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Meet the OMES Legislative and Public Affairs team
OMES Public Affairs collaborates with OMES divisions for all internal and external communications. It also collaborates with OMES and other state agencies to produce attractive, high-quality digital and printed publications while providing expertise in graphic design, layout, editing, writing, video production, branding, marketing and social media.
CADEN CLEVELAND
Director of Legislative and Public Affairs
Caden oversees the OMES Legislative and Public Affairs team and is the point of contact for media inquiries. He serves as a spokesperson for the agency, collaborating internally and externally to promote OMES and communicate with legislators. He earned a Master of Business Administration from Oklahoma Christian University and worked for the Oklahoma Senate before joining OMES.
DENISE WHITE
Internal Communications Manager
Denise's mantra is that we are all in this together – it is in partnership with one another that our success is guaranteed. And to that end, she shares this sentiment with Maya Angelou: "My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to so do with some passion, some compassion, some humor and some style."
JAKE LOWREY
External Communications Manager
A member of the original OMES Communications department, Jake manages content on the agency website, oversees GovDelivery communications system for the state and supervises the team responsible for accessibility of agency documents.
BEN BIGLER
Graphic Designer
Ben's goal is to transform information and concepts into images and publication designs that are appealing, easy to understand and, occasionally, entertaining. Ben is always on the lookout for new ideas and his more than three decades as a photojournalist, page designer and informational graphic artist give him tools to help your audience see what you want to say.
BRIAN LUNDMARK
Visual and Graphic Arts Specialist
Brian wanted to be a cartoonist but settled for being an Emmy award winner, a world famous dancer and a YouTube sensation. Now he spends his time creating beautiful graphics and videos for the state of Oklahoma and helping your projects be as awesome as you are.
JESSA JOHNSON
Graphic Designer
Jessa creates graphics and publications that clearly communicate complex information in simple and dynamic ways.. She welcomes constructive criticism and devotes herself daily to becoming a better person, designer and communicator. She also enjoys oil painting, traveling, playing golf, and spending time with her girlfriend and two adopted children.
AMY SOUTHALL
Copy Editor
As a benefits communications specialist for the OMES Public Affairs communications team, Amy makes your job in communicating with internal and external customers easier. In addition to copy editing and contributing written content, she also remediates agencywide material for website accessibility.
DEBRA BAKER
Strategic Communications Coordinator
Debra reviews OMES publications to ensure information is accurate, clear and easy to understand. She works with printed and electronic publications along with maintaining information on the OMES website. She acts as the point of contact for different divisions on many projects and has 30 years’ experience as a state employee.
BRITTANY COLEY-ROBERTS
Open Records Coordinator
Brittany manages the workflow and centralized filing for all OMES open records requests, and then reports associated metrics to management. She developed and streamlined OMES' current online ORR process and is the recipient of the 2021 FOI Oklahoma Sunshine Award for her commitment to freedom of information.
CHRISTA HELFREY
Strategic Communication Coordinator
Christa creates and manages original content, with an emphasis on written and visual communication, for internal and external media channels. She assists with updating the OMES website and the research, writing, editing and distribution of OMES publications for grammar, spelling, consistency and OMES branding compliance.
KAY THOMPSON
Strategic Engagement Coordinator
Kay creates content for social media and assists with website content updates in addition to other events and projects taken on by the Legislative and Public Affairs team. Most recently, she was the marketing lead for the State Suppliers Expo. Before joining the state workforce, she managed a newspaper – running every aspect of it at one point in time – for over 10 years. Kay comes to OMES from the Department of Corrections.
KORY OSWALD
Multimedia Coordinator
Kory is an award-winning journalist and professional communicator with a deep understanding of multimedia, content creation, news publication and propagation. He serves as a copy editor for internal and external communications. He also serves as audio engineer and videographer on projects like the Get Stuff Done Podcast, OMES Employees Group Insurance Division videos, Thrive and the Mulready Minutes podcast.
WHO WE ARE
Legislative and Public Affairs is the central communications team for OMES. Our team works to build partnerships, both in the public and private sector, by creatively and effectively promoting OMES' work in serving those who serve Oklahomans.
OUR MISSION
Legislative and Public Affairs will strive to become the recognized leader in boldly creating and promoting exceptional content that continually advocates the overall mission and services our state agency provides.
OUR CULTURE AND STANDARD
The Legislative and Public Affairs team will proactively encourage, support and empower all team members to think boldly and creatively in all tasks undertaken. We will hold each other accountable in ensuring 100% of the content produced from OMES Legislative and Public Affairs is exceptional, both in quality and in purpose, while maintaining excellent customer communication and service.
