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Commission Information

Commission Meeting Schedule

The commission is the governing board for the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS), which serves nearly 190,000 Oklahomans with disabilities each year through vocational rehabilitation, employment, independent living, educational programs and the determination of medical eligibility for disability benefits.

The contact person for commission meetings services and other information is DRS Commission Assistant Suzanne Randall, or call (405) 951-3472.

Commission Biographies

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Meeting Schedule

Notice: The meeting schedule below is subject to change due to severe weather or other unforeseen/unavoidable circumstances. DRS will do everything possible to post advance notice of any changes to these regularly scheduled meetings. Changes will appear on this page and the homepage as they are announced. In the event our offices are closed or severe weather may cause hazardous conditions, please contact the department main number for information about possible cancellations and/or information on rescheduling. The main number for the department is (405) 951-3400 or toll-free (800) 845-8476 v/tty. You may also contact the Commission at (405) 951-3471.

2009 Commission Schedule

1/12/2009 at 10:00 AM
Department of Rehabilitation Services
3535 N.W. 58th St., 2nd Floor Conference Room
Oklahoma City, OK
    Download agenda: January 12 - Standard Print | January 12 - Large Print

2/9/2009 at 10:00 AM
Department of Rehabilitation Services
3535 N.W. 58th St., 2nd Floor Conference Room
Oklahoma City, OK
    Download agenda: February 9 - Standard Print | February 9 - Large Print

3/9/2009 at 10:00 AM
Department of Rehabilitation services
3535 N.W. 58th St., 2nd Floor Conference Room
Oklahoma City, OK
    Download agenda: March 9 - Standard Print | March 9 - Large Print

4/13/2009 at 10:00 AM
Disability Determination Division
9801 N. Kelly Ave.,
Oklahoma City, OK
    Download agenda: April 13 - Standard Print | April 13 - Large Print

5/11/2009 at 10:00 AM
Department of Rehabilitation 5ervices
3535 N.W. 58th St., 2nd Floor Conference Room
Oklahoma City, OK
     Download agenda: May 11 - Standard Print | May 11 - Large Print

6/8/2009 at 10:00 AM    
Oklahoma School for the Blind
3300 Gibson,
Muskogee, OK
     Download agenda: June 8 - Standard Print | June 8 - Large Print

7/13/2009  - Meeting Cancelled

8/28/2009 10:00 AM     
Department of Rehabilitation Services,
3535 N.W. 58th St., 2nd Floor Conference Room
Oklahoma City, OK

9/14/2009 at 10:00 AM    
Department of Rehabilitation services,
3535 N.W. 58th St., 2nd Floor Conference Room
Oklahoma City, OK

10/12/2009 at 10:00 AM    
Oklahoma School for the Deaf,
1100 East Oklahoma,
Sulphur, OK

11/9/2009 at 10:00 AM    
Department of Rehabilitation Services,
3535 N.W. 58th St., 2nd Floor Conference Room
Oklahoma City, OK

12/14/2009 at 10:00 AM  
Department of Rehabilitation services,
3535 N.W. 58th St., 2nd Floor Conference Room
Oklahoma City, OK

Contact person for commission meetings: Suzanne Randall, Commission Assistant,
Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services (405) 951-3471 or email.

Archives

2008 Schedule and Agendas

 

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Commissioner Ray Kirk is appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate.Photo of Commissioner Ray Kirk.

A native of northeastern Oklahoma, Kirk and his wife own and operate a 585-acre cattle and thoroughbred horse ranch southeast of Muskogee. 

He was employed as a State Farm Insurance Companies agent for 32 years before his recent retirement. 

Kirk graduated from Tahlequah High School and Northeastern State University with a bachelor’s degree in education.  He completed graduate studies at Wichita State University while teaching in a private business college and coached and taught classes in public schools for several years.

The DRS commissioner also serves as the chair of Muskogee County Conservation District and is a member of Cross Timbers, a 10-county rural development organization commissioned by Governor Brad Henry.  He attends First Baptist Church in Muskogee and is active in Masonic and Bedouin Shrine organizations which assist with children’s medical needs in eastern Oklahoma.

Contact Information:
The Honorable Ray Kirk
3535 N.W. 58th Street, Suite 500
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
(405) 951-3471 - Office

 

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Commissioner Steve Shelton is appointed by the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.Photo of Commissioner Steve Shelton.

Steve Shelton, a senior application programmer and consultant with Fidelity National Information Services, has never allowed blindness to become a barrier to achieving his goals.

Commissioner Shelton began his career in 1977 after graduating from East Central University with a bachelor’s of science degree in mathematics.

He was a client of the Department of Rehabilitation Services’ Visual Services/Vocational Rehabilitation program, which assisted him with his education and job placement. This assistance was a key factor in building the foundation for a successful information technology career.

Commissioner Shelton has devoted countless hours and resources to help people with disabilities achieve their full potential and improve their quality of life. He was elected to four terms as president of the Oklahoma affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind and currently serves as treasurer.

Additionally, he served 11 years on that national organization’s scholarship committee, during which time over $1 million was awarded to deserving students with visual disabilities.

The commissioner completed two appointments to the Oklahoma Rehabilitation Council, was a long term volunteer with Boy Scout Troop 479 and currently serves as a deacon at First Presbyterian Church of Edmond. Shelton and his wife Barbara have three adult sons and now reside in Edmond.

Contact Information:
The Honorable Steve Shelton
3535 N.W. 58th Street, Suite 500
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
(405) 951-3471 - Office
sshelton@okdrs.gov

 

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Commissioner Ben C. White is appointed by the Governor of the State of Oklahoma.Photo of Commissioner Ben C. White.

Ben C. White, former hospital administrator from Lawton, was originally appointed by Governor Frank Keating, and reappointed by Governor Brad Henry in 2005.

A native of Midwest City, White’s health care career began at Deaconess Hospital in Oklahoma City, where he served as Associate Administrator. He served for more than nine years with the Oklahoma Hospital Association, six years with Presbyterian Hospital, and then as Executive Vice President of Comanche County Memorial Hospital in Lawton, where he was instrumental in developing the Center for Disability and Rehabilitation.

He later accepted the position of Administrator of Southwestern Medical Center. For the past 14 years, he also owned and operated The Center of Good Health, a full service family fitness and wellness center, which offered physical therapy and cardiac rehabilitation services.

White received an Associate of Arts degree from Cameron University in Lawton; Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond; a Bachelor of Science in Hospital Administration from Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, and pursued additional studies in business administration from the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

Among White’s numerous civic and service responsibilities, he has twice served as Chairman of the Board of Baptist Retirement Centers of Oklahoma. He and his wife attend First Baptist Church in Lawton.

Contact Information:
The Honorable Ben C. White
3535 N.W. 58th Street, Suite 500
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
(405) 951-3471 - Office

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