Okmulgee Community Heroes

Published in the Okmulgee Times on 5.12.17

              Time to highlight another community hero! Every few weeks, I focus my column on people who are leading the way in ‘Okmulgee Rising’ whether they realize it or not. As I’ve said before, they’re not necessarily developers or activists who are stepping out and trying to get things done, but what they do is so natural and so excellent that they likely don’t realize how much it is advancing our community. You may not realize it either. This week my focus is on Shawn Fritsche, more commonly known as ‘Maverick’, who is not only our Okmulgee City Code Enforcement Officer but also a Morris City Councilman.

              I’ve known Maverick for the past two years, and have had the pleasure of serving with him on the Roger Brooks Okmulgee Task Force committee, as well as seeing the positive impact he’s made at the City of Okmulgee in his fifteen years of working there. Maverick knows how to get things done! He was named Oklahoma’s top Code Enforcement Officer of the year for 2016. Through all of his accomplishments and the diligence he gives to his job, he’s still very approachable and easy to reach out to when you have a question or need advice on city permits or codes. He is truly a servant-hearted leader!

              One particular project that added value to our downtown area was the acquisition and installation of the street signs bearing the Creek (Muscogee) and English names of each street. Maverick was instrumental in getting this project accomplished, and, along with Public Works employees Marty Williams and Ricky Pearson, pretty much led the effort from start to finish. This project was recently nominated for a state award!

              Recently, Maverick helped me with youth cleanup day efforts by coordinating with ODOT on my behalf and making sure the participants have safety vests when working along the highway. He’s even taken extra efforts to identify grant funding for our citizens that they may apply for if they need help making home repairs and face certain hardships that may keep them from doing so on their own. No one asked him to do this, but he’s going the extra mile to make sure it’s done. I, along with local Pastors who have joined together in the Okmulgee Prayer 365, are hoping to be able to bring him volunteers for this cause. So far, 15 ministers have come together to not only pray for our City, but also to volunteer their time by bringing members of their congregations together to work on projects like the one Maverick has in mind. This will be another excellent example of Okmulgee Rising!

              Don’t tell me our City workers aren’t looking out for the best interests of Okmulgee. With leaders like Shawn Fritsche, we’ll be in good hands for years to come. If you feel something’s not being done, or have ideas of your own that you’d like to see incorporated, I encourage you to come get involved. Reach out to me, or come to a City Council meeting, and familiarize yourself with all the great projects happening in Okmulgee! Maverick is an outstanding example of a local government employee who doesn’t just seek to do the bare minimum in his position, but strives to do his best in everything he works on. We could all use some of his passion and persistence, and I’m truly grateful for the care he has for our town and its people. 

              If you see Maverick out and about over the next week, tell him what a great job he’s doing! Ask how you can help with the different ongoing cleanup efforts, and let him know how the changes in Okmulgee are making a visible impact on our entire community. It’s because of hardworking guys like Maverick that Okmulgee continues to rise.

As always, you can reach out to me anytime at: [email protected]

*Additional (and awesome) contributions were made to this article by Kasey Bowers.

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Richard Larabee is an Okmulgee downtown resident. He serves as President-elect of Main Street, and Chairman of The Roger Brooks Okmulgee Task Force committee under the Chamber of Commerce. He is an Independent Petroleum Landman, and his office is in the McCulloch building in downtown Okmulgee.