Alumni Announces Hall of Fame Honorees

Goodwell, Okla. — The 2019 Annual Meeting and Hall of Fame Induction of the Panhandle State Alumni Association is set for April 13, 2018 at 2 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom on the Oklahoma Panhandle State University campus. All are invited to attend.

The day is sure to be packed with fun for all with AggieFest and a color run kicking off at 9:30 a.m. Gourmet Burgers will follow from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. A concert at 6:30 p.m. will conclude the evening.

Alumni Director Natasha Eidson said, “This year’s Annual Meeting will be in conjunction with AggieFest and all of its festivities. The Gourmet Burgers will take the place of our meal during the meeting. We are excited for the new experience this will bring to Alumni Weekend.”

Each year, the association takes nominations and honors individuals and families who have contributed to Panhandle State and the community. This year’s Alumni Hall of Fame Honorees are Keith Flanagan and Kim Peterson.

Alumni President Diane Murphey said, “It is an honor to be able to recognize two
outstanding graduates of Panhandle State and their service by inducting them into
our Alumni & Friends Hall of Fame.”

Kim L. Peterson has been a lifelong resident of the Oklahoma Panhandle. He was born in 1952, to Loyd and Norlene Peterson. He is a fourth generation native and very proud of the three sets of great grandparents who homesteaded in Texas County.

Kim and Melissa (Smith) Peterson were married while they were both students at Panhandle State. They have been blessed with three children, Jana, Jaime, Scott and their spouses. They are also the proud grandparents of eight wonderful, talented grandchildren.

After graduating from Guymon High School in 1970, Kim followed in his parent’s footsteps and attended Oklahoma Panhandle State University. He was awarded his Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Arts Education in 1974 and did post-graduate work at Oklahoma State
University.

Kim taught Industrial Arts and then Vocational Carpentry in Guymon Schools after graduating from Panhandle, he then became self-employed in construction, the oil field and ultimately as a caterer and restaurateur in a partnership with his daughter Jaime.
Peterson has been a very involved member of the Guymon Community. He has served as a Board member for Guymon Kid’s Inc., Guymon United Way, Guymon Chamber
of Commerce, City of Guymon Rodeo Board and City of Guymon Convention and Tourism Board.

He currently serves on The Oklahoma Municipal League Board of Directors, The Mayor’s Council of Oklahoma Board of Directors (of which he served two terms as President), The Oklahoma Economic Development Authority Board of Directors and The Guymon Industrial Foundation Board of Directors.
Kim was elected to the City Council of Guymon as Councilman for Ward 4 in 2011, and the council elected him Vice-Mayor in 2011, he served as Vice Mayor until 2013 when the council elected him Mayor of Guymon. Peterson is a strong supporter of Oklahoma Panhandle
State University.

He has served on the Oklahoma Panhandle State University Foundation Board of Directors since 2007, and as President of the Board from 2014-2016. Kim has been a longtime supporter of Panhandle State Rodeo as well as supporting Panhandle Athletics and other
student organizations. Kim and his daughter have enjoyed being able to employ many panhandle students in both his previous business endeavors and for the past 24 years in their catering and restaurant business. Kim Peterson is passionate about his community as he often states, “Guymon is a great place to grow up, a great place to raise a family and my job is keeping it a great place for everyone.”

Dr. John Keith Flanagan, “Keith” was a native of the Panhandle area having grew up in Texhoma. He was born April 6, 1948 to Leon Francis Jackson “Jack” and Rosella Lee Thrasher Flanagan. He passed away April 3, 2013.

After graduating from Texhoma High School in 1966, he went on to attend and graduate from Oklahoma Panhandle State University (1970) with a B.S. in Biology. Before graduating he met and married the love of his life, Jan. Keith and Jan Bullard were united in marriage on August 2, 1969 in Texhoma.

Keith was very active in clubs and organizations during his time at Panhandle State. To name a few of the organizations he was part of: President of Student Senate (1969), Delta Sigma Alpha Collegiate 4-H, Student Education Association, ROTC all four years of college, and so much more. He was presented the J.R.P. Sewell Award at graduation. After graduation, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He served with the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) as a Medical Service Officer for two years at Ft. Bragg, N.C. He returned to Panhandle State to take some Chemistry and Math classes to meet requirements to apply to Veterinary school. Keith taught in the Biology department the 1973-74 school year. He was accepted to Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine the fall of 1974 and graduated in 1978 with a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. He then spent another two and a half years serving as a Captain in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps as group veterinarian for the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Ft. Bragg, N.C. Following his military service, he worked at the Marlow Veterinary Clinic, Marlow, Okla. for seven years.

Dr. Flanagan connected with Christian Veterinary Mission (CVM) in 1979 and did his first short-term mission trip in 1986 to Haiti. He and his wife, Jan, proceeded to respond to God’s call to serve the people of Haiti in long-term missions and Keith left for Haiti April 2, 1987 with Jan and their sons, Sean and Brian, following in June. While in Haiti, he served on the Haitian Advisory Board for World Vision and volunteered as a Warden for the US Embassy in Haiti.

For the next 26 years, he and Jan poured themselves out in ministry and service to the people of Haiti serving in a variety of roles in ministry and development work. They would host hundreds of short-term volunteers over the years and served faithfully on the CVM team representing the work of the Lord through veterinary medicine at many professional meetings and student events.

Dr. Keith Flanagan had a wonderful set of gifts for a cross-cultural development worker. His practical life skills from growing up on a farm in rural Oklahoma, his networking and strategic thinking skills from his education and experiences in private veterinary practice, and the military and his incredible love for people were all gifts that he poured out in service to the glory of Jesus Christ. In October 2011, he was recognized as a “Distinguished Alumnus” for Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health.

Keith was proud to be from this area and was proud to have attended Panhandle State. He held the university in high regard for his basic training to send him into veterinary school and spoke highly of it.