(Oklahoma City – August 14, 2008) The Oklahoma Bar Association announces the 28 participants of its inaugural Leadership Academy class selected from applicants throughout the state.

“I am excited about the opportunities this academy will showcase to our state’s attorneys,” said OBA President Bill Conger of Oklahoma City. “Through this program, the participants will learn how to communicate and motivate more effectively leading to greater success not only in law, but also in service to professional, political, judicial, civic and community organizations.”

The OBA Leadership Academy originated from the OBA’s Leadership Conference in 2007.

The leadership academy will differ in that it offers four sessions making it a more extensive leadership program. The academy is set to begin in the early fall of 2008 and continue through May 2009.

The selected OBA Leadership Academy participants are: Ardmore, Carrie E. Hixon of the Office of the District Attorney; Bartlesville, Tanayia Hubler of Hubler & Reynolds Law Office and Russell Vaclaw, Washington County associate district judge; Bristow, Lauren Allison of the Law Office of Lauren Lester Allison; Cordell, Megan Simpson of the Washita County District Attorney’s Office; Edmond, Melinda L. Alizadeh-Fard of Melinda L. Alizadeh-Fard; Enid, Robert Faulk of Faulk Law Firm PLLC; Guymon, Cory Hicks of Field & Hicks PLLC; Muskogee, Justin Stout of Wright, Stout & Wilburn; Oklahoma City, Lindsey Andrews of Echols & Associates; Todd W. Blasdel of Rowland & Blasdel PLLC; Anthony L. Bonner Jr. of Cathcart & Dooley; Christine Cave of Oklahoma Attorneys Mutual Insurance Co.; Tina Izadi of the Office of the Attorney General; Annette Jacobi of the Oklahoma State Department of Health; LeAnne McGill of Cathy Christensen PC; Richard Rose of Mahaffey & Gore PC; Christian Szlichta of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and Jeff Trevillion of the City of Oklahoma City; Stillwater, Deborah Scott Pappas of D. Scott Pappas, Attorney at Law; Tahlequah, Diane A. Hammons of the Cherokee Nation; and Tulsa, Kimberly Hays of Kimberly K. Hays PLLC; Lindsay McDowell of Rhodes, Hieronymus, Jones, Tucker & Gable; Sharisse O’Carroll of O’Carroll & O’Carroll; Amber Peckio-Garrett of Garrett Law Office PC; Briana Ross of Guaranty Abstract Co.; Robert Raymond Snow of Snow Law Firm PLLC and Jennifer White of Eldridge Cooper Steichen & Leach PLLC.

Alternates for the academy are Jennifer Kirkpatrick, Nancy Winans-Garrison, Wade Gungoll, Oklahoma City; and Melissa Cornell, Tulsa.

Along with many leadership training activities, Champions for Growth Founder Chuck Gold will present at the academy. Gold will provide assistance and professional growth to the participants in their efforts of building teamwork, success and leadership while teaching them how to keep their newly acquired skills.

The 16,000-member Oklahoma Bar Association, headquartered in Oklahoma City, was created by the Oklahoma Supreme Court to advance the administration of justice and to foster and maintain learning, integrity, competence, public service and high standards of conduct among Oklahoma’s legal community.