
Immediately after the Oklahoma Department of Libraries Board of Directors appointed Vicki Sullivan as the agency’s deputy director on March 1, 2002, Sullivan and her colleagues were driving down Lincoln Boulevard to go to a celebratory lunch.
When approaching the State Capitol Building, former ODL Webmanager Michael O’Hasson brought up a story from Sullivan’s past: while applying for the Deputy Director job at the Oklahoma Historical Society, word came back to her that one OHS board member had quipped, “There’ll be a woman as deputy director of this agency when that capitol has a dome on it!”
While passing the capitol building in 2002, seeing the long-awaited dome rising above the scaffolding, it was impossible not to laugh at the irony and the serendipity.
Sullivan officially retired from state service on October 31, and staff held a reception to thank her for her long service to the agency and the state. In addition to serving more than 17 years as Deputy, she also headed the Oklahoma Publications Clearinghouse and the Office of Government Information. In addition to her service at the Historical Society, she also logged some time at the Department of Human Services—before embarking on a library career—bringing her total years of service with the State of Oklahoma to 44.
Continue reading ODL Deputy Director Vicki Sullivan Retires