Amy Ortloff grew up 2 blocks from campus, playing in the stacks of Bizzell Memorial Library. She met her husband, Steve, at OU while they both worked as Party Pic photographers. They spent the last 30 years in Madill (near Lake Texoma), raising their 3 children, Jeffrey, Ryan, and Emily. After the death of their middle son, Ryan, at the age of 17, Amy helped start a non-profit organization, Our Community Cares Coalition, for suicide awareness and prevention. OC3 won the Beacon Award in 2018, presented by Governor Mary Fallon, for charitable influence, philanthropic impact, and recognizing small business nonprofits. Amy also started a snack program in her local middle and high school. The program helped save over 30 lives, by sharing a simple act of kindness. Amy shared her story publicly on social media, wrote weekly for the town newspaper, began a personal blog, and spoke at multiple schools, clubs and businesses to share the importance of grief, mental health, and suicide awareness.
In 2024, Amy and her husband decided to move from their small town back to Norman to be closer to their kids. Her dream was to walk to work on campus and spend her days in the town where she grew up. The School of Social Work helped make her dream come true. Right back in the heart of Norman, Amy walks or rides her bike to work daily. She is a bright light and a burst of sunshine who helps plan events from monthly potlucks to weekly team building breaks, completes reservations for the JJ Rhyne Community Room, plans Continuing Education events, promotes a positive and healthy work culture, and brings creative problem solving to our team. She has only just begun and is open to seeing where this new position takes her.
