Deer Creek Public Schools
From left: Lisa Antonelli, incumbent Chris Adamson and Marie Sevin are all running for the Ward 5 seat on the Deer Creek school board on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (NonDoc)

Voters in the Deer Creek Public Schools district will have the chance to cast their ballots among three candidates vying for their Ward 5 board seat Tuesday, Feb. 11. Unless one candidate receives more than 50 percent of ballots cast, the top two candidates will advance to a runoff election April 1.

Deer Creek, recently redistricted, encompasses a swath of land north-northeast of Interstate 344 (the Kilpatrick Turnpike), roughly bisected by State Highway 74. It includes some far northern portions of Oklahoma City and western edges of Edmond, and it is one of the state’s quickest-growing districts, with a 23 percent increase in student enrollment from 2016 to 2022.

The candidates — incumbent Chris Adamson, Lisa Antonelli and Marie Sevin — have each answered basic questions about their priorities and goals in two brief “meet the candidate” videos posted to the Deer Creek Public Schools website. This cheat sheet compiles publicly available information on the candidates from sources like LinkedIn and campaign social media accounts. The candidates are presented in alphabetical order by surname.


Chris Adamson (incumbent)

Age: 50

Profession/Background: According to his LinkedIn, Chris Adamson — who has served as the Ward 5 representative since August 2024 after the former incumbent moved away — is the director of the Gridiron Imports Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps international athletes interested in American football come to the United States to further their education while playing the sports in high school and college. He has held the title of director since 2016.

“Deer Creek schools has always been a really special part of my life, from being a student here to having my own children go through and graduate,” Adamson said in his candidate video. “I have incredible memories and cherished memories of this place.”

In addition to past football coaching and administrative positions, Adamson holds a history degree from Dartmouth College. He has coached and taught at New Hampton School in New Hampshire, Salisbury School in Connecticut and Casady School in Oklahoma City. Adamson is listed as director of recruiting for Podyum Preps, a group that helps student athletes earn collegiate scholarships.

Adamson attended Deer Creek Public Schools from kindergarten to 12th grade and returned to Oklahoma six years ago, according to the school district website. He said modernizing Deer Creek High School — especially with respect to its arts and athletics programs — is the district’s top need. He said better spaces for extracurriculars are needed around the district, and he named increasing teacher pay as another high priority.

Links: LinkedIn

Lisa Antonelli


Age: 43

Profession/Background: Lisa Antonelli is the proprietor of Purpose Consulting, LLC, a consulting firm that helps nonprofit organizations reach fundraising and marketing goals. She has run the organization since May 2014, according to her LinkedIn page. Prior to that, Antonelli’s background was primarily in educational fundraising. She served as director of development for the University of Central Oklahoma from 2004 to 2012 and held the same position at Oklahoma Christian School from 2012 to 2014.

“As I think about our district growing and the things that we’ll face in the future, I really want our students to have excellent educational experiences,” Antonelli said in her candidate video. “I want our teachers to feel supported and valued, and I want to make sure our parents feel heard when they have ideas or questions about how things work.”

Antonelli also worked for the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education as a communications employee from 1996 to 1998. She holds a journalism degree from UCO. According to her campaign Facebook page, Antonelli has lived in the Deer Creek district for the last 17 years.

At Deer Creek, Antonelli has volunteered with district cross country and track teams, as well as assisting the Deer Creek Schools Foundation’s fundraising efforts. Antonelli listed improving safety at school sites and preparing for the district’s further growth among her top priorities. She also hopes to improve teacher recruitment and retention by improving the teacher experience and identifying their “pain points.”

Links: Facebook | LinkedIn

Marie Sevin

Age: 53

Profession/Background: According to her candidate bio on the school district website, Marie Sevin is currently in the U.S. Coast Guard reserves and served 12 years as an active duty member. She has a master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma.

“I am running for school board because I have two children, an eighth grader and a fourth grader, and I deeply value the education for them and all the children here within Deer Creek,” Sevin said. “I want to be an advocate to continue to advance the schools for the teachers, the students and staff.”

In her candidate video, Sevin noted she has also worked as a substitute teacher within the district. When she and her family moved to Oklahoma four years ago, she said she focused on finding a home in Deer Creek, specifically owing to the educational opportunities available to her children within the district.

Sevin said her top priorities for the district include maintaining facilities as the district grows, integrating new technology in the classroom, implementing personalized learning plans for students based on their needs and learning styles and providing expanded mental health support to Deer Creek students.

  • Blake Douglas

    Blake Douglas is a staff reporter who leads NonDoc's Edmond Civic Reporting Project. Blake graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2022 and completed an internship with NonDoc in 2019. A Tulsa native, Blake previously reported in Tulsa; Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; and Charlotte, North Carolina.

  • Blake Douglas

    Blake Douglas is a staff reporter who leads NonDoc's Edmond Civic Reporting Project. Blake graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2022 and completed an internship with NonDoc in 2019. A Tulsa native, Blake previously reported in Tulsa; Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; and Charlotte, North Carolina.