Longtime Educator Sworn In As Eastern Regent
(Press Release 8-23-04)
Hank Mooney, Office of Public Information

Willburton community leader and retired Wilburton superintendent, John Shero, was sworn in by Judge Stephen Taylor from McAlester as the newest member of the Eastern Oklahoma State College Board of Regents during their regularly scheduled meeting Friday morning.

Shero was named by Gov. Brad Henry to fill the unexpired term on the Eastern Oklahoma State College Board of Regents left by the resignation of 18-year member and Chairperson Georgia Tate.

The appointment is yet to be confirmed by the State Senate since the body is not in session. Confirmation and appointment to an additional 7 year term is expected when the Legislature convenes in the spring according to Eastern President Dr. Richard Bernard.

Eastern regents are recommended by the local senator to the Governor who makes the appointment subject to confirmation by the state senate.

Shero joins other board members Randell Ward; Board Chairman Dale Covington and Mark Jordan from McAlester and Mike Bailey, Durant; Burl Williams, Stigler; and Board Secretary Ken Bass, Wilburton.

Shero has been a member of the community since he “joined the Center Point Elementary second grade class in 1937 when my parents moved to the Wilburton area,” he said.

Shero has been a community leader most of his life and his retirement years have been no exception.

“I planned my retirement early – four years before I actually retired,” he said. “But it’s hard to say no when someone asks you to help,” he says.

“One of the first projects when I retired was the Wilburton library.”

He led a drive to finance and construct a $500,000, 10,000-square-foot Wilburton public library building immediately following retirement and is still an active community leader.

He remains an active member of the Wilburton Lions Club, is a past president of the organization and serves as activities treasurer. He is a past president of the Wilburton Chamber of Commerce; President of the Latimer County Farm Bureau; President of the Latimer County Retired Teachers Association; Chairman of the Center Point Cemetery Association; Chairman of Center Point Community Center and past chairman of the South East District Library System.

Born in Paden, OK, he is a 1948 Wilburton High School graduate and attended Eastern in 1948-1949. His National Guard unit was activated during the Korean War and served from 1950 through 1952 with one year served in Germany, he said.

“Following that,” he said, “ I worked in an aircraft factory in Wichita, KA, for about a year and returned to Eastern and graduated in the spring of ’55.”

He then attended Oklahoma State University and graduated with an agriculture education degree in ’57 followed by a master’s from OSU in 1968. He received his administrator’s certificate from Oklahoma University in 1974 and his superintendent’s certificate in 1981.

Shero taught in Konawa and Grove public schools and went to Maud as high school principal in 1969. He returned to Wilburton as junior high principal in 1974 and became superintendent in 1981. He retired from Wilburton public school system as superintendent in 1991.

He and his wife of 49 years, Pauline, have 4 children and they are active members of the Wilburton First United Methodist Church.

Caption info: Judge Stephen Tayler from McAlester, left, swears in Eastern Oklahoma State College's newest Board of Regents Member John Shero during the group's regularly scheduled meeting Friday morning. Also pictured is Board Chairperson and McAlester Mayor Dale Covington and Eastern President Dr. Richard Bernard.