Leigh Ann (Ogle) Reaves, Owner of Asphalt & Fuel Supply

Hometown/Current City: Tulsa, OK

Graduation year: 1984

Major: Political Science

Sorority: Kappa Alpha Theta

What other degrees have you earned?

Juris Doctor degree from the University of Oklahoma, 1987

What is your current career position?

Owner; Asphalt & Fuel Supply, Asphalt & Fuel Transport

Please describe your current work.

My current work is to provide leadership and coordinate legal services for the businesses I own with my husband, John. My “other job” is to be a mother to my only daughter (Claire, 23), who recently moved back to Tulsa from New York!

What are your future goals?

My future goals are to continue to help out companies and team grow, travel more with my husband and increase my volunteer time within my community.

In terms of your professional life, what would you say is your overarching purpose today?

My purpose is to use my education, analytical skills and creativity in support of our businesses and our community, both professionally and personally.

How did your time at Westminster help you find that purpose?

Westminster definitely prepared me to lead, to communicate and to successfully navigate law school. And my liberal arts education gave me a passion for learning, reading, writing, other people and other cultures, which not only better
prepared me for law school but for life as a practicing attorney.

Were any relationships you formed at Westminster particularly influential?

I believe all of my relationships at Westminster led to a great interest in the world around me. Westminster and the people there really represented a larger world than I had grown up in, and that world was full of possibilities. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to travel across the globe, and Westminster really created the foundation for my curiosity of new cultures.

What does “leadership” mean to you? 

I believe that being a leader means to use courage, vision, communication and discernment to motivate others to act. The important lesson I learned about leadership at Westminster is that effective leadership is more about actions than
words. I use the leadership skills gained at Westminster daily with people I work with professionally, but also with those I care about in my personal life!

What does “success” mean to you?

Success is the ability and opportunity to impact others in a positive way.

What is it about Westminster that makes it the kind of community that empowers students to discover their purpose and find success?

The Westminster community is an empowering one because of the opportunities it offers to grow, to learn and to move outside your comfort zone. The culture is one of encouragement, discovery and creative thinking. The administration and faculty were open to new ideas and new ways of doing things.

Do you recommend Westminster to prospective college students?

I do recommend Westminster to prospective students because of it size, it’s value and it’s academic and social opportunities.

Favorite Westminster faculty member?

Peter Kim, who taught American government. He was my favorite teacher; in fact, I still have the book he gave me when I aced his midterm.

Favorite spot on campus?

The Quad!

Last book you read?

First by Evan Thomas.

Favorite movie or TV show?

Secondhand Lions (tied with The World’s Fastest Indian).

Favorite app?

Headspace.

Favorite way to spend a Sunday?

An early brunch with friends and our standing family dinner at my mother’s home with our whole family.