An enthusiastic crowd gathered at Gilcrease Museum on October 10th for the annual 2002 Community Service Council Awards Celebration.  Michael P. Evanson, President of the Council, welcomed the honorees and guests.  Lauren Brookey, CSC Board Member and Vice President for External Affairs, Tulsa Community College, served as Emcee.  CSC Executive Director Phil Dessauer, Jr. assisted in presenting the awards.  The 2002 David Bernstein Distinguished Leadership Award was presented by its 2001 recipient, Lena Bennett.

Mr. Evanson said: 

In the spirit of the Dream Catcher, we gather together every fall to acknowledge another year of progress toward "catching, shaping, and realizing our community's dreams for a brighter future." With this year’s awards, the Council will honor a large state agency, a distinguished state senator, an innovative community initiative, and three long-time health leaders, plus one unsuspecting Tulsan who does not yet know that he or she is about to receive the 2002 David Bernstein Distinguished Leadership Award. All of these people share a certain spirit that we value highly. Leadership ... vision ... innovation ... bringing people and community entities together to work toward a common purpose ... overcoming barriers ... improving systems of services, and/or policies, laws, or resources affecting them ... these are some hallmarks of the Community Service Council's awards.

It is important to stop and reflect that tonight’s celebration is meant to honor not only these outstanding award winners, but everyone who has worked so hard to make possible the many accomplishments of this particularly challenging year. All of you are here because you care about the Tulsa community. Many of you are our colleagues and partners, working with the Council year-round on our many community initiatives and sponsored programs. Some of you are members of the Council’s excellent board and staff. Some of you have provided financial support, and we certainly do appreciate the Tulsa Area United Way and our many individual, corporate, and foundation contributors for your help. All of you are important to the Council, and we applaud your efforts. Your leadership, service, and commitment continue to make Tulsa a more compassionate and livable community for all

Many people have helped make tonight’s celebration possible. We are here at Gilcrease again this year through the generosity of AEP / PSO. We thank the Awards Committee.  Special thanks to long-time Council board member and event chair Steve Kennedy, with HKH Advertising, for his leadership and especially for tonight’s video announcing the 2002 Distinguished Leadership honoree.

About the Community Service Council Awards

For almost three decades a strong partnership has existed between the Community Service Council (CSC) and the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) to best meet health and human service needs in the Tulsa area. Although there have been some disappointments along the way, there have been many more success stories. These successes are founded on a shared conviction that solutions to the most important human needs require community and state leaders and resources working together.

In the early 1970s Charles Goodall, a former Council board president and longtime chair of the Council’s Children’s Protective Services Coordinating Committee, led an initiative to partner with Oklahoma’s Department of Human Services to create the statewide child abuse registry. Mr. Goodall developed a strong working relationship with longtime DHS Director Lloyd Rader that led to other opportunities for partnering with the Department. Home health aide services, child welfare assistance, and protective services for the elderly were all addressed through joint initiatives between the Council and DHS in the 70s.

In the late 1970s and early 80s, DHS was active in CSC’s planning to better meet the long term care needs of Tulsa’s rapidly growing aging population. This work eventually led to the creation of the Long Term Care Authority of Tulsa to oversee the development of a system of long term care services and financing for the Tulsa area. Through the leadership and commitment of the Authority and DHS, this approach has spread during the last decade to cover most of Oklahoma.

DHS was a charter member of Tulsa’s policy and resource planning consortium, the Metropolitan Human Services Commission (MHSC), initiated by the Council in 1981. MHSC, in conjunction with the Council, engaged DHS in the early 1990s to help plan and financially support an historic community mobilization effort to assist persons with developmental disabilities to live more independently in community settings. For over a decade DHS has partnered with the Tulsa Alliance on Disabilities (the Alliance), sponsored by CSC, to expand employment, housing, recreation, transportation, mental health, and other opportunities for persons with developmental disabilities. Initially focused on persons affected by the lawsuit closing Hissom Memorial Center, the initiative has been expanded to address the needs of persons with diverse disabilities desiring community based support in accord with the new federal Olmstead court decision. Jim Nicholson, current Director of the DHS Developmental Disabilities Services Division, has played a key leadership role in guiding DHS’s support. He has been an effective advocate for assuring strong local involvement in the successful integration of persons with disabilities into the community.

In the mid 1990s, DHS worked closely to develop more effective approaches for family support services to prevent child abuse and neglect. Through funding from the new federal Family Support and Preservation Act, DHS funded the newly created Tulsa Alliance for Families (TAF), developed by MHSC, and coordinated through the Council. TAF links a network of family support components with the educational program of three Tulsa elementary schools. TAF continues to receive funding through DHS, and active participation from local DHS family support services. Judy Wyatt, the immediate past DHS Area VI Director, provided leadership for creation of TAF, and Steve Scott, current Director, has continued that role in helping guide TAF’s expansion. DHS funding has helped leverage significant support from Tulsa Public Schools, the City of Tulsa, and private foundations. TAF recently received national recognition by the Metropolitan Life Foundation’s Family School Connection Project. Based on TAF’s role, Tulsa Public Schools was recognized as one of six districts nationwide with the most innovative approaches to linking family support services with neighborhood elementary schools.

For over twenty years DHS has been an active partner with the Council to increase quality child care. In the mid-l980s DHS helped provide leadership to CSC’s Child Care Planning Partnership that led to creation of the Child Care Resource Center. DHS funding has joined with United Way and other sources to support the Center since its inception. DHS has played a key role since the early 1990s in developing the Center’s resource and referral, toy lending and resource library, family day care home network, and other important services.

During the past five years, through its Division on Child Care, DHS has greatly expanded its support of improving child care, and has been one of the Council’s strongest partners in local and state efforts to assure all children enter school healthy and ready to succeed. Based upon the leadership of Director Howard Hendrick, DHS has made a huge commitment of funding, research, planning, and professional staff time to increase the quality of early learning opportunities for young children from low income households. The DHS STARS program rewards child care sites for specific steps that promote higher quality services.

To enhance this work in Tulsa County, DHS has strongly supported the Tulsa Success By 6® project that created a "quality enhancement" team at the Council’s Child Care Resource Center. The project, also funded by the Tulsa Area United Way, provides technical support to individual child care programs to increase their quality that subsequently results in additional DHS funding to help sustain it. This local-state partnership is making significant progress in increasing and sustaining quality early learning, and has led to over a thousand children being served by either TWO or THREE STAR programs. Nancy Von Bargen, Director of the Division on Child Care, has provided important leadership in furthering this partnership in Tulsa and adapting the approach in other parts of the state.

During these last few years the Council has clearly recognized that state-local partnerships are only as effective as the leaders involved. This is especially true as the challenges and solutions become more complicated, as well as more important to the future of our state and community. The Council is very grateful for the leadership of DHS Director Howard Hendrick. Mr. Hendrick has demonstrated a willingness to study data, ask thoughtful questions, consider and pursue new approaches, openly share his opinions, and sometimes change them after reviewing new information. His interest in the "big picture" and thoughtful strategizing add an especially helpful dimension to our work with DHS that is much appreciated.

The Community Service Council is very pleased to present the 2002 CSC Partner Award to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.

Senator Bernest Cain is a man known for making dreams come true most of his life, so it is befitting today that we honor this dedicated Oklahoman with a prestigious Community Service Council Dream Catcher Award. As one of our senior statesmen, he has worked tirelessly to help those who might otherwise be left behind. Senator Cain is known across the state for policy making that strengthens Oklahoma’s children, empowers Oklahoma’s citizens with disabilities, and supports Oklahoma’s growing population of seniors.

Senator Cain has received prestigious awards from organizations including the Oklahoma Psychological Association, the Oklahoma Alliance for the Mentally Ill, the Oklahoma Health and Welfare Association, the Association for Children’s Institutions and Agencies, the Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners, the Occupational Therapy Association, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Oklahoma Sierra Club, the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, and Planned Parenthood—to name a few.

Laura Dempsey-Polan, Director of CSC's Tulsa Area Alliance on Disabiities, writes, "Our gratitude is extended to him most recently for his exceptional response to the United States’ landmark Supreme Court decision known as the Olmstead decision. During this year’s legislative session, Senator Cain led Oklahoma’s disability community to pass the first state-legislated Olmstead Strategic Planning Committee in the nation. Many in the disability community understand that the Olmstead Decision deeply changes the lives of persons with disabilities by mandating choice in supports for life in the most integrated setting possible. Even as President Bush responded to this landmark decision with a 'freedom initiative,' Senator Cain led the charge to establish the first legislated committee in the United States so that Oklahomans with disabilities are free to choose their home, their supports, and their friends within Oklahoma’s communities."

As a young man, Bernest Cain traveled many roads, catching dreams along the way. He was an all-state football player, a golfer, and a Golden Gloves boxer. He worked his way through school in sales, as a church youth director, and as a graduate teaching assistant, and received his insurance and securities licenses. After earning undergraduate degrees in Theology and Philosophy, he served as a youth director and a chaplain. While working in an inner city Philadelphia church, he decided to enter politics. He began his political career as a lobbyist for Common Cause while a graduate student at O.U. In 1979, he won an uphill race for Oklahoma’s State Senate against a Republican incumbent. This first contest proved to be a testament to his staying power: he has held this position for 23 years. Today, Senator Cain walks his district to actively learn and listen to constituents.

Senator Cain’s legislative accomplishments are legion. He has served as Chairman of the Senate Human Resources Committee since 1983. He currently serves on the Appropriations and Budget, Judiciary, Education, Science and Technology, Reapportionment, and Rules Committees. Senator Cain has served as Vice-Chair of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) State-Federal Assembly and as Chair of NCSL’s Human Resources Committee. He has testified on state human services issues before Congress. Especially concerned with health and education issues across the lifespan, Senator Cain tirelessly works to insure that all children receive needed medical services regardless of their ability to pay. He is committed to education for children from all walks of life, with a particular concern for children with disabilities and equal opportunity in classrooms. He persistently advocates for seniors, to reform nursing homes and reduce the high cost of prescription drugs.

After being elected to the Senate in 1979, he finished his Masters in Public Administration and went on to earn a Juris Doctorate from O.U. Today, he volunteers as a teacher of legislative drafting at O.U.’s Law School to inspire young people to take an active part in the political arena. He also mentors two young boys, while recruiting numerous volunteers in his district to volunteer at Mark Twain Elementary School, located in a poorer section of his district. Senator Cain is active in his church and is the proud father of two daughters who are in college. In January, he plans to marry Dr. Joan Parkhurst, a pediatric oncologist at O.U.’s Health Sciences Center. His assistant and friend Peggy Leininger says, "It is really hard to put ‘Bernest’ into words. He is such a unique and interesting individual. He cares so much, and works so hard looking for solutions to really ‘knotty’ problems. He is such a devoted father; and still finds time to do ‘real people’ things like run, ride his bike, read, study — and cook: his stew and brownies are to die for!!"

For his tenacious courage and advocacy to solve "knotty problems" for children, seniors, and Oklahomans with disabilities, we sincerely thank Senator Bernest Cain with the CSC Dream Catcher Award.

The Community Service Council is very pleased to present a 2002 Dream Catcher Award to the Tulsa City-County Library's Hispanic Resource Center.

2002 Dream Catcher Award:

Preventive health care and maternal and infant health are among the Community Service Council’s highest-priority goals. This Dream Catcher Award honors the three primary founders of Community HealthNet, an important and innovative new initiative. Community HealthNet has been a voice for the uninsured, an advocate for the health care needs of the Tulsa community, and a guardian of Tulsa’s essential safety net for children and families who would otherwise be without health care access.

At Community Healthnet's core have been three long-time Tulsa health care leaders, working together with vision and diligence to forge this effective new community partnership. They are Dr. Daniel Plunket, Russell Burkhart, and Nancy Kachel.

Community HealthNet was envisioned as a forum through which a number of health care organizations could work together to organize a continuum of care to serve Tulsans who are uninsured, underinsured, and Medicaid eligible. The forum enabled the "safety net providers" (OU, OSU, Morton, Indian Health Care, Tulsa Health Department, Margaret Hudson Program, Planned Parenthood, Planline and Babyine) to maintain dialogue and collaborate on program and funding opportunities that could benefit the Tulsa community’s children and families.

After planning and successfully launching the forum, the partners sought funding to support the continuum of care they envisioned. Once again, they were successful: Community HealthNet has been awarded a Community Access Project grant of $879,000. This funding, from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Health Resource Services Administration will support creation of an internet based care coordination system, a nurse warmline, a centralized appointment system, and the business plan for a 24/7 care center.

The three nominees have been working together on community health issues since 1995 through the Community HealthNet and far earlier than that as active member of the Tulsa Area Coalition on Perinatal Care, now known as the Family Health Coalition. Described by CSC senior planner Jan Figart as "the core of Community HealthNet," they are known for their "tenacity -- the mode of operation for the three. It has taken a systematic, methodical effort to keep these issues in the forefront, to create the model, to seek funding, and to continue to build community support. They are outspoken advocates for quality health care, accessible and affordable. All three are perennials in the area of health care and needs of the uninsured."

He is a founding member of Community HealthNet, Inc. He is also currently working with the American Red Cross Blood Services, Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., Community Health Foundation, Tulsa Turning Point, Ronald McDonald House, the Tulsa Coalition for Children’s Health and the Community Health Foundation. In his spare time, he is a husband, a father of five, a grandfather of thirteen, and a great grandfather of five.

Nancy Kachel is a board member and chair of Community HealthNet.  President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma, Inc., she is known for her work at the community, state, and national levels.

In addition to Master’s studies in human services, family life and human sexuality, and undergraduate work in sociology and art, Ms. Kachel has a wealth of experience in business, counseling, and teaching. Through Planned Parenthood she has made many presentations, encouraging sexuality education and increased funding for reproductive health care to men and women in Oklahoma and Arkansas.

She is currently working with the Oklahoma State Department of Health and serves on numerous committees and coalitions addressing the health care needs of women and families in Oklahoma and Arkansas. She also serves on a number of committees and task forces within Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), including the Emerging Issues Task Force, and she co-chairs the Service Delivery and Expansion Task Force for the Federation-wide Campaign.

Prior to joining Planned Parenthood in January of 1988, Ms. Kachel served as Executive Director of Domestic Violence Intervention Services, Inc. (DVIS) of Tulsa.

She is married to Dr. A. Theodore Kachel, writer and performer. They are the parents of three adopted Colombian children, and they have one grandson.

Maxine Zarrow ... Dedicated to making Tulsa a better place for all of us.

Maxine is an activist and a philanthropist. When she sees the need for something, she will work tirelessly to make sure that it happens and often uses her personal resources to insure the continuity of the project. Maxine "does windows" with a "hands on" approach, researching and then working to make a difference on a wide variety of important issues. A few highlights for example…

...Maxine recognized that housing constituted a long-term solution for persons dealing with mental health problems. She helped to acquire housing and convince landlords that Section 8 housing for the mentally ill was in their interest. She also helped to secure capital and lead fund raising to assure that housing for the mentally ill was on Tulsa’s agenda.

...She has lobbied state government to foster coordination among community agencies, and secured state funding for mobile crisis outreach services. She also has been involved with NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) and has sponsored programs at McLean’s and Menniger’s for NARSAB (National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression).

...At the Margaret Hudson Program, she helped to stabilize the program at its inception, volunteering countless hours as well as providing financial resources.

...Maxine and her sister-in-law, Anne, made the founding contribution for the Tulsa Jewish Retirement and Health Care Center to meet the need for a retirement center for the specific cultural and religious dynamics of the Jewish Community.

...She is a member of the Advisory Board for the University of Texas School of Education where she established and funds annual awards for outstanding public school teachers in the state of Texas.

...She has served as a Board Member for Gilcrease Museum and assisted in securing notable pieces of Native American art. She has supported the Museum in many other ways, sometimes even volunteering in the museum’s gift shop.

     - David Bernstein - Former Executive Director, Tulsa Jewish Federation

"She is very focused on issues relating to social justice – issues that are related to children, the mentally ill, people struggling with poverty. She is focused on righting those wrongs."

     - Dr. Terry Cline - Commissioner, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services

"Maxine is an advocate for people who need help. It comes from her heart."

     - Mike Brose - Executive Director, Mental Health Association in Tulsa

"She is a person who has energy that translates itself into important questions like ‘Where am I needed?’ and ‘What really needs to be done?’"

     - Gary Moore - Assistant Director, Gilcrease Museum

"She tends to gravitate toward causes that don’t have a voice. Some have called her the ‘patron saint’ of lost causes."

     - Scott Zarrow

"She is a quiet force in getting things done."

     - Gail (Zarrow) Richards 

"She is very compassionate and wants to be involved in finding solutions to complex issues."

     - Jack Zarrow

"Maxine has the energy to immerse herself in every aspect of a project and then make certain that these projects will continue."

     - Phil Dessauer, Jr. - Executive Director, Community Service Council of Greater Tulsa

The Community Service Council is built on community partnerships. In the spirit of the Dream Catcher, we gather together every fall to acknowledge another year of progress toward catching, shaping, and realizing our community's dreams for a brighter future. The Council appreciates not only this year's outstanding award winners, but also everyone who has helped to make this year’s many accomplishments possible. Your leadership, service and commitment continue to make Tulsa a more compassionate and livable community for all.

Community partners: Sincere appreciation to the Council's hundreds of community colleagues who chair committees, serve on coalitions, and work with us throughout the year to plan and implement programs, initiatives, and special projects.

Board of Directors: As always, we have an outstanding group of people serving on the Council’s Board of Directors this year. We applaud your leadership. Our organization is stronger because of your participation.

Staff & volunteers: Throughout the year, committed volunteer leaders work closely with the Council’s excellent professional staff. Thanks to all CSC staff and volunteers for all you do.

Supporters: A special thanks to the Tulsa Area United Way and all United Way contributors who provide core support for the ongoing work of the Council. We appreciate the Friends of the Council, and the Council’s generous individual, corporate, and foundation contributors, for your financial and in-kind support. We also thank our state agency partners, and the Metropolitan Human Services Commission partners: Tulsa Area United Way, City of Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma Department of Human Services, Tulsa City-County Health Department, and Tulsa Public Schools.

The CSC Awards Committee and Volunteers: Thank you to Board members Steve Kennedy (Chair), Lauren Brookey (Emcee), Gary Percefull, Jill Willey, Carole Huff Hicks, Kendra Thompson, Susan Neal, and Angie Moore, and to staff members Phil Dessauer, Jr., Sharon Clark, Ginny Morgan Utter, and Mary Finley. Special thanks to Carole Huff Hicks and AEP/PSO for making this special evening at Gilcrease possible; to Steve Kennedy (Kennedy Marketing And Advertising, KM2A), and the commemorative video and program teams; to the group of past honorees who selected this year's Distinguished Leadership Award winner; to Sandy Hildebrand and the Gilcrease staff; and to all CSC staff and board members who have assisted with aspects of the awards celebration.

Online Photo Album ...
A Festive Evening of Celebration!

Congratulations to all the outstanding 2002 award winners ... and to everyone who has helped make this year's accomplishments possible for the Tulsa community!

Photos by Mary Finley, Don Farr and Sharon Clark, CSC Staff
 

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