By AAH Sara Jane Richter, Ph. D.
Hennessey should be very proud of one of its very own, Ramón Rentería. Ramón and his family came originally from Cienega de Flores Nuevo Leon, a town in Monterrey, Mexico, and Ramón moved to Hennessey from Sherman, Texas, to begin the second grade. He knows that his Hennessey elementary school teachers changed his life. He credits Mrs. Pat Amaya with teaching him English, reading to him from Spanish-language books, and offering him an inclusive, warm, and learning classroom environment. Her kindness has remained with him and inspired him to this day. He gives her a significant amount of credit in the direction that his life has gone and grown through the years. Ramón puts great stock in good teachers and teaching. He graduated from Hennessey High School in the mid-1990’s; his parents still live in Hennessey, so he’s a frequent visitor to the community.
Currently, Rentería lives in Yukon with his family—wife Clelia, daughter Miranda Alexa, and son Nómar (“Ramón” backwards) Alexander. Miranda will be a junior at the University of Oklahoma next month, and Nomar will enter his sophomore year at Mount St. Mary High School this fall in Oklahoma City. Ramón works for the Oklahoma Tourism Department after having worked in consulting, recruiting, radio, and marketing for many years. After graduating high school, Ramón’s plan was to attend the Tecnológico de Monterrey, but life had other plans and he ended up attending the University of Central Oklahoma. Ramón believes in serving his fellow human beings and has quite the reputation working with the homeless population in Oklahoma City.
His advocacy and willingness to help others has netted him many awards. For example, he has won the Dignitary Award of Supreme Excellence. Upon receipt of the award last week, Rentería dedicated it to Mrs. Amaya and her influence on his life. Rentería believes in giving thanks whenever he can. In addition, he received the title of Honorary Commander of the Air Force in a ceremony at Tinker Air Force Base in 2016. The Oklahoma Hispanic Institute named him one of the top 40 Hispanic leaders in the state as well.
Initially working as a marketing consultant for the Oklahoma Tourism Department, he now serves as the Director of Sponsorships and Sales. He takes pride in advocating for Oklahoma’s 32 state parks with their unique landscapes, fauna, and features. He enjoys working with small towns to help promote their individual cultural events and unique interests, locations, assets, and histories. He realizes that small towns need to host rodeos, fiestas, celebrations, and parades to broadcast a community’s history, people, pride, and productivity and increase revenues also. For example, an Oklahoma state park will host its second Hispanic Heritage Fiesta this October, and Warr Acres will offer its multi-cultural community event again this year.
Articulate, knowledgeable, tireless, and engaging, Ramón has never met a stranger. Besides his family, he loves Oklahoma the best and is one of the state’s biggest supporters. He enjoys working with people and helping to create vibrant and exciting events to cultivate a community’s uniqueness. He works hard to promote Oklahoma’s portion of Route 66 too. He helped translate the Route 66 Guide into Spanish and weaves tribute to the Mother Road in many of the events he helps to develop and sponsor.
Ramón Rentería is one busy man and has devoted his life to three things: Oklahoma, Oklahomans, and Oklahoma’s many cultures. He loves Oklahoma’s small towns, friendliness, and history and serves his state as a tireless supporter of Oklahoma and its image. His boundless energy, creativity, and positivity do not go unused. He may not have been born in Oklahoma, but he’s an Okie in his heart, and he feels blessed by that. Ramón is the best cheerleader that Oklahoma has and is proud to have grown up in Hennessey, Oklahoma!
We must find time to stop and thank the people who make or made a difference in our lives. – John F. Kennedy
