AWC Tulsa's 2008 Newsmakers

“Visionary Leaders:  Building the Future”

Helen Jo Hardwick: Building quality of life for women

HHHelen Jo Hardwick, the 2008 Saidie Award honoree, spent 20 years at Resonance, a nonprofit organization providing services leading to self-sufficiency for women and families experiencing challenges, change or adversity in their lives.

She is a member of the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women, served as president of the Tulsa chapter of the Association for Women in Communications and two years as president of Tulsa Garden Center.

Additionally, she is active with numerous community organizations including the Tulsa Ballet, Philbrook Museum of Art, the Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author committee of the Tulsa City-County Library, Ronald McDonald House and Clarehouse.

Among her honors are:

  • Distinguished Alumna Award, the University of Tulsa, 1999
  • AWC Newsmaker Award
  • Tulsa Women’s Foundation Pinnacle Award


Robin Flint Ballenger: Building Tulsa’s future

RBRobin Flint Ballenger is the first female and the third generation owner of Flintco Companies. Under her guidance, Flintco is one of the top construction companies in the region and recognized for employing large numbers of Native Americans.

Through her family foundation, Ballenger supports Tulsa-based nonprofit organizations providing medical and emotional support for women and for families.

Among her honors are:

  • 2007 Journal Record Woman of the Year
  • 2006 American Indian Business Owner of the Year Award, presented by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development.

Ballenger serves on the boards of Hillcrest Medical Center, Cherokee National Historical Society in Tahlequah, Lochland School in Geneva, N.Y., and Planned Parenthood Eastern Oklahoma. She is past president of the Clarehouse Board of Directors.


Nancy Day: Building community understanding

NDNancy Day became executive director of the Oklahoma Conference for Community and Justice (OCCJ) in 1983. She helped develop programs including Anytown, Oklahoma, Different and the Same, and the Interfaith Trialogue Series.

When Tulsa’s chapter of the National Conference for Christians and Jews (predecessor to OCCJ) was in danger of closing in 2004 because of problems on the national level, Day and numerous community leaders helped transform the local organization into OCCJ, an independent nonprofit.

Her honors include:

  • 2007 Interfaith Award from Tulsa Metropolitan Ministries, the Jewish Federation of Tulsa and the Islamic Society of Tulsa
  • 2007 Oklahoma Goodwill Appreciation Award from the Islamic Society of Tulsa and Oklahoma Council on American-Islamic Relations
  • 2006 North Tulsa Heritage Foundation Image Builder Award
  • 2004 Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Phillips Theological Seminar
  • Commissioner of the Year by the Tulsa Human Rights Commission


Jami Armstrong Fullerton, PhD: Building minds through education

JFJami Armstrong Fullerton, PhD, associate professor of journalism and broadcasting at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa, received national recognition for the book that she co-authored in 2006, “Advertising’s War of Terrorism: The Story of the U.S. State Department’s Shared Values Initiative.”

The book cites internal Bush administration documents and research to assert that the anti-terrorism advertising campaign was successful in fostering more positive attitudes toward America in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Fullerton has spoken nationally on “Advertising’s War on Terror” at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Media Week at the University of South Carolina and the University of Nebraska and locally at the Tulsa Press Club.

Her recognitions include:

  • 2007 National AWC Headliner Award
  • Tulsa Professional Chapter of AWC immediate past president
  • College of Arts & Sciences Junior Faculty Research Award

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