Town Board of Trustees

Kandy Damron

Kandy was born and raised in Talala. She earned a degree in Education from Oklahoma State University and spent 37 years teaching and coaching. After retiring from the classroom, she joined the Board of Trustees and became Mayor in 2019.

Talala has always been home. She loves the town’s small-town character and is committed to protecting that charm while making room for thoughtful, sustainable growth. Change is inevitable — her focus is finding the balance that keeps Talala feeling like Talala as the community moves forward.

Brenda Loyd

Brenda joined the Talala Board of Trustees in 2019 and has served on the board since. She is affectionately known as the “face painter,” a testament to her artistic talent and the joy she has brought to countless children in Talala at community events over the years. A proud alumna of Oologah High School, class of 1975, Brenda moved to Talala in 1988. Since then she has been a pillar of the community alongside her husband Gary; their family has flourished here with three children and eight grandchildren. Brenda is a master instructor in cosmetology, and her pursuit of lifelong learning led her to Tulsa Community College to study American Sign Language. On her reason for serving: “I have deep roots here and love this town. I want nothing but the best for it and for the people who call it home.”

Lester Orwig

In June 1982, Lester Orwig and his family settled in Talala, where he took on the role of pastor at the First Baptist Church. A Tulsa native, Lester graduated from Will Rogers High School in 1967. Since 2001 he has been an influential member of the town’s board, including approximately nine years of service as mayor. His tenure as pastor for over four decades has offered him a unique perspective on the community’s evolution — watching the young children of the early ’80s grow into adults, start their own families, and see their children mature. Reflecting on Talala’s growth, Lester takes pride not only in infrastructural and economic advancement but in the deepening sense of community and quality of life.

Nancy Sweet

Nancy was born in Vinita and raised in Nowata, graduating with the class of 1967. In 1971 she married Glenn Sweet and moved to Talala. Together they raised four children who all graduated from Oologah High School — LeeAnn, Ronda, Leonard, and Lisa. Nancy and Glenn are very proud of their eight grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren, with two more expected soon.

In 1975 Nancy went to work for the Oologah-Talala Public School system as a kindergarten teacher’s assistant. In 1988 she moved to Oologah High School as secretary for the athletic director, and in 1992 she became secretary to the Oologah-Talala Superintendent. When she retired in 2018, she was the Business Manager and School District Treasurer and had worked for eight different superintendents. Her experience with payroll, encumbrances, federal programs, and investing school district funds is experience she uses as a trustee for the Town of Talala.

Nancy takes great pride in the improvements in town. She enjoys seeing families at the park, using the Community Room, and taking advantage of the many programs offered by the Talala Library.

Maryann Henderson

Biography coming soon.