ion Oklahoma Online Magazine September / October 2020

ionOK.com

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

Restaurant Industry Recovery Jim Hopper, President & CEO Oklahoma Restaurant Assoc.

Choctaw Nation opens testing centers OCCC Virtual Concerts All Dreams Matter by Pat Carr Girl Scouts open Camp Trivera

Lifestyle … Culture … Entertainment

publisher : Don Swift assistant : Joni Yeager editor : Tim Farley editiorial assistant : Darian Woolbright videographer : Jeremy Gossett director of photography : Michael Downes web site developer : Patrick Moore with Set Sail Media web site developer : Nina Jones, Data Design Inc. illustration : Rosemary Burke graphic design : Wendy Mills Advertising Sales Don Swift Photographers Jeremy Gossett Hugh Scott, Jr. Tracy Reece Jerry Hymer

Advertising Consultants Peter Preksto Contributors fashion : Linda Miller art : Joy Reed Belt people : Peggy Gandy social issues : Robbie Robertson community : Lauren Wright contributing writer : Sandi Davis contributing writer : Greg Horton contributing writer : M.A. Smith contributing writer : M. J. Van Deventer contributing writer : Julie York contributing writer : Dorian Quillen contributing writer : Kristen Marckmann

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BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN WE ARE ONLY ABOUT THE NUMBERS.

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Contents

12

COVER STORY 12 Oklahoma Restaurant Association

by Tim Farley Pictured on the cover (L-R): The Collective, Flower Child, Stella Modern Italian, Charleston’s and Sidecar Chisolm Creek.

ART

20

18

OVAC Hosts 12x12 Virtual Fundraiser: Oklahoma Art Strives Despite Pandemic

HEALTH 24 Chickasaw Nation opens COVID-19 testing centers HISTORY 70 SPRAWL:Oklahoma City is big. Real big.…

by George Lang

COMMUNITY 26 Renovation, expansion work begins on Belle Isle Library 28 Inasmuch Foundation commits $2.5 million to Crystal Bridge Conservatory 78 Girl Scouts open new Camp Trivera

72

PEOPLE 38 Abby Broyles Q&A

by Linda Miller

48

All Dreams Matter

by Pat Carr

66 84 86

8 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

Next GenLearns Virtual Conference Girls create fancy mask lanyards Next Gen under30 2020 Winners announced

28

ENTERTAINMENT 62 OCCC Visual & Performing Arts Center announces Virtual Concert Series BUSINESS 44 Kitt Lecher

by Garland McWatters

30 62

FLIX Brewhouse First Liberty to Host Community Shred Events October 16th

FASHION

40

52

Taking a peek at fall fashion

by Linda Miller

DESIGN 58 Kitchen Context

by Jo Meacham

SPORTS 52 University 2020 Football Schedules IN EVERY ISSUE

10

78

Publisher’s Note

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 9

PUBLISHER’S NOTE Dear Subscribers,

Welcome to ion Oklahoma Magazine. 2020 is the beginning of our 10th year anniversary in the publishing business of an online digital lifestyle magazine and news-entertainment website www.ionok.com. ion Oklahoma Magazine has grown to over more than 46,400 subscribers located primarily in four counties and 79 zip codes of central Oklahoma. Our six printed editions published annually can be downloaded FREE from our website or printed copies can be ordered on demand and mailed to your home or office.

It is and has been our mission as storytellers to share the stories about people and the tremendous progress Oklahoma is making as a state.

Today the State of Oklahoma has been experiencing a certain noticeable growth among young people in the 20 – 30 age range. The cost of living is one of the most affordable states in the nation. The unemployment rate in Oklahoma is one of the lowest in the nation. The job opportunities for young tech entrepreneurs are plentiful.

In 2020, the NextGen Under 30 Award Recognition Program celebrated its ninth year and a record response of 384 honorees from 241 different Oklahoma companies and organizations.

The inaugural NextGen Learns Virtual Live one day Leadership Conference event was created in 2020 and scheduled on August 7, 2020 at the Oklahoma History Center Chesapeake Energy media center and was attended by over 481 people online. The one day Leadership conference included the State Chamber of Commerce and people from their 151 member affiliate chambers statewide, Leadership Oklahoma Leadership Oklahoma City, and Leadership Tulsa. The Leadership Conference theme was “Our time is Now to be: Leaders, Ethical, Accountable, and Daring.“ Guest speakers included Mick Cornett, Bob Blackburn, Krtisten Chenoweth, Kitt Letcher, Brigadier General Brent W. Wright, Francie Ekwerekwu, Mike knop, Jill Castilla, and Elizabeth Frame Ellison.

Please visit www.nextgenlearns.com and click on View Videos to watch the highlight video from the conference.

At ion Oklahoma Magazine we plan to publish many of the quality lifestyle stories from Oklahomans who are best representing the “Oklahoma Spirit.” We want to hear from you, our readers, and your stories, so please email your ideas, thoughts and success stories.

Sincerely, Donald B. Swift, Publisher, www.ionok.com

10 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

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COVER STORY

BY TIM FARLEY

O

klahoma eateries have suffered huge losses since the COVID-19 pandemic hit six months ago, but the leader of the statewide restaurant association is encouraging residents to support these businesses and their promotions.

Jim Hopper, president of the Oklahoma Restaurant Association (ORA), is hoping people will continue to eat at their favorite restaurants, whether it’s dine-in, carryout or delivery. In addition, Gov. Kevin Stitt has declared Oct. 1-3 as official “Oklahoma Restaurant Days” to support and celebrate statewide restaurants. Also, the ORA has 12 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

developed a campaign known as “Eat Drink LOKal” to encourage the general public to use local eateries.

Stitt encourages the public to dine inside, outside, or enjoy carry-out to support restaurants during this time. The hospitality landscape has changed dramatically, and restaurants continue to operate safely by providing distanced dining and COVID-19-approved sanitation practices.

“In partnership with the Oklahoma State Department of Health and local Health Departments, restaurants will continue to utilize proper enhanced sanitation and training of their staff, as they have for many years,” said Hopper.

But Hooper knows the struggle to regain revenue for

Mama Rojas

restaurants will be an uphill battle.

“In two short words, it’s tough,” he said. “The restaurant industry in Oklahoma, from mid-March through end of April, lost $500 million. About 65,000 workers were laid off or furloughed. When people are afraid to go out and eat, workers get laid off. People believe restaurants are a dangerous place to go eat, but that’s not accurate.”

Restaurants, Hopper said, are some of the cleanest establishments due to health department requirements and the owners who demand extra cleaning precautions because of the virus. Restaurant owners also adhere to the recommendations from the Center for Disease Control which focuses on hand washing, masks and social distancing.

“Ask people where they went and you might hear they went to church, the store, picked up their child from daycare and then went to a restaurant,” he said. “It’s a false narrative for someone to say ‘I caught COVID at the restaurant. The employees are not allowed to work in the restaurants when they’re sick.”

But if people remain hesitant to dine-in, most restaurants are working to promote their delivery and carry-out options.

Bellini’s

“It’s a bigger part of their restaurant sales,” Hopper said.

“I anticipate some of that change (from dine-in to carryout) might be permanent. It’s a fundamental change for some restaurants.”

Hopper said restaurant owners have been forced to adapt their menu to accommodate carry-out and delivery services.

“They’ve had to ask themselves, ‘what parts of my menu

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 13

travel well and would be appropriate for these customers?’

Some of them (restaurant owners) have done well with this.

Others are still trying to figure it out. These operators who have dug in and said ‘I want to survive’ have pivoted and done well.”

In some instances, owners are developing or expanding outdoor eating spaces as a way to attract former and new customers.

Deep Deuce

1492

Long-term plans Hopper and the ORA lobbyists are pushing federal government officials for another round of stimulus money that would aid the restaurant industry.

“Six months into the pandemic and we got eight weeks of help,” he said. “There needs to be more.”

However, Hopper understands a lot of money and political clout is tied to the presidential election.

“We realize what’s going on in Washington and around the rest of the country, but we need help now.”

As restaurants go, so do the communities that rely on sales tax revenue from restaurants and other retail outlets.

According to the Brookings Institute, sales taxes will likely decline $49 million nationwide this year, $45 billion in 2021 and $46 billion in 2022, due to lower price levels and changes in demand.

“We won’t know the full effect of this until we get on the 14 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

other side of this (virus). It’s having a ripple effect on everyone. I’ve never seen anything like this, not to this magnitude,” Hopper said.

For now, the figures are staggering. According to the National Restaurant Association and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, dining at restaurants is well below the national levels because sales have dropped 34% since August. Since March, restaurants nationwide have lost $165 billion in revenue are on track to lose $249 billion this year.

In Oklahoma, 40 percent of the restaurant operators contend business conditions have become worse since July,

Hideaway Pizza

while 30 percent of state restaurant owners say it is unlikely their restaurant will be in business six months from now with the present state of the economy.

“We need to secure bipartisan support to get additional Louie’s Lake Hefner

relief over the line,” Hopper wrote to ORA members.

“Pushing to get another round of PPP is where a majority of our efforts should be spent. We have already seen, four times, bipartisan support for another round of PPP. We know the political divisions in Congress now makes this a difficult effort.”

One of the bills being followed by the ORA is the HEROES measure introduced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The bill has a $2.2 trillion cost and creates a second round of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Restaurants must

Flip’s

demonstrate 25% gross receipts loss in the first, second or third quarter of 2020 year-on-year.

In addition, a separate measure known as the Blumenauer RESTAURANTS Act would create a new $120 billion Treasury Department grant program and would aid restaurants with lost revenue between 2019 and 2020. Any restaurant operating at more than 20 locations would be ineligible. n

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 15

Oklahoma City Metro Area Restaurants with patio dining Classen Curve / Western / Nichols Hills District

Republic

The Hutch En Croute Chae Flips Will Rogers Lobby Bar Sushi Neko Musashi’s Upper Crust Republic Gastropub Café 501 Hideaway Pizza

Waffle Champion

Tucker’s

RedRock

16 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

Torchy’s

The Pump

En Croute

Uptown 23rd St / Asian District

Clark Crew BBQ

Cheevers’s Café The Pump Tucker’s Big Truck Tacos La Brasa Pizzeria Gusto Picasso Grill Frida Southwest Scratch Red Rooster Á The Hutch

Sushi Neko

Flip’s

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 17

O Bar

FRIDA Southwest

Hefner Grill

The Hall’s Pizza Kitchen

Bedlam BBQ

18 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

Ranch Steakhouse

Pearl’s

The Jones Assembly

Chisholm Creek Sidecar Hatch Chalk Fuzzy’s Chicken Foot

McNellie’s Packards O Bar Café Cuvee The Garage Stella Modern Italian Cuisine Barrios Fine Mexican Dishes Café Do Brazil 1492

Midtown Fassler Hall Louie’s

Social Capital

Picasso Café

Ludivine Waffle Champion Kong’s Cantina The Collective Food Hall Hacienda Tacos

Paseo District Sauced on Paseo Paseo Grill n

OSO Paseo

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 19

ART

OVAC Hosts 12x12 Virtual Fundraiser Oklahoma Art Strives Despite Pandemic

E

ach year, the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition (OVAC) hosts the 12x12 Virtual Fundraiser, which features diverse art by 175 Oklahoma artists across the state. Participating artists create a unique piece that is twelve-by-twelve inches, and the artwork will be auctioned Friday, September 25th, 6pm-10pm.

This year, the auction is going virtual and the statewide pool of artists is more comprehensive than ever.

“Our new digital platform will actually help us put more focus on the most important part of the event—the artists,”

says OVAC’s Executive Director, Krystle Brewer. “The funds go to support our critical grants and awards for artists as well as support our other statewide programs. Our Grants for Artists program is essential for Oklahoma artists to elevate their practice, receive new educational opportunities, and take that next step forward in their careers.”

Art enthusiasts should be ready to browse, bid, and buy artwork through the online auction that will connect art supporters throughout the entire state. This year a third of the participating artists are from outside of metro areas; showing the outstanding variety and breadth of work created by the artists across Oklahoma.

In addition to the artwork, a livestream video in Á

Michelle Himes-McCrory (Stillwater), Home is Where the Art Is, watercolor, ink, and acrylic.

Desmond Mason (Oklahoma City), Connect the Dots, mixed media on wood panel.

20 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

Romy Owens (Enid), Griffin, thread on photograph.

Ginna Dowling (Norman), Daydreamer, digital altered photo collage.

Jason Wilson (McAlester), Close-Up

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 21

Above, Chase Kahwinhut Earles (Ada), Keewat Bit: Caddo Home II, clay.

Below, Irmgard Geul (Pauls Valley), Only If You Wonder About Tomorrow, embroidery painting.

Below right, Trent Lawson (Oklahoma City), The New Norm, acrylic on brown velvet.

22 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

partnership with The House Helps will bring plenty of virtual surprises. There is no fee to watch the livestream, but OVAC is accepting donations to offset the loss of revenue from ticket sales. Visit www.12x12okc.org to give online and register to bid.

This year, visual artist and former Oklahoma City Thunder basketball player, Desmond Mason, and his wife Rebecca Mason will be serving as Honorary Co-chairs for the 12x12 Virtual Fundraiser.

“We love being a part of 12x12 especially the exhibition. It allows us to experience the creative talent that our great state has to offer the world of art.” Desmond Mason said.

This event is sponsored in part by Allied Arts, the Oklahoma Arts Council, Kirkpatrick Family Foundation, George Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts. If you require special accommodations to participate in the 12x12 Virtual Fundraiser, call Audrey Kominski at (405) 879-2400, ex 2.

The Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition grows and develops Oklahoma’s visual arts community through education, promotion, connection, and funding. n

HEALTH

Chickasaw Nation opens COVID-19 testing centers FROM THE CHICKASAW NATION MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE

T

he Chickasaw Nation Department of Health has established COVID19 temporary testing centers in the parking lots of the Chickasaw Nation Health Clinics in Ardmore, Tishomingo and Purcell, and the Chickasaw Nation Medical Center on the Ada South Campus.

To make the testing process more efficient and quicker for all, preregistration is recommended. By using a smartphone or computer, preregistration can be completed online prior to the visit. Preregistration information is located at CovidTesting.Chickasaw.net. Once completed, patients will receive registration confirmation through email or text message.

24 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

Testing centers are stocked with necessary medical equipment to assess patients for potential infection of COVID-19, without the need for them to exit their vehicles.

“We are here to not only serve the Chickasaw people, but the public at large as needed,” said Chickasaw Nation Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Krueger. “We want to keep our

community healthy and do our part to fight this pandemic with a warrior mentality.”

If someone feels they are having signs and symptoms of the virus, the Chickasaw Nation has established a COVID-19 Call Center to help assess patients over the phone. The COVID-19 Call Center can be reached by calling (580) 2721315.

It may take up to 12 days for patients to receive the COVID-19 test results. Results are made available to patients through a confidential, online portal. If the COVID19 test is positive, a medical provider will contact the patient directly to discuss the result and answer questions.

For more information regarding test results, contact the Chickasaw Nation Department of Health COVID Test Result Center Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at (580) 272-1319.

Drive-through test centers are open Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Criteria for COVID-19 testing: • Must be at least 18 years old or accompanied by an adult • Must have valid photo ID • Must be able to drive safely through the test site • No walk-ups or bicycles • No pets in vehicle • Exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms or have been in close contact with a positive COVID-19 case • If applicable, provide health insurance card and/or CDIB or tribal affiliation verification • Provider orders or referral strongly preferred but not n required SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 25

COMMUNITY

Renovation, expansion work begins on Belle Isle Library

W

ork is beginning on the renovation and expansion of the Belle Isle Library in northwest Oklahoma City, the first major remodeling for the distinctive mid-century modern building since it opened in 1963.

The library, 5501 N Villa Ave., will be about 10,000 square feet bigger when the renovation and expansion is finished. It will have more modern amenities while retaining the original elements of its unique design.

26 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

“I’m excited about this renovation and expansion,” said Metropolitan Library System Executive Director Julie Ballou. “The Belle Isle Library is one of our busiest libraries, and a remodel has been needed for years. Adding a much larger meeting room, children and teen spaces will be especially popular with the community.”

The library will operate from a temporary facility at 3621 Northwest Expressway from mid-August until the project’s scheduled completion in early 2022. Visit metrolibary.org for hours and other details, including the latest coronavirusrelated service updates.

ADG architectural renderings of the Belle Isle Library project

About the renovation The expansion and renovation will launch the 1960s style library into the future. A modern structure will wrap around the original mid-century modern exterior, preserving the iconic look.

Wynn Construction, the same contractor that originally built the library nearly 60 years ago, earned the contract for the renovation and expansion.

“Wynn Construction is honored to be continuing the legacy of Belle Isle Library,” said company President Rick Thompson.

“We love working with the City and being a part of our thriving community growth. We hope the community will enjoy this library for the next 57 years as much as they have the past 57 years.”

An additional 10,000 square feet of space in the expanded library will make room for a much larger meeting area, study rooms, children’s programming space, a dedicated area for teenagers and a studio “makerspace.”

The new library will also have new furniture, new computers and more parking.

Bright colors, floor-to-ceiling windows in some spaces and modern materials will make use of natural light freshen the library’s look and feel.

The $5.5 million project is funded by the bond package included in the Better Streets, Safer City program.

Belle Isle Library history Nicknamed by some the “Millennium Falcon” or “Starship Enterprise” for its resemblance to famous spaceships from science fiction, work started on the Belle Isle Library in December 1962. It opened in September 1963 as Oklahoma City rapidly expanded around it.

It shares its name with the former dairy farm and amusement park developed by Anton Classen once located nearby. There were four other libraries in the system at the time. Voters approved the funds for its construction in 1961.

Architect Jack Mills faced challenges designing it to work with a steep slope and deep ravine on the irregular 2.5-acre site. The circular form reduced the amount of necessary earthwork and made it possible to build a small park nearby.

The rounded exterior, pleated roof and thick ceilings of the original design help deflect noise from the Northwest Expressway. n

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 27

COMMUNITY

Inasmuch Foundation commits $2.5 million to Crystal Bridge Conservatory

I

nasmuch Foundation has committed $2.5 million to the second phase of a capital campaign to renovate the Crystal Bridge Conservatory at Myriad Botanical Gardens.

This phase features a complete renovation of the interior conservatory spaces to enhance visitor engagement with a more diverse plant collection, interactive educational exhibits, improved ADA accessibility, and a museum-quality gift shop.

The Visitor Center lobby of the Crystal Bridge was renovated as part of the ďŹ rst phase of the capital campaign

28 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

and completed in 2018, made possible by a major gift from Devon Energy. Phase one also included renovation of lowerlevel classroom space for use by John Rex Middle School and a new horticulture classroom, funded by Inasmuch Foundation.

Since its opening in 1988, the Crystal Bridge Conservatory has remained largely unchanged. As the centerpiece of the Gardens, it is home to thousands of tropical and desert plants within 13,000 square feet, divided into two distinct climates: wet and dry. To see the history timeline visit here.

The forthcoming renovation will update aging infrastructure, allow for a more diverse plant collection with both

The Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory opened to the public in 1988.

Dimensions • 13,000 square feet • 224 feet long • 70 feet wide • 3,028 double layer translucent panels Two Climate Zones • Tropical Wet Zone • Tropical Dry Zone Total Number of Plants • More than 1,000 Number of Plant Varieties • 650 Annual Number of Visitors • 70,000 to 90,000 Funders to Date • Inasmuch Foundation • *City of Oklahoma City • Gaylord Foundation

CRYSTAL BRIDGE FACTS

permanent and rotating exhibits, as well as new and enhanced water elements, circulation paths and sitting areas. A terrace feature will overlook the conservatory and add much-needed educational programming and venue space. Improved accessibility, including an elevator, will enable people of all ages and physical abilities to fully enjoy the space.

“The Crystal Bridge at Myriad Botanical Gardens is such a recognizable structure in downtown Oklahoma City,” said Bob Ross, chairman and CEO of Inasmuch Foundation. “Staff at the Gardens continually strive to create wonderful spaces and learning opportunities for Oklahoma City. When I learned of plans for reimagining the tropical plant conservatory to create a superb visitor experience, I knew Inasmuch Foundation would want to support this initiative. The second phase of the Crystal Bridge renovation capitalizes on the momentum of current downtown development.”

Maureen Heffernan, CEO of Myriad Gardens Foundation and Scissortail Park Foundation, said she appreciates the visionary leadership demonstrated by the Inasmuch Foundation and its major giving support.

“This gift enables Myriad Botanical Gardens to significantly improve our Conservatory experience so it is as transformational as the outdoor renovation was that was completed in 2011. An updated and more engaging Conservatory will help attract visitors from all of the major downtown development near the Gardens including Scissortail Park and the Convention Center and Omni Hotel. This investment will further strengthen the Gardens’ standing as one of the premier cultural attractions in Oklahoma City.”

Adds Jim Tolbert, Chair Emeritus of Myriad Gardens Foundation, “The interior of the Crystal Bridge has not been renewed since its opening. This visionary gift from Inasmuch Foundation will allow a vast enhancement of both its educational and visitor experience.” n

• Kirkpatrick Family Fund • The Meinders Foundation *Myriad Gardens Foundation is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that manages all operations of the Gardens. The Foundation also raises funds for operational and capital project support for Myriad Botanical Gardens under a private/public partnership with the City of Oklahoma City.

Design Team • Murase and Associates – Landscape Architects • ADG – Architects • Charles Sparks + Company – Retail Designer and Planner • Gecko Group – Education, Exhibit and Interpretative Consultants • Lingo Construction – Construction Manager Timeline • The Crystal Bridge Conservatory will close for renovation in spring 2021 • A grand re-opening will take place in spring/summer 2022

BUSINESS

Innovative FLIX Brewhouse opens in Oklahoma City

F

lix Brewhouse (Flix), the world’s only first-run movie theater, eatery and microbrewery, opened its first location in Oklahoma City earlier this month.

Flix premiered Christopher Nolan’s newest blockbuster, “Tenet,” while offering several promotions to guests throughout the month of September, including $1 popcorn, $1 sodas and $3 Flix beers.

“After postponing our opening date due to the COVID-19 outbreak, our excitement has only continued to build,” Flix General Manager Nick Toros said. “We look forward to opening our doors and bringing a new experience to the Oklahoma City metro.

Flix auditoriums feature state-of-the-art digital projection and sound, comfortable stadium seating, parabolic screens, server call systems that allow guests to order silently and reserved seating to limit lines.

The food menu is complete with big flavors such as hand-tossed pizzas, tasty burgers and irresistible wings in addition to other tempting and made-fresh fare — baked, grilled and crafted inhouse. The in-theater table service seating will hold approximately 950 guests, and the lobby/bar includes additional seating for 75 to 100 guests, although capacity will be restricted to enforce appropriate social distancing.

“We’re changing the game for movie theaters and moviegoers across the country,” Toros continued. “No longer are guests coming to just sit down and watch a movie — they’re coming to encounter an 30 ion Oklahoma MARCH/APRIL 2020

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 31

Above, the FLIX Brewhouse lobby. Below, the brewing tanks.

32 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

elevated experience that will keep them returning for more.”

This enhanced theater is not only serving biggest blockbuster movies and delicious food but also its own Flix craft beers and more than 11 taps of the best regional and local craft beer favorites including Angry Scotsman, Anthem, Coop Ale Works, Elk Valley, Iron Monk, Lively, Prairie Artisan, Roughtail, Skydance, Stonecloud and Vanessa House.

“We are eager to offer various beer-forward events including beer dinners and specialty pairing events in addition to our monthly FanFest celebrations,” Toros said.

The original Flix Brewhouse location was launched in July 2011 in Round Rock, Texas, a suburb city of Austin. The concept was designed from the inside out to deliver on consumer demand for experiential entertainment, redefining moviegoing by pairing a premium viewing and dining experience with one-of-a-kind brewed-on-premises craft beer offerings. Since then, Flix has quickly become known as America’s Cinema Brewery, opening nine additional locations with Oklahoma being the tenth.

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, Flix has also invested in an indoor air quality system to improve staff and guests’ experience. Specifically, this system is built with Plasma Air bipolar ionization technology, which proactively treats the air in an occupied space. Upon entry, masks will be required by guests Á Right, there are a lot of choices on the menu, including Loaded Fries, a Bacon Bleu Burger, fried pickles and pizza; not to mention the craft beer.

Below, the brewer hydrometer

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 33

Above, patrons can enjoy a Dine-In-Lobby Below, a view of the theater seating

34 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

but can be taken off while seated if eating or inside the theater or at a table in the Pub. Guests that are not consuming food or drinks should wear their masks when in their auditoriums.

“We want to ensure we’re creating a safe environment for our guests and our soon-to-be staff,” Toros continued.

“We look forward to opening our doors and welcoming the Oklahoma City community to its new favorite movie theater.”

Flix is currently accepting job applications for several positions, including, but not limited to, servers, brewers, cooks, box office attendees and managerial positions.

Interested applicants are welcome to apply online at https://www.flixbrewhouse.com/employment or walk into Flix Brewhouse located at 8590 Broadway Extension, Oklahoma City, OK 73114 and interview on the spot. n

Clockwise from the top: A burger meal in the theater; making selections at the kiosks; an order pad available in theater.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 35

Views of the theaters at FLIX Brewhouse

36 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

PEOPLE

Meet Abby Broyles … she’s in the race

A

BY LINDA MILLER

bby Broyles has never lacked determination.

She graduated from Bethany High School, earned a college degree in 2 ½ years and then jumpstarted her career as a journalist at age 20. As an award-winning investigative journalist spending most of her career at KFOR in Oklahoma City, she exposed political corruption and a sexual harassment scandal at the State Capitol.

Her voice became a voice for Oklahomans. Always wanting to do more and work harder for those in the state, she put herself through law school while working as a journalist.

Now she’s the Democratic challenger against incumbent U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe.

What first triggered your interest in politics?

AS A KID, I spent a lot of my time in two places: Sunday school and my family home watching the news with my family. In Sunday school, we were taught that being a good Christian means loving your neighbors. Every night after dinner, our family would gather around the TV and watch the evening news. When my family talked about what was going on in politics, we didn’t talk about Democrats or Republicans. We talked about service: what our leaders were doing to help Oklahomans and, as citizens, what we could do to serve our neighbors.

Was there anything about your experience as a 38 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

Abby Broyles

journalist and more recently a lawyer that influenced your decision to run for the United States Senate?

I DECIDED TO RUN for the U.S. Senate the day I reported on Sen. Inhofe’s visit to Tinker Air Force Base. He visited after receiving calls for months from families whose homes were filled with mold and asbestos. I watched as he told them if military housing had been that nice when he was there, he might have stayed longer. That’s when I asked myself, “How much longer can we put up with this?” and got off the sidelines into the race.

Growing up, my mom taught journalism at Southern Nazarene University, and she taught me that a journalist’s job was to provide the public with unbiased information.

Each of us makes tough decisions at the ballot box. To make informed decisions, we needed folks dedicated to reporting the truth. I went to law school while working full time as a reporter because I wanted to be a stronger voice for Oklahoma in both the courtroom and newsroom.

If elected, how do you think those careers will benefit you?

I’VE SPENT MY CAREER reporting the truth and studying the law — not answering to any political party. This has prepared me to be an independent voice for all Oklahomans in the Senate. Earlier this summer, Sen. Inhofe was asked if he was open to working across the aisle on the next stimulus package — and he refused.

Earlier this week, he said that Democrats want COVID-19 to get worse. I’ve been listening to Oklahomans my entire career — and I’ve not met a single one – Democrat or Republican – who is cheering on this pandemic. While he’s wasting time playing the blame game, Oklahomans and their loved ones are dying.

Never having held political office, what do you hope to offer that’s different from the status quo?

If the last few months have taught us anything, it’s that we can’t afford to have leaders who aren’t up for the job.

Sen. Inhofe has been in politics for over half a century, and his decades in D.C. have left him out-of-touch with Oklahoma values. I’ve not spent my career trying to climb up the political ladder. I’ve spent it listening to folks and giving them a voice.

Have other politicians shared with you what to expect in Washington?

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN CALLED ME the day after the primary, and she’s very supportive. I’ve been influenced by her work ethic and her ability to relate to anyone. I plan to take my Oklahoma values to Washington like she did.

Have this year’s recent events – protests, demands to defund police departments, surge in gun violence, COVID-19 – made you reexamine your decision to enter politics?

NO, NOT AT ALL. All of these confirm what I thought the day I decided to run: we need new leadership who understands the issues we are facing today and will make decisions for this generation and generations to come.

If you do go to Washington, what will you miss most in Oklahoma?

WELL, I PLAN TO BE BACK IN OKLAHOMA regularly listening to what’s going on here at home because the last thing we need is another D.C. politician. I will miss being able to join my mom and dad for last-minute dinners and the friendly people in Oklahoma who always n make me feel at home.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 39

FASHION

Taking a peek at fall fashion

BY LINDA MILLER

Let’s look ahead to fall fashion.

Blink and it’ll be time to reach for long sleeve dresses, leather skirts and autumnal colors and prints.

Cindi Shelby, a fashion icon in Oklahoma City, now represents and sells the Lela Rose Collection and Pearl Lela

Two floral dresses from Lela Rose.

40 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

Rose through one-on-one appointments and trunk shows.

She also coaches stylists and is part of the product development group.

Who better to give us a sneak peek at fall fashion and Lela Rose?

“With our current situation, fashion is offering a myriad of

Some of the fall fashion offerings from Lela Rose, available from Cindi Shelby, cshelby@pearl.nyc

Emerald green dress from Lela Rose.

stunning colors to brighten our days,” Shelby said.

“Some prominent colors are riffs on Pantone’s 2020 color of the year, Classic Blue, with shades from sky blue to cerulean. Also, jewel tones emerald and deep ruby are making a statement.”

No worries, though, if you’re more into the neutral tones and mixing all shades of camel, sand and buff for a monochromatic look that’s forever sophisticated and always chic, she said.

Expect to see a nod to 1970s with maxi dresses and coats, bell bottoms, ponchos and slouchy boots. Dark florals look fresh again, she said, along with anything embroidered from sweatshirts to coats.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 41

Brocade metallic gown from Lela Rose.

“Also, there’s a revisit to full-on equestrian looks and anything leather, real or faux,” Shelby said.

Designers are offering gorgeous fabrics that feel incredible to the skin such as sumptuous silk brocades, luxe leathers and softest cashmeres, too.

Cozy separates make perfect sense for at home, small gatherings or Zoom meetings. And remember, she said, “Fashion is not cancelled.” n

42 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

BUSINESS

Better ethics, better business Kitt Letcher, president / CEO Better Business Bureau of Central Oklahoma

BY GARLAND C MCWATTERS

K

itt Letcher, president and chief executive officer of the Better Business Bureau of Central, says her purpose is to bring her truest self to work every day in hopes she will model the value of transparency, which is one of the eight standards of trust upon which the BBB operates.

A cornerstone of her beliefs is that better business ethics create a better business and more loyal customers. Kitt explains the BBB works with businesses to help them improve their overall business practices. They make sure their member businesses have the proper business licenses, structure and insurance to operate effectively and appropriately according to a set of standards.

Kitt laughingly says that it’s not their job to beat up on businesses or threaten them. Instead, they focus on helping business become better by elevating their practices and helping them find the resources they need to improve their service and business methods.

Operating ethically is an underlying value.

“Doing the right thing versus doing the legal thing can be two very different perspectives. We really try to model the right way,” Letcher said.

44 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

Kitt Letcher

Giving important feedback Letcher says one way they help local business owners is to make them aware when their staff might not be operating according to the practices the owner expects. The reason is the owner might be several levels away from the front line operations.

“When complaints come in, it can really be eye-opening for them that this is happening.” The BBB staff approach owners or senior managers about a pattern they see and try to be a problem solving resource for the owner.

Kitt emphasized how important it is to have clear principles for the way staff conduct themselves internally, the BBB included.

Kitt Letcher with the Oklahoman in studio.

One everyday function of the BBB is listening to customers and helping them resolve any issues they have with a local business. But they also help businesses take those issues and learn how they can improve their service and products. “(Customers) get to see how you deal with complaints,” Kitt says.

The BBB opens up lines of communication so customers and businesses can get to a resolution. The process happens behind the scenes with professional dispute resolution staff and doesn’t play out on the internet or social media.

The BBB does not take down complaints, even after they are resolved. Letcher explains that even complaints can

help a business become better. Instead of removing the complaint, the BBB’s policy is to explain how those complaints were resolved.

We buy solutions to problems and good feelings Customers return to those businesses that make them feel like they’re going above and beyond.

“They make your experience one where you feel validated and that you are appreciated and trusted, and that you are a customer, or a business, or vendor, they want to work with.

They value you as much as you value them,” she said.

A deep sense of ethics and trust make a difference. Even SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 45

Kitt holding three B balloons

Kitt Letcher speaking at OVF

if a business is following all the laws, a customer still might not feel like it’s someone they want to do business with. It can be something as simple as the way they talk to people on the phone or having a clear return policy.

If a business is to make exceptional responsiveness possible, employees must know they are empowered to make decisions on their own that help solve the customer’s problems.

“If you have created a workplace where people are so micromanaged and can’t do that level of decision making on their own, you’ve always got a problem,” Kitt warned.

Letcher has been with the BBB of Central Oklahoma since 2013. During that time the staff has grown from three to 21.

She also answers to a local board of directors who help set the direction for the services and practices of the bureau.

Kitt says that as she grew up she never had a plan of what she wanted to be.

“I just knew that I wanted to make a difference wherever I 46 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

was. I’ve been very fortunate in finding my passion, and for me that’s being able to make my community a better place.”

BBB of Central Oklahoma: 8 Standards of Trust 1. Build trust 2. Advertise honestly 3. Tell the truth at all times 4. Be transparent 5. Honor your promises 6. Be responsive 7. Safeguard privacy 8. Embody integrity You can hear the complete interview with Garland McWatters on the Spirit of Leading podcast at https://www.inpoweredtolead.com/073-better-ethicsbetter-business-kitt-letcher-better-business-bureau-ofcentral-oklaoma/ n

YOU WERE BORN TO CHANGE THE WORLD PAT CARR Author Image Consultant Speaker Mentor Personal Development

Pat Carr produced a video in conjunction with The Education & Employment Ministry, aka TEEM, and The Bridge AG Church in Mustang, OK. The video follows her as she mentors three women in transition from prison to society. It is powerful.

The purpose of the video is to let people know the 94% success rate of mentoring to avoid recidivism. We need volunteers from the community.

Will you become a mentor? Will you help change our world?

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Visit PatCarrConsulting.com or email wealthforwomen.pat@gmail.com

PEOPLE

ALL DREAMS MATTER

BY PAT CARR

W

e rise by lifting others, so let us celebrate and cherish everyday life and those around us. Either everyone is important or no one is. Your life and your dreams matter, in fact, ALL DREAMS MATTER. TODAY I HONOR retired General Rita Aragon – a woman with an absolute sense of mission. Thank you for the many years of service to our country.

TODAY I HONOR world changer Dr. Terry Neese, an example of integrity and leadership. She received the highest honor Northwood University Board of Trustees vests to individuals, an Honorary Doctorate Degree for her years of successful business ownership & her empowerment program for individuals through education & mentoring. BRAVO Dr. Neese!

TODAY I HONOR Saundra Naifeh. If Einstein looked for an equation of explosive human energy, he would find it in her DNA! and, she is highly entertaining, successful and fun. Woohoo! It’s fun to be you.

TODAY I HONOR a man of distinction, George Tomek Sr., father of legendary news anchor George Tomek Jr. Did he know he was grooming a son who would become an award winning news anchor, Navy veteran and rub shoulders with the likes of Charlton Heston? I bet he did. I bet he passed on his best parental guidance, which molded a child into an uncommon man. I salute you both and thank you for your many contributions to our country.

48 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

TODAY I HONOR Marla Hill, a woman I admire and respect who came out of pain and darkness and into the light. she spreads that light with passion and fierce love because “she remembered who she was and the game changed.”

Today I honor a woman that amazes me, Mary Blankenship Pointer. “We live in a universe that responds to what we believe.” She believed she could and so she did.” Mary is a magnet for miracles. Thank you for your tireless leadership at home and around the world!

Today I honor Brian Maughan, Oklahoma County Commissioner and consummate public servant. “He understands great things never come from comfort zones and doesn’t adapt to the energy around him. He changes the energy of a room with his integrity, warmth and influence.”

TODAY I HONOR Mo Anderson, self-made by grit and grace. an american icon and example of integrity. “because she always knew who she was, she changed the game for others.” bravo mo!

TODAY I HONOR Chad Brodrick, Ministries Director for Oklahoma District Council of the Assemblies of God churches. A man who knows what he brings to the table and is not afraid to eat alone. why? He knows not all storms come to disrupt your life, some come to clear your path.

TODAY I HONOR Patricia Wilson, my first teem mentee, and a light unto the world. All the forces of darkness could not dim her spirit. She emerged with fierce determination to change her life and the world around her. “She remembered who she was, and the game changed.”

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 49

TODAY, on his birthday, I celebrate the honorable Judge Stephen Haynes, a servant leader of integrity for over 40 years. “His parents worked too hard for him not to be great, and when he remembered who he was, the game changed.”

TODAY I HONOR Pastor Jim Mcnabb. Jim is a master of strategy in fulfilling his mandate to “take the gospel into all the earth” as well as meeting the needs of our community. He preached his first sermon at the age of ten! The bridge ag church in mustang is growing under his leadership and people’s lives are changed. I attend the third service at 10:45 and will save a seat for you! West of Czech Hall Rd on Hwy 152.

Today I honor Rebekah Williams, Supervisor/Advocate for longterm care residents and mighty prayer warrior. “She remembered who she was and the game changed.”

Salute! Today I honor Janet Elaine Smith, City manager of Blackwell, OK. a woman who is utterly fearless and focused on doing what is right regardless of personal peril! Woohoo! “She remembered who she was and the game changed.”

TODAY I HONOR Cathy Costello, a woman changing the world by her example of courage and perseverance in the face of heartbreaking tragedies. “She remembered who she was and the game changed.”

TODAY I HONOR Barbara Nelson, a wife, mother, grandmother and friend. An amazing lady of faith, prayer, determination and grace.

“She remembered who she was and the game changed.”

50 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

TODAY I HONOR Sam Anderson, a woman of many skills to include graphic design, cartographer, author, and more. Sam is active in Toastmasters and supports numerous community projects. Sam is warm, personable and a role model for success. Bravo, Sam!

I AM PROUD to honor Reah Holland, a woman who never stopped being a good person because of bad people. she visualized her higher self and started showing up as her. she’s gonna forever say “I got this even with tears in her eyes.” I love you, Reah.

TODAY I HONOR Joyce Clark, CEO of “Achievis Senior Living”. A self-made success story, changing the world by her example of leadership, compassion, integrity and success!

TODAY I HONOR Garvin Isaacs, fellow student from Apache, OK. voted “most likely to...” (you name it, he did it...) artist, photographer, author, attorney, and more! Plus, he is still full force making a positive difference in our world. I salute you, Gybo!

TODAY I HONOR my friend Linda Haneborg, a successful dynamo who knows how to turn pain into power. She knows if plan “a” doesn’t work, the alphabet has 25 more letters.

I salute you, Linda, you are an example of strength, integrity and leadership to many.

TODAY I HONOR Pastor Ken Isom, a remarkable man of faith leading mens’ prison ministry at the Bridge AG Church in Mustang for over quarter century.

Thank you for your dedicated and compassionate service. We salute you!

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 51

2020 SOONERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE DATE

OPPONENT

LOCATION

Oct 10, 2020

Texas

Cotton Bowl

Oct 24, 2020

@ TCU

Amon G. Carter Stadium

Oct 31, 2020

@ Texas Tech

Jones AT&T Stadium

Nov 7, 2020

Kansas

Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium

Nov 21, 2020

Oklahoma State

Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium

Nov 28, 2020

@ West Virginia

Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium

Dec 5, 2020

Baylor

Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium

2020 COWBOYS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE DATE

OPPONENT

LOCATION

Sat, Oct 3

Big 12 at Kansas

Lawrence, KS

Sat, Oct 17

Big 12 at Baylor

Waco, TX

Sat, Oct 24

Big 12 Iowa State

Stillwater, OK Boone Pickens Stadium

Sat, Oct 31

Big 12 Texas

Stillwater, OK Boone Pickens Stadium

Sat, Nov 7

Big 12 at Kansas State

Manhattan, KS

Sat, Nov 21

Big 12 at Oklahoma

Norman, OK

TSat, Nov 28

Big 12 Texas Tech

Stillwater, OK Boone Pickens Stadium

Sat, Dec 5

Big 12 at TCU

Fort Worth, TX

Sat, Dec 12

Big 12 Championship Game

Arlington, TX

TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE 2020 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE DATE Sat, Sep. 19 Sat, Sep. 26 Postponed

OPPONENT Oklahoma State Cowboys Arkansas State

LOCATION Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK Centennial Bank Stadium, Jonesboro, AR

Sat Oct. 3

at UCF Knights

Bounce House, Orlando, FL

Sat, Oct. 17

Cincinnati Bearcats (HC)

H.A. Chapman Stadium, Tulsa, OK

Friday, Oct. 23

at USF Bulls

Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL

Friday, Oct. 30

East Carolina Pirates

H.A. Chapman Stadium, Tulsa, OK

Sat, Nov. 7

at Navy Midshipmen

Navy-Marine Corps Mem. Stadium, Annapolis, MD

Sat, Nov. 14

SMU Mustangs

H.A. Chapman Stadium, Tulsa, OK

Sat, Nov. 21

Tulane Green Wave

H.A. Chapman Stadium, Tulsa, OK

Sat, Nov. 28

at Houston Cougars

TDECU Stadium, Houston, TX

Sat, Dec. 5

American Championship

Site and City TBD

UCO BRONCHOS

2020 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE DATE

TIME

OPPONENT

LOCATION

Sept 12, 2020 (Sat)

7 p.m.

Central Missouri

EDMOND Wantland Stadium

Sept 19, 2020 (Sat)

6 p.m.

Missouri Western

St. Joseph, Mo.

Sept 26, 2020 (Sat)

2 p.m.

Missouri Southern

Joplin, Mo.

2 p.m.

Emporia State

EDMOND Wantland Stadium

2 p.m.

Lincoln

Jefferson City, Mo. 1, 2021 OUGH JAN.

Oct 31, 2020 (Sat)

2 p.m.

Fort Hays State

EDMOND Wantland Stadium

Nov 7, 2020 (Sat)

1 p.m.

Washburn

Topeka, Kan.

Nov 14, 2020 (Sat)

2 p.m.

Northeastern State

EDMOND Wantland Stadium

Oct 3, 2020 (Sat) Oct 10, 2020 (Sat)

D E D N E P S U S

HR ETITION TEDMOND P M O C S T R O P FALL S Northwest Missouri ITED SPRING SEASON. Oct 17, 2020 (Sat) DE2Dp.m.

N E P S U S IM Wantland Stadium A IA *THE M IBILITY OF A L S S O P E H T G EXPLORIN 2 p.m.

ND IS Oct 24,A2020 (Sat) Nebraska-Kearney Kearney, Neb.

DESIGN

KITCHEN CONTEXT

Our kitchens are thoughtfully “ designed to embrace your home’s unique architecture, express your personality and enhance your lifestyle.”

— Jo Meacham 56 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

Rebuilds should include homeowner’s personality, tastes

BY JO MEACHAM

C

ontext is the beginning of all design. Each house, neighborhood and city is unique with distinctive architecture and culture. A kitchen becomes a part of this uniqueness.

While great ideas may come from collected photos from the internet, context starts as you drive down the street toward your home. The style of the architecture, the details and the materials, and the scale of the homes are layers of context that surround your kitchen. The context of your project should be the driving force behind the design. If the kitchen “fits” like it was built as part of the original home, your design is a success

Most homeowners want to know if the new design can be relevant now and remain so until the house sells. Using context as a beginning for the design is the only way the new kitchen or bath will stand the test of time. Homeowners and designer should be detectives and search for architectural details, materials and colors that are in place. Using these clues, a great design can reach the perfect conclusion.

While the bones of the design should be true to the home, the homeowner should always use new projects to express themselves. Personality can be expressed in the colors selected, the furniture and materials included, and the items displayed. Magazine kitchens may look perfect, but remember it is only a photo shoot!

Family photos, cherished bowls, and children’s drawings can all find a place in the kitchen. Artwork can offer a punch of color that you could never select for cabinet colors or countertops. Since the American family spends so much time in the kitchen, it should definitely include favorite items.

Function is always a priority with kitchen designers. Has your family increased in size or are your empty nesters? Do you need bar stools for your kids or your grandchildren? Do you like to cook, or just love to drink your coffee in a space 58 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

Always design a thing by “considering it in its next larger context – a chair in a room, a room in a house, a house in an environment, an environment in a city plan.”

— Eliel Saarinen designed just for your family? These and many other questions should be answered when you are beginning your design.

Be faithful to your own “ taste, because nothing you really like is ever out of style.”

Great design can often be the result of limitations. The challenge of a great kitchen or bath design is to begin with context, allow for expression and ensure that the new kitchen functions perfectly.

Jo Meacham recently celebrated 20 years as the owner of Urban Kitchens, a design/build company specializing in kitchens and baths. n

— Billy Baldwin

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 59

BUSINESS

First Liberty Bank to Host Community Shred Events October 16th First Liberty Bank will be hosting a Community Shred Event on Friday, October 16th at 9601 N. May Avenue in Oklahoma City. The free event will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the bank’s parking lot. Absolute Data Shredding will be providing mobile shredding units to destroy all personal and confidential documents.

Shredding your personal documents is one way to help protect yourself from identity theft, which is one of the fastest-growing forms of consumer fraud. Properly disposing

60 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

sensitive but out of date documents like old tax returns, bank and credit card statements, medical records, and other documents with personal information is one way to help protect your identity.

Our staff will be wearing masks and practicing social distancing, but you don’t even need to get out of your car!

Just pull up and pop your trunk – we’ll take care of the rest.

Please tell your friends - all are welcome! There is a limit of 10 boxes per visit. Questions? Call us at 405-608-4500.

Two locations are participating: 9601 N. May Avenue in Oklahoma City (405.608.4500) and 3500 24th Avenue NW in Norman (405.561.0300). n

MUSIC

OCCC VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS CENTER ANNOUNCES VIRTUAL CONCERT SERIES Intimate season to be streamed online and performed live in front of limited audience September 29, October 13, October 27, November 10, November 24 and December 8

62 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

September 29, October 13, October 27, November 10, November 24 and December 8

OKLAHOMA CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE persons. To be a part of this VIP group, kicked off its Virtual Concert Series Sept. visit tickets.occc.edu. VIP tickets go on sale October 6, at 8 a.m. (first-come, first-served).

29 with renowned fiddler and Oklahoma To create an intimate concert environment for those who City University graduate Kyle Dillingham.

The series will have five more hour-long intimate performances with a limited number of inperson patrons. In addition, people can purchase tickets to stream the events live from their homes.

“COVID-19 has forced all concert venues to search for new ways to engage with our patrons,” said Lemuel Bardeguez, Director of Cultural Program for OCCC. “OKC has built a reputation for exceptional visual and performing arts, and this new Virtual Concert Series helps OCCC and our community stay connected with the arts, even while we have to be apart.”

The second Virtual Concert Series performer will be guitar virtuoso Edgar Cruz, who graduated from Northwest Classen High School in Oklahoma City. Cruz has headlined at the prestigious Chet Atkins Guitar Festival for more than 25 years, and has toured North America, Europe, and South America for more than 40 years. With an incredibly versatile repertoire that spans classic, rock, pop and Latin hits, Cruz puts on a mesmerizing show that will bring the audience to laughter, tears and dancing.

This concert will be performed in front of a sociallydistanced, “live studio audience.” Seating is limited to 20

are comfortable, OCCC will sell in-person tickets for up to 20 purchasers for each concert, allowing patrons to safely distance and have a unique experience. There will be no limit to streaming ticket sales, and a raffle will offer streaming patrons a chance to win inperson tickets. Speciallydesigned posters and prints, as well as unique behind-thescenes and digital-only content will be available for patrons, too.

“In a year of lost seasons, we have found ours,” said Bardeguez. “Let’s make it special.”

Other shows will take place on October 27, November 10, November 24 and December 8. The performances are held at OCCC’s Visual and Performing Arts Center, a performance hall that ordinarily houses more than 1,000 patrons for worldclass concerts, plays, musicals and touring experiences.

Those attending in-person will be allowed to participate in a discussion and question/answer period with the artists.

New normal Because of the COVID-19 virus, virtual concerts are becoming the new normal for much of the entertainment industry. Plus, it couldn’t come at a better time since SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 63

millions of people in this business have lost jobs, according to a study conducted this year by the Brookings Institute.

Based on Brookings’ analysis of creative occupations, researchers estimate losses of more than 2.3 million jobs and $74 billion in average monthly earnings for the creative occupations. These losses represent 30% of all creative occupations and 15% of total average monthly wages.

Again, creative occupations in the fine and performing arts—which include the visual arts, music, theater, and dance—will be disproportionally affected, representing roughly a third of wage employment losses.

The creative economy is one of the sectors most at risk from the COVID-19 crisis. Arts, culture, and creativity are one of three key sectors (along with science and technology as well as business and management) that drive regional economies. Any lasting damage to the creative sector will drastically undercut our culture, well-being, and quality of life, the Brookings researchers found.

The study estimated Oklahoma lost more than 19,500 jobs in the creative arts industry and sustained more than $600 million in losses because of COVID-19. The time period for the study was April-July of this year. Specifically, Oklahoma City lost an estimated 8,889 creative industry jobs with financial losses of $281 million.

For the creative economy to survive, this nation, its states, and its cities need a large-scale recovery strategy, the researchers wrote. This strategy must be bottom-up, but 64 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

supported across the board. It should be led locally by public-private partnerships of municipal governments, arts and cultural organizations, economic development and community groups, philanthropy, and the private sector, with support from government and philanthropy at the state and federal levels as well as large corporations, they concluded.

The report states federal recovery measures should include more substantial support for arts, cultural, and creative organizations, as they do for other impacted industries. While larger organizations such as the Kennedy Center, the Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center, and the Cleveland Orchestra have significant financial support, most of the creative economy is made up of much smaller nonprofits and business enterprises that have virtually no cushion at all.

Greater support for creative workers, many of whom are self-employed or freelancers, is also required. The initial round of federal COVID-19 relief funding did include money for artists and creatives who are paid wages, but not for those who earn income through royalties. It is time to consider direct stipends for artists, something that the National Endowment for the Arts is not permitted to do. Any additional infrastructure funding should also include artists and creatives in ways similar to the New Deal-era Federal Art Project of the 1930s and 1940s, the researchers wrote in their conclusion. n

PEOPLE

NEXT GEN LEARNS CONFERENCE

M

ore than 280 people attended a one-day virtual leadership conference Aug. 7 that was sponsored by NextGen Learns.com, and the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce.

The mission of NextGen Learns is to offer personal and career development program that enhance the quality of life and contribute to the advancement of skills, talents and potential for the ambitious next generation of young people and future leaders.

Leadership skills will be in demand as encouraging collaboration and bringing out the best in people and teams becomes critical for success.

During the NextGen Learns virtual conference, influence leaders shared their valuable expertise. Attendees made connections with guest speakers and coaches to gain a higher vision and insight into themselves. Participants also benefitted from their interaction opportunities with likeminded people in a variety of breakout sessions.

The influence leaders and speakers discussed the importance of creativity and innovation in today’s market. In addition, critical thinking skills can allow people to objectively evaluation information from a variety of sources and determine its credibility and value. Speakers also touched on emotional intelligence, which is another skill that can be used in uncertain and challenging times.

Event Information Our Time is Now, to be ...

Leaders, Ethical, Accountable, Daring Your benefits for attending this virtual live event • Get practical pointers you can use immediately.

• Learn three leadership qualities that will set you apart.

• Assess your own ethical awareness.

• Use both your will and your will not powers to hold yourself accountable.

• Find your “Dare zone.”

• Connect with other success minded people in virtual breakout sessions • Engage in Q&A sessions with expert presenters 66 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

Conference Co-hosts

Welcome: Listen, Learn, Lead

Robin Roberson, President and co-founder, Goose and Gander

Brigadier General Brent W. Wright, Assistant Adjutant General, Oklahoma Air National Guard

Robin’s single mission through her boutique consultancy is to enable the rapid growth and adoption of emerging technologies. She speaks from experience. In 2009 Robin founded WeGoLook.com to bolster online consumers’ confidence in their purchasing decisions. She build a global community of more than 45,000 independent contractors across the US, Canada, Australia and UK. Robin’s e-commerce gives her a unique voice in tech and the gig economy. Roberson is a member of The Women President’s Organization and serves as a board member for a number of organizations. She served as the executive director of the Oklahoma Employment Securities Commission in Governor Stitt’s administration.

Garland McWatters, founder INPowered2

Brigadier General Brent Wright is the principle advisor to The Adjutant General for Oklahoma for all Oklahoma Air National Guard matters. Brigadier General Wright additionally is responsible for the combat readiness and operational effectiveness for all Oklahoma Air National Guard units.

Prior to his current assignment, General Wright was the Vice Commander of the 138th Fighter Wing, Tulsa Air National Guard Base, Oklahoma. As the vice commander, he assisted the wing commander in the organization, training and deployment of the second largest combat coded Air National Guard fighter wing, consisting of nearly 1200 Airmen.

He has deployed in support of numerous operations including Northern Watch, Joint Forge, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom.

LEAD, cofounder NextGen Oklahoma Leaders

Garland thinks of his life as a quiet ruckus. His storytelling, writing, and teaching showcase his passion to look deeper and to go beyond the obvious and superficial to deal with the underlying forces and dynamics of events and topics, while pushing the boundaries of the comfort zone.

Garland offers his work under his INPowered2 LEAD brand.

He presents two regular podcasts: The Spirit of Leading, and INPowering Thoughts.

Professionally, he has been a preacher, a politician, a PR specialist, a professor, a broadcaster, a corporate trainer, and a writer/podcaster.

Clients say he presents his INPowered Living themes with the passion of an evangelist, the insight of a philosopher, and the practicality of a paramedic.

Our Time is Now, to be LEADERS Mick Cornett, former mayor of Oklahoma City

He is still known in Oklahoma City as “Mayor Mick.” Mick Cornett was the first mayor of Oklahoma City to serve 4 consecutive terms (2004-2018).

Fortune Magazine named him as one of the 50 greatest leaders in the world in 2018. Among other accolades, his list of awards includes nods for urban design, health, sports and the arts.

Newsweek called him one of the five most innovative mayors in the country (2012). London-based World Mayors listed him as the No. 2 mayor in the world (2014), and Governing magazine named him the Public Official of the Year.

He wrote a book based on his experience as a leader among

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 67

Our Time is Now to be ACCOUNTABLE Francie Ekwerekwu, J.D., Pretrial Supervisor and attorney, The Employment and Education Minsitry (TEEM)

the nation’s mayors called The Next American City. And he also was a central player in attracting the NBA Thunder to Oklahoma City.

Now, Mick is in the private sector as executive counsel at Jones PR in Oklahoma City.

Our time is Now to be ETHICAL Kitt Letcher, Pres/Ceo Better Business Bureau of Central Oklahoma

Kitt is the president and CEO of Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Central Oklahoma, which BBB is a source of unbiased information for both businesses and consumers. The organization helps people find and recommend businesses, brands and charities they can trust.

Kitt believes stressing solid, ethical business practices is at the heart of helping businesses build a base of loyal customers. Over the course of the last six years, BBB of Central Oklahoma has grown from 1800 to 3300 accredited businesses.

Prior to her role at BBB, she served in a variety of different roles for the United Way of Central Oklahoma. Additionally, she has served on several volunteer boards which, currently, include Oklahoma Venture Forum (OVF), Focus on Home and the 507th Air Refueling Wing Key Spouse.

68 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

Francie preaches accountability day in and day out. She has to in order to help her clients navigate through the criminal justice system and find any hope of redirecting their lives.

She wears three very important hats in the quest for equal justice under the law. She is the program director for the Oklahoma County Pretrial Jail release Initiative for TEEM, the Oklahoma County Community Sentencing attorney for TEEM, and she is an assistant public defender for Oklahoma County.

She also lives a life of advocacy for equal justice under the law and racial equality. She says she has learned from experience that nothing worth advocating for comes easy.

Our Time is Now to be DARING Elizabeth Frame Ellison, Pres/CEO LobeckTaylor Family Foundation

Elizabeth has dedicated her professional career to ensuring Tulsa has an innovative, diverse landscape that encourages small business.

She is well known as one of the driving forces of Tulsa’s entrepreneurial scene through her work at the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundaton.

Her personal passion for this area led to LTFF’s cornerstone support of the innovative efforts of 36°North, The Mine, Tulsa Startup Series Powered by LTFF, Startup Weekend and more. Elizabeth also established Cultivate918, a group that creates a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem for Tulsans, as well as Kitchen 66, Tulsa’s first-ever kick-start kitchen for food entrepreneurs. Under her leadership, LTFF has committed over 11 million dollars to back critical issues ranging from entrepreneurship, to education, to health. In

2013, Ellison, along with Kathy Taylor, Amy Santee, Mimi Taransch and Janet Levit, founded the Lobeck Taylor Family Advocacy clinic within the University of Tulsa College of Law to assist women seeking legal help with civil issues. Ellison and Taylor also founded Women Count OK, a bi-partisan, statewide program designed to inform women about important issues, and encourage financial support and voter turnout among and between women.

Persevering through tough times (special presentation) Dr. Bob Blackburn, Executive Director, Oklahoma Historical Society

Dr. Blackburn has been called, “the face of Oklahoma history,” because of his devotion to telling the Oklahoma story in all its candor and wonder.

Blackburn published several articles and his first book while still in graduate school and has since written or co-authored more than 20 books and numerous articles, journal entries, and screen plays. He is a steady source of historical information to the media and has appeared numerous times on The History Channel.

He was instrumental in planning and building the Oklahoma History Center, a 215,000-square-foot museum and research center. Blackburn has served on numerous national and regional boards and committees, including the Western History Association, the Oklahoma Association of Professional Historians, the AIA, and Leadership Oklahoma City.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 69

HISTORY

S P R AW L Oklahoma City is big. Real big. But it’s rarely for the best.

Let’s dig into how OKC got this way, our unique challenges and what’s to be done with all that sprawl.

BY GEORGE LANG ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHRIS CROCKETT

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henever he tries to explain the problems associated with governing a 621 square-mile city and the people spread throughout it, Oklahoma City mayor David Holt goes for shock value.

“In my two years as mayor, I have made a small hobby out of introducing people to some of these realities, thinking that the first thing is just confronting it,” Holt said. “In both of my State of the City addresses, I have listed six American cities that you could simultaneously fit inside of Oklahoma City.”

Yes, it would be theoretically possible to squeeze the major American cities of Chicago, Miami, Boston, Washington, D.C., the Manhattan borough of New York City and Philadelphia into the city limits of Oklahoma City.

All at once.

“I’ve said that in a hundred speeches and the crowd always does the same thing. They gasp — I mean, audibly gasp,” he said. “No one’s ever told them that. That’s how ignorant we are about our own sprawl; we don’t know it is that unique. We kind of knew we were big, but … we are an extreme outlier in sprawl.”

Holt likes to bring the shock with those statistics, and when he talks to groups about the effect of sprawl on how a 70 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

city operates, it is clear that this is not 10-gallon hat bragging about size. It is a problem, and like many mayors before him, Holt deals with the effects of Oklahoma City’s mid-20th century land grabs every day.

The most obvious visible problem associated with sprawl comes from long traffic commutes, which will become longer as development continues inside and outside the city’s periphery. Holt, who commutes from a neighborhood in northwest Oklahoma City to downtown on most days, said that such times are still manageable, but that is not likely to last. Á

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this story from residents,” Holt said. “ ‘Well, I bought a house at 150th and May, and then I drove to work for the first time and realized how bad the streets were, how long the commute was.’

Sometimes, people should probably do more research into what they’re getting themselves into, but the tone is set by the developers.

Developers gravitate to where there are city services, and there are city services anywhere we exist, and because we chose back in the 1950s to exist across 620 square miles, there’s a lot of territory for you to choose from.”

Give me land, lots of land When Oklahoma City first incorporated 130 years ago, it consisted of a two square mile grid, and the first impetus for the city to start annexing came when developers began buying the land around it. An immediate fiscal concern took hold in Oklahoma City’s civic offices and the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce: what happens if Oklahoma City is the place for people to do business but not the place they call home?

Anton Classen was one of the first major developers to acquire farmland outside the city limit that could be built into housing. He and fellow developer John Shartel built a streetcar system called the Oklahoma Railway Company to take people into the more far-flung neighborhoods, extending as far west as NW 23rd Street and Portland 72 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

Avenue, east to Lincoln Park, south to Commerce Street and north to Classen Circle, where the Belle Isle Power Plant was built to keep the network of streetcars running. It also ran its Interurban line that served as far west as El Reno and a north-south axis from Guthrie to Norman.

Oklahoma City was seemingly in a constant state of annexation, as were many cities around the country. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 51.2 percent of Americans lived in cities in 1920, the first time the urban population exceeded the rural population in the country, and there were many reasons for the shift. The nation’s movement toward an industrial work force over an agrarian one was a major factor, with large numbers of people moving to cities to work in factories instead of farms. The rise of the automobile industry accounted for much of it, as a diaspora of rural workers from the South moved to industrial Midwest metropolises like Detroit.

A few years later, demographers first saw evidence of what became known as “urban sprawl.” Radburn, New Jersey, a community 10 miles from New York City designed by its city planners as a “town for the motor age,” was one of the first areas to use cul-de-sacs in America. Until that point, most cities were laid out on a “gridiron” pattern that maximized the use of land in a compact area, but building neighborhoods using cul-de-sacs meant stretching out.

According to Robert Bruegmann’s “Sprawl: A Compact History,” sprawl is “most often described as unplanned,

scattered, low-density, automobile-dependent development at the urban periphery.” In Oklahoma City’s case, it was scattered development that rattled the chamber of commerce and their allies in civic government. Oddly enough, they chose to conquer that problem by sprawling over those scattered developments, taking over their tax bases.

In Oklahoma City during the 1920s, central neighborhoods like Heritage Hills and Mesta Park were the suburbs, and the Edgemere Park neighborhood was just being surveyed for building. Oklahoma City was still a young town, and according to Geoffrey Butler, Oklahoma City’s current planning director, the city accelerated into sprawl mode fairly quickly.

Almost everything about Oklahoma City’s potential future

changed in 1947. That spring, the city elected a funeral director named Allen Street as mayor. Street was a member of the chamber of commerce, and that body became responsible for much of the city’s development trajectory.

Street lived up to his name: according to Richard Bernard and Bradley Rice’s “Sunbelt Cities: Politics and Growth Since World War II,” the city commissioned the St. Louis, Missouri firm Harland Bartholomew and Associates to create a street plan that would coordinate with the highway system. The same month Street took office, the Classen streetcars ceased operation.

“Because our city was so new, we didn’t really have a ‘non-auto’ history,” Butler said. “What we did have was very brief, so there wasn’t a strong sense of urbanism or traditional development pattern already established. You know, we did have a traditional block pattern early in the city’s history and it’s obvious when you drive around the urban core.

“But as we all know, the automobile came onto the scene pretty quickly, so we started developing in that mode.”

“Walkable” is one of those odd terms that probably would be rarely used if not for urban sprawl. For people living in Oklahoma City (or any other American city) before 1947, almost everything was walkable — any person with average health could get almost anything they needed by walking, and if not, buses and streetcars were relatively close. Cities were designed so that most goods and services could be reached by foot from anyone’s home or business, and cities worked that way for literally thousands of years.

When the Classen streetcars and Interurban ceased operation in 1947, SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion

automobile-based city planning, coupled with Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce’s stated desire to raise the city’s population to 600,000 resulted in a series of land grabs.

These annexations raised the city’s tax base considerably, providing more operating capital for city services. In 1950, Oklahoma City annexed the town of Britton, and four years later extended its reach along Northwest Expressway to the edge of Warr Acres. Cities like The Village, Warr Acres and Nichols Hills had to fight annexation efforts by the city, which was keen to absorb tax bases and limit land development around Lake Hefner. The final major annexations took place in the early 1960s, with Oklahoma City reaching its 621 square mile status by 1962.

Sweeping changes took place after World War II that affected how people lived and, just as importantly, where they lived. Returning servicemen were offered inexpensive loans from the Veterans Administration to buy homes, and 74 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

when they did, they often moved from the urban core into planned communities or suburbs on the edges of town.

President Dwight Eisenhower’s creation of the Interstate Highway System in 1956 also established a kind of crossroads at the center of Oklahoma City where Interstate 35 and Interstate 40 connected, which improved commerce and also provided a kind of skeleton of infrastructure on which to hang future land development.

Because cars became so essential to getting around a massive city, the accelerated housing development in Oklahoma City’s suburban areas in the 1960s and ’70s often did not include sidewalks as part of the plans. And that happened all over the country, but because of Oklahoma City’s extreme degree of sprawl, driving became the only perceivable option to get to any destination. Cars had the upper hand.

Through the Better Streets, Safer City sales tax initiative passed in 2017, Oklahoma City is now retroactively installing sidewalks in districts and neighborhoods where pedestrian transportation was seen as a thing of the past.

The differences can be stark: in Warwick Estates, a neighborhood northwest of Lake Hefner that was built starting in the mid-1970s, there are no sidewalks. Across MacArthur Boulevard in the Greenbriar neighborhood, which is still under construction, sidewalks are pervasive.

“We have maps where we’ve mapped out the sidewalk network, and it looks like a doughnut,” Butler said. “You can see where the sidewalks were built in the old days, when they were doing a more traditional grid-style development, and then for many decades, we built no sidewalks.”

Living in the sprawl For something like urban sprawl to take place over the course of several decades, more people need to buy into the idea than just the chamber of commerce and a few land developers, and they do. Compared to urban centers, life in suburbia is quiet and comfortable, and true to the idea of sprawl itself, there is plenty of room to stretch out. But sprawl in Oklahoma City and migration to the suburbs was

not driven by a wholly innocent desire for space and tranquility. In 1963, just after Oklahoma City completed its string of annexations, U.S. District Judge Luther Bohanon ruled that Oklahoma City Public Schools were segregated by race. It took nearly a decade, but in 1972 and under court oversight, the school system began busing students miles from their neighborhoods in an effort to integrate and end that segregation.

The result was the phenomenon of “white flight,” the racism-driven trend of white homeowners selling their homes in the center of the city and decamping to periphery “bedroom communities” like Edmond, Norman, Yukon and Mustang — places with near-homogeneous white populations at the time.

This was the promise of the Levittowns, the planned suburbs created in New York and Pennsylvania by land developer William Levitt in the 1950s. Back then, the post-World War II suburbs were touted as retreats from the “chaos” of the city, and the whispered subtext for those claims was race-based demographic shift, or “white flight.” Advertisements for the Levittown communities that ran in East Coast newspapers usually came with artist renderings of model homes, white families and the engine that got them out of the city, the family car.

Levittowns were systematically kept white by the sales and banking apparatus surrounding Levitt’s operation.

While it has been documented many times, the story of downtown Oklahoma City’s demise in the 1960s and ’70s is a key chapter of the sprawl saga. As more people moved out of the urban core and settled in the new suburban developments being built on the edges of town and in metro communities like Edmond, Moore and Norman, businesses began their own diaspora. Department stores decamped to

Penn Square Mall, Shepherd Mall and then to newer centers to the north and south like Quail Springs Mall and Crossroads Mall. Many of the non-retail businesses pulled up stakes as well to move into new suburban office parks.

All of this culminated in the “Pei Plan” for urban renewal.

Created by architect I.M. Pei as a master redevelopment concept for downtown Oklahoma City, the plan involved demolition of older buildings like the Biltmore Hotel and the construction of newer ones like the Century Center hotel and mall complex, which was built in hopes of drawing shoppers back to downtown with a familiar-looking retail facility.

Unfortunately, the Pei Plan’s execution dovetailed with the oil industry recession and the failure of Penn Square Bank, resulting in an effectively abandoned downtown. It has taken nearly three decades of public-private partnership under the Metropolitan Area Projects Plan (MAPS) to fill in the doughnut hole, restore downtown and then start to knit bike lanes and sidewalks into the places where Butler’s predecessors from generations ago decided they were not needed.

Holt grew up in Oklahoma City and experienced it during a time of limited prosperity and maximized sprawl, but he said SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 75

he never really thought about how far it took to get just about anywhere, and how little was between those points. It was just the way things were for years, and Holt only fully appreciated the severity of the sprawl later, when he was an adult and working his way through the levels of government.

“As a policy maker now, as an adult, I see that there are some obvious costs to that,” he said.

Street life Imagine taking a medium-sized cable-knit sweater and giving it to a medium-sized person to wear. Now take that same sweater and try to stretch it over a car. The sweater still has the same number of holes, but now you can see through all of them.

This is the continuing problem facing Oklahoma City when it comes to serving its residents. It is now called home by more than 600,000 people, thereby achieving the dreams of those chamber of commerce members from 60 years ago, but it must serve an area that could comfortably house about 15 million people.

“Let’s just look at it from the most practical standpoint possible,” Holt said. “If a bus has to drive a mile farther, that’s more gasoline, and if you build a road a mile farther, that’s more road. If only 50 people live alongside a road, they are essentially dividing the cost of that road and its maintenance by 50 people instead of a million people in a place like New York City.

“We each bear more of the cost of infrastructure than if we lived in a more dense community, and it’s all on our shoulders, because there is not — to any great extent — any state or federal funding to subsidize our lifestyle. We choose to live this way, and we bear the cost.”

Many people from multiple generations chose to “live this way,” beginning in 1947 and stretching to the present day, when neighborhoods are still being built along the edges of Oklahoma City. When someone buys such a property, she or he is tacitly agreeing to long commutes, lack of walkability to essential services and, more frequently than not, infrastructural updates like widened roads that do not come 76 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

soon enough to serve the new population. The results can be seen when traffic bottlenecks above NW 178th Street and commuters creep toward the Kilpatrick Turnpike to their south every morning.

While the central part of the city continues to attract new residents and development, Holt points out that there are still houses going up at the northernmost point of the city. It might have evened out, but sprawl has not ended in Oklahoma City.

Find myself a city to live in Prior to the first MAPS plan’s ratification in 1993, it was hard to give away property in the city’s core. The destruction in the wake of the Pei Plan and devaluation of property in central districts like the Paseo Arts District, Plaza District and Midtown, not to mention the cratered oil industry, resulted in empty storefronts in the 1980s. The neighborhoods surrounding those districts lost property value, hit from both sides by white flight and the retreat of essential retail like grocery stores. But as new development began in Oklahoma City’s core in the 1990s, housing prices started to recover and developers began to “infill” in empty lots or in spaces where homes were too dilapidated to

rehabilitate.

Neighborhoods like Mesta Park initiated events like Mesta Festa to bankroll new streetlights as new families began to revive the neighborhood, eager to walk to restaurants, bars and entertainment in the revitalized Uptown 23 district.

Property values in some sections of central Oklahoma City have doubled or even tripled in some sectors. For example, a 100-year-old home in the Gatewood District, located just south of Oklahoma City University, recently was listed for $525,000, or $207 per square foot. Six years ago, that same property was more than $200,000 cheaper than it is now.

This is in sharp contrast to a 15-year-old similarly sized home west of Lake Hefner that goes for exactly $100 per square foot less than the Gatewood home.

This signals a change in values, and not just home sales.

As younger homebuyers seek out the central neighborhoods, gentrification runs rampant, pushing residents out of formerly working-class neighborhoods like the Plaza District so that expensive renovations or new builds can command astronomic prices. As a result, people will be displaced, much like they were in places like New York City, when formerly low-priced properties on Manhattan’s depressed Lower East Side were bought by developers, renovated and then rented for five times their previous rate in the 1990s and 2000s. Residents were forced to leave, relocating to less-expensive neighborhoods across the river in New Jersey.

“Some decisions were made 50 to 100 years ago in this community that are nearly impossible to undo without significant financial investment,” Holt said.

The city cannot de-annex many of the areas it pulled into its orbit in the mid-20th century without leaving residents bereft of essential services. It is a city with big bones, and that will not change. For Holt and the mayors who preceded him since MAPS began in the early 1990s, the key challenge has been to work with what they have to improve how the city moves.

“I believe strongly in continuing to work on it,” he said.

“For example, every time the voters have approved any initiative starting in 2007 — with one exception, Big League

City — every other voter-approved initiative has had sidewalks in it.”

By Holt’s measure, there is not the political will among residents to do all that is needed to fix Oklahoma City’s urban sprawl. While MAPS 3 provided for new public transportation initiatives like the Oklahoma City Streetcar, the city will eventually need to lighten the load of its carbased infrastructure by instituting further changes. This could take the form of a light-rail system similar to what is now found in the north Dallas bedroom communities, funneling residents of Lewisville and Plano into downtown Dallas.

Holt said it would take billions of dollars and come at the expense of “just about everything else, and the political will to make needed changes is only likely to summon itself when residents’ commutes become unbearable.” Until that time comes, and it will, Holt said the most responsible thing for him to do is keep pushing.

“All of those efforts are so time-intensive and laborintensive that they can take decades,” he said.

Holt envisions a kind of nightmare scenario for people living on the edge of the sprawl. Eventually, they face the kind of traffic experienced in places like Austin, Texas, where infrastructure was unable to keep up with massive population growth. Commute times soar, and finally they pull out of their autocentric mindsets and call for light-rail transit. Unfortunately, those kinds of massive infrastructural changes take time and money.

“If you did nothing on regional transit and finally woke up one day and everyone had 45-minute commutes and they were sick of it, you’d be 25 years away from riding on a train,” Holt said. “So, we keep working on this so we’re ready.” n Editor’s note: This story was originally published in Oklahoma City’s street paper, Curbside Chronicle. The monthly publication is created for and sold by individuals experiencing homelessness in OKC. The street paper is a program of the Homeless Alliance.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 77

COMMUNITY

78 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

Girl Scouts Open Camp Trivera

BY TIM FARLEY

A

turnpike construction project proved to be a blessing in disguise for Oklahoma Girl Scouts.

That’s because the former Camp Cookieland in Newalla was sold to the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority and the new Camp Trivera was built in northeast Oklahoma City on zoo property. Construction lasted 13 months with the camp opening last month.

Camp Cookieland was purchased by the Girl Scouts in 1948 using cookie money and personal funds.

Melissa Pepper, chief development ofďŹ cer for Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma, said the new camp is a oneof-a-kind, $12.7 million facility that focuses on highlydriven activities for the Girl Scouts.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 79

Camp Trivera’s main building is 35,000 square feet.

Situated on 17 acres of a 40-acre parcel between the Oklahoma City Zoo Lake and Lincoln Park Golf Course, the camp’s main building is 35,000 square feet, which enables the Girl Scouts to participate in a variety of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), leadership, outdoor and entrepreneurship activities.

The camp also has an indoor rock climbing wall, an outdoor zip line that spans 800 feet across the zoo lake, hiking trails, tree houses that accommodate 10 Scouts, two permanent camp sites, a 60-bed bunk room and an outdoor swimming pool.

Camp Trivera is open for rental to Girl Scout troops,

Below, the bunk space, and (opposite page) pool area, climbing wall and reading space.

80 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 81

Meeting space and science lab.

overnight and after-school activities and weeklong camps.

The building also can be rented to outside groups.

Money for the $12 million facility was raised from the sale of Camp Cookieland, grants and individual and corporate donations. Seventy Girl Scout troops contributed to the construction cost, Pepper said. Leading the fundraising effort was Linda Whittington and Myrla Pierson.

“These two go-getters have been instrumental in building community interest and support, as well as ensuring Camp Trivera will build a legacy for Girl Scouts now and in the future,” according to the Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma web site.

Whether girls are experiencing their very first overnight away from home, interacting with animals and conservation experts to help preserve endangered species, or working as a team to create a robot that functions under water in a pool, Camp Trivera will give girls unmatched opportunities, the web site states.

82 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

the ampitheater and basketball court, below.

“This is the first of its kind in Girl Scouts,” Pepper said.

“We are proud of what it offers girls and what they can achieve here.”

The center also encompasses a Wall of Women touchscreen that allows the Girl Scouts to see the women who have excelled in STEM fields. n

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 83

PEOPLE

Local children create fancy mask lanyards to sell at Vintage Market Days PHOTOS PROVIDED

W

earing masks has become normal for everyone, including children. For Emily Hayes, getting her daughters, fouryear-old Colette and six-year-old Darcie, to wear masks and keep track of them hasn’t always been easy.

Colette and Darcie Hayes 84 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

But, with their new family business, called Fancy Face Lanyards, which will be participating in Vintage Market Days wearing masks has become fun for the girls, and now for others. Vintage Market Days is an upscale vintage-inspired market taking place September 25-27 on the lawn of The Pointe at Chisholm Creek in Oklahoma City.

Hayes said, “Back in June we were having a really hard time keeping our daughters motivated to wear masks. We knew we needed practice, but every time we would go out of the house to practice wearing the masks we noticed they would fall on the floor, or they’d end up on dirty surfaces like a table, or even worse, the masks were lost all together, making us more vulnerable to COVID-19. That’s when my oldest daughter, Darcie, had the idea of tying her mask straps to her costume jewelry.”

Hayes explained that with her daughter’s idea as a starting point, she then came up with a pattern to make something more versatile that allowed them to move the lanyard from one clean mask to another.

“When it came to design, Colette and Darcie took the lead and created personalized, fun, and fabulous looks. We began making them for ourselves and friends. It was fun to share our idea with others, and after posting about them on Facebook, Fancy Face Lanyards was born!”

Six-year-old Darcie said, “We have our mom and dad put an anchor on a string, then we add fun, sparkly, exciting beads. We bag it up and it’s delivered to you. Voilà, you’re fancy!”

Four-year-old Colette added, “We buy beads you will love and put them on a fancy face.”

The girls are excited about selling their lanyards at Vintage Market Days.

Darcie said, “We love Vintage Market Days and have been going since we’ve been babies. We are excited to now share our fancy shop and be like grown-up sellers.”

With “Hello Darling” as its 2020 theme, Vintage Market Days provides a charming family atmosphere for shoppers to find unique items. Featured items include original art, antiques, clothing, jewelry, architectural items and more.

More than 100 booths featuring high-quality vendors will be on-site, along with live music and more.

Erica Parker, Vintage Market Days Owner and Event Coordinator, said, “As small businesses, most of our vendors use events as their main platform to sell their product, and since the pandemic has caused the cancelation of the majority of events for the year, they’ve not had that

opportunity. We owe it to them to help them make a living during this time. I’m thankful to have this event for them, not even for me.”

Vintage Market Days is donating a percentage of the proceeds to The Reckless Saints of Nowhere. The organiza-tion will be on-site helping with loading.

Parker explained, “The sole mission at Reckless is to ensure that no addict who wants help for their addiction is ever turned away merely because they can’t pay for treatment.”

Vintage Market Days has an adapted layout to encourage social distancing. Since the event is outdoors, masks are not required, but they are encouraged.

Tickets for Vintage Market Days on September 25-26 are $11, and on September 27 tickets are $6. Children 12 and under are always free. Hours are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are available online and at the door. n SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 85

PEOPLE

ANNOUNCES 2020 NEXTGEN UNDER30 WINNERS ADULT & HIGHER EDUCATION Bridgitte Castorino Chris Bingham Elizabeth Szkirpan Jade Elizabeth Hansen Jenna Woodward Jerisha Ogletree Jess Mudhar Jessie Daws Parker Lariann Livingston Marissa Henderson Melyssa Lynch Natasha Eidson Nicholas Gordon Reymundo Marrufo Sara Watkins Tristen Black

The University of Oklahoma Oklahoma State University University of Tulsa Northeastern State University University of Oklahoma University of Central Oklahoma University of Oklahoma Metro Technology Centers Eastern Oklahoma State College University of Oklahoma Kiamichi Technology Centers Oklahoma Panhandle State University Okahoma State University Oklahoma State University University of Central Oklahoma University of Oklahoma

ANIMAL CARE Dr. Molly Duffy Elizabeth Stoverink Jessica Webster Mallorie Zweifel Mckenzie Squires Morgan Pfeiffer

Banfield Pet Hospital Oklahoma Humane Society at Palomar Family Justice Center National Livestock Commission Association Bella SPCA Zoetis American Meat Science Association

86 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

Nikki Schuth Sheep Happens Club Lambs Rodrigo Blankenship II Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park

THE ARTS Alexa Goetzinger Audrey Gleason Brooke Leatherwood Carlos Barboza Catie Hamilton Hayley Olson Viridiana Azmequita Jordan Brower Lauren Fourcade Matt Cowell Paige Powell Rachel Morrow Zonly Looman

Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition DreamCatcher’s Dance Company Barboza Mural LLC Chickasaw Nation Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition Black and White Photography of OKC Jordan Mobley Photography Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition Matt Cowell Music The Paseo Arts Association Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Studio Z

AVIATION Adam Fox Cade Collins Jeffrey Walter Lippert Raul Gomez Sergey Kirilin

El Reno Regional Airport SkyWest Airlines Greystone Environmental Services inc Legacy Aviation Services Meta Special Aerospace

EDUCATION K-12 Chip Collins David Duplissis Emily Burris Gabriella Mendez Garron Park Jessica Brower Kathyrn Resendez Katrina Coulson Lacy Huffman Laura Joullian Lauren Merrill Macy Worley Robby Branscum Rowdy Washburn Sandy Escalera Skye Spears Sunny Day Trevor Lucas Tyler McIntosh

Westville Public Schools KIPP OKC College Preparatory School Operation Engagement Inc. & Yukon Public Schools Health Corp Oklahoma City Public Schools Yukon Public Schools Tulsa Legacy Charter School Choctaw High School Edmond Public Schools Cesar Chavez Elementary School Edison Preparatory School - Tulsa Public Schools Jenks Public School Stillwater Public Schools North Rock Creek Public Schools Putnam City Schools Norman Public Schools Bridgestone Intermediate, Western Heights Public Schools Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education Mid-Del Schools

ENERGY & TRANSPORTATION Aba Hammond ONE Gas Inc. Allison Dumas RKI Energy Resources, LLC Britton Andrew KollmannMHC Kenworth Courtney Lang LS Power Private Equity David Krisa Continental Resources Dean Spaay Continental Resources Dru Bullard Walters Power International Jessica Steffan Nalco Water - An Ecolab Company John Whitlock Continental Resources Kendall Sizemore Continental Resources Matthew Burba Pitman Oil and Gas

Sydney Dilbeck CVR Energy Tawnni McCarthy-Klaus Sustaining Oklahoma’s Energy Resources Tommy Renouard Gulfport Energy Trent Bone El Toro Resources Tyler Pleus Magellan Midstream Partners Zac Nakvinda Continental Resources

FINANCE Ashley Jones Chickasaw Nation Beth Nondorf American Fidelity Bradley Jayroe First Fidelity Bank Brooks Kollmann BOK Financial Cameron Buckner Allegiance Credit Union Cayla Broughton Williams Dakota Carrington Paycom Payroll LLC Ethan Thomas HoganTaylor LLP Grace Ann Elizabeth Farnan First United Bank Hunter Marcum Ernst & Young LLP Jacob Dumas Grant Thornton LLP Jacob Gwinn Heartland Payment Systems Jacob McFerran Heartland Payment Systems Joshua Haven Security State Bank Julissa M Camacho Love’s Financial /Love’s Corporate Kelsey Rucker Cherokee Nation Businesses Kim Renfrow Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores Larry W. McCorkell Stride Bank Wealth Management Lauren Wallin The First State Bank Matthew Hechtner Williams, Self & Associates Matthew Maguire (Matt) Bank of Oklahoma Meaghan Hoose Johnson Ernst & Young LLP Robert Evans Merrill Lynch Sean Gentry The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Thomas J Ashley Frontier State Bank

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 87

HEALTH CARE Alex Wade Annalisa Wilder Arielle Barnett Bridget Roush Chelsea Meltzer, MD Dr. Jack Test Dr. Jennifer Shields

Oklahomans for Equality Saint Anthony Hospital Cherokee Nation Health Services Revsuppliance OU Medicine Dermatology OU-Tulsa Physicians University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Dr. Kory Drake OU-Tulsa Physicians Elizabeth Tran OU-Tulsa Physicians Emma Niblett The Children’s Hospital at OU Medicine Erin Tsambikos Scholze OU Medical Center Erin Ungerecht Family First Urgent Care Ethan James Finessa Parks Cherokee Nation Garrett McCurrach Martin Bionics Clinical Care, LLC Ingrid Deleon Integris Southwest Medical Center Jake Blasdel St. John’s Hospital (Tulsa, OK) Jana Ray Classen Family medicine Jennifer Dillard Choctaw Nation Jennifer Shields University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Jesse Becerra The Oklahoma City Indian Clinic Jordan Park Calm Waters Center for Children and Families Karoline Dorr Oklahoma City Indian Clinic Kate Glasgow Entrust Home Health Kellen Hardy Croasdale Integris Health Kelsey Schoonmaker The Children’s Hospital at OU Medicine Kevin McGinn OU-Tulsa Physicians Kyle Womack MUV OKC Performance Physio Madeline Bentley Integris Health Edmond Hospital 88 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

Mariam Gates-Robin Marissa Yvonne Flores Megan Jayroe Melissa Lemaster Michelle Brugenhemke Natorrie McGill Rebekah Walker Rifda Shahab Ryan Yarnall Sarah Lowell-Oshman Stellajean Wilson Summer Lepley Taylor Compton Tristan Smith

Robin Counseling Services, LLC Oklahoma City County Health Dept Integris Health Dewberry Physical Therapy Central McCurtain Memorial Urgent Care Cherokee Nation Oklahoma Heart Hospital OU-Tulsa Physicians OU Medicine - The Children's Hospital OU-Tulsa Physicians Veterans Affairs Medical Center OU-Tulsa Physicians

HOSPITALITY Adrienne Smith Ali McCurdy Andrew Hall Anthony Dobey Cat Tien “Kathy” Gia Bui Elizabeth Sanchez Jordan Brower Justin Demuth Kelci Barnett Nicholas Gunter Raven Campos

SONIC Drive-In/Inspire Brands Oklahoma City Thunder SONIC Drive-In Broadway 10 Bar and Chophouse Topgolf Oklahoma Restaurant Association Rise Coworking Cherokee Nation Entertainment Chick-fil-A Moore and Chick-fil-A Norman Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Cherokee Nation Entertainment

THE LAW Alex Sokolosky Crowe & Dunlevy Andrew Garrett Terry J. Garrett and Associates Chantelle Hickman-Ladd Alleman Law Firm, PLLC Daniel Bokemper Arnold & Smith Law, PLLC

Emily Grossnicklaus Jennifay Richardson Katie Wagner Hall Kendra Norman Kevin Easley Jr. Meghan Hilborn Mike Flesher Mitch Holliman Natalie Gilbert Preston Sullivan Rilee Harrison Robert Chad Nelson Russell B. Taylor Taylor Stovall Taylor Weder

Oklahoma County Public Defender's Office Holden Litigation Estill Hardwick Gable Golden & Nelson Phillips Murrah Higgins Easley Attorneys at Law State of Oklahoma, Tulsa County District Attorney's Office District Attorneys office Elias, Books, Brown & Nelson, P.C. Evans & Davis Chansolme Harroz Hays, PLLC Lawter & Associates Foliart Huff Ottaway & Bottom Blaney, Tweedy, Tipton & Hiersche, PLLC Oath Law Fellers Snider

Manufacturing, Industry, The Trades, and Agriculture Austin Hayes Braden Henricks Cody Curry Dustin Reid Judith Ruiz- Marin Jadie Evans Jaret Fipps Kate Sprague Leon Wunsch Mason Haley Michael Chase Shashank Ramarao Trevor Bryant Tyler Lee

Hayes Commercial Holdings, LLC Henricks Cattle Company McAlister Construction Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma 360 Renovations Nayr Holdings, LLC Corteva Agriscience Grace Fencing and Construction Co. LLC 5 Leaf Lab OkieClean LLC Carr R.L. Hudson and Company Cemplex Group Colburn Electric Ram Products

Media, Public Relations, Marketing, and Advertising Aimee Hock Alex Rodriguez Andrew Aston Ashton Owens Brit Hensel Britain Drennan Caleb Croy Chris Young Christian Cox Colton Basks Courtney Brady Deleanie Moriello Delmi Menendez Demery Pennington Derrick James Emily Tackett Hannah Landry Jake Searock Jennay Wangen Joe Biby Kali Dearing Katie Hackett Kayla Stump Kendall Morgan KenLea Henson Kiley Josey Kristin Morgan Lauren Merrill Lexi Hoebing Lindsay Henricks Loren Waters Madison Lippert Mindy Wright Peri Decoteau Randie Durant

KFOR-TV Spark Creative Jones PR Studio Flight Cherokee Nation Businesses Tulsa Regional Chamber Spark Creative Gartner The House & The House Helps Jones PR Spark Creative VI Marketing and Branding The Boldt Company Gooden Group McAlester News-Capital Oklahoma City Community College Krush Digital Back40 Design Back40 Design Boiling Point Media Collision Works Koch Communications Life.Church Tyler Media Cherokee Nation sociallutions llc Sagac Public Affairs Merrill Media Group LLC Sagac Public Affairs Oklahoma Pork Council Cherokee Nation Businesses Insight Creative Group Heartland Payment Systems MacArthur Associated Consultants BOK Financial

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Rebecca Sheppard Ryan Plunkett Samantha Robinson Shelby Jackson Tanner Mark Yeomans Templin Hammock Tori Jones Trevor Killblane Tyler Maness

Spark Creative High Five Media Cherokee Nation The Outlet Resource Group (TORG) Impressions Printing Hummingbird Aerials and Motion Hughes Warren, Inc. Station8 Hyped Visuals

NON PROFIT ORGINIZATIONS Allyson Meyer Amanda Reed Austin Klososky Britain Drennan Cecely Jones Chelsea Mohan Christine Hamby Cindy Nguyen Clayton Ramick Colton Kersey Dakota Leftwich Destinee Martinez Destiny Gaither Dillon Byrd Elizabeth Angeles Emilie Hechtner Emily Faith Erin Engelke Gabriella Mendez

Cleats for Kids Mutt Misfits Animal Rescue Society Communities Foundation of Oklahoma Tulsa Regional Chamber Oklahoma City Society for Human Resources Pathways Adult Learning Center Circle of Care YWCA Oklahoma City The Moore Public School Foundation Oklahoma Youth Expo Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits Keep Growing Oklahoma Keep Growing Oklahoma Frontline Church Oklahoma City Indian Clinic Boy Scouts of America, Last Frontier Council Granville Community Music School Calm Waters Center for Children & Families Health Corp

90 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

Jazlin Asencio Jordan Smicklas Jordan Ward Lindsey Martin Melissa J. Baez Michelle Ondak Natasha Hamilton Preston Shatwell Rayna Cumbie Sabrina Heise Skyler Factor T Shannon Mckenrick Tabatha Thurman Talia Mendoza Tasha Atcity Timothy Corbly

Meals on Wheels of Metro Tulsa Children's Hospital Foundation Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma Dress for Success Oklahoma City Broken Arrow Chamber & Economic Development Circle of Care Amplify Transition House Inc. Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden Oklahoma City Indian Clinic National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum Midland Group Oklahoma City Indian Clinic Oklahoma United Methodist Circle of Care, Inc. KISS Institute for Practical Robotics

POLICY and PUBLIC SERVICE Allison Ikley-Freeman Alyssa Fisher Amanda Paige Bradbury Ashley Billups Crall Brandon Worley Brittany Hayes Colton Thomas Snead Gali Martinez Hayden Harrison Ioannis Wallingford

Oklahoma State Senate Sally’s List Oklahoma City Police Dept Oklahoma Senate City of Tulsa Healthy Minds Policy Initiative OU Southwest Prevention Center Skyfire Media and Oklahoma Senate Democratic Caucus Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG) United States Army

Jennifer Daer Shields

University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center John Michael Montgomery Oklahoma State Senate Logan Lewis Cherokee Nation Businesses Malik Rochdi Canadian County Government Rachel Leonard Down Sydrome Association of Central Oklahoma Rachel Ware City of Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation Dept Seth Rott McSpadden Milner Robinson Government Relations Tara Steffens Paycom Tori Burba Sulphur Chamber of Commerce Tosin Akande Oklahoma State Dept of Education Zachariah Swift Oklahoma House of Representatives

RETAIL and E-COMMERCE Andrew Davis Aslan Maleki Barrett Ramsey Carlos Ballard Catie Armstrong Chase Romine Danielle Throckmorton Jamie Hull K. Kearby Lamson Nicola Yu Rachel Warren Ryan Woerz Tim Beedle

Heartland Payments Systems Volvo Cars Oklahoma City Aldi Artisan Botanical Hobby Lobby Ecommerce Artisan Botanicals Throckmorton Events & Reach Retreat Artisan Botanicals LLC Bob Moore Auto Group Plate-X Floured Roses Bakery The Chickasaw Nation Mathis Brothers

Science, Technology, and Engineering Alexis Hood Anita Ly Brooke Wincapaw

Chandler Walker Christopher Nation Clifford Synar Cookie Brown Erin Cunningham Hayley Hunter Jake Harbaugh

Manhattan Construction Company DellEMC Innovative IT Solutions LN Paycom Paycom MacArthur Associated Consultants Jessica Button ONEOK, Inc. Lexi Freeman Citizen Potawatomi Nation Liza Van Der Laan Oklahoma State University Lyndsey Parsons Devon Energy Matt Varughese Websterpeace Matt Woods Tailwind Michael Linscott Bridge Crane Specialists Ltd Milecia McGregor Flipped Coding Shayla Dawn Wright WrycanC, LLC Peri Decoteau MacArthur Associated Consultants Rabecca Wiseman Oklahoma State University Samuel Macklin MacArthur Associated Consultants Sarah Ciccaglione University of Oklahoma Shawna Roggow Dewald Greystone Environmental Services Inc Shayoni Banerjee University of Oklahoma Sheerine Baucum Paycom Shelby Hanchera MacArthur Associated Consultants Skylar Calhoun Wallace Engineering Spencer Sunstrum MacArthur Associated Consultants Wilson Rodwell Greystone Environmental services inc Ziggie Oleru LexisNexis Risk Solutions

Heartland Payment Systems Oklahoma Catalyst Programs RKBlack SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ion Oklahoma 91

SPORTS and OUTDOORS Chelsea Cooke Chris Hagner Morris Turner Keeton Peery Mireya Padilla Shelby Stephens

Chelsea Cooke Wellness LLC Oklahoma City Thunder Coffeyville Community College Oklahoma Christian University Zumba con Mireya Arbonne

TOURISM Zach Thomas

Jenks Chamber of Commerce

Mackenzie Edgeman Megan Sittig Raymond Wolber Sadie Kilby Shawn Abedi Ta'Chelle Jones Tanner Cunningham Tehryn Jones Tyler Espinosa Valerie Koonrahht

OTHER Alex Tritten Allyson Davis Amber LaValley Brandie Holloway Bret Horn Chelsea Lynch Cierra White Dustin Reid Emily Gise Holly Bergman Jeff Houston Jessi Stringer Jestene Coats John Engelbrecht Kimberly Elmendorf

In The Green Accounting Solutions Main Event Entertainment Vision Martial Arts Academy Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Hunting Country & Real Estate The weighted fork Masko of Oklahoma Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Oklahoma Dept of Human Services Dewberry Architects Keller Williams Green Meadow Eight Point Creative Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma T. McDonald Construction, Inc. UCO Peer Health Leaders

92 ion Oklahoma SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

Hello Love Salon and Boutique Mike Thompson State Farm Addison Group Tinker Air Force Base Misfire Motorsports WeGoLook Grant Thornton Young Survival Coalition Tyler Espinosa Allstate Lobdock Impairment Detection

STAFFING Ashley Geary Ashley Newey Blair Tillman Brielle Geiger Brooke Gudgel

Express Services Inc. INCEED FSB Sheraton Oklahoma City Downtown Hotel Inceed

Cecely Jones Hartwig Staffing Gabe Stark Paycom Jonny Kaleka TEKSystems Julia Federline OakTree Staffing Robin Berkstresser Rogue Recruitment Sarah Espinosa Hartwig Staffing Sydney Kippenberger INCEED Tim Tofpi Aerotek Tyler Block INCEED