Four ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ women will be recognized for their service to the community next month as new members of The Societies of ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ City University.
The 37th annual Awards of Excellence luncheon will honor Charlotte Lankard with the Distinguished Philanthropist Award; Jill Trauschke with the Dulaney-Browne Library Society Award; Myrla Pierson with the Norick-Hulsey Gallery Society Award; and Peggy Kates with the Kirkpatrick-Petree Music and Performing Arts Society Award.
A luncheon ceremony, chaired by Ashley Bowen Murphy, will be held at 11:30 a.m. April 16 at the ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ City Golf & Country Club with featured diamond sponsor Gerald and Jane Jayroe Gamble. Registration to attend can be made online at okcu.edu/awardsofexcellence.
βMembers of The Societies of ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ City University have a reputation for their tireless and selfless work to improve our community,β ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ President Kenneth Evans said. βThese exceptional leaders are role models to our students, and changemakers within our network of alumni and friends. We are proud to work with them and congratulate each on their well-deserved honor.β
About the honorees:
Charlotte Lankard, ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ Distinguished Philanthropist Award
Charlotte Lankard is a marriage and family therapist with a wealth of experience in her field. Since moving to ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ City in 1992, she served as the associate director of Outpatient Counseling Services at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center.
As the founder of Calm Waters, a center providing support for grieving children, Lankardβs commitment to mental wellness has been unwavering. She also played a pivotal role in establishing the James Hall Jr. Center for Mind, Body, and Spirit, where she served as director for eight years.
Lankard wrote the book βItβs Called Life: Living, Loving, Hurting, Changing,β and she has contributed to other works such as βPowerful Single Parent Wisdom,β βBlending Familiesβ and βDevote 40 Days.β
Jill Trauschke, Dulaney-Browne Library Society Award
Jill Trauschke is a community volunteer for nonprofit agencies in the ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ City area, with a focus on addressing the educational and health care needs of underserved and homeless populations. Originally from North Carolina, Trauschke relocated to ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ City in 2009 with her husband, Sean, and their children.
After earning a bachelorβs degree in nursing from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Trauschke worked as a registered nurse in various capacities throughout the Carolinas.
Currently, she serves on several boards, including Allied Arts, where she was a 2024 campaign co-chair, and the Friends of the OU Breast Institute advisory board. She is also involved with the Library Endowment Trust of the Metropolitan Library System of ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ County and the ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ Single Parent Scholarship Program.
Myrla Pierson, Norick-Hulsey Gallery Society Award
Myrla Pierson was born and raised in ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ City. She earned a degree in marketing and public relations from the University of ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½.
Pierson worked as a travel consultant for 28 years, managing an agency for five years. She also taught travel courses at ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ and Draughon Business School.
Her journey of volunteering began at the age of 12 when she served as a candy striper at Baptist Hospital, sparking her passion for helping others. She has been involved in several civic and cultural initiatives. She served five years in the Junior Hospitality Club. She became a member of the Junior League of ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ City in 1988 and held numerous leadership roles. She served on the St. Anthony Foundation, where she co-chaired Saint Babies, which planned and raised funds for maternal health.
Pierson volunteered at the ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ City National Memorial & Museum and co-chaired the Reflections of Hope dinner for two years. She has also supported the Girl Scouts in a variety of ways.
Peggy Kates, Kirkpatrick-Petree Music and Performing Arts Society Award
Peggy Kates was the CFO and co-founder of Midwest Wrecking.
She has extensive experience in board service across a variety of organizations. Currently, Kates serves on the boards of the Science Museum ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½, Mercy Foundation, ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ Hall of Fame, Focus on Home, Civic Center Foundation, Leadership OKC Alumni, ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ Center for Nonprofits, University of Central ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ Foundation and the ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ City National Memorial & Museum.
Kates was recognized for her past contributions as a board member for the YWCA, Allied Arts, ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ Zoological Society and Infant Crisis Services. She was honored as one of the Journal Recordβs β50 Women Making a Difference.β
