STILLWATER OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE / 12
“ Every Congressman / woman Representative from Oklahoma understands the need for after school programs and the grassroots efforts to make it happen,” Les said.
Could politics be next for Les Thomas, Sr.? In 2023, Les was appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt to the Oklahoma Board of Juvenile Affairs and now serves as Vice Chair of the Board and Chairman of the Oklahoma State Advisory Group, advising on youth justice reform and administering federal juvenile justice funds. His leadership reflects his lifelong commitment to systems-level impact and mentorship. Les works closely with many local politicians and representatives at the state and national levels advocating for youth programs, including mental health and therapy. Les will always advocate for( or against) what is right, not what is popular.
If he wasn’ t busy enough, Les travels the nation giving motivational speeches to high school students and college professors. He recently joined the anti-bullying nonprofit organization Heroes In Waiting as their Live Program Emcee. In his“ spare” time Les has written a book and continues to produce music. You can check him out on Spotify and Apple Music. He will be this year’ s Emcee for the Our Daily Bread annual Top Chef fundraiser in September.
The amount of passion, grit and perseverance Les has is beyond impressive. If you have the natural ability to uplift people, to encourage and cheer them on, why wouldn’ t you want to share that gift? Whether he’ s speaking to 60,000 people or 20, he will always use his platform to advocate for others. Even the two of us talking at the Student Union felt like my own personal masterclass. So trust me when I say... when it comes to Les Thomas, the hype is definitely real! SwOk
STORY BY: JENNIFER JALBERT Stillwater Oklahoma Magazine PHOTOS by JENNIFER JALBERT
STILLWATER OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE / 12