Fulfill our mission using imagination and ingenuity
Carry out our mission with the greatest responsibility and accountability
Honor our history and heritage by being socially, financially and environmentally responsible
Embrace continuous improvement and bold change
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The Harding Fine Arts Academy Foundation is a nonprofit organization, established in 2019, that supports Harding Fine Arts Academy (Academy), a public charter high school in Oklahoma City known for its award-winning programs. The Foundation, overseen by a volunteer board of community leaders, is managed day-to-day by one paid staff member.
The Academy was founded in 2005 by arts and preservation leader John L. Belt, along with other community and arts advocates, to create an arts-focused public charter school in Oklahoma City.
As a tuition-free, non-selective charter school, the Academy is open to all, ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion. The school uses a unique arts-integrated teaching approach, where students learn through creative methods that link arts with other subjects.
For instance, students might write a song about cell division in science or study Picasso’s cubism in geometry to learn about shapes and angles. This method not only prepares students for college but also equips them with essential life and career skills.
Research from Oklahoma A+ Schools shows that students in arts-integrated environments achieve higher academically, attend more regularly, have fewer disciplinary issues, and are more engaged and happy—along with their teachers. Americans for the Arts also found that students involved in the arts are five times more likely to graduate from high school and twice as likely to graduate from college. The Academy’s arts-integrated approach not only keeps students engaged but also prepares them for successful careers in fields like medicine, STEM, finance, and the arts.
Harding Fine Arts Academy Foundation is supported by a dedicated and experienced Board of Directors. Without their help the Foundation would not be able to complete its mission.
Jane Sutter, President
Former CEO Boys & Girls Club of Oklahoma County
Joy Reed Belt, Ph.D., LPC, Vice President
Owner and Director, JRB Art at The Elms
Sally Bentley ’64
Community volunteer
Randall Compton, Treasurer
CFO, Core Business Advisors PLLC
Megan Hornbeek Allen, Secretary
Director of Alumni Engagement, University Advancement,
Oklahoma City University
Rod Baker
President, Baker First Commercial Real Estate
Douglas Eason ’68
General Counsel, First Financial Network
Ken Fergeson
Chairman, NBC Oklahoma
Laurie Stansbury
CEO, Senior Helpers
Bronda Williams, Executive Director
Bronda was born and raised in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. A dedicated professional and passionate community advocate, Bronda currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Oklahoma City Ballet and is an active supporter of Allied Arts and Positive Tomorrows.
Before her current role, she served as the Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator for Harding Fine Arts Academy, where she helped connect students and families to the school’s dynamic arts-integrated curriculum. Her deep connection to the school is personal as well – her daughter Navy graduated from Harding Fine Arts Academy in the Class of 2023. Bronda is also the proud mother of Rhys, who is a student at Oklahoma City Ballet’s Yvonne Chouteau School.
In her free time, Bronda enjoys running, attending ballet performances, and OKC Broadway shows, and spending quality time with her husband, Tyson, their daughters, and their dog, Jack.
Gifts to the Foundation impact the students and teachers by enhancing classrooms, expanding and adding programs and preserving our historic building.
