FOUNDATION STAFF
Kathy Laster, Ph.D., MBA
President/CEO
Dr. Kathy Laster brings four decades of business management, board leadership, professional consulting, and clinical practice experience to her leadership role as Avedis Foundation’s president and CEO. She served as a founding member of the Avedis board of directors, and as past chairperson and 18-year member of the local community hospital board.
Prior to taking the helm for Avedis in 2018, Dr. Laster founded and led a successful executive leadership coaching and organizational consulting business the decade before. As a licensed psychologist, she previously maintained a 13-year private psychology practice in Shawnee. Earlier, she held corporate management positions with AT&T and Southwestern Bell for 15 years.
Dr. Laster is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology and holds an MBA from Oklahoma City University. She also has strong Oklahoma State roots, having graduated with two degrees, a Master’s degree in Community Counseling and an undergraduate degree in Communication Consultancy.
She is a past president of the National Board of the Oklahoma State University Alumni Association. Dr. Laster currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and the Seminole State College Education Foundation. She and her husband, former state senator Charlie Laster, have two adult children, Kara and Luke.
Lauren Thomas, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
Lauren had previously served the Foundation for more than a decade as an independent financial consultant from Samerson PLLC. She brings more than 20 years of experience as a CPA, having worked in both the public and private sectors. A graduate of both Shawnee High School and OBU, Lauren is a Shawnee native with deep connections in the community.
Tracy Meeuwsen
Senior Program Director-Data Analyst
Tracy Meeuwsen serves as Avedis Foundation’s Program Director, providing oversight to program grants and initiatives, while developing and cultivating strong partnerships with local nonprofits. Throughout her career in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, Tracy has gained extensive expertise in the areas of data analysis, reporting, research, and process review and improvement.
Audrey Seeliger
External Relations – Special Events
With a nonprofit background spanning more than two decades, Audrey brings expertise in the nonprofit sector in the areas of fundraising, community engagement, and volunteer management to her position. In addition to planning and implementing Foundation events, Audrey serves as a liaison with nonprofit and community organizations.
Lakisha Meade
Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives & Impact Investing
Lakisha is a community and economic development leader with over 20 years of experience advancing entrepreneurship and small business growth across Oklahoma. She specializes in program management, strategic partnerships, and expanding access to capital for underserved communities, working closely with public, private, and tribal partners.
Sherry Lenox
Sherry Lenox-McClure is an experienced office manager and executive assistant, with more than two decades of supporting business and trust operations in Shawnee. She brings deep knowledge to the Foundation with strengths in organization, communication, and problem-solving.
