OKLAHOMA CITY – Each year, The Journal Record newspaper honors 50 women statewide with its Fifty Making a Difference awards gala at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.

All 50 honorees also are candidates for the title of 2019 Woman of the Year. This year the candidate list includes Canadian Valley Technology Center Superintendent Dr. Gayla Lutts.

Honorees represent multiple workforce sectors statewide, including academia, banking, health care and nonprofits.

Lutts, 51, of Yukon, succeeded Dr. Greg Winters in August 2018 at CV Tech. She is a 28-year educator who has prioritized meeting workforce needs of area businesses and ensuring a framework for student success.

“I am honored to be nominated and among the 50 women honored,” Lutts said. “As a leader, this recognition is a testament to the valuable work of the faculty and staff at Canadian Valley Technology Center.

“I am happy to represent the district and have the opportunity to highlight the service we provide to our students, businesses and industries in our communities.”

Rapid area growth has necessitated expansion of CV Tech’s Cowan Campus (near Yukon), which has begun a transition as an exclusively health-related education facility. Construction was also recently completed on a new education wing at the school’s El Reno Campus.

This year’s recipient of Woman of the Year is Dr. Kayse M. Shrum, president of Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa.