Keith Evans is the Strategic Advisor and Past President of Brammer Engineering, Inc., having retired in 2025 after more than four decades with the company and 45 years in the petroleum engineering industry. He joined Brammer Engineering in 1982, working in all phases of the company's drilling, production, and field operations before becoming President in 1993. Throughout his career, Keith was known for his commitment to growing the company while fostering a culture of exceptional customer service and technical excellence.

A graduate of Louisiana State University, Keith earned a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering in 1980 and is a registered Professional Engineer in Louisiana, Texas, and seven additional states. His dedication to service extends well beyond his professional career. Over the years, he has held numerous volunteer leadership positions, including service on the boards of the LSU Foundation, Volunteers of America North Louisiana, Mary's House, and the Oakland Cemetery Preservation Society. He also served as a trustee of Randolph College in Lynchburg, Virginia. In recognition of his contributions to business and the community, Keith was inducted as a Junior Achievement Laureate into the North Louisiana Business Hall of Fame in 2019.

Keith has long been a champion of historic preservation in Shreveport and has played a central role in advancing the mission of the Oakland Cemetery Preservation Society. Through his leadership and dedication, he has helped promote the preservation of one of the city's most important historic landmarks, ensuring that Oakland Cemetery remains a place where the stories of Shreveport's past continue to be remembered and shared.

Dr. Gary D. Joiner is an award-winning historian, author, and educator whose work has helped preserve and interpret the history of Shreveport, northwest Louisiana, and the American South for more than three decades. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees in History from Louisiana Tech University before completing his Ph.D. in History at St. Martin's College, Lancaster University in the United Kingdom.

Dr. Joiner is Professor of History at Louisiana State University Shreveport, where he holds the Mary Anne and Leonard Selber Professorship in History. He also serves as Director of the Red River Regional Studies Center and leads the Caddo Parish Civil Rights Trail Project, continuing his longstanding commitment to documenting and sharing the history of the region.

The author, co-author, or editor of nearly forty books, Dr. Joiner's scholarship spans military history, local history, and public history. His works include Historic Oakland Cemetery, Lost Shreveport: Vanishing Scenes from the Red River Valley, Historic Shreveport-Bossier, Historic Haunts of Shreveport, Wicked Shreveport, The Red River Campaign: The Union's Last Attempt to Invade Texas, and numerous other publications exploring the people, places, and events that have shaped northwest Louisiana. His expertise has also been sought by national media outlets, including PBS, the History Channel, Discovery, C-SPAN, ABC, CBS, Fox News, and the Associated Press.

As a founding member of the Oakland Cemetery Preservation Society, Dr. Joiner has been instrumental in advancing the preservation, documentation, and interpretation of one of Shreveport's most significant historic landmarks. Through his scholarship, leadership, and public engagement, he has helped ensure that the stories preserved at Oakland Cemetery remain an enduring part of the city's historical record.

Evans Knight is a lifelong historian, genealogist, and preservation advocate whose passion for local history is rooted in both academic study and personal family heritage. He earned bachelor's degrees in Anthropology and History from the University of Southern California, where he focused on the ways historical records, material culture, and community memory shape our understanding of the past. For many years, he has conducted extensive archival and genealogical research in repositories across the United States and Europe, documenting the lives of individuals and families while working to preserve their stories for future generations.

Evans has a particular interest in the history of northwest Louisiana and the families who helped shape the development of Shreveport. His own family's connection to the city dates to the mid-nineteenth century through John Wallace Jones, the eleventh mayor of Shreveport and the first member of his family to settle in the city. Mayor Jones is buried in Oakland Cemetery alongside his father-in-law, Judge James Weems, making the cemetery an important part of his family's history and an enduring link to Shreveport's civic past. That personal connection has inspired a deep commitment to preserving Oakland Cemetery not only as the resting place of his own ancestors, but also as one of the city's most significant historical and cultural landmarks.

In addition to his work with the Oakland Cemetery Preservation Society, Evans serves as Director of Development for the LSU Health Sciences Foundation, where he works to strengthen philanthropic support for medical education, research, and patient care. He believes that preservation and philanthropy share a common purpose: ensuring that the legacies of those who came before us continue to enrich the lives of future generations.

Bess Maxwell joined the Oakland Cemetery Preservation Society board in 2021 and proudly serves as the Society’s Secretary. A lifelong resident of Shreveport and a graduate of LSU Shreveport, Bess brings deep community roots and a sharp eye for detail to the preservation of the city's historic landmark.

Before finding her calling in church administration, Bess spent nearly thirty years working as a respected local radio and television news journalist. Since 2007, she has applied her communication and organizational talents to St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Shreveport, where she works as an Administrator and serves as the Diocesan Verger for the Diocese of Western Louisiana. She also serves on the board of the Shreveport Journalism Foundation.

At Oakland Cemetery, Bess is fiercely dedicated to preserving local history. She served on the specialized committee that successfully fundraised for, designed, and constructed the historic permanent memorial monument honoring the 800+ nameless citizens buried in the 1873 Yellow Fever Mass Grave Mound. Through her administrative acumen and love for her hometown, Bess works tirelessly to ensure Oakland’s stories are accurately kept and protected for future generations.

Dr. Alexander Mikaberidze is a world-renowned military historian, author, and the Ruth Herring Noel Endowed Chair at Louisiana State University Shreveport (LSUS). While his academic expertise spans global empires and Napoleonic warfare, his hands-on dedication to preservation hits closest to home in Shreveport's historic landmarks.

At Oakland Cemetery, Dr. Mikaberidze’s passion for history transcends the classroom. In a profound family effort, he partnered with his son, Luka Mikaberidze, on a massive Eagle Scout restoration project focused on the cemetery’s deeply historic Hebrew Rest section. Confronting decades of weather damage, neglect, and vandalism, they meticulously cleaned, repaired, and restored over 70 historic gravesites dating back to the mid-19th century. Dr. Mikaberidze continues to support this critical preservation fieldwork, ensuring these foundational pioneers of the Shreveport community are never forgotten.

Before joining the LSUS faculty, Dr. Mikaberidze earned his international law degree from Tbilisi State University in his native Republic of Georgia, followed by a Ph.D. in history from Florida State University. His distinguished career includes serving in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, teaching at Mississippi State, and lecturing on strategy and policy for the U.S. Naval War College. A prolific scholar, he has written and edited roughly two dozen books, including his critically acclaimed masterpiece, The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History (Oxford University Press).

Anna Maria Sparke is an attorney and lifelong Shreveport resident whose professional career has been guided by a commitment to advocacy, service, and community. The daughter of an intrepid German immigrant and a creative small business owner, she credits her parents with instilling in her a strong work ethic, perseverance, and a desire to help others.

Anna Maria graduated summa cum laude from Centenary College of Louisiana with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre in 1992 before earning her Juris Doctor from Louisiana State University's Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 1996. She has been licensed to practice law in Louisiana since 1996 and in Texas since 1998, building a distinguished legal career representing clients throughout the region.

Outside the courtroom, Anna Maria has been a familiar face on Shreveport stages for more than three decades. An award-winning performer in community theatre, she has appeared in numerous plays and musicals, reflecting her enduring love of the performing arts and her commitment to the city's vibrant cultural community.

As a member of the Oakland Cemetery Preservation Society Board, Anna Maria brings her passion for Shreveport's history, culture, and civic life to the Society's mission of preserving one of the city's most important historic landmarks for future generations.

Paul A. Strickland is an attorney whose distinguished legal career has spanned more than four decades, with a practice concentrated in oil and gas title examination, mineral law, and energy transactions. A graduate of Louisiana State University, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in History in 1977 before receiving his Juris Doctor from the LSU Law Center in 1980. Following law school, he served as a law clerk for the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal before entering private practice.

Throughout his career, Paul has been recognized as one of the region's leading authorities on oil and gas law. He has served on the Louisiana Mineral Law Institute Advisory Council and previously served on the Mineral Law–Unsolicited Offers Committee of the Louisiana State Law Institute. He is also a member of the Ark-La-Tex Association for Professional Landmen, where he served as Education Chairman. A frequent lecturer and author on mineral law topics, Paul has presented papers to the Louisiana Mineral Law Institute, the National Association of Division Order Analysts, the National Association of Lease and Title Analysts, and numerous professional landman organizations throughout Louisiana and Texas. He has also shared his knowledge as an instructor at both Louisiana State University in Shreveport and Centenary College.

Paul brings to the Oakland Cemetery Preservation Society Board a deep appreciation for history, careful stewardship, and the importance of preserving the stories that define our community. His commitment to Oakland Cemetery reflects a belief that safeguarding Shreveport's historic places ensures that future generations remain connected to the city's rich civic and cultural heritage.

Dr. Cheryl H. White is a historian, educator, author, and preservation advocate whose career has been dedicated to researching, interpreting, and preserving the history of Shreveport, northwest Louisiana, and the broader human experience. A 1981 graduate of Louisiana State University Shreveport, she earned a master's degree in European History from Louisiana Tech University and a doctorate in Church History and the History of Dogmatic Theology from North-West University. Since joining the faculty at Louisiana State University Shreveport in 1998, she has inspired generations of students while advancing historical scholarship through teaching, research, and public engagement.

A longtime leader of the Oakland Cemetery Preservation Society, Dr. White has devoted decades to preserving and interpreting Shreveport's oldest municipal cemetery. Her work has combined historical research, public education, fundraising, and preservation advocacy to ensure that Oakland Cemetery remains both a treasured historic landmark and an invaluable resource for the community. In 2015, she co-authored Shreveport's Historic Oakland Cemetery: Spirits of Pioneers and Heroes, bringing the stories of the cemetery's pioneers, civic leaders, veterans, and families to a wider audience.

Among her many contributions to Oakland Cemetery, Dr. White co-led the historical research that identified and commemorated more than 800 victims of the 1873 yellow fever epidemic buried in the cemetery's Yellow Fever Mound. That work culminated in the creation of a permanent memorial and the lighting of an eternal flame honoring those who lost their lives. She has also led student projects using modern mapping technology to document previously unmarked graves, helping preserve Oakland's history for future generations.