Harold Oakes
Harold Oakes
Youth Care Specialist at CYFD
Harold Oakes was born and raised in
Central Kentucky and Eastern Indiana by
His factory-worker mother and
share-cropper father.
He graduated from Garrard County High
School in 1969 and went to work in an air
conditioning factory in Lexington,
Kentucky.
In December 1969 he joined the U.S. Army.
From 1970 to 1991, he was a Military
Intelligence Analyst and reporter,
working in Signals Intelligence and Human
Intelligence.
Following his retirement he was trained
and worked as a Corrections Officer.
Following relocation for family reasons,
he got a job in radio sales and used that
position to become a radio news director,
radio station manager and radio station
general manager. This journalism
experience in radio led to jobs as a
newspaper reporter, photographer and
editor.
Oakes’ experience as a reserve officer
with the Loving Police Department led him
into reporting on police and courts.
Beginning in 1996, Oakes has reported on
police and courts in Carlsbad, Eddy
County, El Paso, Texas, Ruidoso, Ruidoso
Downs and Lincoln County.
In August 2013 he was hired to be part of
the staff of a new youth center at Fort
Stanton, N.M., and trained to be a Youth
Care Specialist, working with youthful
offenders serving court-ordered
sentences.
Oakes' volunteer experience includes:
Member of the Board of Directors of the
Boys and Girls Club of Sierra Blanca
Member of the Ruidoso Optimist Club
Past Chairman Ruidoso Downs Economic
Development Board
Past Commander VFW Post 12071
Past Commander American Legion Post 79
Past Treasurer of the Ruidoso Evening
Lions Club
Past President of the Ruidoso Optimist
Club
Past Zone Lieutenant Governor West
Texas/New Mexico Optimist Clubs
Past President of the Ruidoso Downs
Auxiliary
Commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel by the
Governor of Kentucky.
Reserve Police Officer in Loving, New
Mexico for two years
Board of Directors for the United Way of
South Eddy County, New Mexico
Chaired the Board of Directors, Family
Resource Council, Boyle County Schools,
Kentucky.
Served as Parent Representative to the
School Based Decision Making Council of
Perryville Schools, Perryville, Kentucky.