(Oklahoma City – June 9, 2009) Eleven Oklahoma City-area attorneys can add another graduation to their list of accomplishments. They recently completed the Oklahoma Bar Association’s inaugural Leadership Academy program.

Melinda L. Alizadeh-Fard of Melinda L. Alizadeh-Fard; Lindsey Andrews of Echols & Associates; Todd W. Blasdel of Rowland & Blasdel PLLC; Anthony L. Bonner Jr. of Cathcart & Dooley; Christine Cave of Employers Legal Resource Center; 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 were among 28 lawyers chosen for the OBA’s Leadership Academy.       

The OBA Leadership Academy participants were selected from applicants throughout the state. The leadership academy was formed in efforts to provide leadership training to a group of selected Oklahoma attorneys who aspire to become leaders and serve professional, political, judicial, civic and community organizations, including county bar associations and the OBA.

The attorneys met quarterly for programs that began at lunch on Thursday and adjourned at lunch Friday. Academy participants received guidance from members of the Supreme Court, OBA Board of Governors, established bar leaders and prominent community leaders.

“I am proud of the dedication these attorneys showed throughout this program. Balancing their work with months of this program shows tremendous determination. These are the qualities of leaders of our association,” said OBA President Jon Parsley of Guymon. “We couldn’t have had a better group of professionals to kick this program off. It was a huge success.”

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

Dates have been set for the 2009-2010 Leadership Academy that include meetings in September and November of 2009 and January, March and April of 2010. Applications are currently being accepted for next year’s class of future bar leaders at www.okbar.org. The deadline to apply is June 15.

Other participants were: 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; Enid, Robert Faulk of Faulk Law Firm PLLC; Guymon, Cory Hicks of Field & Hicks PLLC; Muskogee, Justin Stout of Wright, Stout & Wilburn; Stillwater, D. Scott Pappas of D. Scott Pappas, Attorney at Law; Tahlequah, Diane A. Hammons of the Cherokee Nation; 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 American Eagle Title Insurance Co.; Robert Raymond Snow of Snow Law Firm PLLC and Jennifer White of Eldridge Cooper Steichen & Leach PLLC; and Waurika, Carrie E. Hixon of the Office of the District Attorney of Jefferson County.