James Pickel (pictured), owner and executive vice president of Smith and Pickel Construction, will serve as chairman of the board of directors for a two-year term. Pickel has served on the Allied Arts board in many capacities for more than two decades and follows Ann Johnstone in the chairman position.

Lonny Towell, Kerr-McGee Corporation (retired), will replace Pickel as vice chairman while Virginia Meade, Meade Energy Corporation, will return as secretary, and Tom Carlson, AdvancePierre Foods Inc., will return as treasurer.

Allied Arts also introduced new board members: Steve Agee, Oklahoma City University; Mark Anderson, Boeing; Jari Askins, OU Health Science Center; Todd Edmonds, HSE Architects; Joshua Fahrenbruck, Kimray Inc; Colin FitzSimons, Peggy and Charles Stephenson Oklahoma Cancer Center; Aimee Harlow, FIS; Judy Hatfield, Equity Commercial Realty; Cindy Hunter, US Fleet Tracking; Peggy Kates, Midwest Wrecking Company; Steve Kerr, The Kerr Law Firm; J.W. Peters, Titus Construction; Greg Phillips, Oklahoma Natural Gas; Dana Shadid, non-profit consultant; Deby Snodgrass, Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department; Vicki VanStavern, VanStavern Design Group; Ray Vaughn, Oklahoma County; and Paige Williams, The Chickasaw Nation.

Returning to the board after a one-year absence are: Joan Maguire, J&M Investment Company, and K. Randy Roper, MidFirst Bank. In addition, Karen Luke, community volunteer; Carl Shortt, Carl Shortt Photography; and David Thompson, OPUBCO (retired), are joining the board as active members after serving in an honorary capacity in 2010.

These individuals will join the 98-member board of directors responsible for overseeing Allied Arts’ strategic planning, fundraising and arts advocacy efforts.