On the Oklahoma Wesleyan University campus, she’s affectionately known as “Nurse Deb”, but her list of accomplishments goes far beyond her title.
On Tuesday, May 15, 2018, OKWU Campus Nurse, Deb Cook, was honored at the annual Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce Gala with the Jim Gillie Outstanding Citizen Award. The longstanding award, named after champion of Bartlesville, Jim Gillie, is given to those “considered a community ‘hero’ by giving unselfishly of their time and talent for the benefit of others and to making our community a better place to live” for ten years or more. Nurse Deb’s long-held passion to make her community a better place to live for everyone, regardless of their place in society, made her the perfect choice.
As a woman of faith, Deb is known as a prayer warrior, is very active in her church, and also finds time to be president of the Christian Women’s Club and an organizer of citywide prayer events in Bartlesville and nearby Dewey.
She is a member of the Washington Country Transportation Coalition and the Access to Healthcare Committee, both of which are part of the Washington County Wellness Initiative. In those roles she tirelessly fights for those who have no voice and who lack critical resources necessary for daily life. A registered nurse, Deb has lent her time and talents to multiple organizations including the Jane Phillips Medical Center Ethics Committee and the Suicide Prevention Coalition. She’s also very active in preventing overdose deaths due to opioids and she serves as a CPR trainer.
Troop leader for both Girls Scouts and Boy Scouts, volunteer for OK Mozart and the Bartlesville Community Center, President of the Washington County Election Board, board member and emergency team volunteer for the Red Cross, therapy dog partner for multiple organizations and facilities, reader for Bartlesville Public Schools, and even a member of the Konica Clown Group also fall among her lengthy list of long-standing civic involvement.
“We could not be prouder of Deb,” said OKWU Vice President for Student Development, Kyle White, who presented the award. “She has a servant leader’s heart and wherever good for her fellow citizens can be enhanced, she is there, willing to roll up her sleeves and do the work.”
Featured Image: Lehmer Photography
