Meet the Team
The Executive Team
Jeni Dolan
Executive Director
Jeni Dolan is all about people, purpose, and a little bit of fun. As Executive Director of Operation Aware, she’s passionate about making sure students across Oklahoma get the tools they need to thrive. She’s also the past President of the Broken Arrow Schools Foundation, where she cheers on teachers and students just as loudly as she does at her kids’ basketball games.
Her friends know her as the one who’s always coming up with ideas, always on the go, and always ready to laugh. She loves concerts, family time, community events, and a Starbucks Strawberry Refresher. If there’s a project to tackle, Jeni’s the one who will make it both meaningful and fun. And don’t be surprised if you catch her snapping photos.
Mackenzie Staples
Director of Programs
Mackenzie is the mastermind behind the scenes of our program and school operations, making sure we reach over 10,000 Tulsa-area students each year. A Tulsa transplant from Dallas, Texas, Mackenzie’s positivity and charm make her a natural communicator and lover of education. Her deep love of creativity, organization, and color-coding: just the cherry on top of why this is the perfect job for her! She enjoys working with our districts’ administration and teachers to ensure all our students receive a great learning environment and experience during their time with Operation Aware. Mackenzie takes great pride in the relationships she has formed with our schools, administration, and teachers over the years she has been with Operation Aware.
When she has a break from the busy tasks of scheduling, she is involved in supporting her children’s schools and district. Mackenzie loves to spend weekends with family and friends, exploring fun community events, concerts, traveling, reading, creating art, or attending her kids’ sporting events. Between that time, she can be found daydreaming, organizing, and researching her next travel plans to learn and see something new and exciting in the world!
Apryl leggett
Community relations manager
Apryl, a Tulsa transplant from Mississippi, enjoys everything about being in the south.
She oversees events, grants, and other development projects that help OA succeed. Her goal is to ensure Operation Aware can continue to impact students all over Oklahoma.
She gets excited about learning, which is demonstrated by the number of degrees she has, marine animals, and trying new adventures. She also has a vast amount of knowledge about random pop culture. She once wanted to be a marine biologist so she could swim with sharks and dolphins. In addition, she loves getting out in the community and being around others.
The Prevention Educators
Tina Zympas
Tina was born in Greece and grew up in New York City. Her first profession took place in the aviation industry. She was in the industry for many years and explored places all around the world. While exploring and travelling Tina discovered yoga in one of her visits to India and after a few classes she was hooked. As a result, she has been practicing yoga for the last 25 years.
After settling down she moved and lived in Wyoming for 15 years with her husband and kids. This is where she found her passion for teaching. Because her two boys were in school and she needed a job around their schedule, she decided to become a Substitute Teacher. She was a dedicated and enthusiastic Substitute Teacher with a passion for education and a commitment to creating a positive and fun learning environment. She continued to substitute and teach, even after moving to Tulsa in 2020.
A passionate advocate for people of all abilities, Domenica is a former Special Education teacher who dedicated her early career to supporting and empowering students with unique needs. A proud mom and devoted worship leader, she has faithfully served at Friendship Church Tulsa for the past 11 years, where she leads and develops worship teams, coordinates services, and fosters a culture of excellence and spiritual depth. Her leadership reflects a deep commitment to both musical and spiritual growth, helping create meaningful, Spirit-led worship experiences that draw others closer to God. With a heart for ministry and a love for people, Domenica continues to inspire those around her with authenticity, compassion, and unwavering faith.
Eli Ghere
Eli was born and raised in Oklahoma; he has had many different jobs from dog trainer to stagehand. However, he found a love for teaching when he became a substitute teacher and that eventually led to his position on the operation aware team.
Eli always tries to enjoy life, Eli enjoys spending time with friends and family, trying on Hawaiian shirts to see what he can add to his collection, spending time learning fun animal facts and learning more about life on earth.
You can always find Eli in his hammock sipping on an Arnold Palmer. Eli hopes to inspire the next generation into making the right choices so we can have a better future together.
Trinity Shanahan
Trinity grew up in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma her whole life. She is a proud graduate from Broken Arrow High School and is currently studying at Tulsa Community College majoring in Early Childhood Education. Trinity has worked around students ages from babies - 7th grade for many years. She enjoys working with students and is very excited for her first year at Operation Aware.
She is one of the Prevention Educators at Operation Aware. Her goal is to reach students and have an everlasting impact on each student she meets.
Trinity hopes to become a Kindergarten teacher after she graduates and earns her degree. She has a joy for learning, teaching, and making so many new friends!
Trinity loves everything Jesus, community, serving others, being with family and friends, and shopping. Some of her friends may say she’s fun, positive, and bubbly.
