2025 Employee of the Year Recipient: Shellie Willoughby

Shellie Willoughby, GIS Manager (OCC) & Assistant State GIS Coordinator (OGI) was recognized as the 2025 Employee of the Year at the March 2025 Staff Meeting of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission. Her nomination for Employee of the Quarter, which put her in the running for the annual award reads:

Shellie has gone above and beyond this quarter by managing the 911 project while continuing to support the routine (and not-so routine) GIS needs of each the agency’s divisions. When I ask Shellie for a map, typically within a few minutes she has emailed me back asking when I need the file. Generally, I need the file in a week or two, but I will receive it in a day or two. She always follows up to see if I would like any edits. And she does all of this with a genuine smile.

When asked to tackle something new and challenging, Shellie says, “This is going to be fun. Give me a few days to figure it out.” Shellie does not seek out attention, but she is one of the people at the Commission who is constantly working behind the scenes to make things better. For years, Shellie chaired the Employee Appreciation and Recognition Committee, the committee that presents this award. Shellie still serves on the Committee as an advisor. She has planned Full Staff Meetings, organized opportunities for Commission employees to do meaningful community service, and left treats on your desk for Employee Appreciation Day, Christmas or just because. She has organized birthday celebrations, decorated the office for holidays and coordinated flowers and a card when an employee is in the hospital. If you thank Shellie for any of these acts of service, she will immediately say, “Oh, it wasn’t all me, I had lots of help,” and then she will proceed to praise others.

The Employee Appreciation and Recognition Committee is only one of the several committees on which Shellie serves. In addition, she manages the charitable giving campaign each fall. We can thank Shellie for the silent auction and for Trey being sentenced to wear OSU garb to each of the area meetings last year! Go Pokes! Shellie is the consummate professional and she is invested in making the Commission a great place to work.

But even more importantly, she is a wonderful human being. She is smart, compassionate, kind, humble and giving. She assumes the best in others. If Shellie knows you are struggling with an illness or caring for an aging parent, she will regularly stop by your cube to ask how you are doing and truly listen as you talk. Before the conversation is over, she will invariably say, “Let me know if there is anything I can do to help,” and she means it. She takes care of her mom, serves as a Boy Scout leader, and is a devoted wife, mother and friend. The world is a better place because Shellie Willoughby is in it. I am thankful to work with Shellie and to call her a friend.

Congratulations, Shellie!