Sep. 28—Julie Dermody, secretary of the Rogers County Election Board, was reelected as secretary of the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women.

The state entity, created in 1994, is made up of 30 women who advise state legislators with policy recommendations on issues that affect women.

Dermody said among the issues the commission has tackled in her three-year tenure are human trafficking, childcare deserts and overincarceration. The commissioners travel around the state to hold town halls, brief state agencies on the issues they study, and compile an annual report to the state Legislature with their policy recommendations.

Dermody said she's not running down the halls of the state Capitol, tracking down legislators like other commissionersm because she doesn't want to infringe on her role as Rogers County's election secretary.

Instead, in her role as secretary, she said she ensures the commission complies with state law. She also helps manage the commission's social media and prepares presentations.

"A lot of times, I feel a little bit out of my league because these women ... they're movers and shakers in the world," Dermody said. "I'm ... just Julie. I like to make sure that things are done right."

Dermody said she first got involved with the commission after Ollie Starr, another commissioner and the executive director of the Indian Women's Pocahontas Club, brought her to some meetings.

Starr, who lives in Claremore, was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in 2019. Chuck Hoskin Jr., principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, said she received the honor for her work raising money for scholarships for Cherokee students and preserving Cherokee culture in Rogers County.

Dermody considers Starr her mentor and said she'd never have joined the commission if it weren't for Starr.

Dermody said she initially sought an adviser role because she wanted to help the commission broadcast its mission, but House Speaker Rep. Charles McCall, R-Atoka, gave her a full appointment in 2021.

"I'm serving now, and I'll do whatever God has planned for me," Dermody said.

Starr and Dermody have been involved in the commission's initiative against human trafficking. The state Senate approved $150,000 for the commission to travel around the state to hold town halls educating people about trafficking.

Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, carried the legislation that approved the money. Weaver said he's been passionate about fighting human trafficking since he encountered it as director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics in 2012.

Weaver said he's a fiscal conservative who is cautious with spending taxpayer dollars. He said funding the commission's human trafficking initiative yielded a great return on investment by spreading awareness about trafficking.

"This is not a fly-by-night organization," Weaver said. "This is a very wholesome organization with people and women in the community that are really shakers and movers and people that want to see good in their communities. I think that they do that by coming with ideas ... of how we can make our state better."

Starr said the commission is battling the notion that trafficking only happens in cities. She said in rural areas, young people often socialize on the internet, and since rural job opportunities are limited, they might get sucked in by people they meet online promising them money or drugs.

"They fall into a trap thinking that's the way to go," Starr said. "It's not snatching someone off the parking lot ... it's really enticing our younger people into the wrong way of life."

The draft of the commission's 2024 report offers several recommendations to combat trafficking, such as making it a non-bailable offense and raising the minimum sentencing.

Dermody said the commission holds annual summits to discuss the issues it's pursuing. The last summit, held in October 2023, reckoned with childcare deserts, areas where families cannot access childcare services near them.

According to data cited by the report, 55% of Oklahomans live in a childcare desert.

Dermody said the next summit would likely take place next year. But instead of picking the topic on its own, the commission has launched a survey to help inform what issues it will cover.

"We need to find out from these people out here, women who are working daily, what is their biggest obstacles?" Dermody said. "What do they think needs to change?

The survey will remain open until Sept. 30 and can be found by searching "Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women survey."

Dermody said she particularly encourages women in Rogers County and other rural areas of Oklahoma to take the survey.

"There's things that we may face that are a little bit different than what they may face in Oklahoma City or Edmond or even Tulsa," Dermody said. "We need that information as well, and that's only going to help us, in the long run, to come up with a good working plan of things that we need to take a look at for Oklahoma women."

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