Join OKC Beautiful for this month’s Sustainability Social Hour!
Katie Hawk has been a part of the Oklahoma Monarch and Pollinator Collaborative and Okies for Monarchs programs since day one. Her involvement began coordinating the first Oklahoma Monarch Summit in 2016 while working as the Director of Communications and External Affairs for The Nature Conservancy of Oklahoma.
While at The Nature Conservancy, she organized and developed the wildly popular bison and monarch license plates, as well as successfully passed a Public Lands Resolution with the Oklahoma Legislature which was a surprisingly difficult task. Additionally, she launched a 12-month webinar series during COVID that reached 11 countries and showcased conservation activities live to the public such as the Bison Roundup at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve.
Prior to working at The Nature Conservancy, Katie served as a lobbyist for the Oklahoma Education Association, Marketing & Customer Service Director for OK.gov, Director of Promotions for Chick’s Harley-Davidson in Albuquerque, NM, Graphic Artist for Subia, and Public Relations Assistant for the Oklahoma Arts Institute.
She graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1999 with a BA in Journalism/Public Relations and a minor in Criminal Justice.
Katie is honored to serve as the Director for the Oklahoma Monarch Society. Her commitment to our cause and broad skill set compliments our leadership team as we strive to create and protect quality pollinator habitat and healthy ecosystems.
John Blue is a native plant and environmental health enthusiast with a long-standing history of advancing sustainable land-management practices. He helps communities strengthen their parks and recreation systems by developing financially responsible and ecologically focused approaches to public-space stewardship.
Prior to his current consulting work, he served as Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Purcell. In this role he led community recreation initiatives, guided long-range planning for public lands, and advanced environmental programs throughout the city. He also served on the Purcell Parks Advisory Board and the Purcell Lodging Tax Committee.
John is a Certified Park and Recreation Professional through the National Recreation and Park Association and has been active in statewide and national conservation efforts for several years. He has partnered with the Oklahoma Monarch Society and the Oklahoma Native Plant Society to promote habitat restoration initiatives, and has engaged with national sustainability programs through NRPA. His experience as a municipal leader, conservation advocate, and ecological planner supports communities in building resilient and responsible public spaces.