Monday, October 7, 2019

A Farewell, an Invitation, and an Appeal

Dear Friend,

Eleven years ago, along with a team of visionary board members and funders, I helped launch Oklahoma Policy Institute. Our goal: to be “the irrefutable conscience” of Oklahoma, injecting reliable, data-driven information into policy discussions and ensuring an effective voice for low-income Oklahomans and marginalized communities.

Thanks to your encouragement and support, OK Policy has met, and exceeded, those goals. OK Policy has earned the trust of elected officials on both sides of the aisle, helping to transform Oklahoma’s public conversation around taxes and public investments and defeating efforts to repeal the state income tax. Together, we’ve fought successfully for increased funding for education and led efforts to oppose predatory lending, protect health care for the most vulnerable, and reform our state’s criminal justice system.

Leading OK Policy has been a tremendous joy and privilege. Now, after a decade at the helm, I am leaving the organization and taking a new position as the George Kaiser Family Foundation Professor of Practice in the Masters’ of Public Administration program at the University of Oklahoma – Tulsa. I will begin teaching courses in January 2020.

I am grateful for the successes we have shared during my time at OK Policy – and excited for the future victories you will achieve under the leadership of our new Executive Director, Ahniwake Rose.

Ahniwake is an Oklahoma native with two decades of successful experience in policy analysis and organizational leadership with national non-profits. Ahniwake stepped into the Executive Director role in early September, bringing with her a clear vision of building upon OK Policy’s foundation of fact-based policy analysis to ensure all Oklahomans have the opportunity to thrive.

I know that with Ahniwake at the helm, and supported by our experienced and talented staff of nearly two dozen professionals, OK Policy will continue to fight with passion and integrity for a more equitable and prosperous Oklahoma.

That’s why, today, I am asking for your continued investment in OK Policy’s future.

Specifically, I invite you to become a founding supporter of the David Blatt Legacy Fund. The Fund will provide dedicated support for OK Policy’s bedrock policy work on budget and tax issues, led by our new Senior Analyst Paul Shinn, one of Oklahoma’s most experienced and knowledgeable fiscal analysts. Your three-year commitment, or one-time gift, will help keep OK Policy strong during the leadership transition and beyond.

Donate

You can make your tax-deductible donation securely online at okpolicy.org/DBLF. If you prefer, you can send a check to: Oklahoma Policy Institute, 907 S. Detroit, Suite 1005, Tulsa, OK 74120. Please note David Blatt Legacy Fund on the subject line.

I also hope you can join me for farewell events celebrating my time at OK Policy in Oklahoma City on October 28th from 5-7 pm at the Oklahoma History Center and in Tulsa on October 29th from 4:30 – 6:30 pm at the IDL Ballroom. The events are free and open to all; please let us know you are coming by RSVPing here.

RSVP Today

Thank you for your continued commitment to Oklahoma’s irrefutable conscience.

With gratitude and appreciation, 
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