Oakes is a former two-term Quesnel city councillor and executive director of the Quesnel and District Chamber of Commerce since 1999. As a result of her community work, in 2007 Oakes was appointed by the province to the Small Business Roundtable to represent the rural voice of small business. This work led her to be appointed to the Minister's Council on Tourism in 2009. Oakes is the past president of the British Columbia Chamber Executives and has served as a director on the BC Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Chamber of Commerce Executives, Cariboo Chilcotin Tourism Association and numerous local not-for-profit organizations.
