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91Ӱ�� 50 Notable Alumni

50th Anniversary Notable Alumni Feature Pamela Ballard, M.H.R.: Attending college had always been a dream for Pamela. However, with a job and three children, her dream had taken a back seat. Then, with her oldest daughter in college, she knew if she was ever going to reach her goal, she had to act. She persevered earning her degree nine years after she first started college and along the way she began to see greater possibilities.

“While I had always liked school, 91Ӱ�� made me fall in love with learning,” she said. “My confidence level soared with the attainment of an associate degree in Business Administration in 2003, which I received the same day as my oldest daughter.” Pamela continued her education and was named the Outstanding Senior at OU’s College of Liberal Studies, before earning a master’s degree in Human Relations with an Emphasis in Community Service and a Concentration in Organizational Studies. Her education allowed her to pursue her “calling” in nonprofit management. She has served as the CEO for United Way of Northwestern Oklahoma, the CEO for Susan G. Komen Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma, and is currently the CEO for the Community Service Council of Greater Tulsa.

Pamela’s passion for her communities has led her to start an inter-generational arts program, an outdoor camp for children with autism, and a community-wide effort to build an early childhood education center. She has served as a commissioner for Oklahoma AmeriCorps for 23 years through the Oklahoma Community Service Commission and is a Leadership Oklahoma Class of 30 graduate. Pam is also Certified Nonprofit Executive, a Certified Nonprofit Consultant, and holds a certification in Human Resource Management.

Pamela has written a children’s book on volunteering and giving with her granddaughter Cloe’ as the illustrator. When she isn’t working on community issues, Pamela enjoys time with her family, baking award-winning pies, and occasionally skydiving.