Nature Conservancy Plans 2017 Winter Bird Count

 


A legal professional with more than four decades of experience in the energy and oil industry, Duke Ligon serves as the founder of the Mekusukey Oil Company, and leads the company from its Oklahoma City office. Duke Ligon also holds a position on the board of directors for the Oklahoma chapter of the Nature Conservancy, which will host its Winter Bird Count in January and February 2017.

The Nature Conservancy’s annual Winter Bird Count enables participants to explore some of the beautiful natural areas in the state and encounter a wide variety of native avian species. Bird counts take place at different nature preserves and participants will receive a free lunch as part of their registration. Registered guests will join a group field trip through their selected preserve and receive maps and directions via email.

January’s winter bird count will take place at the Pontotoc Ridge Preserve, located in the cross timbers atop the Arbuckle-Simpson Aquifer. The event will serve as the 10th annual winter bird count at the Pontotoc Ridge Preserve. The February winter bird count will feature one of the Nature Conservancy’s newest preserves, the Oka’ Yanahli Preserve. Expanded from 490 acres to 3,600 acres, the Oka’ Yanahli Preserve is positioned along the Blue River – one of the state’s only free-flowing rivers. The 2017 trip will account for the second avian count since its acquisition by the Conservancy.

Oklahoma Hall of Fame Honors State’s 109th Birthday

Duke Ligon of Oklahoma City founded Mekusukey Oil Company, LLC, more than 45 years ago. As he continues to direct its mineral explorations and operations, he additionally serves on the boards of directors of other major oil and gas companies in the region. As a philanthropist, Duke Ligon supports a wide variety of cultural and historical organizations in and around Oklahoma City, including the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and Gaylord-Pickens Museum as a member of its board of directors.

The hall of fame and the museum celebrate the rich heritage of the state and the contributions of its many notable citizens. November 2016 marks the 109th anniversary of Oklahoma’s admission to the Union, and the museum scheduled a Statehood Day festival on November 12. In addition, leaders planned a November 17 banquet and ceremony honoring new inductees into the hall of fame. Since 1927, more than 600 Oklahomans have received this accolade. 

The word “Oklahoma” comes from the Choctaw words for “people” and “red.” Oklahoma, formerly known as Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory, officially became the 46th state on November 16, 1907. The territory names reference the tragic days when Oklahoma was the site of forced relocation of Native Americans from the east, exiled along the Trail of Tears in the first part of the 19th century.

The state, however, has made significant progress in the modern era, and has distinguished itself for its perhaps unequaled degree of integration of Native Americans into everyday civic life.

Mexican Art Exhibit Highlights Met Donor's Contributions

Based in Oklahoma City, Duke Ligon is an attorney, business owner, and board member working in the energy sector. Charitably active, Duke Ligon also serves on the boards of a number of nonprofit organizations in Oklahoma City and beyond, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A long-running Met exhibit highlights the contributions of early 20th-century philanthropist Emily Johnston de Forest, whose collection of Mexican pottery is on view through September of 2017. Called “Collecting the Arts of Mexico,” the exhibit showcases more than 100 works of art that Ms. De Forest called “maiolica.” In assembling the collection, she endeavored to highlight the significance of Mexican art.

Emily de Forest was the daughter of John Taylor Johnston, who served as the Met’s first president. She married Robert W. de Forest, who would become its fifth president. The de Forests together became the driving force behind construction of the museum’s American Wing.

The Met continues the tradition the de Forests began by collecting artworks from throughout Mexico and Latin America. In addition to objects the couple donated, the exhibit features several paintings by the 18th-century artist Nicolás Enríquez, who created his pieces on backgrounds of copper material.

The Longhorn Foundation - Helping UT Athletes Achieve Their Dreams

Duke Ligon of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, whose career encompasses work as corporate counsel and as an advisor for the boards of directors for a number of notable energy-focused companies, is a proud graduate of the University of Texas School of Law. His extensive support for his alma mater includes service as the first-ever out-of-state president of the law school’s association. In addition, Duke Ligon has spent a decade as a member of the Longhorn Foundation, UT’s official athletics fundraising organization.

The Longhorn Foundation, established three decades ago, operates in the interests of promoting the futures of UT’s hundreds of student athletes. Founder DeLoss Dodds set up the group in order to give the school’s donors the opportunity to invest in the athletic, educational, and long-term goals of its sportsmen and sportswomen. The organization continues to strive to increase athletes’ connections to experienced coaches, and to ensure that they receive high-quality academic support. 

Donated funds additionally go toward providing for the extra nutritional needs of the student athletes, as well as for strength training, leadership development, and travel expenses.

The foundation also works with the mission of promoting values such as integrity on and off the playing field, an appreciation for diversity, and a quest for overall excellence.

Nature Conservancy Designs Bison-Themed License Plate for Oklahoma

Oklahoma City-based Mekusukey Oil Company owner and manager Duke Ligon possesses over four decades of experience in the oil and energy industry. Duke Ligon also serves on the board of directors for the Nature Conservancy’s Oklahoma branch, which is pursuing an endeavor to introduce a bison-themed state specialty license plate.

The bison holds a special place in the hearts of Oklahoma residents as the state’s official animal, a designation it received in 1972 due to its resilience, power, and majesty. The state opened the first national preserve for bison in 1907 near Cache, which later became the site of the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Reserve. Additionally, the Nature Conservancy led the state in introducing the animal to the tall-grass prairie at the Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve.

Pres. Barak Obama also signed the National Bison Legacy Act in 2016 and thereby officially named the bison as the United States’ national mammal. The Nature Conservancy’s introduction of a bison-themed license plate honors the animal and celebrates its new designation. Members of the public will vote for the plate’s final design, which will require approval from the state tax commission before it can become available for pre-sale. The plate will go into production for state-wide release if 500 plates are sold within the first 180 days of pre-sale release. A portion of the proceeds will go toward the Nature Conservancy for state conservation efforts.

St. Anthony Foundation Prepares for Annual Saint Ball in October 2016

Founder of the in Oklahoma City-based Mekusukey Oil Company, Duke Ligon has held multiple leadership positions in the energy and oil industry. Duke Ligon also serves on the board of directors for the St. Anthony Foundation, the directorial board for the nonprofit faith-based hospital. The St. Anthony Foundation is preparing for its annual Saints Ball on October 28, 2016.

The Saints Ball serves as St. Anthony’s signature black-tie gala and invites donors and hospital staff to an evening of food, sweet treats, and prizes while raising the necessary funds to help the hospital continue to care for patients. Promising an unforgettable affair, the gala kicks off with a cocktail reception and features a live auction. Guests will also enjoy a seated dinner and conclude the evening with live music and dancing.

St. Anthony’s 2016 gala will highlight the theme of Pure Imagination, complete with extravagant décor and engaging performances. It will take place at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.

To learn more about the Saints Ball: Pure Imagination, visit www.givetosaints.com/saintsball.

Oklahoma Historical Society Research Center Genealogy Lunch and Learn

 

Attorney Duke Ligon has served as legal counsel for Devon Energy Corporation as well as for Love’s Travel Stops and Country Stores. Currently the owner and manager of Mekusukey Oil Company, Duke Ligon maintains strong bonds with his Oklahoma City community and is a lifetime member of the Oklahoma Historical Society.

Since the Oklahoma Historical Society was founded in 1893, it has worked to maintain connections to the state’s history and culture through 30 museums and historic sites, as well as various educational programs, publications, and a research archive.

One such initiative, organized by the historical society’s Research Center, is a Genealogy Lunch and Learn program that provides interested participants with tips to help them engage in family research and learn more about their roots.

The Research Center can provide online access to military records that date back to the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Voter registration records also can be used to trace a genealogy. The program involves lectures from experts in various areas of family research.

An Overview of the Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum

 



With a juris doctor from the University of Texas School of Law, Duke Ligon has worked in the oil and gas industry in both Washington, D.C., and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, since 1971. Currently the owner and manager of Mekusukey Oil Company, LLC, Duke Ligon has also served as the general counsel and senior vice president of Oklahoma City’s Devon Energy, and is on the board of directors of the Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum.
Part of the Oklahoma Museum Network and a member of the Oklahoma Museums Association, the Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum is located in Seminole, Oklahoma. Open to the public, groups, and available for private events, the museum took four years from the first fundraising call until the first visitor walked through its doors. The Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum is based on an imaginary town, allowing visitors to experience a wide range of environments and career settings.

With areas ranging from construction sites and dentist offices to a television station and a court house, the Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum has something for every child who visits. Each area has several full-size or child-sized interactive elements to give visitors hands-on experience, like a fire truck and sliding pole at the fire station. Other activities include a climbing area, a maze, and train ride.

About the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and Its Programs

An attorney and oil and gas executive, Duke Ligon works in and around Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The manager and owner of Mekusukey Oil Company, LLC, Duke Ligon is a member of the board of directors of several organizations, including the Oklahoma City (OKC) Museum of Art.

Formally established in 1989, the OKC Museum of Art has roots going back to 1945, before the WPA Experimental Gallery and the Oklahoma Art Center were combined into a single institution. Visited by more than 125,000 people each year, the museum houses artwork from five centuries, with a special focus on American and European art from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, as well as the world’s most comprehensive collection of Dale Chihuly’s glass sculptures. Housed in the Donald W. Reynolds Visual Arts Center, the OKC Museum of Art offers its members and the public at large a variety of workshops, lectures, and programs.

One example is museum classes, which are divided by age and skill level, such as the Making Memories program. Held for free on select Mondays when the OKC Museum of Art is closed to the public, Making Memories is open to people with dementia or Alzheimer's disease and the people who care for them. During the program, attendees receive a short tour of a selected gallery and then refreshments, followed by a guided art experience. Some other programs, like drop-in art classes and hands-on gallery learning, are free with the purchase of general admission.

KBH’s Sixth Annual Austin Electricity Conference

A US veteran, Duke Ligon of Oklahoma City is the senior vice president of Devon Energy. Duke Ligon of Oklahoma City is also the co-chairman of the executive committee for the new Kay Bailey Hutchison Center for Energy, Law and Business (KBH).

Recently, between April 21 and 22, 2016, KBH hosted the sixth annual Austin Electricity Conference. The conference brings together experts including engineers, policymakers, lawyers, economists, and other professionals from government, academia, and NGOs to share insights on the electric industry.

The invites-only conference is modeled around the Aspen Institute Model where presenters are each given opportunities to make very short presentations, enabling more time for cross-disciplinary discussion.

The 2016 conference’s agenda was the transformation of the electric industry and how it was affecting states and nations. It focused on trends including the proliferation of electric cars, solar panels, and other modern energy management systems. The conference looked at the administrative policies propelling the shifts in the electric industry, as well as how technological advancements also contributed.

The conference also looked at the challenges posed by such advancements in the electric industry, including transmission across the national grid, long term viability of the new models of electric generation, and the effectiveness of planning for the new system.

About Duke Ligon

With a background in the energy sector extending more than 40 years, Duke Ligon is an Oklahoma City attorney who practices corporate law. He has in-depth knowledge of the oil industry spanning the United States and abroad and is conversant in legal issues surrounding natural gas, mining, and the environment. Duke Ligon was involved in energy policy planning and regulation in the 1970s and directed programs that furthered exploration into alternative sources of energy.

Duke Ligon’s public policy background includes leading the American Energy Working Group within the OECD in 1973-1974. In charge of an oil import program at the height of the Arab oil embargo, he spearheaded efforts to collect fundamental data for use by the White House’s Energy Policy Office and the Oil Policy Committee. He subsequently guided the U.S. delegation working group that informed the establishment of an International Energy Agency. 

He owns Mekusukey Oil Company and holds board responsibilities with a number of prominent energy companies spanning Oklahoma, Texas, and California. Community involved, he sits on the Major Gifts Committee of the Board of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He is also a board member with the Civil War Trust and holds seats on the finance, audit, and battlefield preservation committees.