Although he wasn’t born in southwest Oklahoma, Frank Myers’ family roots run deep. In fact, he lives on the land acquired by maternal relatives, the Fullertons, in the 1901 Land Lottery opening the Kiowa-Comanche-Apache Reservation to settlement.
“I can’t put the ‘born’ on it, but I was raised here,” Myers said. “I was a military brat. My mom, Ruby [Watson] Myers, was working on post when she met my dad, Frank Myers II. He was from Wisconsin and had a military career.”
Myers was born in Germany and lived in Kansas about a year before the family moved back home when he was around three years old. His dad retired in Lawton, and this is where Myers found his passion and career. In his office at the United Way of Southwest Oklahoma, Myers talked about the path and people who led him to his current position of Vice President of Community Engagement.
“I’m privileged to work with a wide range of people here at United Way,” he said. “I can be working with a CEO from a business one day and the next I’m working with people that are in the greatest need. I get to help connect the dots. I get to help invest in our local communities. We don’t do direct service here, but we fund the organizations that do the good work.”
Myers’ service with United Way began as a volunteer when he was employed as the associate director of enrollment management at Cameron University. During his 13 years at Cameron – from 2006 to 2019, he also served as director of alumni relations.
“I loved working with the students and the alumni. Also, I was fortunate to work with Albert Johnson Jr., who is the Vice President for University Advancement at Cameron,” he said. Once I was plugged into the community and working with different organizations, he helped me learn to navigate. I have a lot of respect for him. He is like an idea machine.
“There’s one thing he told me that I’ll never forget. He said ‘When you’re the only one in a room and a decision has to be made, make it. As long as it is legal, moral, and ethical I’ve got your back.’”
Another mentor Myers speaks highly of is Lawton businessman Hossein Moini. Myers went to high school at MacArthur with Moini’s daughter. They sang in choir together.
“He helped me get an internship in Washington, D.C. in Tom Cole’s office. At one time I thought I was interested in a career in government and politics. Mr. Moini told me to go try it out and see if it was something I was really interested in. It was an amazing experience, but I found out that’s not what I wanted to do for a career.
“My internship was during the summer of 2005. Dan Boren was in the House of Representatives at the time. He would let our Oklahoma group come into his office and he would move the table aside. We would meet in a circle, and he would have guest speakers in. I was able to meet President Ronald Reagan’s chief of staff. We also met former Director of the CIA George Tenet.”
As a student at CU from 2002-2006 on a leadership scholarship, Myers was active as student government body president, chair of the Program Activities Council, an Aggie ambassador and was a Nigh scholar. He said his claim to fame as the chair of the Program Activities Council was creating the foam dance party, which was hugely popular. After Cameron, Myers earned his Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Oklahoma in 2009.
Currently, Myers is on the Young Professionals of Lawton Board of Directors serving as vice-chair. In July, he will assume the chairman position.
“I love having a way to give back. It’s satisfying to try and help reshape the community for the better. We want our communities to be a place where people want to come work and play,” he said.
Myers is enthusiastic about programs helping direct students into community leadership, such as the Junior Leadership for Lawton-Fort Sill and AIM (Apprenticeship, Internship, and Mentorship). He has already been able to see these programs go full circle. On a visit to Cameron, one of the Aggie Ambassadors was a former member of an AIM class, Myers said.
“He was able to share how AIM helped him, and contributed to what he is doing now,” Myers said. “We want to recognize the potential of our kids and provide opportunities.”
One kid Myers is particularly proud of is his son, Frank Myers IV. He is a sophomore at MacArthur High School and is “on track for leadership stuff, too. Well, his main passion right now is soccer. He is the starting varsity goalie for a club team out of Newcastle. I’m extremely proud of him,” he said.
Who knows? One day there just might be another Frank Myers engaged in southwest Oklahoma leadership and following his father’s footsteps. The family roots run deep.