Annual Employee Awards
Celebrate those who go above and beyond—nominate someone outstanding! The Second Annual Employee Awards recognize exceptional service, leadership, innovation and teamwork. Please submit your nominations by Friday, July 31.
All award winners will be honored at a special Awards Ceremony later this fall. We will come together to celebrate their achievements, recognize the impact of their work and reflect on the progress we have made as a team.
These awards celebrate the individuals, teams and locations that go the extra mile in service to Oklahomans and one another. Whether it is delivering an exceptional customer experience, finding innovative solutions behind the scenes or living our values through everyday actions, these contributions help move our mission forward.
Pictured Left to Right: Two 2025 award recipients: Margie Ralston, DL Issuance Manager, and Tanya Anthony, Driver License Examiner Lead in Ardmore. Margie was recognized as Employee of the Year and Ardmore won the Location of the Year award.
Awards Overview
When you submit a colleague, team or yourself in the categories below, you are helping us to celebrate the excellence throughout our agency.
This award honors someone who consistently delivers exceptional service to customers, coworkers or partners.
This award is eligible for self-nomination.
This award recognizes someone who uplifts others and lives out our Neighborly value.
This award is not eligible for self-nomination.
This award celebrates someone who introduced an idea or improvement that made a difference.
This award is eligible for self-nomination.
This award is for employees with less than 12 months of service who are already making an impact.
This award is eligible for self-nomination.
This award honors a leader who empowers and supports others.
This award is eligible for self-nomination and is open to any leader with direct reports.
This award recognizes a team that worked together to achieve a shared goal.
This award is eligible for self-nomination and is open to formal or informal teams of two or more employees.
This award is for Service Oklahoma locations (Licensing & Exam locations, Drive Test Centers and CDL locations) that stand out in performance, innovation or culture.
This award is eligible for self-nomination.
This award recognizes outstanding performance as a driver license examiner.
This award is eligible for self-nomination.
Additional Awards
We will also be recognizing two additional honors. The Employee of the Year award will be selected from this year’s Employees of the Quarter winners, based on their overall impact and how strongly they reflect our values. The High Five Award will go to the employee who received the most peer-submitted High Fives throughout the year, highlighting the importance of everyday recognition.
This award is the highest recognition given to a non-supervisory employee and is selected from this year's winners of Employees of the Quarter.
Please note: Nominations are not required for this award.
This award goes to the employee who received the most peer-submitted High Fives during the calendar year.
Please note: Nominations are not required for this award.
What Happens Next
- Nominations will be reviewed once the submission period has closed.
- Winners will be notified ahead of time and invited to the Annual Employee Awards Ceremony, where they will be recognized.
- A list of award winners will be posted on this page.
Pictured Left to Right: Diedra O'Neil, Chief Executive of Strategy and Operations; Leatrice Cooksey, 2025 Examiner of the Year and Driver License Examiner Lead in Edmond; and Jay Doyle, Chief Executive Officer.
Recipients of the 2025 Annual Employee Awards
Join us in congratulating our colleagues who set the bar high, lived our values and made a real difference for Oklahomans every day.
Best-in-Class Award
Marissa Huff, MV Title Consultant*
Neighborly Award
Raymond Minst, Driver License Examiner Lead*
Pioneer Award
Sara Brophy, Senior Manager of Internal Audit
Rising Star Award
Laurel Holmes, Driver License Examiner*
Supervisor of the Year
Cole Simpson, Service Center Manager
Team Excellence Award
Facilities Team
- Cassandra Patterson, Director of Administrative Services
- Michael Knight, Property and Facilities Manager
- Corey Niles, Property and Facilities Manager
Location of the Year
Ardmore Licensing & Exam Location
- Caitlin McDaniel, Driver License Examiner
- Jeffrey "J.P." Vaile, Driver License Examiner
- Laura Kay, Driver License Examiner
- Payton McBride, Driver License Examiner
- Tanya Anthony, Driver License Examiner*
- Robin Talbert, Regional Manager
Examiner of the Year
Leatrice Cooksey, Driver License Examiner Lead
High Five Award
Ginny Patterson, Compliance Officer*
Employee of the Year
Margie Ralston, Business and Integration Analyst*
*Please note: Job titles for these individuals have changed since the 2025 Annual Employee Awards Ceremony.
Questions?
If you have questions about the nomination process, email Employee Engagement at sokcommunications@service.ok.gov.
Service Oklahoma
P.O. Box 11415
Oklahoma City, OK 73136
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