Sheila Gay elected OPA president, 2023-2024

Sheila Gay, publisher of the Woodward News, took office as president of the Oklahoma Press Association July 1.

Gay was elected by OPA members during the annual business meeting at the June 9-10 OPA Convention in Shawnee. She succeeds Zonelle Rainbolt as president and will serve a one-year term.

Gay began her career with the Woodward News in 1997 as an advertising executive. In 2001, she became the advertising manager and was named the seventh publisher of the Woodward News in March of 2012, just a month before the deadly Woodward tornado in April. 

A native of Woodward, Gay is extremely active in the community as well as handling the day-to-day operations of the newspaper, filling in on the editorial side at times. She is also active in the press association, serving on the board and having chaired multiple committees. She also served on the Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation board for several years. Sheila served her country in the Army Reserves.

“I am truly honored to be a part of the Oklahoma Press Association and to serve as the president. There have been many before me that have shown great leadership in our organization and we will continue to do so over the next year and into the future,” Gay said.

"The newspaper industry faces big challenges, but we are up to the task of meeting each one and going into the future in a position of strength.

“In addition to being a watchdog over government, newspapers are also one of the main sources of a community's history, telling the stories that will last forever. Telling those stories is a job none of us take lightly.”

In the community, Gay serves on the Chamber of Commerce board of directors and is president of The Pregnancy Center. She also works with the homeless shelter and in the past has been involved with the Main Street Organization and is active in the United Fund.

She and her husband John, have three children, Chelsea, J.C. and Ty. They also have five grandchildren: Kaden, Acelynn, Nova, Dagan, and Mason.

Also elected at the business meeting were Shauna Belyeu, general manager of The Eufaula Indian Journal, as vice president. David Stringer, publisher of The Lawton Constitution, was elected to serve a second one-year term as treasurer. Rainbolt will serve a one-year term as immediate past president.

Board appointments include Suzie Campbell, publisher of the Countywide & Sun, who will fulfill the third year of a three-year term, and Ed Choate, publisher of Muskogee Phoenix, who will fulfill a second and third year of a three-year term. New directors elected to a three-year term are Mike Sherman, executive editor at Oklahoma Watch, and Brett Wesner, owner of Wesner Publications.

Also on the board is Erin Dyer Thompson, co-publisher and advertising director of the El Reno Tribune.