Edmond Champions of Character

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Melissa Cummens received the Character Council of Edmond’s award for Champion of Character for Tolerance at Vault 405 on Monday, April 27th.  Long-time friend, Candace McCormack, who nominated Melissa for the honor was present for the ceremony. Also in attendance were her mother, Patti Cummens, friends, Kristin Kraham, Samantha Bentson, Lindsay Gamboa and Character Council President and neighbor, Diane Krakowski. 

Melissa grew up in Edmond. She graduated from Edmond North High School and earned a degree in Business Administration from the University of Central Oklahoma in December 2005. She currently works in the energy sector at Ascent Resources in OKC.

Kristin Kraham, a friend from fourth grade, recalls Melissa’s tolerance as an Edmond North Husky mascot in high school. Kristin said, “Melissa has always possessed great characteristics of a loyal, tolerant and sweet friend who doesn’t judge a person for having different views or likes.”

The girls had a lot of fun watching Melissa cheer at all the games, donning the Husky costume with a giant head. Kristin said, “As school mascot, Melissa learned quickly that she had to be able to connect with all ages and show up at school functions ready to share the school spirit.”

Two of Melissa’s greatest influences were her mom, Patti Cummens and Grandma Quincy. They instilled in her from an early age patience and tolerance. Melissa said, “Their tolerance wasn’t always expressed through grand gestures, but through consistent, everyday moments, small acts of understanding and perseverance that, over time, left a lasting impression on my life.” They taught her to take a moment, pray and trust that when she encounters difficult times, everything will turn out okay. 

Melissa said, “My greatest influence is Jesus. Through His teachings and the way He lived, He demonstrated unmatched compassion, grace, and understanding. His example continues to guide me and shape how I strive to treat others.”

A key verse that helps remind Melissa that true forbearance begins with a humble and listening heart is James 1:19. Melissa said, “We are called to be ‘quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.’ To me, this verse is a daily reminder to pause, to listen before reacting, to seek understanding before responding, and to lead with grace even in moments of disagreement. When we choose to be slow to speak, we create space for empathy, respect and meaningful connection.

Melissa sees listening and honoring others as essential assets to seeing the world through the eyes of others. Melissa said, “There have been many times that I’ve sat across from someone whose beliefs, life experiences and perspectives are completely different from mine. Instead of shutting down or pushing back, I choose to listen, see their values, challenges and what has shaped them.” 

Social media is an example that Melissa has experienced where one person feels strongly one way, and another completely disagrees. Melissa said, “Instead of arguing, I feel we need to listen, acknowledge the differences and continue to exist respectfully.”

Melissa seeks to understand the viewpoint of others but also believes it’s important to maintain her core values. Melissa said, “I believe being curious can somewhat help diffuse tension and try to understand the reasoning behind the other person’s perspective.  I’ve learned that taking the time to understand someone else’s reasoning strengthens my own voice. You can fully hear someone out without adopting or endorsing their viewpoint.”

Candace said, “Melissa exemplifies the character trait of tolerance by consistently showing respect and understanding towards all others. She is an amazing listener, seeking understanding, responds with kindness and treats everyone with fairness, dignity and respect, making others feel heard and valuable.”

On behalf of the City of Edmond and the Character Council of Edmond, Melissa Cummens was honored as a Champion of Character for exemplifying the character trait of tolerance, defined by Character First as “Demonstrating respect for others who do not share my perspective.” The Character Council of Edmond, a grassroots nonprofit organization, is committed to creating a citywide initiative to build Edmond into a “community of character." To learn more about the Character Council or to nominate a citizen as a Champion of Character, for someone who exemplifies the current month’s featured character trait, go to www.edmondcharacter.org or write: Champions of Character, PO Box 392, Edmond OK 73083-0392

Pictured: Melissa Cummens and Candace McCormack 

Please complete the form located on our website to recognize an EDMOND citizen for a specific character trait. Forms may be submitted from the website or mailed to the 

Character Council of Edmond 

Champions of Character

PO Box 392 

Edmond, OK 73083-0392.

or contact: Gloria Baumann  contact@edmondcharacter.org 

Champions of Character Honorees

2014 to Present:

• Terry Phillips-Billen & Herb Magley Generosity April, 2026
• Malena Putnam Discipline March, 2026
• Lauren Vargas Gratefulness February, 2026
• Steve Wilson Initiative December, 2025
• Robert Launhardt Forgiveness June, 2025
• Dena Jones Diligence January, 2025
• Tyler Shaw Trustworthiness December, 2024
• Jennifer Thornton Thoroughness October, 2024
• Linda de la Garza Loyalty August, 2024
• Amanda Jenson Positivity February, 2024
• Perry Sneed Dependability November, 2023
• Irene Liang   Punctuality October, 2023
• Jeff Morefield Courage July, 2023
• Shaun Pryor Flexibility June 2023
• Diana Pate Generosity April, 2023
• Jim Hulsey Enthusiasm March, 2023
• Carol Anderson Orderliness September, 2022
• Susan Isaacs Patience June, 2022
• Stephanie Carel Creativity April, 2022
• Salvador Garcia Trustworthiness March, 2022
• Beth Conner Diligence March, 2022
• Darrell Davis Respect January, 2022
• Judy Pike Thoroughness December, 2021
• Gary Wallace Loyalty September, 2021
• Sondra Reid Availability August, 2021
• Becky Crow Honesty March 2021
• Justin Rowley Positivity February, 2021
• Laura Liles Resilience December, 2020
• Pete Reeser  Courage December, 2020
• Amy Stephens Dependability  December, 2020
• Michelle Schaefer Discipline June, 2020
• Dick Opalka Generosity February, 2019
• Yara Ford  Attentiveness  March, 2019
• Chrislyn Sperry  Respect   January, 2019
• Kathryn Olds Persuasiveness  November, 2018
• Jill Castilla  Creativity  September, 2018
• Maureen Coury Compassion  January, 2018
• KC Williams Dependability October, 2017
• David Ford  Humility  July, 2017
• Steve Bowlware Enthusiasm, March, 2017
• Laura McGee Truthfulness, April,  2017  
• Richard Killgore  Generosity  February, 2017
• Peggy Geib Gratefulness  January, 2017 
• Dustin & Erikka Ault  Initiative  January, 2017
• Chris Waugh  Initiative  January, 2017 
• Nathan Walters  Orderliness  November, 2016 
• Kris Rush  Diligence  March, 2016 
• Jason Henley Compassion  January, 2016 
• Ray Vaughn Dependability  August, 2015 
• Jean Holt  Sensitivity  April, 2015 
• Brian Maughan  Availability  April, 2015 
• Chris Shorow  Joyfulness  October, 2014 
• Virginia Peters  Endurance  September, 2014 
• Bea Sprouse  Discretion  August, 2014 
• Krista Law  Creativity  July, 2014 
• Cora Stamps  Initiative  January, 2014