Wasinger Becomes President of Keep Oklahoma Beautiful

The Keep Oklahoma Beautiful “presidential gavel” was passed to Account Director Jennifer Wasinger during the July 2019 Board Meeting.

Jennifer, who has been involved on many levels with KOB for more than 20 years, has long been passionate about helping communities grow stronger and more resilient, while also balancing economic growth.

As President, she will serve as the chief executive officer and ambassador for the organization. This is Jennifer’s second tenure serving as the Board President, also serving between 2009 and 2011. She was recently interviewed for a video about the organization.

The mission of Keep Oklahoma Beautiful is to empower Oklahoma citizens to preserve and enhance the state’s natural beauty and ensure a healthy, sustainable environment.  This organization is extremely important to our clients as a beautiful community can facilitate economic development.

KOB’s programs include:

  • Fresh Paint Days, which encourages volunteers to transform unsightly community structures through the use of donated paint and supplies.
  • Great American Clean Up Oklahoma is a three month cleanup event with events occurring in all of Oklahoma’s 77 counties. (Freese and Nichols has participated in clean-up events​ since 2015.)
  • KOB’s Lend-A-Bin Program lends recycling bins for offices and events. (Our Oklahoma City and Tulsa offices both participate in the program.)
  • KOB’s Litter Education provides opportunities for students to of all ages to learn about the harmful effects of litter through creative projects such as the UnCapped, UpCycled and End Litter Video Contest.
  • Environmental workshops for communities leaders
  • Grant programs for community leaders

Jennifer says that the most rewarding program of Keep Oklahoma Beautiful is the annual Environmental Excellence Awards event, which celebrates the work of volunteers, cities, companies and government agencies. “Hearing the passion of the award winners and what they’ve accomplished is incredibly inspiring,” she said.

Freese and Nichols now has five Oklahoma employees who are officers in state or national professional organizations. The others are Tricia Hatley, Oklahoma City, NSPE President-Elect; Paul Green, Oklahoma City, OSPE President; Keith Beatty, Tulsa, APWA Oklahoma President-Elect; and Brandon Huxford,​ Oklahoma City, APWA Oklahoma Secretary and Awards Chair.