THE BUSINESS

James Leewright is a shining example of HTM graduates’ versatility.

Although he is now president and CEO of the Oklahoma Restaurant Association (ORA), most of Leewright’s career has been spent in areas outside the realm of hospitality and tourism.

A 1994 HRAD graduate of OSU, he initially stayed in that field as he managed a private club throughout college. He went on to become a general manager at a Whataburger and eventually was the director of food and special events for his hometown Tulsa Zoo.

Leewright had a career change at his next stop, though, working in energy for Williams Companies, a Fortune 500 natural gas corporation. He then ran a restoration and construction company before setting his sights on politics. He started in the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2014 but quickly moved over to the Senate two years later.

Leewright credits the versatility from the curriculum with helping him in all his endeavors — from the kitchen to the campaign trail.

“Strong skill sets like ‘thinking quickly on your feet’ and understanding logistics from procurement, inventory controls, production and ultimately to delivery of a product that I obtained from my HRAD degree, served me well,” Leewright said.

He was the only freshman senator of his class to lead a standing committee, which was on Business, Commerce and Tourism, an area Leewright was strongly familiar with. After a decade in the Legislature, he gave up his seat and used the knowledge he had from running that committee to lead the ORA.

In his current role, Leewright oversees an industry that ranks third in terms of total economic impact for the state. Tourism brings in $10.1 billion to Oklahoma annually, he said, with the restaurant industry making up a large portion.

That figure outpaces numbers from neighboring Arkansas and Kansas.

Although it is a fruitful industry, it is tough to make it, with nearly half of restaurants failing in the first two years. Leewright said with schools like HTM and the Culinary Arts program at the OSU Institute of Technology, graduates have a leg up on operating a successful venture.

“There is much more to having a successful restaurant than a great family recipe,” he said. “Understanding logistics, financing, labor scheduling, inventory controls, food safety, restaurant layout, etc. are essential for the prosperity of a restaurant.”

Mike Rogers understands the trial of maintaining a successful restaurant business. The 1977 HTM graduate is now the vice president of Hal Smith Restaurant Group, which he co-founded in 1992 with Smith, David Brauckmann and Hank Kraft.

The company has a plethora of concepts, including Charleston’s, Louie’s and The Garage, among many others. With 6,500 employees, it is one of the largest restaurant companies in the state. And more than 20 HTM grads manage a Hal Smith restaurant.

HTM has changed immensely from when Rogers was there. With it moving into the business school, graduates are becoming even more prepared to enter the industry.

“You can teach kids a lot. But man, it’s that passion, and that drive and work ethic of those that want to be in the business, those are the kinds of kids that set you on fire, and that’s what we’re looking for there,” he said. “And I think it’s all that exposure right there that they’re getting in. I think it just helps fuel the fire for somebody to really know what they want to do when they come out of college.”