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Title 10, O.S., fl 7302-1.1 authorizes the Board of Juvenile Affairs (Board) as the governing body for the Office of Juvenile Affairs. The Board consists of seven members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Oklahoma Senate. The term of office for a board member is six years. Appointments are limited to two terms. The Board meets monthly in a manner consistent with the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act [Title 25, O.S., fl 301 et seq.].
The Board of Juvenile Affairs was created February 1, 1995. On February 14, 1995, the seven (7) members of the Board were appointed by Governor Frank Keating with the advice and consent of the Senate.
The Board of Juvenile Affairs sets broad policy for the Office of Juvenile Affairs (OJA) and is the rulemaking body for OJA. The board is responsible for reviewing and approving the budget, assisting the agency in planning activities related to the priorities and policies of the agency, providing a public forum for receiving comments and disseminating information to the public, and establishing contracting procedures for the agency and guidelines for rates of payment for services provided by contract.
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Charles Jackson was appointed to the OJA Board of Directors in March of 2004. Mr. Jackson and his wife, Tamara, reside in Tulsa. He brings 35 years of experience in law enforcement and is a retired Deputy Police Chief from the Tulsa Police Department. |
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Jay Keel is a Chickasaw from Ada where he serves the tribe as Administrator of the Division of Youth and Family Services. He is a licensed Baptist Minister, serving previously as a Youth Pastor. Mr. Keel currently serves as President of the Board of Directors of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Prevent Child Abuse Oklahoma as well as Caring For Ada's Children. He and his wife Donna have three children. |
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Lonelia L. Simmons is a teacher in the Muskogee Public School System. She has been an educator for 21 years. She also taught school in El Paso, Texas for five years and has a lifetime teaching certificate in Texas and is licensed in California. Mrs. Simmons has been involved in various youth projects and is a building representative, as well as a member of the M.E.A., O.E.A. and N.E.A. |
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George W. Lindley spent 30 years serving the citizens of Oklahoma, first as Special Judge and Associate District Judge, before being elected District Judge in 1978. He was Presiding Judge of the Southwest Judicial Administrative District from 1994 until his retirement in December of 2004. In addition, he was Chairman of the Oklahoma Trial Judges Association, Chairman of the Assembly of Presiding Judges, Presiding Judge of the Appellate Court on the Judiciary, a committee chairman for the National Conference of State Trial Judges, a National Center for State Courts faculty member, and an instructor for the National College of the State Judiciary.
A Duncan native, Judge Lindley graduated from the University of Oklahoma and obtained his law degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1970. His wife, Susan, is currently a seminary student.
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Gary A. Taylor is an attorney and Executive Director of Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc., the statewide provider of civil legal services to low-income and senior Oklahomans. Mr. Taylor is also an ex officio member of the Oklahoma Access to Justice Commission, created by the Supreme Court of Oklahoma in 2004 to provide oversight and insure fair treatment for all Oklahomans in the civil and criminal justice systems. Throughout his 27 year legal career, he has been involved in children's issues, having served on post adjudicatory review boards, Oklahoma Bar Association committees and Legislative Task Forces regarding deprived children, adoption process and other matters affecting the welfare of Oklahoma's children. He was the named the outstanding Family Law Attorney by the Family Law Section of the OBA in 1994. He lives in Oklahoma City with his wife, Saundra, and son, Noah. |
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Edward L. Smith is the of Chief of Police for the Clinton Police Department with a long and distinguished career in law enforcement management. Chief Smith received his Master's Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Oklahoma City University. He has also served as Assistant Director of the Oklahoma Alcohol Beverage Control Board (now the ABLE Commission) and as Leadership Assistant (Chief of Staff) to the Minority Leader of the Oklahoma State Senate. In 2002, Chief Smith was appointed by Gov. Keating to the OSBI Board of Commissioners. He has authored numerous articles that have been published in the Oklahoma Municipal League's Cities and Towns and the Oklahoma Police Chief's magazine. He has taught as an adjunct instructor of Criminal Justice at Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma State University, Southern Nazarene University, St. Gregory's University and was recently asked to teach a class at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. He has served on the Board of Directors of Youth Services of Oklahoma County and Grady County, as well as having served three terms as President of Chisholm Trail Mental Health. Mr. Smith also served as the Bethany Chamber of Commerce President. He has been selected as member of Leadership Oklahoma, Class XX.
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Dr. Linda Ware Toure has served as a professional educator for over 30 years. She serves as Executive Director of Student Performance in Oklahoma City Public Schools.
Dr. Toure earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Langston University. She also earned her Master of Education degree in Administration from the University of Central Oklahoma. Dr. Toure earned her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction at Oklahoma State University in 1993.
She has served as a classroom teacher, principal and elementary school director. Dr. Toure has served as an educational consultant for school districts, community organizations, and other entities.
Dr. Toure is active in community and civic and educational organizations. A few of the organizations with which she is or has been affiliated in or leadership capacity include Langston University Alumni Association, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Oklahoma City Metropolitan Association of Black School Educators, National Association of Elementary School Principals and Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
She is married to former State Representative Opio Toure who served District 99 for thirteen years. She and her husband are proud parents of two sons, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren. The family is actively involved at St. Paul Baptist Church.
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