The Voice - Fall 2023

THEVOICE

EDMOND AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

2023 DANCING WITH THE STARS p. 05

A DREAM THAT HAS BEEN 25 YEARS IN THE MAKING p. 11

A Letter From The CEO

I invite you to “Share your Success.”

Shared success occurs when the organization and the individuals making it up succeed together in an integrated, collaborative way. Both achieve the results they are after. The wheel of success has many spokes. Reflecting back, some of the spokes in my wheel include....

Delegation

This lets others shine their light. If you don’t instigate this tool, you miss the chance to let them acknowledge their success Like a flashlight with no batteries, be the batteries for their flashlight Let that person shine their light with amplified brightness They earned it, they deserve it

Risk

Let others feel the depth and consequences of risk and reward in their actions and decisions. This can be a bumpy road, but that’s what band-aids are for. It’s also where lessons are learned.

Trust

Trusting others that their decisions are best for the organization. Let them “ own ” the issue, challenge and solution.

Referrals

Connecting two people that can both benefit from your introduction You are the one that starts this mutually advantageous opportunity

Listening

This one almost qualifies as two spokes in my wheel. Listen, really listen, to others when they take their time to talk or speak to you. If it wasn’t important to them, they would not be requesting your attention Take and use your listening skills seriously

Leaders/Followers

Leaders silently demonstrate how each leader was once a follower. This encourages everyone to be a leader in their position and career.

Acknowledging the success of others

Take the time to celebrate and share the success of others with respect Let others know of their achievement. The reward of a verbal or written shared victory of a job well done can be priceless to the recipient, as a result of their success.

Stay humble

Don’t expect pats on the back, or rambunctious praise You earned your success; if others acknowledge your success, their praise is icing on your cake

Take a moment and reflect on what is on the success spokes of your wheel. To not share your success is like smiling in a dark room, you know you ’ re smiling, but nobody in the room knows it.

Lead on my friends

Sherry Jordan President & CEO

Dancing With The Stars 2023

On Thursday, September 7th, the Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce held it’s 6th Annual Edmond’s Dancing with the Stars event at the Edmond Hilton Garden Inn.

With over 450 guests in attendance, this is the largest event of the year and definitely the most fun. Every year, six celebrity dancers are chosen from the community and paired with a professional dancer from Dance Makers.

Dance Makers has been our event partner since the first DWTS and they always do an outstanding job of teaching and preparing the celebrities. The dancers are given 12 weeks to learn their routine before they hit the dance floor.

This year our six celebrity dancers were Evan Dargen with Redbud Elementary, James Griffith with Quail Creek Bank, Barry K. Moore- City Councilman and BKM Group, Lezel Safi with Fellers Snider, Chad Smith with Mercy and Devin Trachman with PT Central.

People’s Choice Award went to Lezel Safi, Best Overall Dancer went to Evan Dargen and Star of the Show went to Devin Trachman. Every dancer worked extremely hard and it was an honor to see the support of their friends and family, and to see their hard work pay off.

This event wouldn’t be possible without the support of our wonderful sponsors and kind members who donate to help make this event incredible!

Thank you to Mercy Hospital for being our Presenting Sponsor, INTRUST Bank for being the Printed Program Sponsor, Oklahoma ER & Hospital for being the Cocktail Hour Sponsor and Oklahoma Natural Gas for being the Photography Sponsor.

AMBASSADOR

Paula Buford

My journey with Land Enterprises Roofing began in July 2012 when I started as a temporary employee. By November of the same year, I was fortunate enough to become a full-time office manager. In 2021, I was promoted to the role of Inside Sales Manager

In this capacity, my responsibilities encompass project supplementation through insurance, communication, and photo coordination. Additionally, I provide valuable support to our sales team I take immense satisfaction in assisting our customers and helping my team thrive.

My roots trace back to Newton, Kansas, where I was born While I initially moved to California shortly after my marriage, I soon returned to Kansas Over the years, I had the privilege of pastoring churches in various states, including Kansas, Nebraska, and eventually, Texas. My relocation to Oklahoma took place in 2006 when I was employed as a Loss Prevention Manager with Albertson. Since then, I have cherished my time in Oklahoma.

Family is of utmost importance to me, and I take great pride in being the mother of three children: Christina Mitchell, James Buford Jr , and Timothy Buford I am also a doting grandmother to eight wonderful grandchildren – Ryleigh, Hailey, Allie, Colton, Jake, Josh, Jackie, and Seraphina, all residing in Texas. Bailey, my beloved dog, a dorkey (dachshund/Yorkie mix), is also a cherished member of my family.

My faith plays a significant role in my life I'm a drummer and have served as a Sunday school teacher, a children's pastor and youth pastor, among other roles within my church community My faith has been a source of strength during both challenging and joyful times.

Being a chamber ambassador has brought me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to connect with diverse individuals, an experience I deeply value.

HIGHLIGHTS Ronda McNatt

As the Director of Career Development at UCO, my role involves providing job readiness training and hosting a range of events tailored to UCO students and alumni, guiding them towards their chosen career paths.

I grew up on a small farm in Hinton, Oklahoma, where I learned the values of hard work and determination However, my true source of inspiration is my family I am blessed with a supportive husband, Dusty, and together, we are a blended family with four remarkable children - Myrakle, Shandree, Trinity, and Zachary. I am also a GiGi to the most adorable and energetic grandson.

As an ambassador for the chamber, my favorite aspect is the opportunity to forge meaningful connections and provide valuable referrals to individuals In my view, being a connector should be a defining trait of an ambassador I take it upon myself to genuinely listen to our members, gain a deep understanding of their businesses, offer insights about the chamber's offerings, and facilitate connections with other members. After all, you never know when a connection may lead to a new and exciting business opportunities.

A DREAM THAT HAS BEEN 25 YEARS IN THE MAKING

Timothy Brashier is the founder, owner and visionary behind Practical Preparedness, Edmond’s grassroots safety company

The dream was sparked over 25 years ago and it has grown and evolved through life experience, faith in God and a drive to accomplish great things

Timothy is no stranger to entrepreneurship. He also has over a decade of experience as a firearms instructor and over 15 years of experience in personal protection This has contributed to his leadership as the Edmond Chapter president for the National African American Gun Association.

His robust background in martial arts, Information Technology, entrepreneurship and firearms training all merged in 2022, when he decided to launch Practical Preparedness

His ultimate mission is to serve, protect and give back with the vision to build safer and stronger communities.

Practical Preparedness leads with education and as a result, they have had many wonderful accomplishments They are the third company to be endorsed by the Professional Oklahoma Educators, and they are an official partner of USCCA and Black Rifle Coffee Company.

There’s no doubt they have had tremendous success in their first year of business, and just like any other new business, there is time spent getting your name out there

In the early days of Practical Preparedness, one of Timothy’s employees, Jerry Bryant, was handing out fliers at the police department. He noticed some Edmond Chamber staff members setting up tables for an event nearby Timothy doesn’t recall the exact reason Jerry went to introduce himself but he walked away from that interaction and said to Timothy, “We need to join the chamber.”

Timothy Brashier, founder, owner and visionary of Practical Preparedness

Timothy states, “I no longer believe in coincidences.” He often walks into events and meetings thinking “I’m expecting something good to happen,” and sure enough, good things happen.

Timothy had never been involved in a chamber, but he thought, “Why not?” The decision to step out in faith allowed for him to make some key connections along the way One unexpected door led to another and eventually, the whole trajectory of Practical Preparedness changed. The original idea was for him to be out in the field doing hands on training with his clients, but after connecting with a few realtors, he decided to write safety curriculum for real estate agents

Through this unexpected door, Practical Preparedness became the first preparedness and firearms company to become an accredited school for the Oklahoma Real Estate commission.

To this day, they have educated almost 500 real estate and leasing agents in the last 10 months

Working with real estate agents was a left turn from his original plan, but he couldn’t have imagined his company taking off any other way

He has now had the opportunity to write curriculum for travel safety, women ’ s selfdefense and schools.

Timothy states, “I no longer believe in coincidences.” He often walks into events and meetings thinking “I’m expecting something good to happen,” and sure enough, good things happen

Mobile Gaming Truck That Brings a Smile

Barbara King is a 4th generation entrepreneur. Most of her family has been in the food and restaurant industry but in 2022, Barbara decided to venture into uncharted territory and open a mobile gaming truck.

Roymar Mobile Game Theater is the first of its kind in Edmond, Oklahoma. The name is unique and very special to Barbara and her husband, Michael Roymar is a combination of their sons ’ names, Royal and Marcus They wanted a story they could share with their grandkids, to tell them that their parents were the ones who inspired the name of their business.

In 2018, the King family made a trip to California to celebrate for a family reunion A lot of the activities were geared towards the adults, so Barbara mentioned to her husband “What are the children going to do?” And her husband said “Well, they’ve rented a gaming truck ”

She and Michael had never heard of a mobile gaming truck before, but all the kids gravitated towards it and absolutely loved it. Barbara was captivated by this concept, and she couldn’t stop thinking about it on her flight home

After they got back to Oklahoma, she spent about a year researching mobile gaming trucks and quickly realized there was a very small presence of this in Oklahoma In 2022, they decided to finally jump in with both feet and bring this dream to life.

They had no idea where to start, but what they did know is that they wanted to build their foundation in Edmond

Their business mentor encouraged them to take the first step by getting plugged into their local chamber. Naturally, Barbara researched chambers in the local area, and there was something about the Edmond Chamber that really stuck out to her.

She had plans to meet with other chambers but when she came to the Edmond Chamber office, she was welcomed with overwhelming support and quickly got plugged in. She has enjoyed the networking opportunities and one of the greatest highlights has been the ribbon cutting that was hosted at the Edmond Chamber office.

“I feel like the chamber is walking with us on this journey,” said Barbara.

Roymar has experienced so much growth in their first year of business. They even had the opportunity to be a part of The University of Oklahoma’s Spring Football Day. But the greatest joy has been putting a smile on the kids’ faces, which is truly their passion in life

“I feel like the chamber is walking with us on this journey”

CURRENT LEADERS

The Edmond Chamber of Commerce’s Government Relations Committee enables the Chamber to foster and maintain important relationships with elected officials. The committee works to represent the legislative interests of business on local, state and national levels through a variety of efforts including candidate forums, legislative breakfasts and government relations council meetings with various topics and speakers.

Economic Growth

Support innovative workforce and economic development policy to keep Edmond and Oklahoma competitive.

Federal Issues

Support federal immigration reform to secure the borders and establish reasonable and effective visa policies/ procedures to attract workforce for critical occupations.

Transportation

Continue to support expedited funding in Eight-Year plan for transition of access roads on Interstate 35 to a one-way frontage road to ease congestion and improve

safety

Education

Advance and support strategies for equitable and competitive funding for the hiring and retention of a qualified workforce for PK-16 to provide high quality instruction and the ability to offer competitive compensation, directly impacting the ability to attract and retain a highly qualified workforce.

FUTURE LEADERS

Leadership Edmond Class XXXVIII

Class XXXVIII of Leadership Edmond kicked off their year at St. Crispins on August 28-29, 2023.

Leadership Edmond provides a backstage pass to the Edmond Community.

Class XXXVIII includes: Michael Andres: Acts 2 United Methodist Church; Sara Andrews: GH2 Architects, LLC; Gina Arter: EEDA; Stacy Bozarth: SAB Consulting, LLC; Sharon Bycko: Cox Media; Shanna Carnes: Edmond Chamber of Commerce; Angel Connell: Servpro of Edmond; Courtney Curtis: Oklahoma Christian Academy; Jennifer Donahoe: Intrust Bank; Chanel Elgin: INTEGRIS Health; Jodi Fetrow: Visit Edmond; Sean Fitzgerald: MidFirst Bank; Ryan Free: First Fidelity Bank; Phillip Gunderson: Flintco, LLC; Anne Hall: Metropolitan Library System; Acey Hopper: City of Edmond - Police Department; Mary Johnston: BancFirst; Joshua Johnston: TEIM Design; Cameron Kay: YMCA; Jayme Kelton: Peaceful Family Oklahoma; Heather Lawrence: Arvest Bank; Devin Lawrence: Oklahoma Christian School

Britley Little: Anna's House Foundation; Ning Liu: FSB Architects + Engineers; Quintana

Lloyd: Pete Reeser Properties; Justin Lockwood: Crossland Construction; Erin Logan: University of Central Oklahoma; Maci Majors: University of Central Oklahoma; Luis Mendoza: Regent Bank; Jamey Mullin: ServiceMaster by Eagle Eye; Colton Murphy: Oklahoma County; Tabitha Narvaiz: UShine, Inc.; Tristan Newbold: Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority; Emma Oubelkacem: Citizens Bank of Edmond; Lorie Prater: Edmond History Museum; Kevin Pyle: First United Bank and Trust Co ; Jennifer Rader: Rader Building Co; Tami Shaw: Edmond

Public Schools; Gina Stanley: TTCU Federal Credit Union; Nancy Williams: Mercy; Luke Williams: RCB Bank; Edith Quinonez: Lofi

Dental; April Jolley: Turning Point Ministries

Class XXVIII is presented by Edmond Electric. The retreat sponsor was Sandler Training of Oklahoma, and the session sponsors are Francis Tuttle Technoloy Center, MIDCON and Mercy.

NEW MEMBERS

Acclaim Living 12525 N Pennsylvania Ave OKC, OK 73120

405-755-3200

Accounting Solutions, PLLC 1605 E 2nd St Suite 5 Edmond, OK 73034 405-359-6550

www accountingsolutions cpa

Andeco Flooring & Blinds LLC

14701 Metro Plaza Blvd Edmond, OK 73013 405-752-5151

www andecoflooring com

The Armstrong Company 4800 West Point Boulevard Oklahoma City, OK 73179 405-516-2280

goarmstrong com

Balanced Kitchen Co 740 West Danforth Rd Edmond, OK 73003

405-888-8662

www balancedkitchenco com

Believe & Succeed, LLC

6933 E Waterloo Rd #2 Edmond, OK 73034

405-550-9331

believeandsucceedhypnosis com

Black Rifle Coffee Company 14215 N Pennsylvania Ave Oklahoma City, OK 73134 405-973-7229

blackrifleccoffee com

Boom Town Creamery 17 E 5th St STE 101 Edmond, OK 73034

801-499-1637

boomtowncreamery com

Bulk Refillery 239 S Coltrane Rd Edmond, OK 73034 405-509-8825

www bulkrefillery com

Candid Color Photography 1300 Metropolitan Ave Oklahoma City, OK 73108

405-365-6540

https://www oklahomapartypics com/

Carpet Depot, LLC 2547 NW 10th St Oklahoma City, OK 73107 405-524-2183

carpetdepotokc com

Chicago Title Oklahoma

851 W I-35 Frontage Rd, Suite 250 Edmond, OK 73034

405-348-7731

www chicagotitleoklahoma com

Club Car Wash

2601 N Kelly Ave Edmond, OK 73003

833-416-9975

www clubcarwash com

Cody Chiles - Shelter Insurance

3308 NW 135th St , Ste 300 Oklahoma City, OK 73120

405-721-2139

shelterinsurance.com/CA/agent/cchiles

ComfortShield Heat & Air

13604 Keswick Lane

Yukon, OK 73099

405-217-4822

www comfortshieldheatandair com

COUNTRY FinancialKarol McMullen Insurance Agency

400 N Broadway Suite 7 Edmond, OK 73034

405-898-6903

COUNTRYFinancial com/karol mcmullen

Creative Financial Strategies

209 Lilac Drive Suite 240 Edmond, OK 73034

405-906-4300

www cfsplanners net

Deep Fork Technology 4232 NW 23rd St Oklahoma City, OK 73107

405-421-0644

www deepforktechnology com

Deer Creek Schools Foundation

20701 North MacArthur Blvd Edmond, OK 73012

405-245-6970

dcsfoundation org

Donatos Pizza 1148 S Bryant Ave Edmond, OK 73013

405-413-7903

https://donatos com

Ebb and Flow Pilates & Movement 235 S Coltrane Edmond, OK 73013

405-600-4937

Ebbandflowpilates com

Emma Elle's Italian Kitchen 4401 Grant Blvd Ste 3 Yukon, OK 73099

405-229-9309

www emmaelles com

Epic Charter Schools 1900 NW Expressway Fl R3 50 Penn Place OKC, OK 73118

405-749-4550

https://www epicchsrterschools org

First American Title 3133 N Sooner Road Edmond,OK 73034

405-216-4296

https://local.firstam.com/ok/

First National Bank 1763 W 33rd St Suite 120 Edmond, OK 73013

www 1NB com

Fish City Grill 1389 E. 15th Suite, Suite #104 Edmond, OK 73013

405-348-2300

The Frosted Mug 1333 N Santa Fe Ave Suite 107 Edmond, OK 73003

405-820-1246

www.frostedmugedmond.com

Goosehead Insurance - Stokes Agency 780 N Santa Fe Edmond, OK 73003

405-803-8132

goosehead com/jeff-stokes

Guardian Angels Concierge Services, LLC 1113 NE 139th Street Edmond, OK 73013

405-659-3531

www guardianangelsokc com

Guernsey 5555 North Grand Boulevard Oklahoma City, OK 73112

405-416-8100

https://guernsey us/

Ayers Lindsey DBA HOTWORX 1389 E 15th Street Suite 100

Edmond, OK 73013

405-285-1989

https://www hotworx net/studio/edmond-springcreek

Iron Title Insurance Agency 15301A Crown at Lone Oak Rd Ste A Edmond, OK 73013

818-939-4850

https://www irontitle com/

NEW MEMBERS

JackBe 2121 W Danforth Rd

Edmond, OK 73003

877-522-5231

https://jackbenimble com

Keller Williams Central OklahomaQuintana L 20 E. Campbell

Edmond, OK 73034

405-330-2626

Lyft 24

261 S Santa Fe Avenue

Edmond, OK 73003

405-406-4058

https://www.lyft24.com/edmond

Main Event Entertainment 1441 W Memorial Rd Oklahoma City, OK 73114

405-751-4900

mainevent com

Moriah Brokerage Services 13431 Broadway Ext, #115

Edmond, OK 73114

405-250-9596

moriahbrokerageservices com

MyLilyPadApp

11900 N MacArthur Blvd Suite A2 OKC, OK 73162

405-308-7781

www mylilypadapp com

NorthCare

901 S Bryant Edmond, OK 73034

405-858-1730

www northcare com

Northern Tool & Equipment 3824 S Broadway

Edmond, OK 73013

405-666-5800

https://www northerntool com/

Np2Go

800 w 18th st Ste 140

Edmond, OK 73013

405-696-7003

www thenp2Go com

Of Ash and Fire, LLC

4220 NW 145th

Oklahoma City, OK 73134

405-446-1822

https://www ofashandfire com

Old Republic Title

1008 S Bryant Ave Suite 200

Edmond, OK 73034

405-314-2550

https://www oldrepublictitle com/oklahoma/ edmond

The Park Conservancy Trust PO Box 1218

Edmond, OK 73083

405-285-4275

Phone Doctors 1173 E 2nd St

Edmond, OK 73034

405-531-0075

www thephonedoctors com

Positano Prints 15932 Positano Dr Edmond, OK 73013

405-818-6500

Real Deals on Home Decor

610 S Kelly Ste P Edmond, OK 73003

405-285-8089

https://realdeals net/edmond/

Rebecca Easterly/Indepent Optavia Coach 841 Crystal Creek Place Edmond, OK 73034

405-623-6773

REDW

1225 N Broadway Avenue Oklahoma City, OK 73103

405-834-8825

Revive Dental 15260 Lleytons Ct Edmond, OK 73013

405-492-7862

Revivedentalok com

Senior Care At Home 323 S Blackwelder Ave Edmond, OK 73034

405-285-4191

www careathomeokc com

Smoothie King 1585 South Broadway Edmond, OK 73013

405-216-5570

www smoothieking com

Sovereign Bank

3856 S Boulevard, Ste 130 Edmond, OK 73013

405-471-5400

www banksovereign com

SRB

100 NE 5th Street Oklahoma City, OK 73104

405-204-4324

www srbok com

Stetson Bentley Real Estate 3117 N Sooner Road, Suite 100 Edmond, OK 73034

405-445-9675

stetsonbentley com

Stretch U 3801 NW 166th St Suite 6 Edmond, OK 73012

405-906-3447

stretchu com

Three Dog Bakery 1380 W Covell Road Suite 100 Edmond, OK 73003

405-285-9111

Tropical Smoothie Cafe OK41 1124 So Bryant Edmond, OK 73034

405-435-1720

John Turner

Edmond, OK 73034

405-625-4969

Ukancamp, LLC 125 NE 138th St Edmond, OK 73013-7106

405-373-8526

https://ukancamp com

UShine, Inc

P O Box 6606 Edmond, OK 73083

918-906-1528

https://www ushine org/

Valir Physical Therapy 17860 N MacArthur Blvd Ste E Edmond, OK 73012

405-960-0287

Valirpt com

Vertices Company, Inc 2256 NW 164th Street Edmond, OK 73013

405-757-0940

https://verticesco com/

VIPcare 3815 S Boulevard Edmond, OK 73013

405-230-0085

getvipcare com

WoodmenLife 2216 NW 164th St , Ste C Edmond, OK 73013

405-252-5701

woodmenlife org

Edmond, OK 73034