Lawton’s Janie Billingsley has been named one of the 2026 55 Over 55 Inspiring Oklahomans, a statewide honor recognizing residents who continue to make an impact well past their 55th birthday. Billingsley has served as marketing director for Billingsley Family of Dealerships since 1997, helping the family business grow from a single Ford dealership with about 50 employees into five locations across four cities with more than 200 associates.
Her community work runs deep. She co-founded FORGE Leadership Foundation, a nonprofit that prepares high school students for service academy and ROTC paths. She also spent six years on the Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce executive board, co-chaired military affairs, and created the Fort Sill 101/201 program to help civilians and local businesses better understand the installation. In her words, our greatest opportunity is investing in the people who come after us.
Billingsley and her husband Craig have been married since 1983. Honorees will be recognized at a reception Thursday, Sept. 17, at the Oklahoma State Capitol. If you know someone in Lawton who deserves this kind of recognition, who would you nominate? Let us know in the comments.
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Local Lawton
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