By Landry Brewer
Elk City, OK – Elk City may have a political Picasso in the making.
Micah Kilhoffer was sworn in as mayor on April 7.
Born and raised here, he’s a 2002 Elk City High School graduate. Kilhoffer's class was the first to begin and end high school in the new building that opened in 1999.
The son of an artist, Kilhoffer received an art scholarship to Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford. He quickly realized, however, that his future lay elsewhere.
"After self-evaluation, I shifted my focus to parks and recreation management, which I fell in love with," Kilhoffer said.
Following graduation and a United States Forest Service internship, Kilhoffer became Park Superintendent for the City of Elk City.
Now he works for MPLX (Marathon Petroleum Logistics), and he manages environmental compliance for Oklahoma and East Texas.
And he loves it.
"Early in my career, I worked for Great Plains Analytical Services for four years, which sparked my interest in oil and gas gathering systems," Kilhoffer said. "Then I worked as a pipeline operator for 3-4 years before transitioning into an environmental role."
He's been with MPLX for seven years and looks forward to his future there and growing in the field.
Kilhoffer and his wife, Tiffany, have two daughters, and he's a proud "girl dad."
"My oldest, Kai, is 11 years old and enjoys sports, music, competitive dance, and sneakers," Kilhoffer said. "Our youngest, Marki, just celebrated her 8th birthday and has a strong passion for nearly every sport."
The girls keep mom and dad involved in the community and very busy.
In the short term, Kilhoffer wants the City to complete current projects as efficiently as possible, and he wants to grow in his knowledge and understanding of the various City departments to identify and meet their needs.
The mayor also has long-term goals.
"I aim to continue the progressive direction of Elk City and initiate new projects that exemplify small-town America," Kilhoffer said. "I'm particularly excited about the potential for a new convention center or agricultural facility and the 7th Street project, which will revamp the I-40 interchanges. I believe these initiatives will transform our city and attract new businesses."
Stepping into the role of mayor has been hectic, making Kilhoffer much busier, but he's learning a lot and enjoying the process.
Mayor Kilhoffer recently attended the 9th annual Turkey Hunt in Elk City with Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell and enjoyed meeting some remarkable people.
He looks forward to more opportunities to learn and grow in this new role.
"My love for this community and the pride that comes with being mayor is truly remarkable, so I can confidently say it’s going very well," Kilhoffer said.
Sounds like he's getting the job down to an art.
