About the Character Council of Edmond

Our goal is to create a citywide initiative to build Edmond into a “city of character.” This non-profit organization believes that the character of a nation can only be strengthened one person at a time, one community at a time.

Character Council Officers, 2005-07
The Character Council of Edmond officers are, from left: Terry Byers, vice president; Lee Ann Kuhlman, secretary; and Jim Hulsey, president.

This character initiative began in 2001 with a working committee driven by the involvement of the Edmond Medical Center and the City of Edmond in the Character First! program, which headquarters in Oklahoma City. Character First! brings to governments, businesses, churches and families the need to recognize positive character traits in organizations and brings to a community a top-of-mind awareness of what good character is all about. It does this through, for example, spotlighting a character trait each month and how an individual demonstrated that character.

Supported in a July 2001 city resolution by Mayor Saundra Naifeh, designating Edmond as a “City of Character,” a board of directors was established to bringing the character message to Edmond. The Council is now a 501c3 not-for-profit grassroots organization incorporated by the State of Oklahoma since July 2003, and in 2004 was recognized for its exempt status under the Internal Revenue Service Code. The council is a local Edmond agency made up entirely by volunteers from different career areas whose focus is reserved for the Edmond area alone.

The current (2005-07) Character Council of Edmond board members are Terry Byers, Marsha Gleichman, Jim Hulsey, Marilyn Jones, Diane Krakowski, Lee Ann Kuhlman, Steve Menzel, Tim Richardson, Blanche Washington and Kris Watson, with Gerald Coury serving as an advisory member.

Since 2003, the Council’s primary initiative was to sponsor character-based education to area schools, the first being Central Middle School, where 15 educators received the training at no training or material costs to the school. Since that time, additional area schools expressed their desires to receive the training. In 2004 another 80 educators received the training, representing all five public middle schools in the Edmond area, in addition to one private middle school. And in 2005, another 43 area educators representing eight schools, public and private, received training. The mission of the Council is to continue to sponsor character-based education, updating and training new educators in the years to come. For 2006, 10 schools are scheduled to take the training, as the Council continues its commitment to character education. The Council is also looking to include the Freshmen Academies for each area high school in the near future, providing that the funding is in place.

It’s the generous support from the community that continues to be the only means to provide character-based education. In the past, such support has come from the City of Edmond Social Agency Funding Committee, GRECO Frame and Supply, CEO Mo Anderson with Keller Williams International, Eateries Inc., and other generous contributions by area citizens. The Council thanks each of these and hopes that others will see the importance of promoting good character and support this Council’s efforts.

The Council does not endorse one character training curriculum or materials over another, but endeavors to assist with the funding and/or training and information that will best benefit the current needs within the community.

Mission Statement, Character Council of Edmond:

To designate the city of Edmond as a city of character through the promotion and development of character traits in all aspects of community life, including government, businesses, schools, families, faith-based and civic organizations.

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Edmond Champions of Character
Character Council of Edmond
P.O. Box 392
Edmond, OK 73083-0392
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