An unexpected move from classroom to administration, guided by a great mentor, turned into a 25-year career I deeply loved my greatest plot win!
Joyce Hepler · In Her Own Words
Her Story
About Joyce
Joyce Hepler is the APEX Accelerator Coordinator at Indian Capital Technology Center in Coweta, Oklahoma, a role she stepped into in 2026 after two years as an Adult Career Development Specialist at the same organization. In her current position, she partners with Oklahoma APEX and CareerTech to help small businesses throughout the region compete for and win tribal, local, state, and federal government contracts, an opportunity that spans industries as varied as cleaning services, landscaping, and aerospace manufacturing. Much of her work centers on outreach, connecting with companies and local chambers of commerce so that business owners understand the full range of contracting opportunities available to them. Hepler brings nearly three decades of experience in education and workforce development to this work. She spent 25 years with Head Start and Early Head Start, rising from a pre-K classroom teacher to site director and literacy mentor coach, and along the way built professional development programs that trained infant and toddler educators across the country in curriculum design and relationship-based learning. She later transitioned into adult career development, where she built and managed a catalog of roughly 170 community classes each year, spanning trades, arts, and credentialed healthcare training, while also recruiting and hiring the instructors who taught them. Hepler holds an associate degree in child development from Tulsa Community College, a bachelor's degree in early childhood and elementary education from Northeastern State University, and a master's degree in teaching, learning & leadership with an emphasis in curriculum from Oklahoma State University, along with specialized certifications from WestEd and CareerTech. In 2026, she was recognized as one of Oklahoma's Influential Women. She credits much of her professional resilience to the perseverance she developed after losing her mother at a young age, and she continues to lead with the values of integrity, honesty, trust, curiosity, and a genuine love for the people she serves.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Joyce
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to perseverance. Losing my mother when I was young taught me to keep going, no matter the setback, because there is always another day ahead. I carry a small rainbow tattoo on my ankle as a personal reminder that brighter days are always coming.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." I give credit to the original author of these words Maya Angelou and my mentor Carol Rowland who taught me very early that how you make people feel is what is the most important. So, I genuinely try to meet people where they are, by greeting each and every person as an individual with something to say and something to share.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I encourage young women entering this field to choose their attitude every single day, because attitude drives everything and has the power to influence those around you. I also tell them to stay curious, remain teachable, and look for something new to learn each day. Give yourself credit for your progress, and be your own biggest encourager, especially on the harder days.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges I see is outreach — making sure local businesses and chambers understand that a wide range of companies, not just a select few industries, can pursue government contracts. At the same time, that's exactly where the opportunity lies. Government contracting spans everything from cleaning and landscaping to manufacturing and specialized services, which means informed small businesses have real potential to access new revenue streams they may not have considered.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that guide me are trust, honesty, integrity, curiosity, open-mindedness, and a genuine love for people. I believe curiosity helps me to look beyond quick judgments, understand others more deeply, and turn everyday conversations into meaningful connections. Leading with authenticity creates trust, helping build relationships that last—both personally and professionally.
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