BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dr. David Powell retired as Superintendent and CEO of SouthernTech, a regional technology center in Ardmore, Oklahoma, capping decades of service in occupational and adult education. Throughout his career, he focused on preparing students and adults for the workforce and on building the kind of training that regional employers depend on. Since retirement, he has continued his commitment to the community by serving on several boards tied to education and economic development. His experience across both the classroom and the executive office gives him a practical view of how workforce preparation and regional growth reinforce one another.. 

Jerold Phillips serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Citizens Bank & Trust Company of Ardmore, where he has worked for over twenty years. With a background in Information Technology, Jerold has embraced community banking and the role it plays in strengthening the areas it serves. In 2024, he was appointed to the Federal Reserve Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council, and he was recently named to the Oklahoma Banking Department Board. He is a member of the OBA and the ABA Government Relations Council, and he enjoys teaching at the OBA's intermediate and operations schools. Jerold graduated from the SMU Graduate School of Banking in 2015.

Dr. Tim Faltyn is the 21st President of Murray State College, founded as a school of agriculture in 1908 and now serving Southern Oklahoma and North Texas with centers of excellence in healthcare, agriculture, gunsmithing, and online education. A member of the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame and a Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Faltyn has led the College to all-time highs in graduation rates, external funding, enrollment, and national rankings. In his three years at Murray State, enrollment has grown by more than 40 percent across seven consecutive semesters, making it the fastest growing institution in Oklahoma. His degrees come from Central New Mexico, Central Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State, with post-doctoral training at Harvard.