Hennessey native, Ramon Renteria-Lara, spoke about Oklahoma tourism at the September KCREA meeting held on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the Kingfisher Memorial Library. Renteria-Lara currently serves as the Director of Sponsorship and Sales at the Oklahoma Department of Tourism in Oklahoma City and was recently named to the Top 40 Hispanic Leaders in Oklahoma list.
Renteria-Lara mentioned that interest in Oklahoma tourism has soared, as the TravelOK.com website receives 6-8 million hits per year, especially with the upcoming 100th anniversary of Route 66 during 2026. Many national and international visitors are fascinated by the Route 66 legacy and make stops at different towns and locations along the route. Large murals and oversized signs and items are of special interest.
He stated that the large metal cowboy hat located in front of Casey’s north of Hennessey will soon be painted and will include the name of the town of Hennessey on the hat. Ramon predicted that it would become a new tourism “hot spot” for travelers wanting to take a picture with the large hat.
In addition to providing information regarding Route 66, Ramon also handed out information regarding Oklahoma’s thirty-eight state parks and passports with information about each park. He encouraged the audience members to go online at www.TravelOK.com and request a Route 66 passport as demand will be high in the coming year.
Following the speech, the regular meeting was called to order to KCREA President Deborah Maehs who welcomed all members and guests in attendance at the meeting. Visitors included Christy Streck who retired after 43 years of teaching in public education.
Secretary Kathy Kadavy read the minutes from the previous meeting which were approved by the group. Treasurer Dana Golbek presented a treasurer’s report stating that the checking account contained $774.80 after receiving dues and several donations. She provided the group with a handout that showed receipts and expenses for the past two years.
Membership Chair LaRita Sipe mailed 67 letters to retired educators in the county and received 21 paid memberships for the group. Scholarship Chair Cathy Howard reported that Ashley Winans had received her check in the amount of $500.00 in June, and Grace Ann Sinclair will receive her check in January 2026.
Publicity Chair Deborah Maehs stated that the KCREA Facebook page will transition from being a private group to a public group in the fall, thus allowing members greater opportunities to share information regarding upcoming meetings, to invite other retired school personnel to join the group, and to publicize upcoming scholarship opportunities open to Kingfisher County college juniors and seniors majoring in education.
Cards and Memorials Chairman Jneanne Kadavy mentioned that cards will be sent to members who have transitioned to care facilities and a sympathy card will be sent to the family of former Kingfisher school superintendent, C. Jack Harrel, of Stillwater, OK, who passed away on August 30, 2025.
Discussion was held regarding National Education Week which will be celebrated in November. Tom Arms suggested resurrecting the nickname, “The Rockers” for the group in order to add interest and excitement. The next meeting will be a brunch to be held on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. with State Senator Darcy Jech and Oklahoma State Represetative Mike Dobrinski as guest speakers.
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