Chapter Leadership

The ICF AR-OK Board of Directors is a dedicated group of volunteers committed to serving our chapter in a variety of roles. Feel free to reach out to any member of our leadership team with questions or feedback about their area of oversight. Click here to learn more about each position and how you can become a part of the chapter leadership.

Each office is a two-year commitment with overlapping terms to ensure continuity of leadership and chapter initiatives.

PRESIDENT - CRYSTAL WAGNER

Email: president@icfarok.org

Crystal developed a passion for coaching as she approached the empty nest stage and worked with a coach to determine what to do in her “next chapter.” She now helps women navigate their life transitions with confidence. Using a strengths-based and neurodiversity-informed approach, she creates a sanctuary where clients can slow down, embrace new perspectives, and determine their next steps.

Crystal is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) through the International Coaching Federation, a Certified Professional Life and Leadership Coach (CPLC) through the Professional Christian Coaching Institute, and a Strengths Champion Certified Coach®. She earned a Masters in Accountancy through the University of Missouri-Columbia and is pursuing a Masters in Coaching and Mentoring through Oxford Brookes University.

You can connect with Crystal at https://crystalwagner.net/.

PRESIDENT-ELECT - MARLIN BLANKENSHIP

Email: presidentelect@icfarok.org

Dr. Marlin Blankenship is the Director of Coaching at Strata Leadership, an executive leadership coach, and a want-to-be creative. Marlin has spent a lifetime working to help others achieve personal and professional success and live balanced, happy lives. Formerly an executive director, Marlin has a broad professional background having worked in emergency services, healthcare, human resources, and education before transitioning into coaching full-time. For the last 10 years, he has coached leaders from three continents and a diverse range of industries.

Marlin has a deep curiosity that helps his clients to understand what has gotten them to their current success and is hindering the next step of their career. Beyond his coaching skills and professional background, Marlin draws from decades of lifelong learning in communication, leadership, theology, positive psychology, health and wellness, and education to provide a holistic executive coaching experience that meets leaders where they are at and takes them farther than they thought they could go.

Marlin is a professional certified coach (PCC) with the International Coach Federation, holds a PhD in Workforce and Adult Education from Oklahoma State University and is a graduate of the UT-Dallas Executive and Professional Coaching program.

SECRETARY TREASURER - JULENE LITKE

Email: treasurer@icfarok.org

Julene Litke, ACC is the founder of Next Level Leaders, LLC and has been coaching and consulting in the church and business leadership spaces since 2016. She is accredited through the International Coaching Federation (ACC), has a BA in Organizational Leadership from the University of Oklahoma, is a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team member, a certified master coach through ICF-affiliated Center for Coaching Certification, an AccuMatch Behavioral Intelligence certified coach, and is a featured speaker at Christian Women Speakers.

With 40 years of leadership experience across multiple sectors, Julene brings valuable insight and intuitiveness to business and church leaders who are caught in an endless cycle of putting out fires and shouldering the heavy load of responsibilities, leaving them with limited time for uninterrupted focus and proactive planning. Through one-on-one coaching, consulting, and strategic planning, Julene comes alongside leaders in a thought-provoking, constructive process that reduces burnout, increases awareness and clarity, and maximizes personal and professional potential, inspiring leaders to develop others.

Julene and her husband live in Oklahoma City, OK and have two children and three grandchildren. With a heart for adventure, Julene is especially fond of cliff jumping.

You may connect with Julene at: https://linktr.ee/julene.litke

Director of COMMUNICATIONS, Programs, & EVENTS -

Kirsten Andersen

Email: communications@icfarok.org

Kirsten is a leadership development professional and coach who has firsthand experience in a variety of management and senior leadership roles and has a knack for integrating people with strategy, infrastructure, framework, and leadership behaviors.

Kirsten finds joy in leadership coaching and mentoring in the areas of engagement, retention, development, effectiveness, and team dynamics with a warm ability to genuinely connect across all generations and workforce roles.

With over 20 years in the learning and development space spanning across healthcare, retirement, banking, and auto industries, she provides a safe space to process and strategize while asking powerful and thought-provoking questions along the way.

Kirsten earned her Bachelor of Science degree from College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri and lives in West Plains, Missouri. She holds several leadership development trainer certifications and is finishing the ACC Coaching Designation Credential through the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Reach out to Kirsten here.

co-Director of MEMBERSHIP - Brice Long

Email: members@icfarok.org

Brice Long is a WeAlign Certified Coach, a Strengths Champion Certified Coach, and is currently working towards his ACC certification through the ICF, as well as his Certified Professional Leadership Coach (CPLC) certification through the Professional Christian Coaching Institute (PCCI). While he has spent many years informally coaching friends, colleagues, and clients over the years; he is dedicated to mastering his craft to the highest levels to best serve his clients.

Brice’s mission is to step into the chaos with leaders to help them navigate through complex, messy, and difficult situations. He has a passion to help build strengths-based, performance-driven cultures where leadership and employees can grow, develop, and thrive individually and as a collective organization. He believes every individual and company is unique, and approaches each engagement with an open mindset and honest dialogue.

Along with being a strengths and leadership coach, Brice is an entrepreneur and a strategic consultant. Over the last 26+ years, Brice has helped numerous clients improve business processes, execute marketing initiatives, and create technology solutions to help them solve complex problems, improve operations, and grow their businesses.

co-Director of MEMBERSHIP - Al burns

Email: members@icfarok.org

co-DIRECTor of partnerships - Jesus A. Sampedro

Email: partners@icfarok.org

Jesus is the founder/president of Leadershift - Global Leadership Consulting, a leadership training, coaching, coach-certifying, and consulting firm (Since 2005). He has catalyzed leadership development in 30+ countries.

He has been a certified/licensed Leadership Coach-Trainer since 2003 with Lifeforming Leadership Coaching.

Jesus has authored and co-authored various leadership books, including Código de Honor (2024), Becoming a Leader (2021), Exceptional LEADER Transformational COACH (2020), and Inspiracion para Liderar (2019), among others.

He has served in various nonprofit roles and boards, including global marketplace organizations and executive chambers.

Jesus’s teaching journey in business schools started in 2003 and has included Regent University, IESA Business School, and Universidad de Carabobo. He is currently Associate Professor in the School of Business Leadership and Program Director for the Master of Arts (MA) in Leadership at Mid-America Christian University in Oklahoma City (MACU).

Jesus holds a Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) degree and an MBA from Regent University (USA). He is a member of the International Leadership Association (ILA 09’).

He is married to Gaby, an award-winning Christian singer. They have two girls and currently live in Edmond, OK.

You can connect with Jesus A. Sampedro at https://linktr.ee/DrJesusSampedro

co-DIRECTor of partnerships - joseph bojang

Email: partners@icfarok.org

Joseph Bojang is an ICF ACC credentialed coach with a strong background in marketing, human behavior, and business, supported by a Master’s degree in Human Relations.

He brings a depth psychology and Jungian perspective to his coaching, fostering personal and professional growth through self-discovery.

Joseph's transition from a traditional 9-to-5 job to a successful coaching career was driven by his belief in pursuing one's passions and authentic self. Despite the challenges of balancing family responsibilities with professional aspirations, his career pivot remains a powerful example of the rewards associated with embracing change.

Joseph lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma with his wife and two kids. Reach out and connect with him on LinkedIn.

MEMBER-AT-LARGE - WENDY WARD

Email: mal@icfarok.org

Dr. Wendy Ward is a Clinical Psychologist and Professor with tenure in the UAMS College of Medicine. She serves UAMS as both the Director of Interprofessional Faculty Development and Associate Provost for Faculty. She serves all five colleges, the Graduate School, and Academic Affairs faculty in these two roles, including recruitment, onboarding, faculty development, mentoring, promotion, professional wellness, leadership development, retirement transitioning, and emeriti engagement.

She has expertise in integrated care models and collaborative practice, team-based telehealth, behavioral medicine, faculty affairs, and faculty development. She also supports the Office of Interprofesional Education in student event design and evaluation as well as facilitator training to support those events.

Dr. Ward is also a trained Executive Coach, holding several certifications and including the ACC credential from the International Coaching Federation. She started receiving consultation and coaching requests early in her career and built the Ward Coaching and Consulting, LLC to support the development of a national network of experts in faculty affairs/development, student affairs/development, academic administration, and healthcare transformation and their consultation and coaching efforts.

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MEMBER-AT-LARGE – CELESTE DAVIS

Email: mal@icfarok.org

Celeste Davis retired from FedEx Services as Director of Global Customer Experience Systems, Engineering and Education. During her 28-year career, she held several analytical and leadership positions in logistics marketing, international sales, and customer experience organizational learning. After her FedEx retirement, Celeste and her family moved to Bentonville, Arkansas where she joined Accenture Consulting as an Organizational Change Leader through the end of 2023.

Late in her FedEx career, Celeste pursued her passion for leadership coaching and attained an ACC level ICF accreditation from the University of Texas – Dallas (UTD). She continued her studies at UTD to complete a Master of Science degree in Leadership, Organizational Development and Coaching in 2019. Celeste utilized her leadership experience, ICF accreditation and education within FedEx Service and Accenture to lead and coach complex organizational and system implementations to achieve measurable, sustainable change at all levels within an organization.

In her first year of retirement, Celeste continued to focus on coaching and mentoring through volunteering. She is a mentor circle lead at NextUp women’s leadership organization and involved with other non-profit organizations supporting under-served families in Northwest Arkansas. She is eager to join the AR/OK ICF Board of Directors to grow personally and professionally as a coach and serve in a new capacity.