Dr. Lourrinda Renée continues to serve others

Dr. Lourrinda Renée has been working to keep people safe for over 20 years. Whether that was working in emergency management in the oil and gas industry, writing about safety in agricultural restoration or as a law enforcement officer, she has taken the safety of others to heart.

It wasn’t all easy. Hard work and dedication have helped Rene succeed, regardless of the field.
“I put myself through school and became a police officer in the 90s,” said Renée.

While working for the Oklahoma City Police Department, she was one of the first responders to the Oklahoma City Murrah Building bombing.

During the investigation, Renée continued to work at the bombing site, taking reports and other documentation.

While off duty at the OKC police department, Renée worked on the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System for the U.S. Marshall Service, also known as ConAir. Among the federal prisoners she transported was Timothy McVeigh.

Renée is proud of her service during that time, saying, “I was just one of the chosen ones to make sure that McVeigh made it to the grand jury indictments.”

While moving into more of an emergency management-related career, Renée says she was one of the first females to graduate from Oklahoma State University’s Fire and Emergency Management master’s program.
Renée has a long list of achievements that would make most Choctaws proud: National Association of Professional Women VIP Woman of the Year, 2015; the cover of the January 2016 Women of Distinction Magazine; serving on several boards of directors in safety-related fields, and working as a project manager and Incident Command Operations Chief for Security and Law Enforcement in Homeland Response Drills that helped to prepare the military to interact with civilians in times of emergency response.
On top of these accomplishments, Renée has also had several professional speaking engagements helping others become better at what they do.

She’s not satisfied with just these accomplishments. Renée was also recently accepted into the National Emergency Management Advanced Academy, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s flagship program for emergency management professional development.

Renée puts a high value on continuing her education, saying, “If you don’t stay up with the times, then you’re not going to be the best responder; you’re not going to plan the best; you can’t lead the best.”
“I think education and continuing training is the best way to succeed in your life,” said Renée.
Enforcing her beliefs in education, she serves as a Content Chair for six Dissertation Students in Leadership and Safety Climate and Safety Culture for Grand Canyon University.

When it comes to her heritage, Renée is proud of her Choctaw blood. She remembers learning Amazing Grace in Choctaw as a kid and helping other graduates at Oklahoma University with a blessing ceremony.

Renée stresses that it doesn’t matter what you look like; it’s what’s in your heart that counts.