OBA Convention set for next month in Edmond

One of the soldiers responsible for the capture of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, as well as a noted entrepreneur, businessman and CEO are slated as bookend keynote speakers at this year’s OBA Convention and Trade Show.

The 2019 OBA Convention and Trade Show will feature former U.S. Army Delta Force member Eric Maddox as the opening keynote speaker, and Clifton Taulbert, president and CEO of the Freemount Corporation as the closing speaker. This year’s convention will be held on May 20-22 at the Edmond Convention Center in Edmond.

Maddox will be the opening keynote speaker on Tuesday morning, May 21. Maddox is a native of Sapulpa and was one of the Delta Force team members who conducted over 300 interrogations and collected the intelligence which directly led to the capture of Saddam Hussein. For his accomplishments, Maddox was awarded the Legion of Merit, the National Intelligence Medal of Achievement, the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Director’s Award and the Bronze Star.

Following the capture of Saddam Hussein, Maddox was hired as the first civilian interrogator for the Defense Intelligence Agency where he continued to work with the Joint Special Operations Command in tracking down the U.S. military’s most wanted radical extremists. Since 2003, Maddox has conducted over 2,700 interrogations of prisoners from 25 different countries while deploying eight times including: two tours to Iraq, three tours to Afghanistan; and tours to The Philippines, Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as undisclosed locations in Eastern Europe.

He served in the U.S. Army and the Defense I ntelligence Agency for over 20 years before retiring in 2014.

Opening the final day of convention on Tuesday, May 22, will be Taulbert. Taulbert was born on the Mississippi Delta during the era of legal segregation where he completed his secondary education. Though opportunities were few and barriers were plentiful, Taulbert managed to dream of being successful, not knowing the shape that success would take.

Following high school graduation and a short banking career in St. Louis, Taulbert enlisted in the United States Air force. After successfully serving in the 89th Presidential Wing of the United States Air Force in the late 1960s, Taulbert was honorably discharged and continued his college education, graduating from Oral Roberts University and the Southwest Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University.

During those years, Taulbert was quietly writing. His first book Once Upon A Time When We Were Colored became a national best seller, a major motion picture and a requested gift for Nelson Mandela upon his release from prison.

Today, Taulbert is the president and CEO of the Freemount Corporation (a human capital development company) serving clients nationally and internationally-Fortune 500 Companies, small businesses, federal agencies, professional organizations, community colleges and K-12 leadership. Additionally, entrepreneur Taulbert is the President and CEO of Roots Java Coffee-an African-American owned national coffee brand, importing coffee from Africa.

Maddox and Taulbert will not be the only features at this year’s convention, of course. The newest graduates of the OBA Emerging Leaders Academy will be recognized during the opening general session, and there will be several breakouts throughout. Additionally, the traditional convention golf tournament will be held on May 20, while the popular OBA PULSE Sessions, highlighting three prominent bankers, will take place on May 22, just prior to the annual Awards Brunch.