Joe Dorman

Joe Dorman serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy. OICA is the statewide organization that serves as the voice for Oklahoma’s children within state government. Since taking over this role in 2016, Dorman has returned the organization to its roots of advocacy work by equipping Oklahomans with the tools they need to call upon elected officials to do better work for the children of our state. OICA also runs OK Foster Wishes, Dorman began his professional career following graduation from Oklahoma State University as an employee of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, starting as a mail clerk and runner. After working in various staff positions, Joe served as an Assistant to the Executive Director of the House Staff, the role in which he helped create an educational component for the high school pages that rotate each week through the capitol. Joe went on to serve House District 65 as the state representative for 12 years, authoring key pieces of legislation for education, public safety and government accountability, including authoring the original bill to create a training for municipal officials. He was the 2014 Democratic nominee for Oklahoma Governor and formerly served as a town council member in Rush Springs, also known as the Watermelon Capitol of the World. The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) was launched in 1983 by a group of citizens as the result of an investigative report by the national news media which exposed a horrific story of cruelty and abuse experienced by Oklahoma children who were in the state’s custody. That media report, “Oklahoma Shame,” spurred child advocates from every corner of the state into action to create an organization whose mission was to ensure the protection of Oklahoma’s children. OICA was established to create a strong advocacy network that would provide a voice for the needs of children and youth in Oklahoma, particularly those in the state’s care and those