linda became an unintended author.

Charles Daniels and Shane Jewell
OK Mozart Festival
Air Date, June 3, 2012

OK MOZART’s mission is to bring the highest quality professional musical and cultural experience to the citizens of the Bartlesville area, state of Oklahoma and the mid-America region of the United States by producing a multi-day festival with professional orchestra musicians, concert artists and musical performances of artistic excellence for an event with international significance.

Each individual concert is an integral part of the larger annual Festival event, which also features activities of historical, architectural and cultural significance to the Bartlesville area. These are complementary Showcase Events designed to entertain and educate Festival attendees during the non-concert hours.

The Festival also promotes international cultural exchange with music capitals of the world. It works with educational institutions at all levels, and offers services that are necessary to enrich the cultural options available in the immediate area, state and region.

U.S. Rep. Ernest Istook
Former U.S. Congressman, Distinguished Fellow at The Heritage Foundation
Air Date, May 27, 2012

Ernest J. Istook Jr. brings extensive congressional experience to bear on public policy issues as a Distinguished Fellow at The Heritage Foundation.

Istook served 14 years in the U.S. House of Representatives before joining Heritage in 2007.

In Congress, representing Oklahoma’s 5th District, he engaged in a wide and robust range of issues as a member of the Appropriations Committee –where he chaired multiple subcommittees– and the Homeland Security Committee.

Istook delved into budget and spending issues in general as well as subjects such as transportation, trade, defense, health care, education, labor, financial services, homeland security and religious liberty. He was a founder of the re-established Republican Study Committee, the principal conservative caucus in the House.

Istook, a frequent fill-in host for several major national talk radio programs, writes weekly opinion columns for outlets that include Newsmax, Human Events and The Daily Caller. His daily radio commentaries are heard on more than 80 radio stations. He is a regular guest on network and cable news and commentary programs.

In 2010, Istook was selected as a Fellow for the Institute of Politics at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Istook is a former practicing attorney whose background also includes journalism. He served 25 years in elected office –from city council to the Oklahoma state legislature to the U.S. House. He first won public office after moving to Oklahoma in 1972 from his native Fort Worth, Texas.

Istook, the grandson of Hungarian immigrants, successfully sought the Republican nomination for Oklahoma governor in 2006 rather than an eighth term in Congress. He lost his challenge to the Democratic incumbent.

The first college graduate in the Istook family tree, he holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Baylor University and a law degree from Oklahoma City University. His community activities include the Boy Scouts of America, where he served several years as a scoutmaster.

Istook and his wife, Judy, have five adult children and are active in church work. They live in Alexandria, Va., though he still considers himself an Oklahoman.