Brenda Brew – Executive Director

Brenda Brewer was born at the Air Force Base in Salina, Kansas. She moved to Beggs when she was three years old where she was raised. She graduated from Beggs High School in 1980. She married Eddie Brewer in 1985 and together raised four daughters. She enjoys gardening, canning, fishing, board games, cooking and spending time with her family.

Brenda has been the executive director for the Okmulgee County Homeless Shelter since November 2015. The job was perfect due to her passion for helping people. She is very community minded and has served as an ambassador for the Okmulgee Chamber of Commerce. Prior, she worked as an administrative assistant for the Okmulgee Main Street and Okmulgee Chamber of Commerce. The experiences and skills from working there, as well as life experiences, prepared her for her current job at the shelter.

Leslie Powell – Board President, Governance Committee Chair

Leslie Powell graduated from Okmulgee High School Class of ‘82. She has been married thirty two years. They have three grown daughters and one adult son, as well as grandchildren and a great grandson.

Leslie has 2 associates’ degrees, one from OSUIT in Business Administration and one from the College of the Muscogee Nation in Tribal Services. She also holds a bachelor’s degree from East Central University as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, and a master’s degree from East Central University in Human Resources with an option in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling.

She has been employed with the State of Oklahoma Department of Vocational Service (DRS) for five years as a Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist II. As a VRS (Vocational Specialist II, she works with people with disabilities, mental or physical, to help them obtain employment. Leslie has served on the board with OCHS for five years and truly loves what she can do for others. The meaning for her in helping is “Tender Loving Care“ for others.

Dawn Carter – Board Vice-President

Dawn Carter is a “people enthusiast” who works with families in various modes of service. She is currently serving as Ward 3 City Council Member of Okmulgee and the Low-Income Representative of Okmulgee County for Deep Fork.

Dawn is an Okmulgee graduate, Class of ‘98, she and her husband of 11 years have 3 daughters and are the owners/operators of Carter Enterprise & Investments, a company that provides commercial and residential cleanings and handyman repair services.

As a former pregnant and homeless single mother, she used her experiences, with the help of two others, to develop Better Way, Brighter Day – a program built to help other single parents experiencing hardship and crisis.

Krystal Bohannon – Board Treasurer, Thrift Store Committee Chair

Krystal Bohannon is an Okmulgee graduate, Class of ‘98. She has been employed at First National Bank & Trust since 2003 and is currently a Vice President in the Operations area, overseeing the teller group for their 5 locations.

She joined the Okmulgee County Homeless Shelter board in 2015 with a heart to help. She is active in her church Apostolic Life where she participates in fundraising and is the ladies auxiliary leader.

She is the proud mother of two daughters.

Juanita Morgan – Board Secretary, Recruitment Committee Chair

Juanita Morgan was born and raised in Seattle, WA. She has been married 35 years to Lorenzo and they have three natural born sons, numerous (5) additional non birth sons, and five grandchildren.

Juanita has an AAS Accounting degree from Seattle Central Community College, AAS Business Administration & Elementary Education from OSUIT, B.S. Mild & Moderate Disabilities from NSU, and M.Ed. Educational Leadership from Southeastern State University, and is currently enrolled and working toward a doctorate degree at ORU.

She worked 25 plus years as a legal assistant, 10 years in human resources and is currently a teacher at Okmulgee Public Schools as well as Cheerleading Coach. She is an active member of Jubilee Christian Church. She enjoys helping people realize their potential, and believes everyone has a positive side.

Her oldest son always says “Mom, you cannot save everyone”! My goal as an educator corresponds with my goal being part of the Homeless Shelter – helping people become active, productive citizens, and utilize their talents to reach their goals.

Danna Martin – Immediate Past-President

Danna Martin, graduated from the University of Texas with a Masters in Social Work and is now a retired instructor from OSUIT.

She joined the OCHS board in 2017, is active in the First United Methodist Church and helps her husband with the family businesses, Okmulgee Mini Storage and Martin Rentals.

Katina Holland – Board Member, Public Relations Committee Chair

Katina Holland is an Okmulgee native, graduating from OHS with the Class of ‘96. She is the general manager of Okmulgee Times and writes a weekly cooking column.

Katina has a passion for baking and is often sharing baked goods with downtown businesses.

A widow since 2011, Katina uses her experiences with grief to help others going through the same thing, often doing speaking engagements and reaching out to connect with those who have recently lost loved ones to help where she can.

Rose Lynch – Board Member, Fundraising Committee Chair

A native upstate NY and Pennsylvanian, Rose Lynch moved to Oklahoma in her mid-20s. She received theological training at Rhema, Victory Bible Institute (VBI II), and EFM, Education for Ministry in the Episcopal Diocese.

Education for social justice/sociology came through observing personal homelessness as a child to working with street kids as a young adult to adulthood serving women released from prison to integrate them into society.

Her lifelong devotion has been to serve others and to bring hope to those who are so down and out. For fun, Rose loves gardening, and traveling, so far visiting 18 countries worldwide, and 44 states. She never meets a stranger and loves hearing people’s stories of who they are, what they believe, and why.

Deb Marshall – Board Member, Strategic Committee Chair

Deb is a native of the Kansas City, Missouri area but has also lived and worked in Texas and Oklahoma as well as Tanzania, East Africa.

While she has enjoyed rather diverse career paths through the years, (including medical field, natural gas transmission, software development, manufacturing and small business ownership.

the majority of the past 25 years has been in community and economic development. She currently is employed by Okmulgee Area Development Corp (OADC) which is the economic development office. No matter where she has lived, she has had a heart for and an interest in homelessness and has volunteered for related organizations in various capacities.

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Curt Allen – Board Member

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Terri Cole – Board Member