Tulsa Area United Way HOLDS 84TH ANNUAL MEETING;

NEWS RELEASE

Tulsa Area United Way HOLDS 84TH ANNUAL MEETING;

New board ELECTED AND CAmpaign Awards Presented

Bill Grant,Presidentof The Holmes Organisation, Inc.,was elected Chairman of the 2009 Tulsa Area United Way (TAUW) Board of Directors at the organization’s 84thAnnual Meeting and Awards Luncheon Tuesday, February 24, at the Doubletree Downtown Hotel. More than600 attended the event, which included the election of new officers and board members and the presentation of 2008 campaign awards.

“The Tulsa Area United Way had a remarkably successful year in 2008 and I turn the organization over to Bill Grant with great confidence and optimism for 2009,” said outgoing Board Chairman Gary L. Paxton, Retired, Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc.“I know Bill will provide excellent leadership for TAUW and our community, which will be needed during these challenging economictimes.”

Grant, 2008 Campaign Chair, presented major awards for the 2008 annual campaign. Recognized as members of the Million Dollar Club were Williams, QuikTrip, Bank of Oklahoma, N.A., the J.A. Chapman & Leta M. Chapman Trusts (1949 and 1966) and ONEOK, Inc.QuikTrip was awarded the Chairman’s Key Club Award and the ONG Green Country Award went toMatrix Service Company.The Sun Leadership Award was presented to Bank of Oklahoma, N.A.

Companies who won awards at Unite! were recognized: BKD, LLP, Trailblazer Award; the Oklahoma Air National Guard 138th Fighter Wing, Hero Award; Wellman Products Group, Ignite! Award; and The Bridges Foundation, winner of the Illuminate! Award.

The first annual Live United Spirit Award was presented to Nate Waters of Williamsfor his exemplary volunteer and advocacy work for The Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges, The Bridges Foundation and many more. This award was created to honor an individual from one of TAUW’s 63 partner agencies who has made an indelible mark on the lives of others.

“Tulsa is an extremely philanthropic community,”Grant said. “But without the generous donation of time and talent from literally thousands who work the campaign each year, we would not be able to raise the funds that provide help to more than 2,500 people each day in our community.”

Board officers elected at the Annual Meeting included Board Chairman, Bill Grant, The Holmes Organisation, Inc.; Chair-Elect, Don Walker, ARVEST; Vice-Chair, Tally Ferguson, Bank of Oklahoma, N.A.;Secretary, Jim Kneale, ONEOK, Inc.; Assistant Secretary, Mike Messick, TWU Local 514; Treasurer, Mike Rhoads, Rhoads Advisory Group, LLC; and Assistant Treasurer, Sandi Westbrook, QuikTrip.

Elected for three-year terms, expiring in 2012,were: Jim Bender, Williams; Fred Cleveland, American Airlines; Dan Ellinor, Bank of Oklahoma, N.A.; Kathy Ervin-Johnson, USPS – Tulsa Postmaster; Steve Hildebrand, community volunteer; Dave Keglovits, GableGotwals; Bert Marshall, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma; J. Wade McCaleb, Sr., UAW Local 1895; Stuart Solomon, Public Service Company of Oklahoma; Don Walker, ARVEST; and Don Wellendorf, Magellan Midstream Partners, LP.

Elected for one-year terms, expiring in 2010, were: Dr. Keith Ballard, Tulsa Public Schools; Julian Brewer, The AGOS Group; Tally Ferguson, Bank of Oklahoma, N.A.; Mary Mélon, The Journal Record; Jim Norton, Jim Norton Toyota; Gary Paxton, Retired, Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc.;Dave Ratcliff, CWA Local 6012; Mike Rhoads, Rhoads Advisory Group, LLC; Tray Siegfried, The NORDAM Group; The Honorable Kathy Taylor, Mayor - City of Tulsa; and David Wagner, Saint Francis Health System.

Elected asGreen CountryDirectors at Large, terms expiring in 2010, were: Susan M. Bickert (Jenks), Kimberly-Clark Corporation; Nevyle Cable (Okmulgee), First National Bank & Trust of Okmulgee; Paul Cornell (Bristow), SpiritBank; Greg Graham (Broken Arrow), First National Bank & Trust ofBroken Arrow; Bob Green (Sand Springs), BancFirst – Sand Springs; Chuck Mitchell (Sapulpa), OG&E-Sapulpa; and Clint Swanson (Owasso), RogersBell.

Elected as Directors Filling Open Terms, terms expiring in 2011, were: Kelli Bailey, Matrix Architects Engineers Planners, Inc.; Robyn Ewing, Williams; and Cathy Gates, Ernst & Young, LLP.

Elected as Directors Filling Open Terms, terms expiring in 2010, were: Jeff Crippin, Omni Air International; and Rod Sands, Explorer Pipeline Company.

From the more than 500 companies and organizations who won awards, 62 companies earned Best of the Best Awards. Best of the Best Awards recognize organizations with a campaign increase of at least five percent, employee participation of 75 percent or more and employee per capita giving of $250 or more. The recipients of this award were:Ability Resources, Inc.; Adams Hall Asset Management, LLC; Alliance Resource Partners, LP; Allied Bearings Supply Co., Inc.; American Heart Association, Tulsa Chapter; American Residential Group;AmeriTrust Corporation;Anchor Gasoline Corporation;Bank of Oklahoma, N.A.; Benefit Informatics; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma;BKD, LLP;The Bridges Foundation;Broken Arrow Neighbors;Camp Fire USA Green Country Council;The Center for Individualswith Physical Challenges; Chubb & Son;Commerce Bank; Community Service Council of Greater Tulsa; Doerner, Saunders, Daniel Anderson, LLP; Eastern Oklahoma Donated Dental Services;Enterprise Rent-A-Car;Explorer Pipeline Company-Tulsa and Glenpool; First Fidelity Bank; Frederic Dorwart Lawyers;Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma;Grant Thornton, LLP;Hall Estill, Attorneys at Law;Hogan & Slovacek;The Holmes Organisation, Inc.; Jim Norton Toyota;KPMG, LLP;Leaders Life Insurance Company;LIFE Senior Services; Magellan Midstream Partners, LP;Midas Muffler;Nadel & Gussman; Neosource, Inc.; NuStar Energy;Omni Air International;ONEOK, Inc.;The Parent Child Center of Tulsa;Peoples Bank;QuikTrip-Corporate and Division; RSVP;Robinowitz Oil Company;Seminole Energy Services;Senior Star Living;Street School;Summit Bank;Sunoco, Inc.; Tullius Taylor Sartain & Sartain, LLP;Tulsa Area United Way; Tulsa C.A.R.E.S.;Tulsa CASA;Tulsa County-Administrative Services, Board of Commissioners, IT Department, Personnel DepartmentandSocial Services; Tulsa Metro Chamber; Tulsa Public SchoolsArea Superintendents; Union Public SchoolsAlternative School; Visiting Nurse Association of Tulsa; Williams; and Youth Services of Tulsa.

Companies who participated in the Combined Federal Campaign that won Best of the Best Awards were:10th Circuit Court of Appeals; National Energy Technology Laboratory;Social Security Administration-Okmulgee; U.S. Bankruptcy Court-Okmulgee; United States Postal Service-Customer Service, Administration and West Tulsa Station.

Founded in 1924, the Tulsa Area United Way is celebrating its 85th year of providing critical health, human and socialservices in the community. The Tulsa Area United Way funds more than 170 local programs offered by its 63 partner agencies in Creek, Okmulgee, Osage, Rogers, Tulsa and Wagoner counties. Donate online at or call 583-7171.

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