TAHRA Board of Directors

Jackie Ramage graduated from the University of Oklahoma with her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in human relations, including a special emphasis on organizational development. She received a graduate certificate in Human Resource Diversity and Development further underscoring her passion for the topic in her profession.

Jackie currently serves as the Director of People at Brief Media, a leading veterinary media company that develops practical peer-reviewed educational content and point-of-care tools for veterinary professionals worldwide.

Jackie is a SHRM certified professional, and in 2017 was selected by HR Magazine and the SHRM membership department to represent the top 30 millennials leading HR into the future. In 2021, Jackie received the HR Department of ONE Award presented by TAHRA, which recognizes a TAHRA member who has demonstrated an outstanding effort in operating and managing as the sole HR professional for their company. Jackie served as the co-chair for the 2022 OKHR State Conference and 2022 President-elect for TAHRA. Jackie has volunteered her time in several board positions, including the marketing chair for the Return on Inclusion (ROI) Summit, the social media chair for the Oklahoma HR State Council, and held positions of VP of Public Affairs and VP of Membership for TAHRA.

Penny Horton, MSOD, SHRM-SCP, is the founder and CEO of the boutique management consulting firm Who’s Your HR?. Penny is an HR Consultant specializing in strategic guidance to help businesses navigate the legal complexities of being an employer and optimize workforce performance.

Penny has 20 years’ proven experience creating and managing human resources and organizational design strategies. She is a trusted expert in human behavior, motivational theory, employee engagement, organizational capability, employment law, HR policy creation, affirmative action, and drug and alcohol testing and compliance.

An active community advocate for small business and entrepreneurship, Penny has served on the board of the Tulsa Area Human Resources Association for the past four years, is a member of SHRM and is involved in several professional organizations that promote the value of people, including Overcoming Job Transition (OJT Tulsa), OK Ethics, TulsaHRC, NDASA, SAPAA, DATIA, WAHRA, NOARK and OCHRS.

Melissa Lockhart, SHRM-CP, SPHR, serves as the Human Resources Director for Medefy, which is a benefits navigation software platform that provides the easiest way for employees to access their health benefits, navigate their healthcare, make smart decisions, and save money.

Melissa has over 14 years of HR management experience in the industries of software development, manufacturing, engineering, non-profit and hospitality. She also has over a decade of experience working in the areas of domestic violence and sexual assault. Melissa holds her Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification through HRCI and her SHRM-Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) certification through SHRM, and is a certified Domestic & Sexual Violence Response Professional (CDSVRP).

Melissa loves all things TAHRA and has been a member of TAHRA since 2008 and has served on the board for several years. She is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and Tulsa Equal Employment Opportunity Coordinator Association (TEEOCA). Melissa also serves on the OSU Employee Business Development (Tulsa area) Advisory Board as well as the Family for Life board (a non-profit that matches and trains foster families), and was previously nominated by the Oklahoma Attorney General to sit on the Oklahoma Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board.

Melissa is a native of Owasso, OK and is married with three boys and two Boston Terrier dogs.

Brandon is the Vice President & Chief People Officer (CPO) at Mill Creek Lumber. With over fifteen (15) years of experience in Human Resources, he is a fast-paced, results-driven thought leader with over twenty-five (25) years of management experience across a variety of industries. Brandon is passionate about helping everyone around him be better through coaching, training and experiences, and believes continuous improvement is essential for long-term success both individually and for the organization.

Brandon has certifications as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) and a SHRM Specialty Certification in People Analytics.

Prior to Mill Creek Lumber, Brandon was the CPO for Sherwood Companies for four years. He has also served as the Senior HR and Talent Development Director at SPX Corporation. Before his 7-year stint at SPX Corporation, Brandon worked as Senior HR Generalist and Talent and Organizational Development Manager with Whirlpool Corporation. Brandon gained considerable management and leadership experience in operations and sales management in the banking, entertainment, manufacturing and construction industries.

Brandon was also an adjunct professor of Leadership, Management and HR. In addition, he served on the Board of Directors for the Tulsa Area Human Resource Association (TAHRA) for nine years including the Association President role and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

For over 20 years, David has been consulting in the enterprise software and insurance industry. As a Human Capital Consultant, David helps companies reshape and transform their employee experiences. David consults on Employee Benefits, HRIS Technology, Compensation, Talent Attraction/Retention and Projection Management.

He currently works as the Lead Consultant for Gallagher. Gallagher Better Works(SM) enables you to ensure your people thrive by focusing on their total (physical, emotional, career and financial) wellbeing while optimizing your investment in talent and minimizing human capital risk.

David is the VP of Sponsorship for OCHRS and for OKHR. He also serves on the Return on Inclusion Committee, DisruptHR, and the Kids Chance of Oklahoma planning committee.

For the past 12 years, David has been a head coach for the Owasso Soccer Club. David is from Owasso, Oklahoma. He is half Cherokee and half Thai. He is a proud father of three boys and married his college sweetheart from the University of Oklahoma.

Sarah Dial is passionate HR leader who has dedicated herself to getting people to recognize and value HR as a valued member of leadership providing a full-service desk that understands the need to balance both company and employee alike.

Sarah began her career in Human Resources after completing her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Criminal Justice. She began working at a recruiting agency serving the full-life cycle recruitment process and within 3 years moved from Recruiter to the Director of Operations overseeing the entire company portfolio from internal employees, contractors, agency partners, vendors, customers, and clients. It was during this time that she went on to receive her PHR and began working as an HR consultant for the business helping clients overcome HR obstacles within their organizations.

Sarah loves all things HR and thanks to her involvement with TAHRA she has been able to grow substantially in her career. In 2021 Sarah joined the TAHRA Board as Chair of the Workforce Readiness Committee and continues to grow in her love for helping others in navigating through the challenges we face in an ever-changing HR world by continuing to serve as the VP of Leadership Development for the past 2 years.

Sarah is a huge advocate of employee engagement and culture initiatives and believes that by hiring the right people from the beginning and setting new employees up with an integrated and thorough on-boarding process, you will set them up for success which is what she has been working hard to help achieve throughout her time at her current employer, TAT Technologies. Originally tasked with creating the entire Recruitment and Talent Acquisition infrastructure in a global, multi-site, matrix organization she has had plenty of exposure and opportunities to do just that but after 2 ½ years of working across the group sites, she has recently transitioned to an on-site role at the Tulsa facility, TAT Limco Airepair, continuing to serve the TAT workforce as the Director of HR.

Currently when Sarah is not at work, she is still working, pursuing her SHRM-SCP, but for a little more fun, you can also catch her hanging out with her children; son (9) and daughter (4) or participating in one of the many activities in and around Tulsa with the Blue Hole serving as one of their favorite summer spots.

For more than 30 years, Kirk Turner has represented companies and management exclusively in all aspects of labor and employment law, with a specific emphasis on litigation before federal and state courts, regulatory and administrative agencies, and in arbitration matters. He has particularly extensive experience defending employers in discrimination, harassment and civil rights matters, and routinely represents management in proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Department of Labor, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Kirk serves as leader of the firm’s Labor and Employment Group, one of the largest of its kind in the region.

In addition to his private practice, Kirk has served in leadership positions for a significant number of professional industry groups on a local, state and national level. He has served on the board of directors for the Tulsa Area Human Resources Association (TAHRA) for two decades, previously served as the organization’s president in 2002-2003, and currently serves as its general counsel and vice president of legislative affairs. He served five terms as the vice president of legislative affairs and general counsel for the Oklahoma State Council for Human Resource Management, an affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management, and is a past board member of the Tulsa Equal Employment Opportunity Coordinators’ Association. Kirk has served on the State Chamber of Oklahoma’s Human Resources Committee and Legislative Affairs Committee, been a member of the National Employee and Labor Relations Committee for the Society for Human Resource Management, and has served as general counsel for the Tulsa Better Business Bureau. He currently serves as general counsel for WorkForce Tulsa.

Kirk’s achievements have earned him inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America (employment law–management; labor law–management; labor and employment litigation), Oklahoma Super Lawyers (“Top 50 Oklahoma Lawyers”), and Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, where he has been recognized for his “impressive litigation practice” as well as his specialized knowledge of labor and employment issues affecting the motor dealership industry.

Brittany Currier is an HR professional dedicated to improving workplaces and growing businesses through strategic HR solutions. She currently serves as an HR Consultant and Executive Recruiter for her own boutique HR consulting firm, Empowered Solutions.

Brittany earned her bachelor’s degree in Human Sciences from Oklahoma State University and also holds her SHRM-CP certification. Her business and HR experiences has come from working in human resources, recruiting and sales within organizations across a variety of industries. Additionally, Brittany loves to serve the local HR and business community. She is currently serving as the VP of Public Relations for the Tulsa Area Human Resources Association (TAHRA), as a Talent Committee member for the Oklahoma Manufacturers Alliance and as a member of the YWCA' s Pinnace Awards Planning committee. Previously Brittany has served as a Board of Director Member for the Bixby Metro Chamber of Commerce. Finally, Brittany has received the New Professional of the Year Award from the Tulsa Area Human Resources Association in 2019, the Emerging Leader Award from OKHR in 2021 and the New Professional of the Year Award for the Bixby Metro Chamber of Commerce in 2022.

Terasita Cowan, SHRM-CP, PHR serves as the Benefits Manager for Muscogee Creek Casinos, which has over 1900 employees and 9 casinos throughout Oklahoma.

Terasita has over 20 years experience in human resources, specifically in benefits plan management.

Terasita received a bachelor of Science from Oklahoma City of University and has a Master in Business Administration from Northeastern State University and a Master of Education in curriculum and instruction with emphasis on Educational Technologies form Southeastern Oklahoma State University. She also serves on the Tulsa Advisory Board for the Salvation Army. Terasita enjoys spending time with family and reading in her spare time.

Senior Global Human Resources Professional with over 18 years’ experience across multiple industries. Well versed in all aspects of employee development, including training, compensation, and engagement. Extensive experience and focus in talent pipelines and retention, implementing and improving talent acquisition processes. Enjoys collaborating with senior leadership and key stakeholders, implementing workforce development and change management initiatives, as well as process improvements. Thorough knowledge base of rules and regulations providing an atmosphere of compliance and confidentiality. Track record of utilizing a team-building and mentoring approach to departmental organization. A professional who has successfully balanced focus regarding people and business. Erin is motivated to make a positive difference in life and work through one conversation at a time. These efforts have expanded Erin's scope of influence creating more challenges and opportunities to grow and develop herself in human resources and people operations. Erin has a desire to learn more so she can be the best she can for those she comes in contact with; not limiting the scope of influence to those in the workplace.

Stacey Hicks, SHRM-SCP, serves as a Senior Human Resources Manager with Community Action Project of Tulsa. She has a passion for creating innovative strategies to deliver affordable health care, mental health resources, and competitive wages through employers and affinity groups. Stacey possesses 22+ years of experience working in benefit design and administration, managing FMLA, HRIS benefit systems, compensation, and financial planning.

Stacey became a Tulsa transplant 19 years ago after living on various Native American Reservations and serving tribal communities. She received a Bachelor of Science from the University of North Dakota and holds her Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) though SHRM. She works with local and national partnerships to promote domestic violence awareness through distribution of videos, music, and digital media. Stacey has five children which keeps the family engaged with sports, band, and musical interests.

Denise’s passion is connecting people to resources, networks, and best practices. She possesses 20+ years recruiting, diversity, equity, and inclusion program management, and community engagement experience. She believes in providing connections and tools to help create more inclusive and innovative cultures. Denise’s experience includes corporate, nonprofit, and community development. She believes people and collaboration are the key to creating stronger businesses and communities.

She currently serves as a SHRM/USAA Foundation Veterans Ambassador with the goal of employing 62,500 veterans by year end 2022.

Denise is a member of Society of Human Resource Management, Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits, Oklahomans for Equality, Oklahoma Veteran Connection Network, Tulsa Area Human Resources Association, Leadership Tulsa, Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice, and volunteers and serves on multiple boards in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She is a hockey mom, wife, and loves spending times with friends in family when she is not on the road for work or hockey.

Michelle Fuller, SPHR, is the Vice President of Human Resources for Accurus Aerospace, a leading Tier II supplier for the global aerospace & defense industry.

Michelle has more than 25 years of human resources experience for both domestic and international companies in manufacturing, oil & gas, and building materials sales & distribution. Since 2017, she has also provided HR consulting services to several local small businesses. A graduate of Oklahoma State University’s college of business, Michelle achieved certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources in 1999, and in 2009 completed the Darrow-Messner Executive Leadership Development Program. She first joined TAHRA early in her career and has maintained membership in Tulsa HRC for many years as well. She participates as a program volunteer for the Overcoming Job Transition (OJT) program in Tulsa and has been a job search coach/volunteer for her church re-entry outreach for many years.

In addition to participation in HR activities and organizations, Ms. Fuller volunteers regularly at the Ronald McDonald House, and has served on the board for the Tulsa Chapter of the OSU Alumni Association. In 2006 she joined the board for Oklahoma Project Woman, a non-profit organization providing breast healthcare for the uninsured, and has held various officer positions over the years, currently serving as Chairman of that board.

Susan McGinnis is an Employee Benefits Specialist and Insurance Broker. She sells and provides (diligent) ongoing customer service for group insurance products. Any benefit an employer wants to offer its employees she can obtain quotes and help navigate the process. 

In 1998, Susan became a founding partner as Vice-President of BenEx Insurance, an employee benefits insurance agency in Tulsa. BenEx services small and large clients including Self-Funded benefit plans. Susan enjoys collaborating with clients as their businesses change and grow. 

She is Past-President of the Tulsa Association of Health Underwriters (TAHU) where she earned national recognition of Silver Seal for an outstanding chapter. Susan was also Past-President of the Oklahoma State Association of Health Underwriters (OSAHU). She was awarded Health Underwriter of the Year in the State of Oklahoma in recognition of her leadership skills. One accolade Susan was honored to receive was Businesswoman of the Year by the Bixby Metro Chamber of Commerce. 

Her passion is not only helping employers and employees navigate the maze of employee benefits but also in benefits education each year at Open Enrollment. Last, but not least, is when billing and claims get offtrack, she firmly believes in making sure the policy pays accordingly to the policy sold!

Dr. Barbara Abercrombie is the Principal and Owner of Abercrombie Consulting, LLC.  She has extensive experience in Human Resources with an emphasis on employee engagement, generational cohorts in the workplace and change management.  In addition to her consulting work, Barbara is the Vice President of Human Resources at the Housing Authority for the City of Tulsa where she oversees all aspects of HR, compliance, safety and risk management. 

Barbara has her bachelor’s degree from Northeastern State University and went on to obtain a master’s degree in human resources from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in workforce education and human resource development from Oklahoma State University.  For the past twenty years, Dr. Abercrombie has worked in the field of higher education, holding the positions of HR Director at NSU and OU Tulsa, Associate Vice Chancellor of HR at the University of Arkansas, Vice President of Organizational Effectiveness and Chief HR Officer at Texas A&M University and as Vice Chancellor of Organizational Effectiveness and Chief Human Capital Officer for the University of North Texas System in Dallas.

Tanecia is an HR Professional with over 10 years of experience in Human Resources. She has a demonstrated history of working in various industries to include non-profit, manufacturing, staffing, call centers, health care, and the oil and gas industries. Her skill set includes, Payroll, Compensation, Management, Organizational Development, Recruiting, HRIS Systems and Training and Development. Tanecia also has a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Management Information Systems, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Management, and a Master of Science (MS) in Psychology.

Leslie Runyan functions as the workplace culture steward for WeStreet Federal Credit Union. She is responsible for leading talent acquisition and retention, professional development, learning development and education, compensation and benefits, all of which impact employee engagement. As a co-executive sponsor to the Diversity and Inclusion Council, Leslie helps support the initiatives related to inclusion and equity across the organization. As Chief Administrative Officer she is overseeing the creation of the WeStreet Foundation which is tasked with community engagement and support. She also oversees internal technology solutions which includes security, process and infrastructure support, and networking. Helping to improve the lives of employees and leaders is critical to the success of any organization and remains a top priority for Runyan, who has over 20 years of experience as a HR leader in several industries including financial services, construction management, health care and manufacturing. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Master of Science degree in Counseling from Oklahoma State University and her SPHR certification in Human Resources.

In addition to TAHRA, Leslie also serves on the board of Rogers County Youth Services a private, non-profit agency and our only focus is serving the children, youth and families of Rogers County.

Ashley McIntosh, PHR, is a Consultant for The Persimmon Group where she applies her HR knowledge and project management training to HRIS implementations and improvements, data analytics projects, and process improvement efforts. Since 2009, she has served in HR generalist, HRIS analyst, and project manager roles in the background screening, industrial contracting, telecommunications, and oil and gas industries. Ashley has served on her current and former employers’ diversity, equity, and inclusion committees where she enhanced policies to foster inclusivity and created reporting and dashboards to bring awareness. She co-leads the TAHRA HRIS Group and loves to talk systems and data with other HRIS folks.

Ashley is a proud Oklahoma State University graduate and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Management. She is a lifelong Tulsan and is an active volunteer in the community.

In her life outside of HR, you can find Ashley playing tennis, watching movies with her husband and three kids, or attempting to reach Genius level on the New York Times Spelling Bee.

Jeff Oujiri, SHRM-CP, PHR is presently a Talent Acquisition Specialist Sr. at Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO).  He has made a positive impact as a HR Generalist and Corporate Recruiter in organizations for over 20 years.  Jeff served in Operation Positive Force while serving four years in the U.S. Army as a Tank Crewman.  Industry experience includes utilities, mining, transportation, oil and gas, manufacturing, commercial and industrial electrical, and aerospace.  He is passionate about applying his experience to help people and organizations succeed together.   

Jeff holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Development from Northeastern State University with cum laude honors.  He presently serves on NSU’s HR Advisory Board and volunteered as an Oklahoma Quality Foundation Examiner, which is the state version of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program.  He enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and fishing.

Cynthia Simmons Taylor is a 20-plus year Human Resources veteran currently serving as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at the Tulsa Regional Chamber. She is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and the University of Phoenix where she received a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts, respectively and holds two certifications in human resources, PHR and SHRM-CP. While she is an Oklahoma City native, Cynthia has happily called Tulsa home for more than 15 years. Cynthia’s HR experience includes work in long-term care, big box retail, and non-profits. Cynthia is also well-known as a local jazz vocalist performing in many prominent locations around Tulsa.