Ballard Honored for His Work in Education
Professor Keith Ballard was honored by the Oklahoma Legislature in March for his contributions to education. The House and Senate both passed resolutions recognizing Ballard’s career as a teacher and administrator and as head of the Oklahoma State School Boards Association.
In late January, Ballard was honored by the Tulsa Regional Chamber with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Ballard was honored for a career than spans more than 50 years, beginning as a reading specialist in Coweta, before moving on to Oologah-Talala, where he worked his way up to superintendent over a period of 18 years.
Superintendent roles in Claremore and Tulsa Public Schools, as well as service as executive director of the Oklahoma State School Board Association, eventually led him to the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education in OU-Tulsa, where he serves as professor and George Kaiser Family Foundation Chair in Leadership.
“His impact on education is something that cannot be overstated, and we are proud to celebrate his work,” said Stacy Reeder, dean, Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education. “We recruited Keith to the college to help lead our EACS program in Tulsa and oversee and grow the Professional Development and Leadership Academy, which has become a leading resource in providing relevant and effective school leadership development programs in the greater Tulsa area.”
Ballard continues to work for the betterment of education in Oklahoma, even as he faces the toughest flight of his life after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in fall 2020.