Rick Sinnett, President

Rick Sinnett of Mustang, Oklahoma, is well-known for his murals throughout the state. Many featuring pollinators such as the Eastern monarch and Black swallowtail butterflies. Initially partnering with Okies for Monarchs in 2020 to produce the monarch butterfly license plate, Rick has remained pro-actively involved in generating support for monarch conservation in Oklahoma.

Creatively inspired by nature, Rick is a self-taught muralist, printmaker, and curator. His artwork, which characteristically has bold lines, also typically includes vibrant colors and repeated patterns. His early artistic career took him to California where he adopted the moniker “Mothman”, due to the animals and natural elements which serve as the foundation of his compositions. There, he sold his screenprints and ink drawings. He also began giving away hand-drawn artworks in exchange for the recipient expressing concern or kindness to others who they may encounter. This initial exchange became the basis for his “art for the people” approach to his career, including murals and “art drops” using social media.

Rick’s creativity and passion for monarch conservation on our leadership team accentuates our belief in the nexus of science, art and nature.

Cindy Kyle, Treasurer

Retired from the oil and gas industry after 35 wonderful years, her career began with Kerr-McGee Corporation. There, she held various domestic and international accounting/financial manager positions in both the oil/gas and chemical companies. After transferring to Houston to serve as the company’s Financial Reporting Manager, Cindy chose to return to her home state of Oklahoma when Kerr-McGee merged into Anadarko Petroleum. In 2009, she joined the private family-owned Kirkpatrick Oil Company as Chief Financial Officer, eventually serving as President and CFO. She retired in 2022 after serving 13 years.

A native of Duncan, Oklahoma, Cindy graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Business degree in Accounting. She is a retired Certified Public Accountant and former member of the Independent Petroleum Association of America, Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Cindy enjoys gym workouts, gardening, watching OU sports and traveling.  She and her husband Terry reside in Edmond.

Cindy’s extensive financial expertise on our leadership team helps guide our promise for financial transparency, responsibility and growth.

Larissa Balzer, Secretary

Larissa serves as Senior Network Coordinator for the Ocean Sewage Alliance, is a passionate conservationist, leveraging her science communication expertise to illuminate the interconnectedness of our world through water. She has spent a decade crafting scientific stories that bridge conservation efforts and society. From her years at Keep Oklahoma Beautiful to her tenure at The Nature Conservancy, Larissa’s dedication to environmental stewardship shines through her writing. Recent articles like “Breaking Taboos: The Intersection of Menstrual Hygiene and Sewage Pollution” and “The Ocean is Not a Landfill” exemplify her commitment to fostering awareness. 

Throughout her time at The Nature Conservancy, Larissa contributed heavily to the Okies for Monarchs campaign by developing digital content, publications and attending events. Additionally, she authored pieces such as “Respecting Fire: Where Conservation Science and Indigenous Wisdom Meet” and “An Osage Historian on the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve,” demonstrating her commitment to amplifying diverse voices in conservation.

Larissa lives and works in sunny San Diego, where she enjoys biking around Mission Bay, hoping to see a monarch butterfly, and trying to identify the wildflowers. As an experienced digital marketing specialist, Larissa brings a multifaceted skill set to her work, amplifying the voices of those dedicated to preserving our blue planet.

By having Larissa’s passion for the environment and outreach experience on our leadership team, we are poised to empower Oklahomans through education and community engagement.

Dr. Rebecca Snyder

Dr. Rebecca Snyder is the Senior Director of Conservation, Education, and Science at the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Gardens and has been with the Zoo for eight years. Prior to this, she worked for Zoo Atlanta for 20 years in curatorial and research roles and supervised a multiyear research program on giant pandas in China. In her role with OKC Zoo, she manages wildlife conservation partnerships locally and globally, guides education programs to foster emotional connections with animals and inspire conservation action, conducts research on animal behavior, mentors students and postdocs, and leads animal well-being and sustainability initiatives.

She graduated from Iowa State University with a B.S. in zoology and from Georgia Institute of Technology with an M.S. and Ph.D. in experimental psychology. She has authored over 40 scientific publications, taught courses on animal behavior at Georgia State University, and was an associate editor for the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science. Dr. Snyder is Chair of the Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s (AZA) Giant Panda Conservation Foundation, was Chair of the AZA Bear Taxon Advisory Group for five years, and serves on the steering committee of the AZA Monarch SAFE program. She helped found the Oklahoma Monarch and Pollinator Collaborative (a.k.a. Okies for Monarchs) and served on the advisory board for biology at the University of Central Oklahoma.

She and her husband, Dr. Dwight Lawson, met at Zoo Atlanta and have been married for 18 years. They have a teenage daughter, Rory, who shares her parents’ love of animals. Rebecca loves making her daughter laugh, snuggling her dogs, reading, spending time with friends and family, and travel—with a long list of countries she still wants to visit. She does not love running but has done it most of her life anyway.

Rebecca’s experience in conservation partnerships helps guide our leadership team in developing and maintaining collaborations with stakeholders of diverse backgrounds in Oklahoma and beyond.

Dr. Patrick Bell

From Edmond, OK, Patrick is an avid gardener for monarchs and a leader in Oklahoma conservation. Not only did he help found the Oklahoma Monarch and Pollinator Collaborative, but he also served as a board member of the Conservation Coalition of Oklahoma and President of the Oklahoma Native Plant Society. Currently, he serves as a member of the Oklahoma Monarch Pollinator Collaborative steering committee and Oklahoma Monarch Society board.

Patrick holds an MD from the University of Oklahoma and a bachelor’s degree in biology sciences and environmental sciences.

He recently retired as a general surgeon and is enjoying this new chapter in his life by spending extra time with his grandson and restoring native prairies.

Patrick’s experience as a leader in Oklahoma conservation is a valuable contribution to our leadership team as we embrace policies that are sensible and devised with all stakeholders in agreement.

Katie Hawk, Executive Director

Katie Hawk has been a part of the Oklahoma Monarch and Pollinator Collaborative and Okies for Monarchs programs since day one. Her involvement began coordinating the first Oklahoma Monarch Summit in 2016 while working as the Director of Communications and External Affairs for The Nature Conservancy of Oklahoma.

While at The Nature Conservancy, she organized and developed the wildly popular bison and monarch license plates, as well as successfully passed a Public Lands Resolution with the Oklahoma Legislature which was a surprisingly difficult task. Additionally, she launched a 12-month webinar series during COVID that reached 11 countries and showcased conservation activities live to the public such as the Bison Roundup at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve.

Prior to working at The Nature Conservancy, Katie served as a lobbyist for the Oklahoma Education Association, Marketing & Customer Service Director for OK.gov, Director of Promotions for Chick’s Harley-Davidson in Albuquerque, NM, Graphic Artist for Subia, and Public Relations Assistant for the Oklahoma Arts Institute.

She graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1999 with a BA in Journalism/Public Relations and a minor in Criminal Justice.

Currently, she operates her family self-storage business in Midwest City and serves as the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Monarch Society. In this new chapter of life, she is enjoying spending quality time with parents. Her mother is in the late stages of Alzheimer’s which has caused Katie to slow down in life and embrace the small, tender moments. Her love for animals goes beyond this cause. She co-founded Good Dogma, a non-profit that aims to reduce the pet overpopulation in Eastern Oklahoma County. She has two furry children: Thelma and Astro – who love digging in her garden at home.

Katie is honored to serve as the Director for the Oklahoma Monarch Society. Her commitment to our cause and broad skill set compliments our leadership team as we strive to create and protect quality pollinator habitat and healthy ecosystems.