Culture & the Family , Good Government
Rick Farmer, Ph.D. | December 14, 2020
Barbara’s story: Lighting the conservative fire within
Rick Farmer, Ph.D.
[As we approach the holiday season, OCPA is sharing stories of real people whose lives have been impacted by some of our work over the past year. Without supporters like you, this work would not have been possible.]
You’ve probably heard more about city councils in 2020 than ever before. They have the power to determine health mandates, business closures, and police funding. Wouldn’t it be nice to have conservatives on the city council who believe in limited government and free markets?
Let me introduce Barbara. She is running for City Council in Oklahoma City’s Ward 3. Barbara is a mom and a businesswoman, with 20 years of experience. “Will we remain business-friendly and focused on core issues,” she asks, “or will we make our economic climate harsher, and focus on social engineering? There just aren’t enough fresh voices representing OKC residents who care about our conservative values and pro-business ideals.”
Barbara completed OCPA’s Fears Fellowship program this summer.
OCPA recognized a desperate need to equip young conservative leaders for Oklahoma's future. By bringing in CEOs, doctors, government officials, and policy experts to speak about free markets, limited government, U.S. history, and leadership, we’re doing what too many of Oklahoma’s universities are avoiding.
Originally, OCPA thought that this would equip Oklahoma's future leaders. Well, the future is now. Our fellows are already making an impact serving you, in 2020. They are helping make Oklahoma thrive through conservative principles.
“The conversation and connections provided in the Fear Fellowship give me the gas I need to keep lit the conservative fire within,” Barbara said. “Having alumni that I can support and who support me keeps us all working for the best possible impact we can each have within our communities and beyond.”
Thank you for investing in the future of Oklahoma by educating the next generation of leaders. Your year-end gift of $50, $100, $1,000, or whatever you can afford will be used to provide conservative and free-market education to young adults in Oklahoma. You can give to OCPA by clicking here.
Image: BarbaraYoungOKC.com
Rick Farmer, Ph.D.
Dean of the J. Rufus Fears Fellowship
Dr. Rick Farmer serves as OCPA’s Dean of the J. Rufus Fears Fellowship. Previously, Rick served as director of committee staff at the Oklahoma House of Representatives, deputy insurance commissioner, and director of the Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission. Earning his Ph.D. at the University of Oklahoma and tenure at the University of Akron, Rick can best be described as a “pracademic.” While working full-time in the Oklahoma government, he continued to teach and write. He served as president of the Oklahoma Political Science Association and chairman of the American Political Science Association’s Practical Politics Working Group. In 2016, he was awarded the Oklahoma Political Science Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Farmer has appeared on CNN, NBC, MSNBC, C-SPAN, BBC Radio, and various local news outlets. His comments are quoted in the Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, and numerous local newspapers. He is the author of more than 30 academic chapters and articles and the co-editor of four books.