We lost a good friend yesterday. OPEA member Ron Wilson was killed at his home in OKC. Not only was Ron a great OPEA member and talented human resources professional, he was simply a kind and concerned person.
As director of talent management at OMES’ human capital management division, Ron was involved in nearly every aspect of human resources for state agencies but he always took the time to help OPEA staff and members our with our question and other needs.
As an OPEA member, he would provide guidance on HR trends and was a wonderful resource that we would call on when trying to understand compensation, job classification or merit rules. Ron was our “go to” guy who was always willing and more than capable. He helped us and smiled while he did. As a member, he educated OPEA board and staff when asked and participated in several of our conventions.
As a friend, Ron was loved by many. He had friends from his hometown, McAlester, from OSU, one of his alma maters and from state agencies like the Okla Health Care Authority and Department of Corrections where he worked earlier in his career or OMES where he served at the time of his passing.
One of his friends posted on Facebook yesterday that when Ron asked “How are you doing?”, you knew that he truly was asking about you and he just wasn’t saying that. The staff at OPEA can attest to that. In the many times he visited our office, he always asked and meant it.
If Ron had not heard from OPEA staff over a time period, he would call the office just to check on staff. He didn’t have to. He had enough on his plate, but he truly wanted to know how we were doing. We’re sure our staff is not the only ones who got these calls.
The state will miss Ron’s expertise. His friends and coworkers, especially those at OMES, will miss his caring nature and dry wit. OPEA’s members and staff offer our condolences to Ron’s family, friends and colleagues and while we celebrate a kind man and a life well-lived we pray for comfort for those who miss him.
