Terron Liles, City Arts Executive Director, was chosen as one of thirty-one Oklahomans across the state that will convene this month as part of the Leadership Arts XII. This is an Oklahoma Arts Council program that equips individuals working in any field with strategies on how to use arts and cultural resources to strengthen their local communities.

Liles was named to the position of executive director for City Arts in 2020 and has lived in Ponca City since 2010. He has been active in various local organizations including Ponca City Main Street, Marland Estate Foundation, Marland Estate Commission, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Kay County Opportunity Center, Marland Mansion Gala, Hospice of North Central Oklahoma, and United Way. He has also participated in Leadership Ponca City and Leadership Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Arts Council’s program will bring the chosen individuals together for four two-day session that will take place throughout the spring. Class members will learn strategies for employing the arts as tools for boosting economic development, strengthening education, and enriching quality of life.

This class is offered every two years and sessions for the 2023 program will take place in Sulphur on Feb. 23-24; Guymon on March 23-24; Ponca City on April 27-28; and Tulsa on May 25-26. Class members will graduate from the program during the 2023 Oklahoma Arts Conference in Lawton, October 17-19.