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McAfee & Taft proudly congratulates Yamarie Pigg, a 25-year employee and the manager of the firm’s Office Services department, for being named the recipient of the 2023 Betty Northcutt Employee of the Year Award. The presentation was made by Matt Bown, the firm’s chief operating officer, at an all-staff meeting on June 14, 2023.

“Yamarie is well deserving of this award, and we are thrilled to recognize her as the employee of the year,” said Bown. “Over Yamarie’s 25-year career with the firm, she has demonstrated excellence, service, and a passion for her coworkers. Yamarie has consistently excelled at each position she has held at the firm, and is now excelling as the leader of our Office Services department. She brings her dedication to the job, and in doing so ensures all the operations of the office are high performing to take care of our clients, lawyers, and staff. Yamarie is an outstanding professional and an amazing person. Huge congratulations and thank you!”

Yamarie joined the firm in April 1998, briefly serving in Office Services’ fax department (at a time when fax machines were considered must-have law firm technology) before transferring to take a front-and-center role as a receptionist in what was then the firm’s only office. Over the next 23 years, she would become one of the most familiar voices and faces at the firm, welcoming literally thousands of guests to the firm’s Oklahoma City office and developing a special talent for memorizing hundreds of names, faces, and direct phone numbers. She served as Message Center supervisor from September 2004 until August 2021, when she was appointed to her current managerial role to oversee the operations of the Office Services, Copy Center, and Message Center departments.

In nominating Yamarie for this honor, attorneys and fellow staff members alike praised her for her commitment, dependability, responsiveness, and willingness to provide whatever hands-on assistance is necessary to support her colleagues and firm clients.

“As one who has been with the firm over 10 years, I can say there is no one I have seen more committed,” said one colleague. “Yamarie has consistently stepped up, going above and beyond to support the staff and attorneys. Just the fact that she accepted the responsibility of managing three different departments and has done so well in the face of such daunting responsibilities. I never hear her complaining, and she always has a smile, and a friendly ‘Hi!’”

“Yamarie is dependable, efficient, and unfailingly dedicated to the firm,” said another nominator. “I don’t think I’ve ever worked with another administrative employee who is as responsible and gives so much attention to detail as she does.”

The Betty Northcutt Employee of the Year Award — affectionately called “The Betty” — was created and named in honor of Betty Northcutt (1929–2020), one of Oklahoma’s first female certified public accountants and a long-time employee of McAfee & Taft. Betty began her career working with pioneering lawyer Kenneth McAfee prior to the firm’s founding in 1952 and was an active and loyal member of the firm for more than six decades. This award honors those who, like Betty, have made a significant impact on the firm’s success through their talent, expertise, initiative, dedication, loyalty, and respect for others.