Former Social Studies teacher Kimberly Ann Henry served her state as the First Lady of Oklahoma from 2003 to 2011. Photo Credit: Norman Rotary Club
Many dedicated educators also make their mark in the political arena. One off these is Kimberly Ann Henry, a high school history teacher who formerly served as the First Lady of Oklahoma from 2003 to 2011.
Kimberly was born in Norman, Oklahoma. As a young girl, she attended Shawnee High School in Shawnee, Oklahoma. After her high school graduation, she attended the University of Oklahoma, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education in 1986.
Kimberly began her ten-year career as a classroom teacher by joining the staff of her alma mater, Shawnee High School, in 1993. There she taught economics, US Government, Advanced Placement American History, and Oklahoma History. Her talents as an outstanding educator were rewarded when, in 1999-2000, she was one of only five educators across America to receive the Close-Up Foundation’s Linda Myers Chozen Award for Teaching Excellence in Civic Education. In addition to her work as a classroom teacher, Kimberly has been a strong advocate on behalf of troubled youth through her support of the Thunderbird Youth Academy.
When her husband, Brad Henry, was elected Governor of Oklahoma in 2003, Kimberly became the First Lady of Oklahoma. She served in this capacity from 2003 to 2011. While First Lady, Kimberly fought to make education a priority in Oklahoma, and has been particularly instrumental in pushing for increased early childhood educational opportunities in the state. More recently, Kimberly launched the MyTakeOnHealth Video Challenge, a program which gave young people and students an opportunity to make video spots about health topics. For many years she was actively involved with the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Kimberly also served on the Board of Directors for the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and the Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum. She also previously served on the Board of Directors for Science Museum Oklahoma, Leadership Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. Also, Kimberly served as the Executive Director of the Sarkeys Foundation, a private, charitable foundation dedicated to providing support through gifts and grants to Oklahoma’s non-profit organizations.
For her work as an educator and as a politician, Kimberly has earned. many accolades. She was honored with the Bill Lowry Library Champion Award for her work in literacy in 2004. The same year by she was named one of the The Journal Record’s 50 Most Distinguished Women. For her tireless efforts on behalf of the people of her state, she was inducted into the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame in 2009. In 2010, she was named the Outstanding Woman of the Year Award at the second annual Women’s Leadership Conference for Women in Public Service. The same year, she was honored by Oklahoma State University College of Education with their prestigious Vision Award.
To read more about Kimberly Ann Henry, see this article published by 405 Magazine.
