Board President Tyler Tokarczyk is a senior program officer for Inasmuch Foundation. His work primarily focuses on journalism, criminal justice reform, and entrepreneurship and innovation. In addition to OMC, Tyler serves on the board of directors for Teach For America-Oklahoma City, ReMerge of Oklahoma County and The Kiln. Outside of the office, Tyler and his wife, Ariel, enjoy traveling and aspire to visit every Major League Baseball stadium and U.S. national park. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, he majored in journalism at Washington and Lee University and earned his MBA at the University of Oklahoma.
Board Treasurer Angel Ellis is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and has lived, worked and played within reservation boundaries most of her life. Ellis learned to read with a newspaper at the breakfast table with her grandfather, and the fascination never faded. Early in her career, she became the editor for a Kimberling City Publish Co. newspaper. By 2008, Ellis had performed every job, from throwing paper routes with her children in car seats to selling advertisements and covering local news. Ellis became director of Mvskoke Media in 2020. On Sept. 18, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation became the first tribe to usher in a citizen-ratified, constitutionally protected and fully funded press. Ellis advocates for ethical coverage of Indigenous topics and communities while working to uphold ethical reporting standards. She was recently elected to the Native American Journalist Association’s Board of Directors.
Board Secretary Bianca Gordon joined Bridges of Norman in September 2017. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from the University of Tulsa in 2000, and a Master of Arts degree in mass communication management (strategic communication) from the University of Oklahoma in 2014. Gordon serves on the board of directors for the historic Norman Depot where she is chair of the marketing and development committee and is an appointed member of the Norman Public Library board. She is also an adjunct public relations research and writing professor at the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord College of Journalism & Mass Communication. Gordon founded Spire Public Relations in 2016. Gordon has a daughter, Chesna, and is an insatiable learner who loves spending time with family, doing real estate on the side, and playing trivia. A sixth-generation Oklahoman, Gordon is a descendent of the Choctaw Freedmen.
OMC board member Cindy Elliott Allen is a retired Oklahoma journalist, opinion columnist and former newspaper publisher with a distinguished career in local and regional media. She held newsroom leadership and senior news executive roles across Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkansas, guiding daily newspapers through significant periods of industry transition. In those roles, she directed editorial operations, digital strategy and community engagement efforts while maintaining a steadfast commitment to strong local reporting and journalistic integrity. Beyond her media leadership, Allen has also worked in corporate and nonprofit communications, with a focus on public messaging, media relations and advocacy. Her professional work has consistently centered on civic engagement, public trust and effective community communication. She also served as city commissioner and mayor of Pittsburg, Kansas, leading a citywide initiative to successfully fund major public improvements.
OMC board member Kurt Gwartney is the senior director of communications and instructor in the Center for Ministry and Lay Training at Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa and executive director of the nonprofit Freedom of Information Oklahoma. A 1999 alum of the seminary, Gwartney is the former news director of KGOU and was the founding editorial director of StateImpact Oklahoma. He is the recipient of numerous journalism awards, including a national Society of Professional Journalists/Sigma Delta Chi Award for team coverage of the 2013 Moore tornado. He also holds Accreditation in Public Relations (APR), and certificates in Advanced Crisis Communication, Nonprofit Management (Professional), Adult Mental Health First Aid and Health Minister Certificate from Wesley Theological Seminary, with a micro-credential in AI Leadership from ATS (Association of Theological Schools), Atla (formerly American Theological Library Association) and the In Trust Center.
OMC board member Kari King leads a team of content creators for KFOR.com, KFOR+ the Live OTT- CTV Channel and the station’s social media channels. Previously, Kari has worked for other Oklahoma media outlets. Before returning to Oklahoma, Kari worked as a main anchor, broadcast executive producer and news director for a CBS affiliate and Telemundo while living in the Texas Panhandle. Kari enjoys reading, cooking and spending quality time with family and friends. Her dog is also a source of enjoyment and entertainment! Over the years, she has served on the boards of the Oklahoma Better Business Bureau and served in several leadership positions for other nonprofits. She is currently active in networking groups, an executive board member of the Edmond Women’s Club and a Red Earth board member. Kari has been a member of the Oklahoma Media Center since its inception.
OMC board member Jeff Mayo is publisher and president of Cookson Hills Publishers, Inc., with publications covering Atoka, Haskell, McIntosh, Okmulgee and Sequoyah Counties in eastern Oklahoma. Jeff is vice chair on the National Newspaper Association Board of Directors. He received a community journalism degree from the University of Kansas and a law degree from the University of Minnesota. Jeff was elected to the Oklahoma Press Association Board of Directors in 2007 and served as president in 2013. He was presented with NNA’s Daniel M. Phillips Leadership Award in 2010.
OMC board member Ashley Harris Philippsen is a senior implementation advisor with the Institute for Responsive Government. She integrates policy, civic design and democratic infrastructure — helping states and localities implement systems that are responsive, equitable and designed to effectively serve families. She previously served as the executive director at ImpactTulsa, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring over 100,000 Tulsa youth are on a path toward economic mobility by 2030. Recognized as one of the Obama Foundation’s MBK Alliance Model Communities, her work at ImpactTulsa stands out for its evidence-based success and transformative community impact. Previously, Ashley served in the Mayor’s Office of Tulsa, spearheading inclusive urban planning and Tulsa Race Massacre initiatives that engaged community voices in policy making.
OMC board member Tres Savage has served as editor in chief of NonDoc Media since the publication launched in 2015. He holds a journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma and worked in health care for six years before returning to the media industry. He is a nationally certified Mental Health First Aid instructor and a former high school baseball coach.