Craig Stephenson inducted into Hall of Fame

Ponca City City Manager Craig Stephenson was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame for City and Town Officials Thursday night in a cermony in Oklahoma City.

The honor was part of the Annual Conference Banquet for the Oklahoma Municipal League. Four people were inducted this year, bringing  to 64 the number of inductees in the Hall of Fame.

The black-tie ceremony was held at the Cox Convention Center.

Formed in 1999, the Oklahoma Hall of Fame for City and Town Officials Foundation recognizes individuals for outstanding achievements or contributions to city and town government. To be selected, an honoree must make significant contributions to Oklahoma local government, through their positive spirit of public service, with unquestioned ethics.

Stephenson became the City Manager of Ponca City in 2009.  He has more than 30 years of extensive experience in municipal government, serving the cities of Dodge City, Kansas, Enid, and Ponca City. Stephenson received his B.A. and M.S. in Political Science from Fort Hays State University. He is a Credentialed Manager of the International City Managers Association and an Accredited Manager of the City Management Association of Oklahoma.

Ponca City has been honored with several members in the Hall of Fame.

• Former City Manager Leon Nelson became Assistant City Manager in 1958 and then was City Manager from May 1959 until May of 1978. He was inducted  to the Hall of fame in 2001.
• Former City Manager Gary Martin was inducted in 2009, shortly after his retirement after a 36-year career with the City of Ponca City. He served as city manager for 15 years.
• Mayor Homer Nicholson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016. He is the longest serving Mayor of Ponca City and is involved in many roles at the state and national levels that affect local governments in Oklahoma and across the country.
• The late Marilyn Andrews was inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously  in 2017. She served as the first woman mayor of Ponca City, a position she held for two terms, and was named the Oklahoma Mayor of the Year for 1996.

The Oklahoma Hall of Fame Foundation is supported by the Oklahoma Municipal League, The Mayors Council of Oklahoma, the City Management Association of Oklahoma, the Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Municipal Assurance Group, the Oklahoma Municipal Retirement Fund, the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority and the Oklahoma Municipal Clerks, Treasurers and Finance Officials Association.