OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has added eight members to its Board of Trustees.
Appointed to serve three-year board terms are Dr. Corey Bunch, chief of staff of the Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah; Molly Helm, chief thinker and writer at Purple Ink Consulting, Enid; Sandy Kent, executive director of the Oklahoma A+ Schools Institute at the University of Central Oklahoma, Bartlesville; Jessica Knoerdel, director of business development for Choctaw Defense Manufacturing, McAlester; Cassie Niemann, founder and principal of BTG Consulting Partners, Edmond, Rebecka Peterson, teacher leadership specialist, Union Public Schools; Dr. Amber N. Wiley, director of the Institute for Quality Communities at the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City; and Lydia Wilson, superintendent of Bixby Public Schools, Bixby.
“We are thrilled to welcome this incredible group of community leaders and public education supporters to our board,” said OFE Executive Director Elizabeth Inbody. “Their knowledge and fresh perspective will be invaluable as we work to elevate public education in Oklahoma.”
OFE is a nonpartisan nonprofit that recognizes and encourages excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools. One of the keys to OFE’s success is the leadership of its trustees. These leaders in business, education and public service represent every region of the state and help promote the foundation’s mission and its programs.
More Information on the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence’s New Trustees
Dr. Corey Bunch, Tahlequah
Dr. Corey Bunch is a seasoned educator and tribal leader who serves as chief of staff for the Cherokee Nation, a role he assumed in 2021. With over 20 years of experience in education, he’s held key positions including teacher, principal, superintendent and executive director of Cherokee Nation Education Services. A proud Cherokee Nation citizen from Adair County, Dr. Bunch holds degrees from Northeastern State University and a doctorate in educational leadership from Arkansas State University. He has played vital roles in shaping tribal education policy and contributes to national initiatives through organizations like the Oklahoma Advisory Council on Indian Education and the Haskell Board of Regents. Dr. Bunch and his wife Kimberly reside in Tahlequah, the capital city of the Cherokee Nation.
Molly Helm, Enid
Molly Helm is chief thinker and writer at Purple Ink Consulting and works extensively with nonprofit groups and growing businesses. Her 25-year career in corporate marketing, nonprofit leadership and communications provides experience from a variety of perspectives. She has served on numerous nonprofit boards, helping with marketing, governance and fundraising. The Journal Record named her one of the Fifty Who Make a Difference in Oklahoma in 2013 and 2014, and she is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma XXV. She served on the Enid Public School Board for two terms. She earned an English degree from Texas Christian University.
Sandy Kent, Bartlesville
As executive director of the Oklahoma A+ Schools Institute at the University of Central Oklahoma, Sandy Kent brings decades of experience as a leader in education. Kent began her career as an elementary education teacher and then served as a principal for more than 14 years. She oversees the development and oversight of the Oklahoma A+ Schools Institute as well as creates and sustains partnerships. She was named the 2008 Oklahoma National Distinguished Principal of the Year. Kent holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Oklahoma Wesleyan University and a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction from Oklahoma State University.
Jessica Knoerdel, McAlester
Jessica Knoerdel is a committed advocate for public education, believing deeply in its power to create opportunity and strengthen communities. Her commitment is rooted in personal experience, both as a graduate of public schools and as a parent with children currently enrolled in Oklahoma’s public school system. Knoerdel serves as director of business development for Choctaw Defense Manufacturing, where she leads strategic growth initiatives and cultivates partnerships within the defense sector. Her career spans leadership roles in nonprofit management, military advocacy and behavioral health. She is a licensed professional counselor, an alumna of Leadership Oklahoma and has served on the Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission.
Cassie Niemann, Edmond
Cassie Niemann is the founder and principal of BTG Consulting Partners, where she serves as an executive coach, strategic advisor and leadership consultant. She has over 20 years of experience in corporate leadership and organizational transformation, including work with Fortune 500 companies. Niemann serves as president of the board for the Edmond Public Schools Foundation. She’s a five-time PTO officer, longtime homeroom mom and active volunteer across Edmond schools. She has served on nonprofit boards including United Way Emerging Leaders, the OKC Ballet, Safe Kids Oklahoma and the Association for Talent Development. At the heart of it all is her leadership philosophy: Be the Good. She is currently finishing her MBA and International Coaching Federation certification.
Rebecka Peterson, Tulsa
2023 National Teacher of the Year Rebecka Peterson is a math teacher who loves stories. Peterson is in her 17th year of education and has called Union High School her home school since 2012. Peterson’s message as National Teacher of the Year highlighted teachers’ stories of the good that is happening in education. She believes that when we learn each other’s stories, we carry a piece of each other with us. This helps us to authentically advocate for our students, teachers and their communities. She serves as a teacher and teacher advocate as Union Public Schools’ teacher leadership specialist.
Dr. Amber N. Wiley, Oklahoma City
Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., is the Wick Cary Director of the Institute for Quality Communities and associate professor of planning, landscape architecture and design in the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture at the University of Oklahoma. Wiley has dedicated her professional career to advancing the history and narrative of design and preservation in Black communities, as well as advocating for rigorous and thoughtful expansions of preservation policy and practice. Her book “Model Schools in the Model City” chronicles how Black Washingtonians directed urban planning and design policy for public education. She received her Ph.D. in American studies from George Washington University. She also holds a master’s degree in architectural history from the University of Virginia School of Architecture, and a B.A. in architecture from Yale University. Wiley is a 1999 Academic All-State alumna from Edmond Santa Fe High School.
Lydia Wilson, Bixby
Bixby Public Schools Superintendent Lydia Wilson started her career in Sand Springs Public Schools as a teacher more than 35 years ago. After five years, she moved to Bixby Public Schools. She served students with disabilities before moving into an administrative role. She filled the role of assistant principal at the secondary level, then spent time as an elementary principal and assistant superintendent before taking over as superintendent for the 2025-26 school year. Wilson is a member of the Bixby Optimist Club and serves on the board of directors for the Bixby Outreach Center.
