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Board of Education

Board of Education

The Great Plains Technology Center Board of Education meets monthly on the first Tuesday of the Month at 6 p.m. Meetings are open to the public. The Great Plains Technology Center Board of Education consists of five elected members.

For more information, please use any forms of the communications below.

Call: 580-355-6371

Walk-in or Postal:
Great Plains Technology Center
4500 SW Lee Blvd.
Lawton, OK 73505

Contact Form: Contact Us

  • Zone 1 - Homer Ryan - Deputy Clerk
  • Zone 2 - George Bridges, Jr. D.D.S - Member
  • Zone 3 - Clark Smith - President
  • Zone 4 - Arthur Patrick - Vice-President
  • Zone 5 - Cindy Sheppard, D.D.S. - Clerk
  • Stacy Pifer – Administrative Assistant/Treasurer/Minutes Clerk

Board Bios

Dr. Bridges is the senior member of the Great Plains Technology Center Board of Education. He was first elected in 1976. He practiced dentistry in Lawton since leaving the service of the U.S. Army in the mid 1970’s. He is an avid hunter, fisherman and outdoorsman. Dr. Bridges is active in many local and statewide philanthropic organizations. He also serves as President of the Great Plains Technology Center Foundation.

Patrick was appointed to the GPTC Board when Dr. Nathan Grantham resigned in 2009. Patrick was elected in 2010 to fill out the remaining three years of Dr. Grantham’s term. He has served as general manager of Lawton Communications for more than 30 years. As a high school student in 1974 and 1975, Patrick attended Great Plains electronics program. He graduated from Cameron University. Patrick has served on the board of directors for Marie Detty Youth Services and the Lawton-Fort Sill Economic Development Corporation.

Ryan is a Tillman County farmer-rancher and businessman. He attended Southwestern State University on a football scholarship. He graduated from Southwestern with a degree in Accounting and Business Administration. Ryan was the John Deere dealer in Frederick, OK and Wichita Falls, TX for nearly 30 years. He enjoys playing a significant role each year in the Tillman County Junior Livestock Show. He has served on the Great Plains Board since 2005.

Smith has served on the Board of Education since 1987. He is a leader and active volunteer within the Lawton-Fort Sill Arts Community. He is an avid photographer having served as a past president of the Wichita Mountain Wild Light Society. Smith is also an active outdoorsman. He is president of Smith and Son’s Insurance Agency, Inc., as Independent Insurance Lawton agency.

Dr. Sheppard has served on the Great Plains Technology Center Board of education since January 2024. She practices dentistry in Lawton, first with her husband and now with her son. She has 3 grown children that attended Lawton Public Schools, and all were National Merit Finalists. She has served on the board of the Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra and the board of directors for Marie Detty Youth Services. She enjoys quilting and sewing in her free time. 

Board Agenda

The Great Plains Technology Center logo features blue text.

Board Meeting Agenda - September 1, 2026

  • School District No. 9
    Regular Board Meeting
    Building 100, Auditorium, 4500 SW Lee Blvd, Lawton, Oklahoma 73505
    Tuesday, September 1, 2026 at 6:00 PM

     

    1. Prayer - Brandon Mayer

    2. Call to order

    3. Introduction of guests

    4. Consent Agenda:

    a. Approve Minutes of August 11, 2026 regular board meeting.

    b. Approval of FY27 General Fund Encumbrances for August 2026: #666-947 in the amount of $676,940.20 and Payroll #50201-50215 in the amount of $62,728.42; General Fund Change Orders in the amount of $117,131.34.

    c. Approval of FY27 Building Fund Encumbrances for August 2026: #89-114 in the amount of $1,754,026.60; Building Fund Change Orders in the amount of $448,017.07.

    d. Approve Activity Fund Overview for August 2026.

    e. Approve Transfer of Activity Funds for August 2026.

    f. Approve Public Surplus.

    g. Approve Updates to the Great Plains Technology Center Policy and Procedure Manual.

    1. Section 3 Policies
    Federal Programs
    Raffles

    h. Approval of Agreements, Contracts, Handbooks, and Memorandums of Understanding.

    1. Surgical Technologist Program Student Handbook and Clinical Handbook for FY27.

    2. Memorandum of Understanding between Great Plains Technology Center and Jim Taliaferro Community Mental Health Center.

    5. Public Comment
    This is an open, public meeting held in accordance with the Open Meeting Laws of the State of Oklahoma.  The purpose of this meeting is to conduct the business of the Great Plains Technology Center.  As elected representatives of the voters and patrons of the Center, the members of the Board of Education will be making decisions concerning the operation of the District.  The agenda for Regular Meetings includes an opportunity for the public to address any item appearing on the agenda. Members of the public wishing to speak must sign in with the Clerk of the Board fifteen (15) minutes prior to the convening of the Board meeting.  Statements to the Board by the public are limited to no more than three (3) minutes per speaker.  The Board reserves the right to limit repetitive comments, comments unrelated to the business of the Board, or the total amount of time dedicated to public comment in a single evening.  Board members will not respond to questions or comments during public communications, but the Board President may refer matters of concern to the Superintendent for review and recommendations.

    6. Information Only: Presentation on Oklahoma State School Boards Association (OSSBA) Superintendent Evaluation Tool — Dr. Melonie Hau

    7. Treasurer's report - Stacy Pifer

    a. Discussion and possible board action on adopting the Oklahoma State School Boards Association (OSSBA) Superintendent Evaluation Tool. 

    8. Information Only: Program Highlight of Medical Office and Clinical Services — Instructors Nicole Metzger and William Schlecht

    9. Information Only: Ryan Herring Construction, Inc. report on a Guaranteed Maximum Price (G-MAX) proposal — Molly Frye

    10. Director of Finance report - Lindsey Billen

    a. Discussion and possible board action on a Guaranteed Maximum Price (G-MAX) proposal regarding the Great Plains Technology Center property at 6501 West Gore Boulevard.

    b. Discussion and possible board action on the 2026-2027 Estimate of Needs and Financial Statement of Fiscal Year 2025-2026.

    c. Discussion and possible board action on the 2026-2027 final budget.

    d. Discussion and possible board action on additional premium for auto insurance.

    e. Information Only: Gore Project Funding Update

    11. Director of Marketing and Communications report - Teresa Abram
    (presented by Ken McKee)

    12. Tillman/Kiowa County Campus Director's report - Ken McKee

    a. Discussion and possible board action on the purchase of additional Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) instructional resources for the Distance Education Practical Nursing Program at the Tillman-Kiowa Campus in Frederick.

    13. Director of Student Resources report - Courtney Ferguson

    a. Information Only: Enrollment Update

    b. Discussion and possible board action to approve the SpouseWorks Scholarship Program Memorandum of Understanding for Education and Training Providers.

    14. Director of Instructional Services report - Brandon Mayer

    a. Information Only: Update on Student Certification/Licensing Fees Scholarships.

    b. Discussion and possible board action on the Choose Aerospace Aviation Maintenance Curriculum License Agreement.

    c. Discussion and possible board action on the purchase of Hunter Maverick Premium Leverless Tire Changer plus Large Bore, Dual Wheel Kit for the Automotive Service Technician program using Carl Perkins Funds. 

    15. Deputy Superintendent's report - Morgan Gould

    a. Discussion and possible board action on approving a contract with Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services.

    16. Superintendent's report - Joelle Jolly

    a. Next regular board meeting is October 6, 2026 at the Frederick campus.

    17. New Business: New business refers to any matter not known about or which could not have been reasonably foreseen prior to the time of posting of the agenda.  Okla. Stat. tit. 25, Sec. 311(A)(9).

    18. Proposed executive session to discuss:

    a. Discussion on resignation of Ann-Jeanette Lee, Part-Time Adult Education and Family Literacy (AEFL) Secretary, effective September 1, 2026.
    b. Discussion on the employment of Kimberly Brown as Clinical Faculty - Grant Funded Practical Nurse Instructor for FY27.
    c. Discussion on possible employment of part-time personnel and part-time Workforce and Economic Development (WED) personnel for FY27 as listed on agenda item so the board can return to open session to vote on employment matters discussed. 
     

    Executive session authority: 25 Okla. Stat. Sec. 307(B)(1).

    19. Vote to convene in executive session

    20. Acknowledge board's return to open session

    21. Statement of executive session minutes

    22. Action Items

    a. Discussion and possible board action on the resignation of Ann-Jeanette Lee, Part-Time Adult Education and Family Literacy (AEFL) Secretary, effective September 1, 2026.

    b. Discussion and possible board action on the employment of Kimberly Brown as Clinical Faculty - Grant Funded Practical Nurse Instructor for FY27.

    c. Discussion and possible board action on employment of part-time personnel and part-time Workforce and Economic Development (WED) personnel for FY27.

    23. Vote to adjourn


    The agenda was posted in the front entry of Building 100 on the Lawton campus and on the school district's website on August 31, 2026 before 4:00 PM.


    Attested by: Stacy Pifer, Board of Education Minutes Clerk