ion Oklahoma Magazine January / February 2022

January/February 2022

ionok.com

Allison Garrett:

first female chancellor for state regents of higher education

OSSM: Three decades of educating and serving NextGen Under 30 Awards Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher now streaming Socks for Seniors

Lifestyle … Culture … Entertainment

January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 1

2 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 3

4 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 5

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

K I T C H E N S | B AT H R O O M S | I N T E R I O R S H I S T O R I C R E N O VAT I O N S SINCE 1999

Advertising Sales Don Swift Photographers Jeremy Gossett Hugh Scott, Jr. Tracy Reece Jerry Hymer Advertising Consultants Peter Preksto Contributors fashion : Linda Miller social issues : Garland McWatters community : Lauren Wright contributing writer : Sandi Davis contributing writer : M.A. Smith contributing writer : M. J. Van Deventer contributing writer : Kristen Marckmann OKnStyle - ion OK 3240 West Britton Rd Suite 101 Oklahoma City, OK 73120 405-607-0930 405-816-3338 6 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

Cabinets by Showplace

Urban Kitchens

Jo Meacham | Owner | Designer Neila Crank-Clements | Partner

405-702-7747

4410 N Western Avenue Oklahoma City, OK 73118 See us on HOUZZ or visit urbankitchensok.com

FIND US ON January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 7

12 COVER STORY 12 Garrett makes return trip to Oklahoma as first female chancellor for state regents of higher education

fashion 36

and inspiring

by Linda Miller

24

Socks for Seniors non-profit helps many people, groups Socks for Seniors

by Linda Miller

48

48

MIGHT Development Center

by Tim Farley

58

NextGen Under 30 Awards

Brighten your wardrobe during winter

by Linda Miller

by Linda Miller

People 16 OSSM: Three decades of educating, serving

54

events 40 Happening in the Myriad Gardens 52 Town Hall Lecture Series 54 Bachelors Club 2021 sports 42 Oklahoma University 2022 Basketball Schedule 43 Oklahoma State University 2022 Basketball Schedule 44

6852

Oklahoma City Thunder 2022 Schedule

places 68 First National Center comes to life again:

Former iconic bank will become crown jewel hotel

leadership 28 Breea Clark: when it’s scary, leaders lead

by Garland McWatters

31

8 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

Film 32 Montford: the Chickasaw Rancher now on Netflix

in every issue 10

Publisher’s Note 28

Gene Lehmann, Chickasaw Nation Media Relations

January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 9

publisher’s Note

Welcome to ion Oklahoma Magazine. 2022 is the beginning of our 12th year anniversary in the publishing business of an online digital lifestyle magazine and news-entertainment website www.ionok.com. We are currently redesigning our website and will launch our newly updated website design at the end of January 2022. ion Oklahoma Magazine has grown to over 49,755 subscribers located primarily in four counties and 89 zip codes of central Oklahoma.

Our six printed editions published annually and can be downloaded FREE from our website or printed copies can be ordered on demand and mailed directly to your home or office.

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

Today Oklahoma has been experiencing a certain noticeable growth among young people under the age of 18 - 30.

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 2022, the NextGen Under 30 Award Recognition Program is going to celebrate its 12th anniversary.

Also please visit www.uco.nextgentalksok.com and click on the Videos tab to view our University of Central Oklahoma and Edmond Oklahoma Community with 10 speakers sharing their 15 minutes TALKS related to the theme “Enriching Equity …Illuminating Inclusion”. The program was attended by a live in person audience UCO Students and Faculty, Edmond Chamber of Commerce members, Edmond Public School students and Edmond Rotary members.

Also this program was live streamed for all those not capable of attending in person.

NextGen TALKS Oklahoma was created and inspired by the very successful TEDx Talks media programs.

NextGen TALKS Oklahoma showcase the NOW, NEXT, and NEXTGEN Leaders in Oklahoma who want to share their experiences, successes and contributions in making Oklahoma a great state for everyone to live and follow their careers and dreams.

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

oklahoma “Like” us on facebook

facebook.com/pages/IonOklahoma-Online Follow us on twitter @IonOklahoma

10 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 11

cover story

Garrett makes return trip to Oklahoma

She’s first female chancellor for state regents of higher education

By Linda Miller

O

klahoma keeps luring Allison Garrett back.

Most recently she returned to become the first female chancellor for the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education. It was a homecoming of sorts. She’s from Neosho, Mo., but during the last 40 years her connections to the state include degrees from Oklahoma Christian University and the University of Tulsa College of Law. Two decades later, she found herself on the Oklahoma Christian campus as senior vice president for academic affairs from 2007 to 2012.

Garrett has worked in corporate and academia, most recently as an energetic, tireless and successful president at Emporia State University in Kansas and years earlier in the legal department at Walmart. It was both experiences that grabbed the attention of the Oklahoma state board of regents when the search started for a new chancellor.

Last November Garrett settled into a position that seems made for her and it came with a familiar landscape.

“My family considers Oklahoma home, so this was an opportunity to return to a state that we love and serve the people of Oklahoma,” she said. “Education has tremendous transformative power in the lives of individuals, but also in assuring a vibrant economy. I am excited about the role higher education can play in the future of a state that I love.”

She’s also happy to share that her granddaughter Charlotte is a 7th generation Oklahoman.

12 ion Oklahoma January/February January/February2022 2022

Allison Garrett at her official inauguration as Emporia State University president in 2016. Provided photo by Emporia State University

“Being closer to family members is a bonus of the move back to Oklahoma,” she said.

Garrett leads a state system of 25 state colleges and universities, 11 constituent agencies, one university center and independent colleges and universities.

For her, it’s important to see the big picture of higher education in Oklahoma.

“Over the next several months we will work with the regents and our institutions, as well as talking with elected officials and members of the business community, to build out a strategic plan for the higher education system in Oklahoma,” she said. “We need to look far into the future so that the system serves not just the Oklahoma of 2022, but the Oklahoma of 2042 as well.”

There will be challenges. Goals won’t be met immediately, and progress won’t come overnight. But Garrett is optimistic.

“Often challenges are also huge opportunities,” she said.

“In the case of Oklahoma, the fact that children in this state are so diverse is an opportunity. This year in K-12, there is no majority. Said another way, white students in K-12 in Oklahoma are under 50 percent. Higher education must serve students, all students well, including those who are first-generation college students. I believe that we will see more first-generation college students in the coming years.”

Funding challenges continue to be a concern. As a state, cuts to higher education here surpassed cuts in any other Attorney General Swearing In, December 10, 2021.

state in the 2010-2020 decade, she said. “Oklahoma was cut 37.2 percent at a time when the national average was to increase funding by more than 10 percent. We are in the bottom 10 states in funding per full-time student here in Oklahoma.”

She said there are also key majors where workforce development is a huge issue for this state. Engineering and technology related majors, nursing and teaching are three that come to mind, she said, adding that higher education helps to instill hope and change the lives of individuals.

Higher education also supplies much of the state’s future workforce.

“For Oklahoma to recruit businesses into the state, or AG OSU undergrad commencement, December 11, 2021.

January/February 2022 ion ionOklahoma Oklahoma 13

Right: Selection Press Conference, September 24, 2021.

even to just sustain and grow existing businesses, we need to be producing more graduates. As a state, we are well below the national average in bachelor’s degree attainment and also below all but one of the contiguous states in bachelor’s degree attainment,” she said.

Garrett believes her experience in corporate business has helped in her more recent education roles. She served as a vice president over different areas at Walmart before moving into the academic field. That gave her a strong understanding of workforce issues and an appreciation for using data to inform decision making.

“As I transitioned into leadership roles in higher education, that desire to have KPIs (key performance indicators), robust strategic planning and the ability to do predictive modeling are things I brought with me,” she said.

Applying some of those tools and applications, along with new ideas and approaches, helped bring significant growth and advancements to Emporia State University during her presidency.

“ESU experienced growth in several key areas. We had several years in a row of record student retention, graduation rates and numbers of graduate students,” she said. “And 14 ion Oklahoma January/February January/February2022 2022

I was blessed to work with a fantastic fundraising team to achieve several years of record setting fundraising. In every area, it is a team effort and no one individual can move the needle. The challenges in higher education today are enormous and whether it’s me or our college and university presidents, we must use every tool in the toolbox to graduate more students to help them achieve their dreams and to meet Oklahoma’s workforce. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education are a coordinating board rather than a governing board. I will be a resource and advocate for the institutions in Oklahoma.” n January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 15

OSSM applications

people

OSSM…

Three decades of educating, serving and inspiring

T

By Linda Miller

hirty years ago in May, the senior class of Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics (OSSM) was reveling in the formality, congratulations, speeches and accolades that came with the school’s first graduation ceremony.

But it wasn’t just the 44 seniors. Family members, staff and board of trustee members were celebrating too, along with those who favored legislative action in 1983 that established the state-funded, residential high school with a college-level curriculum for juniors and seniors with outstanding ability in science and mathematics. There is no cost for tuition, housing, books or meals for students who are residents of Oklahoma.

This year, 56 seniors will be handed diplomas. College scholarships will help further their studies in STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and mathematics. And, no doubt, they will be as successful as the more than 1,900 alumni who came before them.

That lengthy list includes 2011 alum Nathan Seidle whose Colorado-based online supply company provided an essential engineering part for a robotic helicopter that has been on Mars for a year. Whitley O’Connor of the 2010 16 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

class who with his future wife Ranya Forgotson launched the Curbside Chronicle, Oklahoma City’s first street newspaper on July 1, 2013, the summer before his senior year at Vanderbilt. And Caleb Lareau, class of 2011, a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford where he researches the molecular basis of cancer and is a scientific co-founder of Cartography epreneurial or social growth.

Hundreds more graduates are equally as successful with noteworthy achievements. While at OSSM, students are challenged through rigorous and demanding courses and classes in mathematics, physics, biology, engineering, computer science, chemistry, humanities, fine arts and physical education. Mentors and teachers inspire them to make a difference, to be effective and to influence.

In September 2021, OSSM was named 2022 Best Public High School and Best STEM school in Oklahoma by Niche, a leading ranking organization. This is OSSM’s third consecutive year to receive the ranking. OSSM is ranked No. 20 out of 19,984 high schools in the nation, landing it in the top 1/10th of 1 percent of all public high schools in the nation.

Numbers help tell the story. OSSM’s National Merit Scholars total more than 500. One hundred percent of graduates go on to colleges and universities across the United States

Dr. Frank Wang, president of Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics. Photo provided.

and abroad. From 2016 through 2021, offered college scholarships averaged $214,000 per student.

Since inception, OSSM’s residential campus has had students attend from all 77 state counties. And 50 percent of graduates with college degrees and who have entered the work force are currently working in Oklahoma.

OSSM’s purpose and early vision has been to lead efforts to advance STEM education in Oklahoma, which now is fulfilled through the main campus in downtown Oklahoma City and advanced classes at its regional centers in Enid, Okmulgee, Poteau, Stilwell and Tahlequah. There’s also a virtual program for students seeking challenging science and math options not at their current high school.

OSSM President Dr. Frank Wang, the school’s second president, will retire at the end of June after a busy and successful term. He’s quick to say, though, that in this type of work, one’s work is never done.

“I believe I could have accomplished more; nonetheless I am happy with what was accomplished these last 10 years of my tenure as president,” he

The Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics (OSSM) is accepting applications for its Class of 2024 (the 2022-23 academic year). OSSM, which enrolls high school juniors and seniors from all 77 counties in Oklahoma with no cost for tuition, room or board, anticipates a class of about 85-90 students and expects to receive more than 150 applications. Admission criteria for high school sophomores includes high school grades/transcripts and academic goals, teacher and counselor recommendations, and ACT scores. Students also interview with faculty, staff and alumni.

For the 2021-22 school year, OSSM enrolled 72 new juniors, 39 males and 33 females. The median grade point average (GPA) was 3.98.

“OSSM provides the finest college preparation for Oklahoma’s high-achieving high school students,” said Bill Kuehl, dean of admissions and registrar. “An OSSM education connects a rigorous science and math-based curriculum with personalized education, utilizing a small student to teacher ratio and small lab size to impact students. This experience successfully opens doors for college scholarships and college admissions, as it serves to prepare students for life-changing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Many of our alumni go on to their chosen profession, with several working on important issues like COVID-19 vaccines and cures to cancer.”

OSSM is ranked No. 20 on Niche.com’s List of Top 100 Public High Schools in the United States. Currently, there are 19,984 public high schools that are evaluated for inclusion on this list.

The next highest ranked public high school in Oklahoma is Jenks at No. 905.

OSSM is also the 2022 Best Public High School and the Best High School for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in Oklahoma. Niche.com is a leading school ranking organization headquartered in Pittsburgh. Ranking factors include state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality, and high school ratings from students and parents.

For more information, visit www.ossm.edu or call (405) 5216436. n January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 17

Lareau uses OSSM as springboard to his career

By Linda Miller Caleb Lareau’s education at Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics proved to be the perfect springboard for continued and advanced studies in science and research that captured the attention of Forbes magazine.

Lareau, an Enid native and 2011 OSSM graduate, is a Stanford Science Fellow in the School of Medicine at Stanford University. His research focuses on the development and application of new technologies and approaches to understand oncogenesis, a complex process by which normal cells turn into cancerous cells. He’s also a scientific cofounder of Cartography Biosciences, a stealth startup developing precision immunotherapies for cancer.

As a high school sophomore in Enid, Lareau took advantage of OSSM’s regional center where he could take advanced science and math classes while continuing at the local high school. He was accepted to OSSM’s main campus as a junior and senior. OSSM was a transformation in his science and math education.

“No way I’d be where I am today without the school,” he said, adding that in Enid there weren’t as many education opportunities as many of his peers had or those that he now interacts with. “OSSM was the great equalizer and put me in position to make advances in cancer research and biotechnology which is kind of the bigger field that I occupy.”

It was at OSSM where at times half of the courses were different subspecialties of science that it started to crystalize that this was an avenue for a full-time career, he said.

His numerous awards and honors include Forbes magazine’s 30 Under 30 list for 2022 of bright young entrepreneurs, leaders and stars. He was recognized in the science 18 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

category. In 2021, he was named a Parker Scholar for the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and in 2020 he became a Stanford Science Fellow. In 2018, the National Cancer Institute awarded him the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Award.

Lareau completed his PhD from Harvard Medical School after getting degrees from Harvard University and the University of Tulsa. He also has three U.S. patents – lineage inference from single-cell transcriptomics, methods of detecting mitochondrial disease and lineage tracing using mitochondrial genome mutations and single-cell genomics.

Lareau’s next step is to become a faculty member, perhaps at Stanford or somewhere different.

“Every day I’m studying, trying to focus on understanding cancer and how to treat cancer better with some of these new insights,” Lareau said. n Caleb and his fiance Izzy.

said. “OSSM was facing some tough fiscal times when I started in August 2012. During the 2011-2012 academic year, faculty and staff were asked to go on furlough for 12 days. This is roughly a 5 percent pay cut. Our relations with the legislature were strained. Our budget was cut from a high in 2009 of around $7.8 million to around $6.1 million and we had to shrink our employee base from a high of around 78 full-time equivalent employees to around 52 full-time equivalent employees.”

To bring in more money to ensure a stable financial foundation, Wang worked with legislative leaders to pass a law in 2013 that allowed OSSM to admit a limited number of out-of-state students who pay more than $40,000 each, to run summer programs costing $975 per week for each paying student and to rent out space on campus.

“All these entrepreneurial initiatives brought in much needed money to OSSM,” he said. “We are now in a much stronger financial position, I believe.”

Though his early years required immediate attention to the financial situation, he’s said his greatest joy as president is helping students realize their fullest potential.

“I am the father of four children, and I try to treat each OSSM student as my own child,” Wang said. “One particularly gratifying thing happened a few weeks ago. There was a student who came back after having graduated nearly 10 years ago. He came back to thank me for giving him a second chance. He had done something that caused our dean of students to recommend his expulsion. He made an appeal to me. We had a long and intense conversation on a Sunday evening. His dad had the car packed up with his things. If I had said no to his appeal, his dad and he were prepared to drive to a nearby state that night so that he could start anew in a new school the following day.”

Wang did grant his appeal and the student returned to classes at OSSM, but the president checked on him daily, making sure he was focused on his studies and using his time well.

“I thought he was angry with me for checking on him in front of his classmates in such a visible way and making

him work while his friends may have been relaxing in the common area. He recently came back to OSSM to tell me nine years later with tears in his eyes that he graduated from a really good engineering school and has a successful career in the Dallas area. For years, I wondered how he was doing and am now happy I made the decision I did to give him a second chance.”

It’s experiences like that make his job so worthwhile and rewarding. Before coming to OSSM, he headed Saxon Publishers, a textbook publishing company. It had more employees, a much larger campus, and an operating budget five times that of OSSM. But leading OSSM required and demanded more of him since its budget operates as its own ecosystem with a residential component, food services, security, janitorial and, of course, academics.

“I wear multiple hats: as a teacher, surrogate parent, bus driver, food services server,” he said, adding that he subbed in the serving line when Food Services was short-handed. He also put on a cook/chef hat, occasionally making fried rice, pan-fried Chinese potstickers and steamed soupy pork buns as a treat for the students. “All in all, I can say that it was a full and fulfilling time for me. I can’t imagine a better job than this one, where I can make a meaningful and positive experience in young people’s lives.”

Last year, Wang received the Meritorious Service award by the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education at the UniverJanuary/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 19

The O’Connors

A passion for helping others

W

By Linda Miller

hitley O’Connor, a 2010 alum of Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics, had not yet attended his first day of class at Vanderbilt University when an encounter with a man selling newspapers on the street changed the direction of his life.

sity of Oklahoma. If he had a choice, he said, this is the award he would have wanted to receive in recognition of his work.

“Service is my main passion and driving motivation in life. I am a big subscriber to the Bible verse Luke 12:48 “to whom much is given, much is required.” I have been very blessed in my life and especially by living and working here in Oklahoma. I’ve had my day in the sun, so to speak, and I want to devote my energies for the rest of my life to helping young people realize their full potential and to become productive members of society. Though I will be stepping down from administration, I will remain a lifelong teacher.”

Wang is proud of OSSM and understands the significance of such a school in the state. It is important for young people who have a passion for learning and for STEM to have a community where they can feel truly at home, he said. “I believe that places like OSSM are incubators for the future success of the State of Oklahoma.”

So where does he see OSSM in 10 years? “Well, I am a person of faith and would say that where OSSM is in 10 years is up to Divine Providence. I see myself just a caretaker of this noble and glorious enterprise.

In general, I would like to see OSSM increasing its impact and reach, however that may be accomplished whether through increased enrollment at its residential campus, increased enrollment at its regional centers and virtual program, increased participation in summer academies and day workshops, increased participation in teacher workshops and also in new programs that have not even been envisi oned yet.” n 20 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

Top: Whitley O’Connor at his OSSM graduation.

Middle: Whitley O’Connor and his wife Ranya Forgotson at the launch of Curbside Chronicle.

Bottom: The Curbside Chronicle, Oklahoma City’s first street paper.

That newspaper was The Contributor, a Nashville street paper sold by homeless vendors who buy the papers at a minimal cost and sell them for an increased amount. The publication provided jobs, income and a way out of homelessness.

It was an idea that O’Connor couldn’t shake and a solution that he could see working in Oklahoma City. After much research while working towards his degrees in human and organizational development and sociology, he created The Curbside Chronicle with his partner and future wife Ranya Forgotson. The summer before his senior year at Vanderbilt the two launched Oklahoma City’s first street paper on July 1, 2013.

After graduation, he returned to Oklahoma City, married Ranya, worked full time and put together Curbside during any spare minutes. His wife was hired as its first staff member and in April 2015 the publication became an official program of the Homeless Alliance, a nonprofit in the city.

O’Connor, who grew up in Seminole, credits Dr. Edna Manning, first president of OSSM, for his return to the state.

“I had no interest in coming back to Oklahoma City,” he said, but he couldn’t forget her often-repeated words to “go anywhere in the world and get the best education you can but return to Oklahoma and give back to the state that gave you a world class education.”

And give back he has. At OSSM, his interest transitioned

Whitley O’Connor and his wife Ranya Forgotson at the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits Awards banquet.

from business to nonprofits thanks to a mentorship. With Curbside Chronicle, he was finally seeing those two concepts merge and make an impact like nonprofits do. Curbside has helped more than 300 vendors, and probably closer to 350 to 400, ending well over 1,000 years of combined homelessness, he said. Monthly magazine sales average about 13,000. Vendors pay 75 cents for each copy and sell them for $2 on street corners across the city. Many of the articles are written by the vendors, giving them a voice, a sense of pride and purpose, and a chance to change their future by working themselves out of homelessness.

January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 21 January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 21

Oonnor recently was named to Forbes magazine’s annual 30 Under 30 list for 2022 of young leaders who leverage their influence for entrepreneurial or social growth. He was named in the social impact category. Last year, he and his wife received the Rodney Bivens Innovation Award which is given to visionary leaders or volunteers with a new idea that inspired groundbreaking changes. Curbside Chronicle has had several recognitions too, including the Oklahoma Innovation Prize, multiple awards from the Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists, three international journalism awards, an Urban Land Institute award for Community Building, a Google Impact Challenge grant, and an Oklahoma Nonprofit Excellence award for Self-Sufficiency, among others.

While the magazine addresses the need for low-barrier employment, Curbside Flowers offers an opportunity for those wanting to transition to more mainstream jobs. Curbside Flowers

opened in December 2020, offering employment for former vendors.

“What we’re trying to do with the flower shop is to create a more traditional atmosphere, but still have support available if they need a mental health day,” O’Connor said. “We work with them so they can be successful and move on.”

The goal today is to create a network of employment opportunities, he said. Another complement to Curbside Chronicle and Curbside Flowers is Sasquatch Shaved Ice that employs lowincome youth. Shaved ice stands are in in the Plaza District and Bricktown as well as a mobile unit for private events and parties. Along with shaved ice, the menu now includes hot chocolate and smores.

Next up is Curbside Apparel, a screen-printing operation that will include custom T-shirts, cards and posters and will function similar to Curbside Flowers by employing former vendors.

22 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

The newspaper, shaved ice stands and screen printing are all under the Homeless Alliance’s Curbside Enterprises employment wing. O’Connor and his wife Ranya are co-directors of social enterprise for the nonprofit. She focuses more on maintaining social enterprises and oversees the flower shop and magazine. He supervises the Sasquatch youth program and is working on the new apparel shop.

And it all started with O’Connor’s mentorship at the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits while he was at Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics.

That’s what triggered his interest in social issues, an interest that became a passion that led an award-winning street newspaper and opportunities for those needing a hand up.

His intent was never for people to just buy the newspaper because it helped the homeless. “We wanted people to pick it up and say, ‘Wow this is worth it.’ People are surprised the stories are so good,” he said. Vendors are proud of the newspaper, too, often letting buyers know of the stories and coupons inside.

O’Connor could have taken his idea for a street newspaper anywhere in the U.S. and no doubt hundreds would have benefited. But Dr. Manning’s words were powerful and resonated with him as he considered and dismissed a future elsewhere.

“Sure, they needed help, but they weren’t my people,” he said. “I want to go and help my people.” n

People

Socks for Seniors non-profit helps many people, groups Socks for Seniors

M

By Linda Miller Photos provided

The residents were more excited than if Santa himself ost of us don’t give socks a second thought. We simply reach into the had made an appearance. When handed a bag, one frail woman in a wheelchair seemed overcome with surprise. drawer and pull out a pair.

But for seniors who are homebound, in a nursing home or living on the street, socks are a big deal. Socks are one of the most requested items by those who do give that most basic and important clothing item a second thought.

Friends Sue McMillan and Suzanne Nadeau learned of the need years ago and knew they had to help. In 2013, Socks for Seniors OK was born, and the two delivered Christmas gift bags with socks and a candy treat to 127 seniors at three Oklahoma City area nursing homes. It was a major undertaking and an eye-opening experience.

An employee shared that they were the first people outside of staff who had seen or talked to the woman in five years.

Even more disheartening was that her family lived just a mile away. The two also learned that for many of the seniors, those packages were all they would receive for Christmas. It was a heartbreaking discovery.

Today, with about 10 regular board volunteers, Socks for Seniors delivers those yearly much-appreciated socks along with blankets, caps, gloves, books, toiletry items and more.

Their reach extends to the Veterans Center and Alzheimer’s unit in Norman and nursing homes in Midwest City, Del City, the Choctaw area, Yukon, Bethany, Warr Acres, Oklahoma City, Edmond, Kingfisher, Hennessey and Okarche, and more recently to the homeless on the streets.

In December 2021, the group delivered to 2,000 seniors and veterans including those in 27 nursing homes, homebound seniors and veterans, the VA nursing home and Alzheimer’s unit in Norman, as well as 257 backpacks and 50 filled purses to the homeless. Most of the homeless were seniors and veterans found living on the streets and under bridges and overpasses.

“We spread ourselves a little thin, but we try to go to the most needed areas,” McMillan said Each bag is specific for men, women and veterans. VeterSome of the backpacks for the homeless.

24 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

Left to right: Socks for Seniors volunteers delivering to a nursing home in Kingfisher. Sue McMillan during a presentation about Socks for Seniors. Socks for Seniors volunteers filling Christmas sacks for nursing home residents. A sea of green gift bags. Green bags for men and red for women make deliveries easier.

ans also receive cards thanking them for their service.

“Every card is signed. They need to know somebody cared enough to sign it,” McMillan said.

Diabetic socks and cream are in veterans’ gift bags because so many veterans are diabetic.

Each bag is adorned with an ornament and the organization has been told that nursing home residents like to keep those on display year-round. Sometimes it’s the smallest of things that make a lasting impact and bring a big smile.

Before COVID, Girl Scout troops and high school groups helped deliver packages to those seniors. McMillan looks forward to doing that again when it’s safe for all. A basket of food goodies is also delivered to the nurses’ stations so everyone can get a treat. No detail is overlooked.

As the number of seniors helped has grown over the years, so has the number of necessities in the bags. Socks for Seniors is always looking for volunteers to make hats, scarves and blankets. Yarn, fabric and blanket material are provided so it’s a time investment for volunteers, not a financial one.

In early 2018, the group became a 501(c)3 charitable organization, allowing it to ask for tax deductible donations.

Recently the group has shared its story and mission with several local organizations which helped bring in donations and volunteers. Socks for Seniors is small with no paid employees. McMillan’s husband donates office space, postage and use of the copier.

“Everything we get goes to those seniors. We want to get the word out about why we care enough to do this. It becomes a passion. It really does. Volunteers are as passionate about it as I am,” she said.

When people learn about Socks for Seniors and those who are helped, many are quick to donate time or money.

“I think people think of veterans, but they don’t think of the nursing home veterans,” McMillan said. “They think of children and I’m glad they do. But our senior citizens are neglected, and we want to fill that spot and let them know they are cared about and not just at Christmas but for 12 months.”

Many organizations take care of children’s needs, but she said the elderly need to be taken care of, too. During COVID lockdowns, patients were in their rooms for hours, often with limited contact other than a doctor, nurse or staff member.

Many didn’t have televisions and often communal areas were off limits. To help, Socks for Seniors packed the goody bags with adult coloring books, puzzles, word search activity books and playing cards to help keep their hands and minds active while in their rooms.

Last year, Socks for Seniors committed to help the elderly homeless.

“I think everyone would be shocked to know how many (homeless) seniors there are,”McMillan said.

The group quickly learned those needs were different.

Backpacks had to repel rain, as did tarps. Easy to eat food January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 25

Some of the packages for homebound seniors.

Volunteers, many wearing their Socks for Seniors shirts.

26 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

options included puddings, cookies and snacks, along with no cook, no refrigeration prepared meals and meats. The need for blankets, coats and clothing suddenly became great and those can be gently used, unlike most items taken to nursing homes.

A few months ago, McMillan and another volunteer came across a homeless family with young children. “We decided we would do some backpacks for the children,” she said.

“That’s the only children we ran into but I’m sure it wasn’t the only children out there.”

McMillan said the group’s goal is to help, not lecture.

“We don’t discriminate as to sex, age, color or religion. If someone is there and needs help, we’re there to help them.”

Though the elderly is the focus, she knows younger people are living on the street and in nursing homes, too. Everyone in a nursing home gets a gift bag.

All nursing home gift bags include similar-like items.

Smaller donated quantities, such as four or five tubes of lip balm, are saved for individual backpacks or for the homebound. Costume jewelry is a “used” exception accepted at nursing homes. It’s cleaned and sanitized before delivery, and a big hit among the women. Female residents enjoy getting together to admire and sometimes exchange the pieces,

McMillan said.

With so many in need, the donation list is long and includes shampoo, deodorant, hand lotion, Chapstick, tissues, diabetic socks and cream, men’s and women’s gloves, caps and hats, blankets, scarves, puzzles, adult coloring books, crossword puzzle books, word find books, sharpened pencils, colored pencils, shampoo, body lotion and, of course, socks.

The organization happily accepts donations of both new and used items, and last year learned that homeless men appreciate neck gators and women are thankful for feminine hygiene products. Whether nursing homes, on the street or homebound, McMillan said the group always finds a place for donations. Cash donations are used to buy supplemental items for the gift bags.

Socks for Seniors isn’t without its own needs. At the top of the organization’s wish list is a storage unit so volunteers can take advantage of after-holiday sales of ornaments and such. A storage unit would allow them to store inventory and work on it year-round.

Socks for Seniors can only afford to make deliveries once a year, and for now it’s in December. The organization has applied for a grant and if awarded, a second delivery could be a possibility. For now, it’s important for those on the receiving end to “know they have not been forgotten,” she said.

McMillan is a real estate broker, paralegal and certified fraud examiner. She and her husband also own a farm and raise cattle. What free time she has is spent trying to find ways to bring a smile to a senior or fulfill a need.

“People in nursing homes are being fed and watched and are in warm situations which we are so grateful for,” she said. “There’s more to life than just being fed. You want to know you’re loved and cared for.”

Thankfully, Socks for Seniors has found a way to deliver a generous helping of both. And let’s not forget a pair or two of those always needed socks.

For information about volunteering or donating, go to www.socksforseniorsok.org. n January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 27

leadership

When it’s scary, leaders lead The Spirit of Leading

by Garland McWatters

B

reea Clark, the first Millennial generation mayor of Norman, Oklahoma, is sure of her motives when it comes to taking positions.

“I don’t make decisions to get re-elected. I make decisions because they are the right thing to do.” And she can live with.

That attitude is being put to the test. Clark, the youngest woman to be elected to the position, faces opposition for a second term from four contenders in the April 2022 elections.

young.’ And I would say yeah, but I’ve served on city boards and commissions for eight years. And they’re like, ‘Oh, O.K.,’” Clark explained she was asked to run for her first council seat by Cindy Rosenthal, Norman’s first elected female mayor. Clark said she thought she would be a staffer, not the candidate. Rosenthal changed that. Clark says women often wait to be asked to run for office and that needs to change.

Data-driven decisions Clark said, “The first political lesson I ever learned sitting at the dais as a council member was that whatever decision I make, even if I’ve done all the research in the world, and prayed on it, and know this is the best decision for my community, it’s going to make someone angry. And the first time that I had done all the research I knew the perfect vote, the very next day I got angry emails.”

Clark claims her already tough skin got tougher with the criticism. Her strategy is to compartmentalize the criticism.

She tells herself, “They aren’t mad at Breea. They’re mad at the mayor.”

Why don’t you do it?

One might call Clark a self-made woman. She graduated from OU Law but had to sell herself to be admitted from the waitlist.

After passing the bar she proposed to the OU provost’s office that they have a full-time academic integrity staff. OU was one of the few Big 12 schools without one. They offered her a 30-hour a week position. Then, in 2009 she became the full-time staff in OU’s first Office of Academic Integrity, for which she wrote the proposal.

Her very first local public service involvement was starting a for the Norman Forward initiative. Eventually she PTA chapter when her oldest son started kindergarten. “I thought served on the Norman Forward Sales Tax Citizen Finansomeone should start the PTA, and the principal’s response was, ‘Why don’t you do it?’” Eventually, she also helped bring back the cial Oversight Board.

Clark advises anyone wanting to become more district-wide PTA council. involved in city government to seek opportunities on Asked to run local boards and commissions.

Clark started her municipal service as a volunteer on the NorShe said that when she was campaigning for her man Tree Board because, “It was the only board where there was an opening.” Later she moved to the library board. She advocated first seat at age 33, “I would get, ‘Well you’re awfully 28 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

Right, Breea Clark accepts Mayor of the Year award from the Mayors Council of Oklahoma.

Below, Mayor Clark with participants of her 2020 girls empowerment event

January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 29

Right, Mayor Clark (center) with two of her graduating OU students.

Below, Breea with her dad, a Desert Storm vetern, in Veterans Day parade.

Breea Clark (center) recognized for a second time as one of 50 Women Making a Difference

Clark admits that even when people pull her aside to tell her what improvements need to be made when she goes out in public, she likes hearing what citizens have to say.

Her reliance on data buoys her confidence.

“When you make data driven decisions you always have data afterwards to show how you were successful, which we have with our COVID data. So, I’ve very happy with those decisions.”

But Clark also relies on intuition. “You also have to have that kind of gut instinct at the same time, then find that middle ground. I have the data, but did I have the guts to take action? It really has to be both for leadership to be successful.”

Norman municipal elections are non-partisan in the sense that candidates do not run by party affiliation. That doesn’t mean there aren’t partisan differences. But to that Clark simply says, “Partisan political politics don’t fill potholes.”

30 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

Director of J.C. Penny Leadership Center Clark says her duties as director of the J.C. Penny Leadership Center at the OU Price School of Business provides her some perspective.

She says the students remind her every day not to give up on humanity. She sees in them people who are optimistic and want to make the world a better place. She learns from them that leaders must walk the talk, and she tries to hold herself accountable to the values she teaches.

“I had to make a lot of tough decisions in 2020 but I did all my research, relied on the professionals, and, I think, made the best decisions possible for our community. But it is scary. You gotta jump. I know, now, that in a moment of crisis I don’t hesitate to jump. I’m very proud of that.”

Listen to the complete Spirit of Leading podcast interview at https://liveinpowered.com/087-breea-clark-mayor-city-ofnorman-ok-partisan-politics-doesnt-fill-potholes/ n January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 31

FILM

Horses pivotal to cattle operation and “Montford” film depiction

By Gene Lehmann, Chickasaw Nation Media Relations

H

orses and cattle play a huge role in bringing authenticity to the Chickasaw Nation Production “Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher,” now streaming on Netflix.

Montford T. Johnson was a Chickasaw who managed a sprawling cattle operation in Indian Territory beginning in 1858. His business acumen led to great success and admiration among his peers.

He was inducted into the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum’s “Hall of Great Westerners,” joining many famed national figures including Stephen F. Austin, who helped colonize Texas; Henry Bellmon, a former Oklahoma governor and U.S. senator; and western entertainer Gene Autry.

The museum has honored more than 200 vitally important American ranchers since 1958.

Steed Evolution Horses proved pivotal to ranching and to First Americans for hunting forays or in battle during early American history.

Pinpointing when the Chickasaw people first acquired horses is difficult to determine.

Nevertheless, educated approximations are possible.

Renowned tribal historian, artist and “Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher” content producer Jeannie Barbour believes the tribe may have first observed horses when Hernando de Soto arrived in the Chickasaw Mississippi Homeland in winter 1540.

“We don’t know the very first time (the Chickasaw owned 32 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

horses), but we do know we had the Chickasaw Horse at the Battle of Ackia (Hikki’ya’) in 1736 during the French and Indian Wars. We were breeding them. We used them a great deal as pack animals,” Barbour said.

“I would say the first time we came in contact with horses was during de Soto’s time period. That’s when it was (first) documented.”

“I personally believe with as much trading as we did, we saw horses prior to de Soto. Conquistadors were going into Peru, Mexico, (and) Central America long before they came to us – and they were bringing their horses. I do know we were breeding horses and making use of them probably as early as the late 1600s or (early) 1700s, but mainly it was for trade or pack animals,” she added.

Chickasaw Horse Chickasaws have revered horses for centuries.

Steeds introduced to them by conquistadors included the Spanish Barb, Iberian, Andalusian and Lusitano, among others. Collectively referred to as the Colonial Spanish Horse, these breeds contributed traits evolving into present-day Quarter Horses.

James Adair provided the first written description of how horses were used in Chickasaw society in his book “The History of the American Indians” in 1775. Chickasaws bred

Jack Brown, portrayed by Denim Richards, rides through the rain as the cattle look on in “Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher.” Chickasaw Nation photo.

horses as pack animals, to clear fields and race.

Racing horses became a cultural pastime for both Chickasaws and American colonists. Horseracing was an important component in celebrations and ceremonies.

“The Chickasaw Horse was smaller than the (English) thoroughbreds. They were quick and had a lot of stamina,” said Dr. Daniel Littlefield, author of “Chickasaw Removal” author said. “They could go long distances without as much food as other horses. It was a phenomenal animal.”

Relations between Chickasaw and English traders began in the 1600s.

The English were enthralled with the speed and agility of the Chickasaw Horse, while Chickasaws were inquisitive of the characteristics of English Thoroughbreds and Cleveland Bays. They began trading horses.

Thoroughbreds were fast and considered “hot-blooded,”

while Cleveland Bays provided stamina, a gentle temperament and intelligence to existing Chickasaw breeds.

During the early 18th century, the French and Chickasaw were at war. Illustrating the value of horses to Chickasaws, French prisoners were traded at a rate of one captive for one horse. This further enhanced Chickasaw herds by introducing French breeds into the stock.

Barbour would write: “With generations of selective breeding of the Colonial Spanish Horse, later crossbred with other European strains, a unique horse was introduced that would make Chickasaws renowned in the American Colonies. Known as the ‘Chickasaw Horse,’ it was described as small – about 13 hands tall – with a well-developed muscular structure. The horse’s neck was so short that many would have to spread their front legs to bend down and graze, much like a zebra.”

January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 33

Breed Disappears Following Chickasaw removal to Indian Territory – 18371850 – the breed slowly disappeared.

By the time Johnson began his ranching operation and needed many horses to manage it, he attended an auction in Fort Sill in 1874. His preference was more toward stallions and Kentucky whipstock breeds.

Johnson also raised horses, tamed wild Mustangs captured on the Plains and purchased ordinary cattle mounts trained for cutting, a term used for herding bovines.

34 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

Drovers working the Chisholm Trail used cutting steeds to keep cattle from straying during the long trek to Kansas slaughterhouses in Wichita, Caldwell and Abilene.

Johnson’s ranch played an integral role with the Chisholm Trail by virtue of its proximity to it. The gamut of personalities traversing the territory ranged from traders, hunters, cattlemen, cowboys, outlaws, misfits, businessmen and down-on-their-luck drifters.

Thusly, Johnson mingled with this menagerie throughout his ranching career.

He disliked Longhorn cattle because they were primary carriers of Texas fever, a disease that sickened other breeds.

Portions of the Chisholm Trail closed due to the fever and some major Kansas communities stopped accepting Longhorn cattle briefly.

Private property dotting the Chisholm Trail would result in landowners charging a fee for herds to cross. Such encounters were expensive since herds sometimes numbered up to 3,000 head.

Additionally, Longhorn cattle were known for endurance, not for the quality of meat at slaughter. Longhorn meat can be tough and virtually tasteless due to the fact flavorful fat was walked off the animals during the 800-mile journey from Texas to Kansas.

European crossbred cattle like those raised by Johnson slowly cornered the market to feed affluent northern patrons.

“Montford’s wife, Mary Elizabeth, saw how upset Montford was with the federal government’s treatment of Southwestern

tribes like the Cheyenne, Comanche and Kiowa. He saw the near extinction of the bison as part of the federal government’s plan to drive tribes onto reservations by eliminating their primary food source,” Barbour said.

“He would come home distressed about this. Together, they decided they could help. As part of an agreement made with tribes, starving First Americans could cull Johnson’s herd to feed themselves. In return, Johnson could graze cattle on their land,” Barbour said.

Pueblo Revolt First Americans of the plains initially acquired large numbers of horses following the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, notes famed Chickasaw historian, archeologist and author Towana Spivey. The revolt pitted First Americans, along with several desert southwestern tribes, against Spaniards who enslaved them near present-day Santa Fe, New Mexico.

However, the revolt would have little effect on the Chickasaws since they were in what is now the southeastern U.S. in 1680.

Johnson’s mission to ensure Plains First Americans were fed properly when the government failed its treaty obligations was an opening for improved relations between Plains tribes and Chickasaws.

So important were horses to Chickasaws during removal, news organizations reported how many Chickasaws – and horses – arrived in various communities along the route.

“A party of 516 emigrating Chickasaw Indians reached the bank of the Arkansas River … yesterday afternoon, on their way to their new homes in the west – all in excellent health. In the train are 551 Indian ponies and 13 wagins [sic], and we understand there are 30 more of the same tribe behind, who are not enrolled, and who are expected to join the main party at this place,” the “Arkansas Gazette” reported July 25, 1837.

For more information, visit ChickasawRancher.com n

January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 35

fashion

e b o r d r a w r u o y n e t h g i r B

Pearl by Lela Rose camel fringe sweater, available from

www.pearl.nyc/cindishelby.

during winter

“It’s actually a fact that color affects our

by Linda Miller

O

moods,” said Cindi Shelby, stylist for Lela Rose and Pearl by Lela Rose collections.

“So, if you need a lift, try something bright like a vibrant poppy. Or if you’re feeling and

ne of the easiest ways to brighten your mood during winter is to brighten your wardrobe.

Many of us tend to reach for dark colors on repeat when Oklahoma delivers cold and drab days but adding a splash of color, even if it’s just a red handbag, fuchsia earrings or brightly hued shoes, can do wonders for your psyche. Or consider a swipe of beautiful

looking a little tired, try a cosmetic color such as a

red or rose lipstick or dressing up your fingernails in a

flattering pastel like ice blue or pink. Jewel tones

happy summer color even though it’s freezing outside.

are beautiful on just about everyone, so please don’t hesitate to wear emerald or raspberry.”

Shelby knows adding color isn’t easy for everyone.

Clinique Poppy Pop lipstick.

Essie nail polishes.

Pearl by Lela Rose poppy sweater, available from

www.pearl.nyc/cindishelby.

36 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

ion Oklahoma January/February 2022 37

Pearl by Lela Rose raspberry matching outfit, available from www.pearl.nyc/cindishelby

“Of course, we all love wearing black and maybe you’re not big on color, so maybe change it up by wearing a non-color color, like a rich camel. Don’t be afraid to experiment with colors, you might discover something fun and new,” she said. n

Kat Maconie multi-color sandals from Betsy King Shoes.

Kat Maconie Tosca Sequin Sandal.

Kat Maconie Yazz Sandal

Kat Maconie Aya GLITTER Sandal

38 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

Nature Music Maps

events

Happening in the Gardens 301 W. Reno Oklahoma City Many activities require registration; register online at myriadgardens.org *Subject to change due to COVID protocols.

January Lunar New Year Celebration • Jan 29 2022 • 11:00 am - 2:00 pm • Water Plaza Room and Visitor Center Lobby Come celebrate the Lunar New Year: The Year of the Tiger.

We have so much in store to help kick off the new year!

Martial Arts demonstrations, a Chinese folk dance group and Kpop dance. Plus Lion dance and parade, Hung Viet Lion Dancers, Japanese calligraphy, Red envelope and Chinese gold coin craft, Face painting, and more!

Herb-Infused Honey Saturday, January 29, 11am-12pm Terrace Room M $35; NM $40 Morgan Atteberry, Horticulturist Register by Wednesday, Jan. 26 Learn about the benefits and practice of infusing honey 40 ion Oklahoma November/ December 2021

with herbs to create myriad combinations for enhanced flavor and health benefits. Guests will go home with recipes to test, strategy for experimentation, and their own pint of infused honey created together during the class.

February Raised Bed Gardening • Saturday, February 5, 1-2pm • Terrace Room M $8; NM $12 • Kaitlin Bacon, Children’s Garden Manager • Register by Friday, February 4 From home gardens to schoolyards, raised beds are a great way to grow year-round crops and flowers by providing elevation to lessen compaction, easier weed control, and extended growing seasons. Come learn strategies, benefits, layouts, and more to get a head start on your Spring gardening adventures.

• Saturday, February 12, 10–11am • Children’s Garden Porch • Member $5; Nonmember $7 • Register by Thursday, February 10 • Best for Ages 7–11 Music is everywhere in nature; you can find it in the song of a bird, the wind whistling through tree branches and through the crunching of leaves and twigs underfoot. Join us as we learn about the components of a song and how to “collect sounds” in our nature journals by sketching symbols that remind us of the things we hear. Compose your own musical masterpiece after a walk through the Children’s Garden.

Seed Starting and Sharing • Saturday, February 19, 10am-noon • Terrace Room • Member $14; Nonmember $19 • Bradley Fowler, Horticulturist • Register by Friday, February 18 Starting your garden from seed provides many benefits from cost savings to extending your growing season. Seed sharing can bring gardeners in the community together and allow you to try new plants for a fraction of the cost of buying individual starter plants. This class provides you with both the knowledge and opportunity to start your own collection of seeds to take home for planting and sharing. Leave with both planted and unplanted seeds. Pairs well with our Raised Bed Gardening class on February 5.

Great Backyard Bird Count at the Gardens Saturday, February 19, 1–2pm Terrace Room & Garden Grounds M $5; NM $7 Register by Thursday, February 17

Best for Ages 6 – 12 Spend an afternoon learning about the birds of Oklahoma City and add your mark to the Great Backyard Bird Count, a citizen science project spanning the entire globe. Learn about the birds we expect to find, go out on a hunt to look and listen for them, record our findings, and submit them to the official Project database. Then we’ll celebrate our hard work with the official titles we earn of Citizen Scientists!

Botanical Cyanotype Prints Workshop Saturday, February 26, 1-3pm Terrace Room Member $55; Nonmember $60 Kaitlin Bacon, Children’s Garden Manager Register by Wednesday, February 23 Cyanotype, an old printing process popularized for blueprints, has since become a way to create unique art through science. Learn all about the process and the chemistry behind cyanotype before we go out into the Gardens and collect botanical inspiration for our pieces. Create your own individual artwork on archival paper.

Monthly activities Botanical Balance Free Yoga • Tuesdays 6 pm and Saturdays, 9 am • Bring a mat, water • Instructors from YMCA • Recommended for ages 16 & Up The Gardens offer a space of beauty and tranquility to help relieve stress and quiet your mind. Classes are open to all levels, whether you are a beginner or an experienced yogi.

Reading Wednesdays Bring your toddler for story time each Wednesday at 10am with Miss Georgia. Books are nature-themed and selected based on the season. Beginning with an interactive song the children will enjoy creating a small craft after the story. n ion Oklahoma January/February 2022 41

sports

2022 SOONERS

BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

2022 COWBOYS

BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

DATE

TIME

OPPONENT

LOCATION

DATE

TIME

OPPONENT

LOCATION

Jan 4 (Tue)

7:00 PM

Baylor (8)

Waco, TX

Jan 1 (Sat)

3 PM

Texas Tech

Lubbock, TX

Jan 8 (Sat)

6:00 PM

Iowa State

Norman

Jan 4 (Tue)

8 PM

Kansas

Stillwater, OK

Jan 11 (Tue)

8:30 PM

Texas (5)

Austin, TX

Jan 8 (Sat)

1 PM

Texas

Stillwater, OK

Jan 15 (Sat)

4:00 PM

TCU

Fort Worth, TX

Jan 11 (Tue)

8 PM

West Virginia

Morgantown, WV

Jan 18 (Tue)

7:00 PM

Kansas (3)

Norman

Jan 15 (Sat)

TBA

Baylor

Waco, TX

Jan 22 (Sat)

4:00 PM

Baylor (8)

Norman

Jan 19 (Wed)

7 PM

TCU

Stillwater, OK

Jan 26 (Wed)

8:00 PM

West Virginia

Morgantown, WV

Jan 22 (Sat)

1 PM

Texas

Austin, TX

Jan 26 (Wed)

7 PM

Iowa State

Stillwater, OK

Jan 29 (Sat)

2:00 PM

Auburn (22)

Auburn, AL

Jan 29 (Sat)

3 PM

Florida

Gainesville, FL

Jan 31 (Mon)

9:00 PM

TCU

Norman

Feb 2 (Wed)

8 PM

Kansas State

Manhattan, KS

Feb 5 (Sat)

TBA

Oklahoma State

Stillwater

Feb 5 (Sat)

TBA

Oklahoma

Stillwater, OK

Feb 9 (Wed)

9:00 PM

Texas Tech

Norman

Feb 8 (Tue)

6 PM

TCU

Fort Worth, TX

Feb 12 (Sat)

1:00 PM

Kansas (3)

Lawrence, KS

Feb 12 (Sat)

1 PM

West Virginia

Stillwater, OK

Feb 15 (Tue)

7:00 PM

Texas (5)

Norman

Feb 14 (Mon)

8 PM

Kansas

Lawrence, KS

Feb 19 (Sat)

2:00 PM

Iowa State

Ames, IA

Feb 19 (Sat)

1 PM

Kansas State

Stillwater, OK

Feb 26 (Sat)

12:00 PM

Oklahoma State

Norman

Feb 21 (Mon)

8 PM

Baylor

Stillwater, OK

Mar 1 (Tue)

7:00 PM

West Virginia

Norman

Feb 26 (Sat)

11 AM

Oklahoma

Norman, OK

Mar 5 (Sat)

4:00 PM

Kansas State

Manhattan, KS

Mar 2 (Wed)

6 PM

Iowa Stat

Ames, IA

Mar 5 (Sat)

2 PM

Texas Tech

Stillwater, OK

Big 12 Championship

Kansas City, MO / T-Mobile Center

All times are Central

42 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

Mar 9 (Wed)

January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 43

SPORTS

Oklahoma City 2021-2022 Schedule Date Jan 2 Jan 5 Jan 7 Jan 9 Jan 11 Jan 13 Jan 15 Jan 17 Jan 19 Jan 21 Jan 22 Jan 26 Jan 28 Jan 31 Feb 2 Feb 4 Feb 5 Feb 7 Feb 9 Feb 11 Feb 12 Feb 14 Feb 16 Feb 24

Opponent Dallas at Minnesota Minnesota Denver at Washington at Brooklyn Cleveland at Dallas at San Antonio at Charlotte at Cleveland Chicago Indiana Portland at Dallas at Portland at Sacramento Golden St. Toronto at Philadelphia at Chicago at New York San Antonio Phoenix

Time

Date

7:00 pm 8:00 pm 8:00 pm 7:00 pm TBA 8:30 pm 8:00 pm 8:30 pm 8:30 pm 7:00 pm 8:00 pm 8:00 pm 8:00 pm 8:00 pm 8:30 pm 10:00 pm 10:00 pm 8:00 pm 8:00 pm 7:00 pm 8:00 pm 7:30 pm 8:00 pm 8:00 pm

Feb 25 Feb 28 Mar 2 Mar 4 Mar 6 Mar 8 Mar 9 Mar 13 Mar 14 Mar 16 Mar 18 Mar 20 Mar 21 Mar 23 Mar 26 Mar 28 Mar 30 Apr 1 Apr 3 Apr 5 Apr 6 Apr 8 Apr 10

Opponent at Indiana Sacramento at Denver Minnesota Utah Milwaukee at Minnesota Memphis Charlotte at San Antonio at Miami at Orlando Boston Orlando at Denver at Portland Atlanta Detroit Phoenix Portland at Utah at L.A. Lakers at L.A. Clippers

HOME GAME

Time 7:00 pm 8:00 pm 9:00 pm 8:00 pm 7:00 pm 8:00 pm 8:00 pm 7:00 pm 8:00 pm 8:30 pm 8:00 pm 6:00 pm 8:00 pm 8:00 pm 9:00 pm 10:00 pm 8:00 pm 8:00 pm 7:00 pm 8:00 pm 9:00 pm 10:30 pm TBA

Bill McCollough, President Kanela Huff, Managing Broker, Lindsey Schlomann, Principal Broker

(Front Row L to R) Jill Deshazer, Shari Buxton, Connie Givens, Elyse Hatcher, Lisa Davoli (Second Row L to R) Jeff Lewis, Janice Anderson, Bill McCollough, Kanela Huff, Lisa Voegeli, Lindsey Schlomann, Tami Murphy, Tina Day, Tucker Brollier

Connie Givens

Elyse Hatcher

Jeff Lewis

Jill Deshazer

Kanela Huff, Managing Broker

Lisa Davoli

Shari Buxton

Lisa Voegeli, Branch Broker

Times are CST and subject to change

44 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022 (Not pictured) J Braden Black

Tami Murphy

Tina Day

Tucker Brollier

events

Public Programs Schedule Potato Dance World Championship Saturday, Feb. 12, 1-3 PM FREE to watch—$10 per couple to enter (save $2 if you register in advance online) Grab your sweetie and compete for global glory in this notso-traditional dance. You’ll position a potato between your forehead and that of your beloved and dance to the tunes of DJ Nymasis (Kiowa). The last pair standing with the potato aloft and intact wins. The victorious duo will earn a $250 shopping spree at FAMstore and bragging rights for the next year. This event features an opportunity for everyone to dance and performance from award-winning Fancy Dancer Boye Ladd (Ho-Chunk).

12:30 | Dancer registration begins 1:00 | Participatory demonstration with Cultural Ambassador Ace Greenwood (Chickasaw/Cherokee) 1:15 | First round competition 1:45 | Fancy Dance performance 2:00 | Second round competition 2:30 | Final round competition 3:00 | Award announcements (must be present to win): Grand Prize for longest dance Overall Best Dressed Overall Best Dancers A secret prize TBA after registration closes 46 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

FAM Trivia Night Thursday, Apr. 14, 7-9 PM $25 per table of six or fewer Join First Americans Museum for an afterhours trivia night for the 21 and up set. Led by actor and podcaster Angela Startz (Inupik), trivia questions will cover First American arts, music, culture, science, politics and more. Teams of six or fewer can buy in for $25 upon arrival and compete for a $500 gift card to FAMstore. Thirty Nine restaurant will provide a cash bar and nibbles for purchase.

Pickup Stickball Game Saturday, May 14, 1-4 PM Free—drop in at Festival Plaza Open to players of all ages, this coed game is your chance to play our traditional game beloved by tribes across Oklahoma. No experience needed—simply show up with sturdy shoes and sticks (if you have them). Cultural Ambassadors Ace Greenwood (Chickasaw/Cherokee) and Tresa Gouge (Muscogee/Seminole) will provide an overview of the game and its rules for first timers and will lend sticks to those without. This is a social game for all ages.

Workshops

First Thunder Saturday, Mar. 5, 11-3 PM FREE—discounted gallery admission Celebrate the arrival of spring through stories and song, hands-on activities, film screenings, and more. Along with FAM community partners at the Oklahoma Climatological Survey and local news channels, you will gain new appreciation for and perspectives on Oklahoma’s unpredictable spring weather. Collaborating partners facilitating hands-on activities include Oklahoma Meteorological Survey, Science Museum Oklahoma, and more.

Hat Beading Workshop Saturday, Feb. 19, 1-4 PM $15 | Registration Required Make your auntie proud! Together with Ace Greenwood (Chickasaw/Cherokee), you’ll learn to embellish your hats with keen beadwork. Bring your own baseball cap or purchase one at FAMstore.

Beads, needles, and thread are included in this workshop for adults and teens.

Members receive 10 percent off!

Collecting First American Art Saturday, Feb. 26, 1-4 PM $15, Members FREE | Registration Required Want to begin collecting art by Native artists and makers, but not sure where to start? Learn the basics with Molly Murphy-Adams (Oglala, Lakota, Tribal descendent), a qualified appraiser and Member of the International Society of Appraisers, collection manager, exhibiting artist, and art historian. Together with Molly, you’ll learn to describe your personal style and preferences, discover the basics of collections care and management, and consider different media and forms on view in the OKLA HOMMA exhibition and FAMstore. This workshop is for any aspiring collector, regardless of budget, prior knowledge, or personal taste!

Social Gatherings 101 Saturday, April 9, 1-4 PM $7, Registration Required Social dance season is almost here. Are you ready? Designed for Native and non-Native folks less familiar with our intertribal gatherings, this workshop will introduce you to the basics of song, dance and cultural protocols at powwows and other gatherings through participatory activities and demonstrations with Cultural Ambassadors Ace Greenwood (Chickasaw/Cherokee) and Tresa Gouge (Seminole/Muscogee). You’ll also enjoy complimentary frybread and tea.

Members receive a 10 percent discount – register at famok. org! n

January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 47

People

People

MIGHT Development Center

U

By Tim Farley Photos courtesy MIGHT Community Development and Resource Center

nfortunately, Bernita Taylor understands the feelings and emotions that come from being abused, financially broke and constantly living in fear.

At age 20, Taylor had four children – ages 1, 2, 3 and 4 – and she knew she had to do something about their future.

She eventually left the abusive relationship with her first husband, worked where she could find a job and continued raising her children without the support of her family. Taylor worked hard because she wanted a better life for her offspring. She did not want them to experience her hardships.

Skip ahead to age 40 when Taylor founded MIGHT Community Development and Resource Center in Lawton. Her vision was to help the community and take children, adults and families out of poverty, show them a different way and make them self-sufficient. MIGHT, founded in 2005, is a

faith-based non-profit organization that collaborates with government agencies, churches, fellow partners and other community agencies.

“Our goal is for them to be self-sustaining in a year and in 90 days we want them stable,” Taylor said.

To get there takes time, love and programs that deal with housing, employment, clothing, furniture and all of the basic needs a family requires.

“By six months, we want them with no more evictions or no cutoffs,” Taylor said.

So, MIGHT offers classes in money management that help adults and teens deal with budgets, their income and

A group of MIGHT Community Development and Resource Center adults and children participate in a group photograph.

48 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

MIGHT staff members and founder Bernita Taylor (second from right) hold up cervtificates of completion.

expenses.

“They come up with the amount they need to meet their expenses,” Taylor said. “We also offer career readiness classes that allow them to figure out what they like to do.

Other classes are in soft skills and ethics in the business world. We work with the people in the program once a week and then every two weeks.”

Taylor, along with her children who are now professionals with college degrees, were like one of the families she’s helping today.

“I started to college when I was 48, got my degree and my master’s and my children have earned their degrees,” she said. “I didn’t have coaches when I was going through this.”

It’s easy to see why Taylor wants her clients to succeed.

She sees potential in them, the same type of hope she grabbed onto decades ago.

49 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

“People seeing the hope helps the kids have hope and they don’t worry about where they’re going to stay that night,” Taylor said. “We make sure the children are fed, go to school and have clean clothes, but they still wonder where they’ll be after that. You should hear how happy they are when they get a house or have their own bed. It makes this work very rewarding.”

Initially, funding for MIGHT came from Taylor but the situation didn’t stay that way. Now, the state’s Department of Human Services funds the MIGHT daycare, which enables the non-profit to finance its other programs for all ages and families.

Success stories are plentiful, but sad at the same time.

In one case, a husband with one arm amputated, wife, daughter and grandchild started the program while living in a shelter. They eventually graduated from all of the programs MIGHT offered and the husband obtained a job at January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 49

Adults and children are the recipients of MIGHT’s development and childcare programs.

Teens

MIGHT receives large amounts of food and water donations.

Fort Sill and was later able to retire. Since then, the husband and wife have died.

Moving into an apartment can be a huge accomplishment for some people. That was the case for one woman and her grandson. That same woman has been employed at MIGHT for the past six years and is living in her own house, Taylor shared.

MIGHT has a lengthy list of local resources and partners who are called upon to help clients. The needs may include beds, diapers or mental health help for the children who have lost a parent to a violent death.

“Many children have lost dads and siblings because of drive-by shootings,” Taylor said.

In some cases, the children may have witnessed the 50 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

shootings. In other instances, one or both parents are incarcerated.

“We believe we can break the cycle (of violence) if we work with the kids from not just one family, but from multiple families,” Taylor said.

Taylor also wants to add a new building for high school and middle school students within the next two to five years.

“We’ve run out of room here,” she said. “The childcare and development tools are up to date and all things are in place for the adults but we need more space for the teens.”

One location to another The non-profit has grown so much during the past 18 years, space has been a continual problem. Taylor started working

MIGHT does not provide housing, but does help families get into low-income housing as a starting point. However, about 1,000 students in Lawton Public Schools are homeless. Homeless high school-age students often rely on friends or family and sleep on their couches.

“They (students) don’t go to shelters. They only have what they can carry,” Taylor said.

“When they come here, they can stay on course with their meals and have a place to shower.”

MIGHT directs a program entitled The Achievers, which is aimed at teenagers. The Achievers are an established youth group which meets weekly. The sole purpose for this from her home with a personal secretary in 2003. In February youth group is to help each teen member to set 2004, MIGHT opened its first office in Dr. Linda Williamson’s life goals, the steps to meet those goals, and the available building free of charge. resources necessary for each goal. The targeted age group is Within a year, it was time to move again. Renovations students in grades 7-12. were needed but it was worth the cost as more families were MIGHT requires a covenant of commitment to be signed attracted to the programs, Taylor said. Three years later, new by teens, as well as the parents. Youth are supported programs were introduced, board members came on board, through qualified caring staff, field trips, discussions on a dedicated staff was chosen and more community awarecurrent events, economic development, community service ness was built for the organization. activities, learning proper behavior management skills and However, an economic crisis and poor health forced Taylor developing leadership skills, the non-profit’s website states. to close MIGHT. She returned to school to finish her master’s All of the programs directed at families, adults and childegree in business administration. After completing that dren would not be possible without the board of directors, milestone and retiring from Republic Paperboard, she knew staff, volunteers and supporters, Taylor said. it was time to reopen MIGHT. “To them I would like to say thank you,” Taylor wrote on ​In January of 2013, MIGHT relocated to its current locathe website. “Thank you for helping me to live my dream as tion - 714 SW 45th Street - and again began receiving adult we work together to help others realize and achieve theirs.” clients. Six months later, the non-profit was in full operation For more information about MIGHT, call 580-595-4808. with an adult, teen and school-age program. During that The office is located at 714 SW 45th Street in Lawton. The time Taylor was able to employ 11 teens and offer a feeding non-profit’s email is mightTLC@gmail.com n program that served free breakfast and lunch.

January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 51

events

Bachelors

Club 2021

2021 OKC Bachelor Club Members deliver to Debutantes homes

T

he 2021 OKC Bachelors Club Members Select Debutantes for the annual 75th Bachelor Club Christmas Debutante Ball Held on Wednesday, December 22, 2021 at the OKC Golf and Country Club.

Sixteen Debutantes were presented along with their 22 Bachelor Club Member Escorts in a Ceremony which began at 8:00pm. After the 9:00pm formal presentation, parents, family members, and friends enjoyed music and dancing to the music of Souled Out. The evening ended with a late night breakfast and another successful year has been added to this long standing 75 year holiday tradition in Oklahoma City.

President Josh Cohlmia selected “Special Care” as the official local charity organization to receive the donation from this 2021 Ball event.

The OKC Bachelors Club has raised over the years more than $990,000 for local charities from its local annual Debutante Ball.

Bachelor Club Ball Chairman, Erika Mattison shared the evening was a wonderful and huge success for the 38 participants and their families attending the Ball.

Thanks-

giving morning at OKC Golf & Country Club

Bachelors prepare to deliver invitations

2021 DEBUTANTES: Audrey Daisy Elly Audrey Ella Korbyn

Marie Alasad Nicole Baker Hollingsworth Bock Elise Brigham Lillian Brinkman Madelyn LeBlanc

Emma Katherine Love Julia Elisabeth Love Josie Grace Mashburn, Courtney Elizabeth Alexandra Melton Madeline Love Musgrave Caroline Harris Pitzer

Parker Jane Poarch Phoebe Jean Shapard Emily Helynne Tompkins Vivienne Blake Vogler.

(Front Row) Robert Maxwell Hardbereger, Martin Davidson Smith, Joshua Raymond Cohlmia, Preston Luke Taylor, (Second Row) William Miguerl Puiggari, Jonathon Paul Matthews, Thomas Joseph Huelskamp III, Third Row, William Basore Bennett, Brandon Matthew Knight, Matthew Edward Harper, Bennett Monroney Brinkman Fourth Row, Carter Wright Moody, Preston Monroe Nelson, Robert Colton Denney, (Fifth Row) Parker James Bentley, Austin Ross Hill, Michael Warren Feighny, Samuel Joseph Schmidt (Sixth Row) Jacob Seth Meacham, Evan Ross Olivas, Charles Henry Amis, Joseph Barnett McDaniel.

54 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 55

56 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 57

events

T

he NextGen Under 30 Award Recognition has completed another year. In 2021 the NextGen Program celebrated its 11th Anniversary with an outstanding group of 318 very talented honorees in Class XI. The annual award ceremony was held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Norman, Oklahoma on November 12, 2021.

Over 850 people attended the ceremony including the honorees.

2022 NextGen Nominations will open on February 21, 2022 as we are starting our 12th year Anniversary. Over 2,340 young talented Oklahomans have been honored from 21 different career categories over 8,990 nominations.

The underlying mission for this program is to honor and encourage yond a ung Oklahomans to continue following their dreams and careers living in the State of Oklahoma. Oklahoma has low unemployment, plenty of opportunity, and a very affordable cost of living a quality lifestyle to offer these young people and we don’t want them to leave the state.

58 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

ADULT & HIGHER EDUCATION Taler Alexander Southwestern OSU Sarah Axtell OSU Fire Protection Publications/IFSTA Bria Bowler University of Central Oklahoma Taylor Boyd University of Oklahoma Hazzik Ali Chaudhry Dialogue Institute of Oklahoma City Mitchell Emberson Southeastern OSU Kalyn Fullbright Oklahoma Baptist University Shelby Herald MD Building Products Liana Jones Kiamichi Technology Centers Josie Jones University of Oklahoma Katherine Koch University of Central Oklahoma Haley Lee University of Oklahoma Maura Loyola Oklahoma State University Irving Martinez Kiamichi Technology Centers Cara Menasco Eubanks Oklahoma State University Claire Painter University of Central Oklahoma Jazzmyn Roberts University of Oklahoma Ana Rutherford Refined Empowerment and Coaching, LLC Lyndsey Smith The University of Oklahoma Ariana Stark Paycom Tayla Wesley Choctaw Nation THE ARTS Nancy Baeza Ballet Folklorico Xochipilli Kaleb Benda Oklahoma Chamber Symphony Jackson Gifford Southern Plains Productions Ava Rose Johnson Ava Rose Johnson Music Olivia Kay Olivia Kay Musiceni Savannah Nix Dove Dance School and Company Erica Nkechi Oji Heart Studios Linda Secrist Cherokee Nation Businesses Marylin Segura Marylin S. Photography Abhimanyu Sukhdial Stillwater Junior High

AVIATION Lance Lamkin University of Oklahoma: Max Westheimer Airport EDUCATION K-12 Ana Barros Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences Elizabeth Bertels Casady School Andrew Buchheim Casady School Parker Cassell Heritage Hall Sarai Cerano Casady School Kimberly Florie Casady School Christina Goodson Stillwater Public Schools Chelsea Hinkle Mustang Public Schools Charlene Johnson Tulsa Hope Academy Amy Knous Casady School Kane Mach Stillwater Public Schools John Mock Eisenhower Elementary School Juan Renteria Norman Public Schools: Truman Elementary Jennifer Schmidt Positive Tomorrows Olivia Spruill Norman Public Schools Casey Stonestreet Casady School Alyssa Tyra Jones Elementary January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 59

Mariah Webb Mid-Del School District Taylor Witte McKinley Elementary School Emma Wright Francis Tuttle Tech Center ENERGY & TRANSPORTATION Austin Aylworth Loves Travel Stops & Stores Matt Barber Continental Resources Inc. Joshua Bedell Devon Energy Corporation Kelsey Conaway Continental Resources William Hawn Cheapeake Energy Jennifer Hua The Williams Companies Jenna Huling John Zink Hamworthy Combustion Neeta Joji Continental Resources Inc. Alec Kelly Continental Resources Inc. Andrew Mohajir Continental Resources Inc. Kyle Neff Continental Resources Inc. Kendall Sizemore Continental Resources Inc. Paul Thetford Continental Resources Inc. FINANCE Brandon Bailey ADP Logan Bailey Wells Fargo Advisors Zachary Benedict CrossFirst Bank Angel Boardingham Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Brooklyn Brock Ellevate Advisors

60 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

Stephen Brown BOK Financial Securities Gonzo Garzon Bank of Oklahoma Allie Hammock Killblane BOK Financial Sam Holland Arthur J. Gallagher & Company Brett Humphrey Black Gold Group Blake Johnson Great Plains Bank Dillon Lambert Ryan Hobbs Investment Services Brooke Lazzarini First Command Financial Services Andrew Lewis Bancfirst Sarah Mackey WEOKIE Federal Credit Union Christian McQueen First Liberty Bank Elena Mirabito TBS Factoring Service, LLC Daniel Owens BOK Financial Hunter Paul Chickasaw Community Bank Jordan Pribyl Company Box Real Estate Erik Smithe Cherokee Nation Entertainment Shelby Sudol Chickasaw Community Bank Company Eloiza Tecson EY Ventures Group Blake Turney Simmons Bank Landon Whitlock First United Bank Hayley Wright Brewer and Associates

Left, Mr. Dick Pryor and Dr. Marian Paden cohost the ceremony; right, Patrick Conlon Guest Speaker

Guest Speaker Glen Johnson.

HEALTHCARE Dalton Cordell Mercy Hospital Haley Esche Oklahoma Children’s Hospital at OU Health Arely Fierro OKC County Health Department Johanna Fowler SSM Health St Anthony Vanessa Geimausaddle OKC Indian Clinic Savannah Gobel OKC Counry Health Department Dev Jaiswal OSU Medical Center Jessica Lewandowski Cherokee Nation Brian Lively Oklahoma Heart Hospital Rachael Maltby Oklahoma City Indian Clinic Kyle Molina Oklahoma City Indian Clinic Ozair Naqvi Oklahoma State Department of Health Tice Norman Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Katie Qualls Fay University of Oklahoma Abby Redfearn Oklahoma City VA Health Care System Caroline Rykard OU Health Erielle Stout Northeastern Health System Mary Temple-Goins Storts Family Dentistry Rebekah Vieth Right Home Health Taylor Welch Quail Ridge Living Center Ariel Whitehorn Oklahoma City County Health Department Benjamin Whitmore OCCHD Veronica Wisniewski Elsevier Kaitlyn Wood Oklahoma Health Care Authority Cassidy Zimmerman OKC Indian Clinic

HOSPITALITY Ibsen Crespo Capital’s Ice Cream, Sincerely Coffee Monica Fletcher Cherokee Nation Businesses Sydney Hale OKC Thunder Leslie Johnson Coury Hospitality Eliezer Lopez Empire Slice House Phillip Oliver Broadmoor World Arena Sonia Ruiz Shop Latino OKC Jessica Thomas the root coworking LAW Carolina Attaway Oklahoma House of Representatives Gloria Barrett Stuart and Clover Jason Bollinger The Bollinger Firm Jacqueline Chafin Oklahoma Indigent Defense System Lauren Craig-O’Brien Supreme Court of Oklahoma/ Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City Drew Cunningham Resolution Legal Group Fallon Elliott Paycom Trent Guleserian Stuart & Clover, PLLC Javier Hernandez Dunn and Hernandez Taylor Kincanon Evans & Davis PLLC Kayla Kuri Phillips Murrah Megan Lambert ACLU of Oklahoma Kellie Laughlin Life.Church Sofia Miranda Brotherton Holdings Phoebe Mitchell Phillips Murrah January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 61

Faith Suddath Guest Speaker 2020 NextGen Winner

Nathan Hoffman M-D Building Products Blake Kennedy Kennedy Ventures Ali Kirkley PT Coupling Hunter Reichert Cantek Labs Olivia Seely RL Hudson

Jesse Ogle Whitten Burrage Carly Ortel Oklahoma County Public Defender’s Office Jon Paul Ray Atkinson Haskins Nellis Mary Rahimi Mazaheri Law Firm Ashley Ray McAlister, McAlister & Nicklas PLLC Colton Richardson Richardson Richardson Boudreaux Pierre Robertson Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma Julie Ann Robison Wiggins, Sewell, Ogletree Brian Self Crowe & Dunlevy Lauren Smith The Colpitts Law Firm Cody Soden LegalShield Paiten Taylor-Qualls Cherokee Nation Ashley Thompson Baldwin Robert A. Manchester, IV PC (Manchester Law) Kaimbri White Climb Collective MANUFACTURING, INDUSTRY, THE TRADES, AND AGRICULTURE Raven Appelberg RL Hudson Tyrance Billingsley Black Tech Street Macy Cartwright Choctaw Nation Trace Drummond Crossland Heavy Contractors Taylar Epperly R.L. Hudson & Company Ali Givens Farm Service Agency 62 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

MEDIA Isabella Beevers Parrish DeVaughn Injury Lawyers Logan Bohrer Spark Creative Brittany Burton Rose Media Relations, LLC Claire Cameron American Fidelity Quinton Chandler KGOU Addison Chappell Koch Comm Carter Clancy Zeeco Michelle Cleveland LDWW Kelly Coy Express Pros Erin Donnelly Sagac Public Affairs Jacob Eischen Oklahoma State Senate Lee Emerson Smirk New Media Emily Fate OnCue Marketing, LLC Garrison Gibbons Knotch Lani Hansen Mvskoke Media Derek Hatridge McAlester News-Capital Katelyn Howard KGOU Public Radio Troy Huddleston Insight Creative Group Ashlynd Huffman Stillwater News Press Caroline Ikard American Fidelity Ashley Jezek Paycom Storme Jones News 9 Journalist Robby Korth StateImpact Oklahoma Nicole Lamar-Owens Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Chelsi LeBarre Chelsi Dennis Co. Kevin Martinez Jacqueline McQueen Cherokee Nation Entertainment Jacob Meyer 46 Media Co. Cameron Mitchell Chickasaw Nation Matt Morf Respond flow

Danaka Mowdy Choctaw Nation Kylie Nave Express Employment Professionals Katelyn Ogle KFOR News 4 Aditi Panchal Hobby Lobby HQ Alec Reid Ion Oklahoma Anna Roberts Freestyle Creative Katie Roberts Trifecta Communications Samantha Strothers Studio Flight Catherine Sweeney KGOU Lauren Szmutko Freestyle Creative Ryan Tomlison LDWW Carson Young LDWW NON-PROFIT Morgan Allen-White Oklahomans for Equality Aracely Baeza Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City Alysha Burgess Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum Heath Collins Untapped Potential Megan Davidson Oklahoma Pahandle Partners Morgan Evans HopeHouse OKC Alisha Fletcher Housing Solutions Tulsa

Hailee Gowens LifeShare Transplant Donor Services of Oklahoma Victoria Heath YWCA OKC Amy Hernandez DVIS Lilli Higgins Together Just, INC Samantha Higgs Amplify Youth Health Collective Madison Ivy CASA of Oklahoma County Emmy Karns South Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce Summer Leister Payne County 4-H Naomi Lemon Cothran Development Strategies, Inc. Brenda Lozano Dream Action Oklahoma Michelle Lozano Leadership Tulsa Nicole Marolf The Parent Child Center of Tulsa Ariel Moore Center for Social Innovation Kao Morris Oklahomans for Equality Daisy Munoz Progress OKC Halsey Musselman OU Foundation Faith Nichols University of Tulsa Kelsey Samuels Community Crisis Center Sebastian Sanders The Sanders Hand Natasha Saya CAIR Oklahoma Shania Slavick Big I Oklahoma Jordan Smicklas Children’s Hospital Foundation

Glen and Melinda Johnson with friends from Kansas. Right, Kevin Ogle and Katelyn Ogle NextGen Honoree 2021.

January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 63

11th ANNUAL NEXTGEN UNDER 30 AWARDS CEREMONY

DAY AT THE CAPITOL

Monday, September 13, 2021 10:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.

State Capitol Steps

HONORING THE 2021 WINNERS

Eight hundred and fifty attend the NextGen 2021 award ceremony.

Brianna Stevens Ronald McDonald House Charities of OKC Megan Stitt Pathways Oklahoma Nicole Sukenis Palomar Michael Tardibono NORTH.CHURCH Rodney Thornton Untapped Potential Gabriela Voss YWCA Oklahoma City Lauren Willard Meals on Wheels Metro Tulsa DaNysha Wright Peppers Ranch Foster Care Community POLICY & PUBLIC SERVICE Jamie Benda Oklahoma House of Representatives Matthew Brenchley Oklahoma Human Services Michael Byers Tinker Air Force Base Conner Carroll Tulsa Regional Chamber Sarah Copeland City of Moore Lauren Dunlap State of Oklahoma Avery Frix State of Oklahoma Victoria Garrett Oklahoma House of Representatives Christianne Haas Office of the Governor Ok Madison Habeck Healthy Minds Policy Taylor James Oklahoma Human Services Robert Jeffrey Human Capital Management Seth Paxton Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma 64 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

5

Riley Pearce US House of Representatives Ahlyia Ralston Oklahoma House of Representatives Mack Savala Families for James Lankford REAL ESTATE Hannah Demuth High Vibrations Coaching / Fox Allen Gabrielle Hefner Sage/Sotheby’s Mary Kris Kollmann McGraw Realtors Morgan McCombs Jessica Scott & Associates Haley Reaves Homes by Taber Matthew Reeves Landmark Fine Homes Mitchell Terrel Land Specialist Hunting Country RETAIL & E-COMMERCE Maisie Cross Plenty Mercantile Saige Cross Plenty Mercantile Marymar Fierros Fudge Architectural Antiques & Design Tamra Gould NASH Fashion LLC Cody Grove Allen Samuels Volkswagen Lindsey Keckley Torrid Retail Paige Potts Beal Tulips Home-Gift Design Eliud Villarreal Exotic Motorsports of Oklahoma Kevin Wilhite Triad Fitness January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 65

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING Courtney Baukal Boeing Teri Cocke Oklahoma State University Paige Criswell Parsons Peter Daggett Ruth Davis Ava Security, Inc. Caleb Deck FSB Architects and Engineers Maher Eltarhoni ELTA DESIGN GROUP Adam Fitzpatrick FSB Gus Gagliardi Frankfurt Short Bruza Austin Graham Repsond flow Rocky Grant Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Haley Griffin Happy Hands Education Center Makenzie Hill AVIO Consulting Maxwell Jenkins Respond Flow Aubrey Lake Bison Technologies Martin Langelo Lien Respond Flow Jonathan Martin Paycom Phillip Nguyen Wilspec Technologies Trevor Richardson The Boeing Company Justin Robinson Downing Wellhead Equipment Cameryn Rose Timberlake Construction Co Nicholas Witte Timberlake Construction Co Calton Bakker Southwestern OSU Blade Cruickshank Graves Golf Jennings Hammack COOP Ale Works Trevor Harmon Southern Narazene University Chadwick Johnson Oklahoma Christian University Andrea McKee USA Softball Paulina Panduro The Professional Basketball, LLC Chad Weemhoff Chicken N Pickle STAFFING Elizabeth Bennett Mosaic Personnel Saber Cantrell Addison Group Alex Deloera Robert Half Andriah Frazier Chickasaw Nation Matthew Nottingham Six Flags Frontier City and Hurricane Harbor OKC 66 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

THE ELEVENTH ANNUAL

NEXTGEN UNDER

30

We’re changing health care and our name.

Awards Ceremony St. Anthony is now

Friday, November 12, 2021 SSM Health St. Anthony For over 100 years, we’ve been changing health care in Oklahoma. Now, we’re changing our name. St. Anthony is now SSM Health St. Anthony, but who we are on the inside is still the same. We’ve always been a part of SSM Health – guided by our Mission, rooted in faith. ®

We’re a community of Saints in Action making health care more accessible, when and where you need it. ®

SSM Health St. Anthony. We are Saints in Action.

SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital – Oklahoma City SSM Health Bone & Joint Hospital at St. Anthony SSM Health St. Anthony South SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital – Shawnee SSM Health St. Anthony Healthplex SSM Health Medical Group

Through our exceptional health care services, we reveal the healing presence of God. ©2018 SSM Health. All rights reserved.

Taylor Short Tapfin Ashleigh Taylor Cherokee Federal Chelsie Wilson InterWorks, Inc. Breanna Young Tinker Federal Credit Union TOURISM Mary Bixler Scissortail Park Foundation OTHER Johanna Beathard YMCA Brandie Campbell Hair & Company Salon Allyson Davis Main Event Entertainment Katelyn Dinh Tinker Federal Credit Union Julie Ferguson OPVEON Sergio Fuentes Flintco LLC Logan Glasgow CSAA Insurance Group(AAA) Kreg Haney Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Megan Hansen F. Schumacher Stuart E Harper Dewberry Architects Inc Audrey Merz FSB Hannah Danielle Pullen University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Sela Taylor Cameo Salon & Spa Nathan Terranova FSB n January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 67

Places

First National Center comes to life again Former iconic bank will become crown jewel hotel History comes to life yet again in Oklahoma City with the highly anticipated spring 2022 debut of the region’s restored crown jewel, The National Autograph Collection, at the First National Center.

The building originally opened in 1931 as an iconic bank and landmark monument, and stands proudly at 32-stories high to this day. Following an extensive restoration and one of the biggest renovations in the state’s history, the former bank office tower has been transformed into a hotel with 146 guest rooms alongside opulent new apartment homes, restaurants, bars, and retail offerings.

Widely considered one of the region’s top architectural treasures, the First National Center is on the Historic Register and was once the largest building in Oklahoma. Oil drilling, the banking industry, and the history of Oklahoma City’s tremendous growth and its arduous challenges are all woven into the fabric of The

68 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

First National Center, reflecting the’Modern Frontier’.

This spring, the First National Center is set to become Oklahoma City’s epicenter and ‘living room’, reimagining the 1.1 million square foot property into an Autograph Collection property, The First Residences at First National, Stock & Bond Steakhouse, Tellers Restaurant, The Great Hall bar, The Library of Distilled Spirits (in the bank vault), the National Ballroom, a barbershop, and a blowout bar — all under one roof. The restoration efforts include repairs to murals, decorative painted ceilings, stone columns, cast stone, metal finishes, vault doors, and safes. The Great Banking Hall has been fully restored and will be utilized as a public lobby. The basement and ground floor will encompass a mixture of high-end retail, multiple restaurants & bars, and commercial spaces.

The National, operated byCoury Hospitality, comprising the first eight floors of the historic building will feature 146 guest rooms (including 16 suites, and the signature Presidential Suite) designed with intent and raw elements from the former building’s previous life. As a unique reprieve for locals and travelers that celebrates the dynamism of the

Oklahoma City community, the hotel rooms pay direct tribute to the original design elements found within the celebrated property, maintaining boutique charm with inspired touches.

Taking what was originally intended as office spaces for the former bank and many of the city’s most influential businesses, the rooms have been reimagined into detailed and sophisticated accommodations, featuring dark royal blue color palettes for a more intimate and inviting setting.

Located on the third floor lives a 900-square foot Presidential Suite boasting a large dining table, high ceilings, and multiple connecting rooms.

Intersection of Old & New: Intentional Design Redesigned and brought back to life by NE Development & Partners, ADG, Flick Mars Architects, and EverGreene Architectural Arts (historical preservation specialists known for restoring the Jefferson Memorial), First National Center evokes a level of polished endurance and opulence felt January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 69

immediately upon entering the building. Monumental in size and intricate in every detail, The National serves as a preserved hotel landmark and symbol of Oklahoma’s journey and its connection to its past with an art deco and neoclassical design aesthetic.

Determined to breathe new life into the space and retain the existing structure, charm, and bank artifacts from the 1930s, First National Center is an embodiment of the building’s noble legacy – a moment of civic and national pride for one of the finest examples of American craftsmanship.

Upon entering the lobby, guests are immediately greeted

by large marble bank columns in the Great Hall, and walls adorned with four large murals — the Louisiana Transfer, Sunset Trail, and two of the Oklahoma Land Run, all painted

by Edgar Spier Cameron in 1931, depicting scenes of significant events from Oklahoma’s history, surrounding the ‘Great Hall Bar’ and lounge area centering the space.

Art deco details are seen and felt inside and out, from the near century-old marble floor in front of each teller window, to the aluminum aviation beacon that towers 456 feet above the sidewalk, restored bank vault doors, and one symbol that is unmistakably Oklahoma: the corn stalks that adorn the entrance of the building.

World-Class Dining & Imbibing Takes Center Stage at The First National Center The historic property will unveil multiple food & beverage concepts under bespoke hospitality management and development company, Apicii, and Michelin-starred Chief Culinary Officer Jonathan Benno.

From Tellers and The Great Hall, to Stock & Bond and The Library of Distilled Spirits, each concept is imbued with a distinct personality and offerings that embody traditional Oklahoma City hospitality with unrivaled craftsmanship and locally sourced ingredients reflecting the region’s bounty.

Tellers (inside The National) Tellers serves authentic interpretations of regional Italian cuisine featuring traditional methods of Italian cooking and the philosophy of using seasonal ingredients with integrity form the basis of the house-made pastas, wood oven-baked Neapolitan pizzas, and locally sourced vegetables and steaks cooked o ver a wood burning grill.

Tellers’ extensive Italian wine list highlights the breadth and diversity of Italy’s wine growing regions and unique varietals. Tellers is located in the historic First National Bank gallery amongst the original teller booths, which have been meticulously restored. The atmosphere at Tellers and The Great Hall embraces the building’s rich heritage as a convivial communal space.

70 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

January/February 2022 ion Oklahoma 71

The Great Hall (inside The National) The Great Hall is evocative of Europe’s majestic all-day bars.

The grandeur of this architectural masterpiece is the perfect setting to enjoy espressos paired with fresh baked pastries, or craft European cocktails such as Italian Aperitivos and Spanish Gintonicos complemented by antipasti and Neapolitan pizzas from Tellers.

Stock & Bond (within the Fi ational Center) Stock & Bond is an American steakhouse that pays homage to the rich agricultural history of the High Plains, where cattlemen and farmers have worked the land and raised livestock since the early 1800’s. Stock & Bond also celebrates the American distillers who have honed their craft with an extensive selection of Whiskeys and Bourbons that meet The-Bottled-in Bond Act of 1897, which stipulated that the whiskey must be the product of one distilling season from one distillery, aged in a federally bonded warehouse for at least four years, and bottled at 100 proof.

The Library of Distilled Spirits (within the First National Center) The Library of Distilled Spirits houses over 1,500 unique expressions of distilled spirits. The curated collection is documented in the Library’s Encyclopedia, which highlights the rich history of making liquor from fermentation through distillation, aging, and blending. The Library of Distilled Spirits pays homage to the culture of craft cocktails with a selection of more than 200 classics. The barkeeps will com72 ion Oklahoma January/February 2022

bine their deep knowledge of spirits and classic cocktails to create remarkable experiences for guests. The Library of Distilled Spirits is located in the basement of the historic First National Bank building, with an archive of rare and fine spirits stored in the iconic bank vault.

The First Residences at First National: Where Art, History & Elegance Collide Art, history, and elegance combine to create The First Residences at First National, an iconic living space in the heart of Oklahoma City, professionally managed by NE Property Management. Offering 193 spacious dwelling configurations, including studio, one-and two-bedroom apartment homes, and penthouse floor plans that combine stylish and modern interiors, The First Residences are unlike any building in the city.

Premium community amenities such as a state-of-theart fitness center, meeting rooms, 14-story parking garage, high end shopping experiences, rooftop amenity deck with heated infinity pool, cabanas, as well as 24/7 valet and concierge services, make this luxury apartment building suitable for a variety of lifestyles.

The National, Autograph Collection is located at 120 N Robinson Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73102 on the corner of Park Avenue and Robinson Street, at the epicenter of the Central Business District. Boasting an extensive urban growth, new public transportation, and more than 55,000 people who work in its neighboring businesses, The National will continue to spur prosperity downtown, encouraging the continuing development of Oklahoma City. n