OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Link Coalition is pleased to announce the appointment
of Kathleen Romero as the first coordinator in its history.
“I have always wanted to combine my love of animals with my social work experience,” Romero said. “Supporting and protecting animals is one of the strongest values I hold and having the opportunity to do so on a statewide level is a dream come true.”
Romero joins the Oklahoma Link Coalition with years of experience in the social services field. She has worked in a variety of areas, including domestic violence, health and safety, and social science research, and has spent most of her career in the child welfare and child advocacy arena.
This experience, combined with her administrative and community practice background, has helped Romero to make an easy transition into her current position with the Oklahoma Link Coalition. The coalition is comprised of representatives from a wide range of disciplines, including child welfare, adult protective services, law enforcement, veterinary sciences, and animal welfare.
“I am excited to bring together all of these different representatives to work toward this common goal that we all share — to build stronger families and communities by preventing violence against people and animals in Oklahoma,” she said. ”Oklahoma is fortunate to have the Kirkpatrick Foundation to support this important work.”
Romero received her undergraduate degree from Colorado College and her master’s degree in social work from the University of Oklahoma. She is passionate about genealogy, loves sewing and other crafting, and has been vegetarian for ten years. Romero was raised in Norman, and lives there with her husband Brian, and their two kitties, Delta and Eve.

The next meeting of the Oklahoma Link Coalition is April 19, 2017, from 11:30 to 1 p.m. at United Way of Central Oklahoma in Oklahoma City. Lunch will be provided; attendance is open to everyone and RSVPs are requested for planning purposes.

Upcoming plans for Oklahoma Link Coalition include a one-day conference, enhanced awareness of “the Link” through social media and other forms of media, increased recruitment of members to bring as many disciplines to the table as possible, a new website, and statewide outreach to establish satellite coalitions in smaller and rural communities.

The Oklahoma Link Coalition (OkLC) promotes collaboration, cooperation, public awareness, and education to end violence against people and animals by recognizing the link between human and animal abuse.