Q3 2022 education and community announcements

Oklahoma Christian University and the University of Central Oklahoma recently announced staff changes and student competition results, while two local sports events were nationally recognized.

New Oklahoma Christian president named

The Oklahoma Christian University Board of Trustees recently announced the appointment of John deSteiguer as University Chancellor and Dr. Ken Jones as President, effective May 1, 2023. 

deSteiguer has served as president since 2012, championing groundbreaking speakers and events that have challenged and inspired the OC community. During his time, he oversaw transformational capital improvements on campus while simultaneously leading efforts to reduce debt.

Dr. Ken Jones is a native Oklahoman and a longtime friend of OC with four decades of Christian higher education leadership and experience. He joined OC as Chancellor in 2021 and previously served Lubbock Christian University as President for 19 years. 

UCO Sales Team competes nationally

The University of Central Oklahoma Sales Team recently competed in the International Collegiate Sales Competition. Eighty universities from across the United States attended, representing the best and brightest sales students in the country. The competition consisted of role play, sales case management, and speed selling. 

There were 159 students in the role-play competition. UCO students Mattison Bullard and Cooper Crick placed second and third. As a result, our UCO team finished first in the role play division and third overall behind Southeastern Louisiana and Florida State University.

Local sports events honored

Sports Destination Management, the leading national publication in the sports tourism market, has announced the 2022 Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism, which includes the National Little Britches Association Rodeo Finals and OSSAA Class 5A/6A State Swimming Championships. Nineteen small market winners were honored, and this year’s winners are responsible for contributing over $2.42 billion to the national economy over the past year.

The OSSAA 5A/6A State Swimming Championship is the largest high school swim meet in the state of Oklahoma, made possible with support from Edmond Public Schools, Visit Edmond, and local hotels and restaurants. 

The National Little Britches Rodeo Association (NLBRA) is one of the fastest-growing youth rodeos in the nation, helping future legends of rodeo and providing over $380,000 in scholarships to date. The event finals take place at the Lazy E Arena in July, bringing more than 1,400 contestants and an estimated $19.3 million into the Edmond economy.