OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) – Business and political minds from across Oklahoma will converge in Oklahoma City this summer for the State Chamber Research Foundation’s Leadership Exchange Academy (LEA).
SCRF officials released the names and titles of the 38 Oklahomans who will comprise the LEA cohort. This summer’s two-part event will be the 14th Leadership Exchange Academy, connecting civic-minded professionals with state government and business leaders.
The two-day conferences will be held June 20-21 at the Association of General Contractors and July 25-26 at The State Chamber of Oklahoma.
“We’re proud to announce our 2024 Leadership Exchange Academy cohort group. We’re excited for the individuals that are going to participate,” said SCRF Executive Director Ben Lepak. “We had a great response to our call for applications. Many good candidates applied. We feel that this cohort group is a very strong class. It’s going to contribute to the strength of the program and to Oklahoma in general.”
LEA is a great learning opportunity for a range of individuals interested in public policy, as well as professionals seeking to learn more about the state government’s involvement in business development, according to Lepak.
“This is a great opportunity, even for people that don’t necessarily want to run for office. If you’ve got a company that has an up-and-comer in the office, they might be getting into government affairs someday just to learn more about the process,” Lepak said. “What happens at the State Capitol and in public policy is really important for businesses. So, this is a great opportunity for companies to send people that are on their team to get more engaged in the process, to learn how it works and to learn the things that will really move Oklahoma forward in the future.”
Audrey Ruark, communications manager for The State Chamber, will participate in the LEA event. She said the event is invaluable to her professional development.
“To me, being part of this year’s LEA cohort means unlocking opportunity. With LEA, I know I’ll not only be building invaluable connections with other career-focused Oklahomans, but I’ll also be honing my knowledge with new material I’ll be able to apply to my career for years to come,” Ruark said.
Participants will engage in educational conferences and programing to exchange ideas and learn about good government practices, the public policy process and free enterprise.
“Through the workshops within the LEA program, I think I’ll build new expertise and leadership skills in a wide range of subjects surrounding the public policy process and the free enterprise system, which will ultimately make me a more valuable employee wherever my career takes me,” Ruark said.
LEA will provide participants deeper insight into public policy and state government processes, according to Ruark.
“In addition to cultivating professional relationships and building leadership skills, I think Oklahomans participating in the LEA cohort will gain confidence as they polish their knowledge of the public policy process and the free enterprise system,” Ruark said. “LEA’s program is educationally focused on subject matter Oklahomans can’t get elsewhere if they want to learn more or sharpen their skills when it comes to public policy and good governance practices.”
