ABOUT THE SPEAKER’S BALL

Join us for another unforgettable night…

Saturday, January 25th, 2025

5:30pm Cocktail Hour | 6:30pm Dinner

Oklahoma City Convention Center

The Oklahoma Speaker’s Ball is an inspiring tradition, first begun in the 1960s by Oklahoma Speaker of the House of Representatives Rex Privett. Speaker Privett aimed to develop collegiality and rapport between newly-elected members of the House prior to the start of the legislative session. The idea was to bring together members of both parties, from all parts of the state on neutral territory to get to know each other as individuals, not just policy rivals. The non-partisan tradition of camaraderie has endured, but also expanded to include all those who have a hand in the legislative process including other elected officials, business leaders, community champions, and advocacy groups.

Along the way, Oklahoma Speaker’s Ball also has become an important vehicle for showcasing and raising funds for some of Oklahoma’s most impactful charitable organizations. Since 2005, Oklahoma Speaker’s Ball has donated nearly a million dollars to worthy causes across our state.

But the Ball is so much more than a typical charity fundraiser. It’s a much-anticipated opportunity to set politics and cultural divisions aside for one special night and simply celebrate what’s great about Oklahoma. Attendees feel good knowing they are giving back to the state, but they also enjoy fabulous decor, delicious food and top-tier entertainment. In fact, the Ball has become the hottest ticket in town thanks to the participation of entertainers like Motown legend Diana Ross, country artists Ronnie Dunn and Alabama, Broadway star Kelli O’Hara, television personality Giuliana Rancic, and many others.

Thank you to our sponsors

PRESENTING SPONSORS

UNDERWRITER SPONSORS

2025 BeneficiarIES

Paws for Purpose at OU Health

and

Pink Paws at Saint Francis Health System

PAST BENEFICIARIES

Oklahoma Speaker’s Ball is proud to support a variety of non-profits representing all corners of our state. Here’s just a few of the organizations we’ve supported over the years.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma	Oklahoma Youth with Promise Scholarship
Children’s Hospital Foundation	Payne Education Center
Children’s Medical Research Institute	Pepper’s Ranch
Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma	Pivot: A Turning Point for Youth
HeartLine, Inc.	Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma
INCA Community Services	ReMerge
J127 Ministry	Tenaciously Teal
Meals on Wheels Association of Oklahoma	The 111 Project
Oklahoma Arts Institute Angel Fund	UR Special Clothing Outreach
Oklahoma CASA Association	Warrior’s Rest Foundation
Oklahoma Honor Flights	Westview Boys’ Home
Oklahoma Project Woman

SPEAKER KYLE HILBERT

Kyle Hilbert is the State Representative for Oklahoma House District 29, which contains parts of Creek & Tulsa counties. Kyle, his wife Alexis, and two daughters, Addison (5 years old) and Dorothy (2 years old), live in Bristow, Oklahoma. Kyle and Alexis are members of Foundation Church in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. Hilbert grew up in Depew, population 411. While at Depew, Hilbert was a national champion extemporaneous public speaker in the National FFA Organization.

After high school, Hilbert attended Oklahoma State University where he was elected by his peers to serve as President of the Student Government Association and received a bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness. Upon graduation, Hilbert returned to his hometown of Depew to work with his father and older brother in the family business, DoughBoyz Pizza and Equipment. DoughBoyz was started in the early 90’s by Kyle’s dad, Kerry Hilbert, in response to being unable to supply his local grocery store with pizza. Kerry quickly discovered that he was in a niche market of small-town Oklahoma, where no other pizza distributors wanted to do business and began selling pizza dough to stores in similar small towns.

In 2016, Hilbert was elected at 22 years old to the Oklahoma House of Representatives, winning the general election with 65% of the vote. Hilbert has worked diligently serving the needs of his constituents and has increased his electoral percentage each time he has been on the ballot.

As a first-term legislator, Hilbert carried 8 bills that were signed into law, was an Assistant Majority Whip and served as the Chair of the House Rural Caucus. In his second term, he was appointed to the position of Vice Chair of Appropriations where he was one of four legislators tasked with negotiating and drafting the state budget. In his three years as Vice Chair, Hilbert was part of the team that negotiated a budget amidst a pandemic, overhauled our state’s ad valorem reimbursement program for manufacturers, and established a tax structure for electric vehicles. Kyle is currently serving his fifth two-year term in the Oklahoma House.

In the 2022 legislative session, Hilbert was elected by his colleagues to in the position of Speaker Pro Tempore, the number two post in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. As Pro Tem, his focus was on improving caucus communications and the running of floor proceedings. Hilbert’s primary policy focus since joining the legislature has been on the state budget and workforce development.

In March of 2024, the House Republican Caucus elected Hilbert Speaker-designate, putting him in line to succeed Speaker Charles McCall as the 45^th Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. When taking the oath in January 2025, Hilbert, at 30 years old, will become the youngest Speaker of the House in Oklahoma history and the youngest Speaker of a state legislature in the nation.