ALUMNI BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The 2007 Alumni Board

Joanne Crain was a member of ORU's inaugural nursing class, in 1977. Her student activities included membership in Sigma Theta Tau (Nursing Honor Society), serving as an officer in the student nurses organization, and being highly involved in intramurals. Post-graduation, she organized the 10-, 20-, and 30-year reunions for the Nursing Class of 1977, and has served as an Admissions Recruiting Association recruiter. She has completed one term on the ORU Alumni Board and is currently serving her second term. Joanne is a nurse at Northwest Oklahoma Cardiology. She and her husband, Bruce, have four children and reside in Enid, Okla.

Max James received his bachelor of science in business administration from ORU in 1975. While at ORU he was a manager for the basketball team and was heavily involved in intramural sports. Max has also been involved with the ORU Alumni Association for several years. He has owned his own computer software company since 1978. In addition to his software company, in 1991, he and his family helped organize the ministry "March for Jesus" in the United States, and have been the exclusive national distributor for their products. They have lived in Austin, Tex., since graduation, where they have served in various church positions. He and his wife, Carol, also an ORU alumnus, have been married for 32 years and have three children, a daughter-in-law, a son-in-law, and three wonderful grandchildren.

Rhae Buckley graduated in 1980 with a bachelor of science degree in management. Since doing some graduate work at Liberty University and Abilene Christian University, Rhae has spent the past 27 years involved in corporate and field responsibilities in the area of Human Resources. He currently serves as a missionary with the international charity Mercy Ships, where he is the vice president of Human Resources. He has served on the Alumni Board since being elected in 2000. He has chaired the Nominations Committee, the Marketing Committee, and served as the financial officer and vice chairman of the Alumni Foundation. As a student, Rhae was an RA, was very active in intramurals and worked with the Christian Service Council’s Comanche Park Project. Rhae and Debbie, his wife of 21 years, have three children, Sarah, Rachel, and Jonathan. All are very active and are quite busy with church and community activities. Rhae serves as an Elder on the Church Council and chairman of the Finance Committee for their church.

Brent Coussens graduated in 1983 with a degree in marketing and received his MBA in 1985. He has served on the Alumni Board for the past three years, chairing the Alumni of the Year Committee for two years. He is information technology director for Williams Company in Tulsa. He is also a U.S. Patent author for a software design. Brent has been a sponsor for numerous spring break Mexico missions trips for middle school and high school students. As an ORU student, Brent was an RA, was active in intramurals, and was listed in Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities. He lives in Tulsa with his wife, Caroline (Powell-84), and their three children, Jonathan (junior at ORU), Stephanie (freshman at ORU), and Catherine.

Joel LaCourse graduated in 1984 with a degree in accounting and received a juris doctorate in 1996 from Regent University (formerly ORU School of Law). He is the founding partner at the law firm of LaCourse, Davis, Coffey & Gudgel, PLC in Tulsa, with fellow alumnus Chris Davis. He currently serves on the board of trustees at Metro Christian Academy and several other nonprofit organizations and just finished a term on the board of the ORU Golden Eagle Club. Joel served as adjunct faculty in the ORU School of Business teaching classes in nonprofit finance and accounting, and also was ORU’s financial controller from 1986 to 1992. As a student, Joel was a member of the accounting honor society, and was selected as an R.A. He and his wife, Kirsten (90), have three children and are active in church at The Life Connection.

Dilip “Dil” Kulathum (90) graduated from ORU with a B.S. in management. He currently serves as a Segment IV member of the Alumni Board and is the Market Research Committee chairman. While at ORU, Kulathum was involved in several clubs and served as Student Association president from 1989 to 1990. Post-graduation, he worked as both an ORU recruiter and an alumni recruiter. Kulathum is the vice president of International Sales and Marketing for Cardone Industries in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He resides in Chalfont, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Paty. They have three children.

Steve Tumpkin graduated in 1989 with a degree in marketing. He is the CEO and president of Sound Advice Marketing in Tulsa, chairman of the board at Morelli Ministries International, and a member of The Life Connection church in Jenks. As a student, Steve served as an RA, a summer missions team leader, and a missions regional director. He and his wife, Holly, have three children.

Jeff Ross graduated in 1993 with a degree in marketing. He has served on the Alumni Board since 2003. He has chaired the Nominations Committee and served on the Alumni Foundation Board. Jeff currently owns and operates the Central Arkansas and West Tennessee Showhomes franchises. As an ORU student, Jeff worked in the Financial Aid office for four years as a peer counselor, was a member of the American Marketing Association, and served as vice president and then president of the Administrative Management Society. In 2007, Jeff received the Showhomes “Franchise of the Year” award and was recognized for the strongest market saturation and largest brand presence of any franchise. He is actively involved at Agape Church where he started a leadership class called the Men's Summit. He is a member of the Sales & Marketing Executive International Association and serves as vice president of public relations/marketing. Jeff has been married to his wife, Heidi, (Larson, 93-A) for thirteen years. They reside in Little Rock, Arkansas with their two children.

Sam graduated from ORU in 2000 with an accounting degree. After working for a year, he felt the Lord leading him to go back to seminary. He graduated with his master of divinity from ORU in 2003. During this time, he served as a hospital chaplain in Oklahoma City and in Tulsa. He also had the privilege of being the youth minister of a church in Oklahoma City, before moving to the Dallas area. He has spoken all over the country in various conventions and youth camps and has ministered in various parts of the world, including leading missions trips to India and Africa.

Sam is currently serving as the pastor of a new church plant in Richardson, Texas. The church, LOFT (www.loftworship.com), is a ministry that started with a primary emphasis on reaching the second-generation Indian community. Sam is also working with Marketplace Chaplains, a ministry that provides chaplain care to corporations and businesses around the country.

Sam was instrumental in helping to start the Association of Biblical Counselors, a ministry that trains pastors and leaders on how to counsel from a biblical viewpoint.

Sam married his lovely wife, Ann, in September of 2003. They have been blessed with two children, Nicole (born October 2004) and Timothy (born March 2007). The Chacko family resides in Rowlett, Texas.

Noel Wright (98) graduated from ORU with a B.A. in accounting. While at ORU, she was involved with the Student Association, helping to coordinate various events. She was also a leader in the accounting society and a teacher’s assistant. Post-graduation, she has worked with ORU Career Services to recruit students for employment opportunities at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. Wright currently works as the executive assistant to the chief operating officer of Lakewood Church and resides in Houston, Texas.

Mike Minyard is a second-generation graduate of ORU. He earned his marketing degree in 2006. He was recently hired by ORU Athletics to be the director of Marketing/Ticket Sales. As a student, Mike worked with the men's basketball team as a manager and student assistant coach. He also worked in the Athletics Media Relations department and created and maintained the official Athletics Web site. Mike has helped the Golden Eagle Club raise money through various activities and is now a donor to ORU Athletics through the Varsity Club.

Joey Odom graduated in 2003 with a degree in marketing. He is a commercial real estate analyst with Stan Johnson Company in Tulsa. Currently, he serves on the board of the Golden Eagle Club and is on the membership committee. As a student, Joey was the director of on-campus marketing for Athletics, as well as a board member for ORU's chapter of the American Marketing Association. Joey is also responsible for founding the Mabee Maniacs in 2001. He and his wife, Cristin (Lombardo), and his dog, Sammy, live in Jenks and are actively involved at The Life Connection church.

Camella (Barnhill) Binkley (80) graduated from ORU with a B.A. in psychology. While at ORU, she was an RA and Head RA, involved with Music Ministries, and on staff. She is currently the owner and chief operating officer of Express Personnel Services. Binkley is also the vice president of New Name Mission Society. Binkley and her husband, Bruce, reside in Ovilla, Texas. They have two children.

Terry Blain graduated in 1983 with a degree in accounting and received his CPA certificate in 1991. He is currently a senior vice president for Bank of Oklahoma in Tulsa, Okla., where he is an energy banker. Terry serves on several boards including Goodwill of Tulsa, Cornerstone Tutorial Center, and the ORU Golden Eagle Club (past president). He is also a Junior Achievement volunteer in area schools. He lives in Broken Arrow, Okla., with his wife, Erin (Watt), and their children; they attend Believers' Church. Two children, Joel and Kara, are ORU graduates and son Ethan is a sophomore at ORU.

Gene Gregg completed his B.A. with high honors in theological and historical studies in 1980. He was awarded his master's in biblical literature in 1982 and graduated with highest honors. Subsequently, Gene served as director of Admissions for the School of Theology and Missions. Since then, he has worked in direct marketing for churches and ministries with their product development and partner communications programs. Currently, Gene is working out of PRESS GROUP, a commercial printing and mailing company in Tulsa that specializes in serving nonprofit organizations. He has been married for 32 years to Callista, and they have four grown children.

Joleen Minyard received her bachelor's degree in business administration and communications in 1989 and is now an MBA candidate. As an ORU student, she served as editor of Promethia, national corresponding secretary for the American Association of Evangelical Students, corresponding secretary for Student Senate, and VP of the MBA Association. Post-graduation she has been a Wing Backer and is now a member of the board of directors of the Golden Eagle Club. She is the CEO of UniFlex Communications, LLC, and is serving her second term on the ORU Alumni Board. She and her husband, Ray, have one son, Mike (Class of ’06) who also serves on the Alumni Board and is the director of Marketing (ticket sales) for ORU Athletics. Joleen and Ray reside in Broken Arrow, Okla.

Matthew Rearden graduated in 1997 with a degree in finance, and received his law degree from Florida State University in 2001. He is an associate general counsel at the International Speedway Corporation in Daytona Beach, Fla. Matt is a member of the American, Florida, and Volusia County Bar associations, and is the school board president of Calvary Christian Academy and of the alumni board of Florida State University College of Law. He is also a deacon at Calvary Christian Center in Ormond Beach, Fla. As a student, Matthew was an Academic Peer Advisor and was also highly involved with the Student Association, serving as a wing representative, senator, executive vice president, and, in his senior year, as president. He and his wife, Amanda, live in Port Orange, Fla., and have two children.

Since graduating from ORU in 1971 with a bachelor's degree in communication arts, Gene has been a pioneer in Christian television. He served as a production manager with the Christian Broadcasting Network, producer with Oral Roberts TV ministry, and as media director for: Christ for the Nations Institute, Marilyn Hickey Ministries, Covenant Marriages Ministry, Professional Video Services, Creative Media, LLC, and Victory Christian Center of Tulsa. Currently Gene is a sales representative with Media Concepts, Inc. in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (www.mediaconcepts.tv).

As an ORU student, Gene sang with the first traveling World Action Singers group, 'The Collegians,' and ministered on the beaches in Fort Lauderdale and Kissimmee, Fla. Gene has been an ordained minister of the gospel and is the author of 4 published Christian books. He and his wife, Kathy (Korell, Class of 1972), have been married for 34 years and have a grown son, Justin, and daughter, Joy (Steiner) Moore; both graduated from ORU and married ORU alumni. The Steiners have one granddaughter, Ryley Moore. Gene has served on the ORU Alumni Association Board since 2002 and presently serves as treasurer of the ORU Alumni Foundation as well.

Robert “Robin” Tull (81) graduated from ORU with a B.S. in business. Post-graduation, Tull has planned, coordinated, and led local gatherings of alumni in his area, as well as recruited several prospective ORU students. With the help of his wife, six members of their church’s youth group decided to enroll in ORU for the fall 2007 semester. He is currently the founder and president of Tull Financial Group and is an active member of his community. He lives in Chesapeake, Virginia, with his wife, Cathy (Climpson). They have four children.