In episode 12, our last episode of ShropTalk: Voices from the Field, Dr. Shropshire and Austin Marshall speak with Mary Gail Foster, the Records Management Administrator in Support Services. Foster started as a library technician and then became the agency’s official librarian after she finished her master’s degree. Now a certified records manager, Foster oversees the agency’s Records Center which houses not only critical agency files, but also documents, publications and many other materials that represent the agency’s entire history.

Next March, when Foster is set to retire, she will have served the agency for a half-century! Oklahoma Human Services looks quite differently than it did 50 years ago, and we are excited for the work we’ll do together as we approach the agency’s 100th anniversary in 2026.

Though this is our last episode with Dr. Shropshire, Marshall and Foster, we have thoroughly enjoyed the conversations and history we have made together through ShropTalk: Voices from the Field. We hope you’ll like this episode and share it and others with a friend. You’ll find all episodes on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music and more to make it easier to listen on your favorite platform.

In episode 11 of ShropTalk: Voices from the Field, Dr. Shropshire and Austin Marshall speak with David Johnson, Programs Administrator with Post Adoption and Guardianship, and Dr. Bonni Goodwin who serves as the Statewide Coordinator of Adoption Preservation Services. Dr. Goodwin is also the Director of the Center for Adoption and Family Well-Being and serves as Assistant Professor and Online Program Faculty for the University of Oklahoma.

This episode discusses the many facets of successfully serving children and families during and after their adoption experience, including adoption competent mental health, helping families adjust to adoption and the lifelong impacts of adoption on families. Dr. Goodwin’s and Johnson’s work together also demonstrates the importance of cross-systems collaboration to ensure adoptive families have all the tools they need to thrive in their new lives together.

We still have one more ShropTalk conversation to share before Dr. Shropshire moves on to her next adventure later this month! You’ll find this and our last episode on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music and more to make it easier to listen on your favorite platform. If an episode resonates with you, please like and share it with a friend.

In the tenth episode of ShropTalk: Voices from the Field, Dr. Shropshire and Austin Marshall speak with Terry Benjamin, Case Manager with Developmental Disabilities Services (DDS). In this episode, Benjamin articulates the importance of bringing your heart and full self to our work and the benefit that brings to our clients. From the big moments in clients’ lives like going to A Night to Shine, to small ones like getting a haircut and a new outfit, Benjamin describes how our focus on person-centered services improves lives and brings dignity for those we serve.

We still have a couple more ShropTalk conversations to share before Dr. Shropshire moves on to her next adventure in mid-September! You’ll find this and those upcoming episodes on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music and more to make it easier to listen from your car or wherever you prefer to listen to podcasts. If an episode resonates with you, please like and share it with a friend.