The Zach D. Taylor, Jr., Servant Leadership Award

Leadership Oklahoma City salutes one of its own for outstanding service to our organization

by mary walsh, Signature class xii

In January 2008, Leadership Oklahoma City, along with the rest of our community, mourned the passing of Zach Taylor, longtime LOKC visionary, influential civic leader, and as Executive Director of the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG), a champion of regional progress.

Through ACOG, he gathered a cadre of interested citizens from small and large cities, urban and rural counties, businesspeople, state and federal elected officials, leadership organizations, and untold others to assemble a cohesive unit spanning 35 metropolitan cities and towns. 

Zach and his crew were integrally involved in various regional activities including transportation planning, water quality management, air quality improvement, alternative fuel development, and local government technical assistance.  Zach is perhaps best remembered for his work to spearhead bringing enhanced 9-1-1 service to our region and then later to upgrade the system to better respond to emergency calls from cell phones. 

His after-hours volunteer efforts extended to many community organizations including Allied Arts, the United Way of Central Oklahoma, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, Oklahoma City National Memorial, Rotary Club 29, Freedom of Information, Inc., and the Mercy Health Foundation, serving on the boards of directors of each. 

While it is hard to imagine a sphere of our city that has not reaped long-term benefits from Zach Taylor’s attention, nowhere is this more evident than his involvement with Leadership Oklahoma. 

A member of the Signature Program’s Class 6, Zach enjoyed telling the story of applying for Class 5 at the same time as his wife, Alison.  Alison was the family member chosen; so Zach reapplied and was selected for Class 6.  That story illuminates much about Zach’s engagement in LOKC.  He was proud of his wife’s selection and more interested in eventually becoming involved than he was hurt by not being selected on his first try.  It was never about Zach as an individual and always about what best served the whole.

During his tenure with us, Zach served on the planning committee for LOKC’s Government and Media classes and was one of those responsible for the creation of the now-traditional Mock City Council.  He served as Program Co-Chair with Sue Hale for Classes 10 and 11.  When long-time executive Director Karen Luke announced she would retire at the end of Class 11, Zach and Sue agreed to serve a rare third year as Program Co-Chairs to facilitate the staff transition.  Zach then accepted the two-year chairmanship of the Policy Committee, assuming the task of writing and revising policies and procedures for the entire organization.  He was elected President of Leadership Oklahoma City in 1996 and served two terms.  As President, Zach realized a long-desired addition to our programming by facilitating the adoption of Leadership Skills, our first youth program, which had been a project of the local chapter of the American Red Cross.  Zach continued to serve as an active member of the LOKC Board of Directors and later the Advisory Board until his death, at which time he was chairing a committee examining ways to increase Hispanic participation in community leadership development.  

The Taylor family involvement with LOKC continues:  Alison, Zach’s wife remains active, as does daughter, Elizabeth Taylor Semtner, who was a member of LOYAL Class 1, and later served on the Alumni Board.   Daughter Lauren, a graduate of LOYAL Class 3, now lives in Austin.

Alison Taylor said, “Zach’s involvement with LOKC was a passion for him from the beginning as a member of Class VI!! The time he spent preparing as a day chair, bringing stakeholders together, asking tough questions, co-chairing the program, or leading board meetings was never wasted time for Zach. There were two reasons - first because he believed LOKC is the most powerful organization to build a better OKC community through informed/engaged leaders. Secondly, Zach celebrated the diversity of background, opinions and visions but common purpose of LOKC alums and gained lifelong friends because of it! (You know who you are!! ).”

Not surprisingly, the list of professional and civic organizations that have recognized Zach’s assistance to them is both long and impressive.  Alison, Elizabeth and Lauren each speak with pride about all of his contributions to Oklahoma City and environs. 

“Zach would be humbled by this award being named for him but would be thrilled for its purpose - Servant Leadership,” said Alison Taylor.

Zach Taylor was the posthumous recipient of the award in 2008.  Subsequent recipients include:  2009 – Sue Hale; 2010 – Steve Raybourn; 2011 – Adonna Meyer; 2012 – Bob Blackburn; 2013 – Stuart Graham; 2014 – Jane Sutter; 2015 – Carl Shortt;  2016 – Rick Romain; 2017 – Jim Sharrock; 2018 – Pam Troup; 2019 – Bill Citty; 2020 – Gus Pekara; 2021 – Dan Straughan.

The 2022 recipient of the Zach D. Taylor, Jr., Servant Leadership Award will be named during Leadership Oklahoma City’s graduation in May.