Oklahoma Magazine September 2020 by Oklahoma Magazine

SEPTEMBER 2020

EXCELLENCE IN TECHNOLOGY

THE LIFE OF A

COLLEGIATE

ATHLETE And a check-in with the

stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s professional teams

EXCELLENCE IN TECHNOLOGY

ACTIVE YEARS

FINANCE 101 From pandemic penny pinching to investment tips

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER 2020

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE

Excellence in Technology

Sports in the COVID Era

Finance 101

Stock markets. Retirement funds. Bonds. Dividends. For many, these buzzwords and phrases cause anxiety. And it’s no wonder – budgeting, planning for one’s future and managing money are all overwhelming topics. Finance 101 walks both novices and pros alike through some need-to-know tips and tricks, from pandemic penny pinching to investment advice, discussions on generational money hurdles and the perks of hiring a financial advisor.

Active Years

One’s golden years should be punctuated with healthy eating, a bevy of activities and a rich social network ... but obtaining those things and reaching new heights isn’t always easy. In our annual Active Years feature, we explore helpful exercise tips, how loneliness affects mental health, and some nutritional advice.

18 22 24 25 26

71 72 74 75

76 78 80

How Oklahoman Are You? Perhaps

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

Life and Style

Interiors Tulsa’s beloved Summit Club has revamped its downtown three-floor oasis. Destinations Health Outside the Metro FYI

Taste

Vintage Wine Bar combines elegance, affordability and culinary excellence.

Local Flavor Tasty Tidbits Chef Chat

Where and When

Enjoy the crisp autumn air and several community events as September rolls around in Oklahoma.

Film and Cinema Closing Thoughts

SEPTEMBER 2020

People Film Makers Clubs Insider

SEPTEMBER 2020

you were born and raised in the Sooner State, or maybe you just moved here. No matter – your status as a true Oklahoman is defined through the myriad experiences you collect along the way. We’ve gathered a spectrum of such outings – some quite common, others off the beaten path – to create a bucket list for those looking to obtain bonafide Oklahoman status.

A Native American occupation of a South Dakota town – and the subsequent documentary about it – has ties to several Oklahomans.

Fans around the U.S. have been missing their favorite pastimes during this new world of limited contact, social distancing and stay-at-home measures. We touch base with a few collegiate athletes to get a glimpse into their lives; explore the realm of recruiting; and talk to Oklahoma’s various professional teams about preparing for a safe return to play.

State 10 12 14 15 16

Software companies are on the rise in Oklahoma. We take a look at a few – both big and small – that work tirelessly to make clients happy while contributing to the ever-evolving tech landscape in the state.

V O L . X X I V, N O . 9

EXCELLENCE IN TECHNOLOGY

ON THE COVER:

THE LIFE OF A

COLLEGIATE

ATHLETE

And a check-in with the state’s professional teams

EXCELLENCE IN TECHNOLOGY

ACTIVE YEARS

FINANCE 101 From pandemic penny pinching to investment tips

In the new How Oklahoman Are You? feature, we explore a bucket list of experiences to help you become a tried-andtrue Oklahoman.

Here to Help You Rebuild Your LifeÂŽ Think carefully about the proposed terms of a divorce settlement

The process of divorcing is often complex and difficult. There are a few things that make this even more challenging. Having numerous assets or having an ex who is not willing to work to come to mutually agreeable terms are two of these. Individuals might not want to think about having to battle things out in court, but it may be necessary if the settlement negotiations are not successful. Negotiating the terms of the divorce requires that both parties in the matter be willing to compromise. In most cases, neither party is going to get everything they want. Being able to think clearly about how various arrangements impact them may help as they evaluate the poten-

tial options. It is usually best to think about what aspects of the end of the marriage they want to focus. For example, they might not care about what happens to the marital home, but they may want to keep their special art collection. In these cases, a strategy can be worked out that increases the chance of that happening. Determining what is truly important to them can also help them to save their energy for those matters. Parties should think about the long-term implications of the settlement. This includes taking a look at how the arrangements will affect their finances in the future. Assets that are costly to keep up might not be ideal when they are trying to survive solely on their own income. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the possible settlement options to ensure they make informed decisions. Stange Law Firm, PC limits their practice to family law

matters including divorce, child custody, child support, paternity, guardianship, adoption, mediation, collaborative law and other domestic relation matters. Stange Law Firm, PC gives clients 24/7 access to their case through a secured online case tracker found on the website. They also give their clients their cell phone numbers. Call for a consultation today at 855-8050595. To schedule a consultation:

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Thanks to the effects of a lingering pandemic, money in your household may be in flux. In our finance feature, we discuss investment advice, penny pinching, generational money struggles and the perks of having a financial advisor (page 36). September welcomes our Active Years spotlight, which covers all things senior health (page 40). We cover a little of everything, from exercise advice to diet planning and a spotlight on mental health and loneliness for older generations. Our new Excellence in Technology piece gives a peek behind the curtain in the life of a tech company (page 28). And you won’t want to miss our sports piece, which offers a run-down on collegiate and pro athletics (page 32). I had quite a bit of fun with our How Oklahoman Are You? feature (page 42). Many things shape the Oklahoma experience, and I’ve gathered a variety of outings and activities for you to enjoy as a bucket list of sorts. This month, we also cover the history of the Wounded Knee occupation in South Dakota and speak with a few Oklahomans who played a part (page 7). Stick around for discussions with a talented artist (page 14), a film producing duo (page 12) and the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (page 10). As always, shoot me a line at editor@okmag.com. Mary Willa Allen Managing Editor

S TAY CONNECTED

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LET TER FROM THE EDITOR

OKLAHOMA

PRESIDENT AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR DANIEL SCHUMAN

PUBLISHER AND FOUNDER VIDA K . SCHUMAN

MANAGING EDITOR

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CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

NATALIE GREEN, NATHAN HARMON, SCOTT MILLER, STEPHANIE PHILLIPS, DAN MORGAN, DAVID COBB, SCOTT JOHNSON

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THE STATE

ALL THINGS OKLAHOMA

A LOOK INSIDE WOUNDED KNEE A Native American occupation of a South Dakota town – and the subsequent documentary about it – has ties to several Oklahomans.

Selo Black Crow, a Lakota medicine man, figured heavily into the Wounded Knee conflict. Photo copr. Kevin McKiernan

efore the 1973 siege at Wounded Knee, Native Americans had “to live the lie, and put their ‘Indian-ness’ away,” says Richard Ray Whitman, an Oklahoma City resident who traveled to South Dakota soon after the occupation began and stayed until a cease-fire agreement was reached. The occupation – led by 200 Oglala Lakota and followers of the American Indian Movement – lasted from Feb. 27 to May 8. Spurred in protest of tribal president Richard Wilson, who was accused of corrup-

tion and abuse of opponents, the protest also took aim at the United States government’s failure to fulfill treaties with Native American nations. Whitman says that when he saw the 2019 documentary From Wounded Knee to Standing Rock: A Reporter’s Journey for the first time – in which he is featured – it reminded him that the sacrifices of Native American activists have not been in vain. “Now, Indian people have some pride in who they are and their culture,” says Whitman, who is a

member of the Yuchi tribe and grew up in Gypsy, an unincorporated community in Oklahoma’s Creek County. “I was just a kid when Wounded Knee went down,” says artist and social activist Dana Tiger. “I remember my mom saying she wanted to go up there; my mom was fearless too.” The Native spirit came alive at Wounded Knee, says Tiger, who is Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole. “Now I know, as a 58-year-old woman, that they stood up for us – who were children then. I will teach

SEPTEMBER 2020 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

T H E S TAT E | S TA R T I N G O F F

LEFT: Spurred by the American Indian Movement, the Wounded Knee occupation lasted over two months. Photo copr. Kevin McKiernan ABOVE: Kevin McKiernan (pictured with camera) captured much of the Wounded Knee negotiations and turmoil. His documentary took several years to put together. Photo courtesy Kevin McKiernan

my grandchild that’s what they did for us, and that’s what we do for others.” Ken Tiger, a retired electronics technician who lives in Vallejo, Calif., grew up in Seminole and is a member of the Seminole Nation. He also appears in the documentary and says he found kinship at Wounded Knee. “I became aware that there were other people who had similar experiences growing up, not knowing there was anything that could be done,” he says. “The more [we] got together and talked, the more [we] realized we could band together and form organizations. [We] learned to help one another.” The film’s creator, Kevin McKiernan, says Wounded Knee brought together “all these different tribal members with different stories about discrimination

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

and violence against activists. They all were the stories of oppression and all part of the genocide. Richard’s story had different facts, but it was the same story.” McKiernan had moved as a teenager to Minneapolis, where the American Indian Movement was founded in response to police discrimination and poor conditions at the tenement housing where many Native Americans lived. He was in his 20s and shooting pool at a bar when he heard about the Wounded Knee occupation. He quickly decided to go and shoot photos and film. The future Pulitzer Prize nominee says he was very much a journalism rookie when he showed up bearing a press pass from the National Public Radio affiliate in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn. But he possessed skills learned at the University of Oklahoma, where he earned a master’s degree and taught English from 1966 to 1968. McKiernan’s first film-making mentor, he says, was Ned Hockman, a World War II and Korean War combat photographer who helped establish the film and video studies program at OU. “He’s kind of legendary in Oklahoma film circles,” he says of Hockman, a native

of Carnegie, Okla. who died in 2009. “I became his cameraman.” McKiernan embedded with the Wounded Knee dissidents, which resulted in his arrest as they left the village on May 8, 1973. The charges were later dropped. The documentary also examines the aftermath of the 71-day siege, including murders on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Dana Tiger attended several screenings of the documentary, and she and McKiernan have since become friends. She had arranged for it to be shown in Muskogee on May 8, but that was postponed due to the pandemic. Whitman, who had been an art student in California, returned to Oklahoma after also being arrested on a Wounded Kneerelated complaint that never held up. “Wounded Knee made me want to go back to Oklahoma and work with my own people, to help us heal ourselves,” says Whitman. “It will always serve as a large stepping stone in my life.” Ken Tiger served in Vietnam as a U.S. Marine. At the Mill Valley Film Festival in California, Tiger spoke to the theater audience along with McKiernan and another Wounded Knee veteran. McKiernan asked Tiger about his decision to fight against the government he had once served. “I was a Marine from 1963 to 1967,” Tiger replied, “but I was a Seminole from 1945 until now.” To buy or stream the documentary, go to kevinmckiernan.com. KIMBERLY BURK

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T H E S TAT E | P E O P L E

CHASING STORMS, CHASING DREAMS University of Oklahoma alumnus Kelvin Droegemeier shapes national policy around science and technology.

Kelvin Droegemeier works at the White House as the director of the Oﬀice of Science and Technology Policy. Photo courtesy The White House Oﬀice of Science and Technology Policy

fascination with storms and a love of football led Kelvin Droegemeier to a 35-year career at the University of Oklahoma ... and later to one of the most prominent jobs a scientist can hold in the U.S. Droegemeier took the position of the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in April 2020 after an appointment by President Donald Trump. “I sort of have to pinch myself every now and say, ‘Am I really here or am I going to wake up and find this is all a dream?’” he says. “I’m extraordinarily blessed and feel like I’ve been called to this position. It’s a privilege of a lifetime.” Droegemeier is the president’s science advisor and leads OSTP in its coordination of any science and technology initiatives, policies, plans and programs. He also chairs the National Science and Technology Council and co-chairs the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. “We have about 90 different policy activities going on at any given time, from oceans science tech to artificial intelligence and so on,” Droegemeier explains. “It is a very lively, intellectually stimulating, and cool place to be.” It was easy for a young Droegemeier, growing up in Kansas – part of ‘Tornado Alley’ – to become fascinated with the weather. It only seemed natural that he would want to study meteorology, so he found a university not too

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

far from home that was the right fit. (It helped that he was already a big fan of the Sooners.) Moving on to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for more education, it wasn’t until 1985, after he completed his doctoral program, that Droegemeier applied to work at several universities. Still, he knew there was only one place to call home. “Going back [to OU] just five years after I’d left as an undergraduate was weird in a way, but it was neat that all the [people] who were my professors as a student were now my colleagues as a faculty member,” he says. “The transition was easy, and I knew I wanted to be part of growing that program.” Droegemeier brought back his experience of numerical modeling of severe storms and highperformance computing. From his expertise, he was he able to get grants and build labs for his students. “It was fun to help build a program and [bring] value in areas that didn’t already exist,” says Droegemeier, who is still a faculty member at OU, but is on a leave of absence while in Washington, D.C. Not long after starting a lucrative career, Droegemeier

unknowingly began preparing for his role in the White House. He co-founded the National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center for the Analysis and Prediction of Storms in 1989 and served as its director for more than a decade. He also harbors a long list of accolades, awards and countless contributions to science that propelled him to his appointment. “My training as a scientist helped me in terms of how I think about a problem, and it also gave me the big picture view of why science is important and how to articulate to people who, for example, are not meteorologists, how the weather works,” he explains. “Here at the White House, there are so many different topics. I try to find examples that I can talk about and put into a framework that they’re familiar with.” While he’s enjoying his post in Washington, Droegemeier still misses a few things about Oklahoma: being at home, going to his church, riding his Harley, eating Oklahoma barbecue, drinking COOP Ale Works’ F5 beer, and, of course, the people – especially his wife of 37 years. ALAINA STEVENS

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T H E S TAT E | F I L M

FEEL THE THUNDER(BIRD) Randy Wayne and his partner, Talia Bella, bring quality film production to the state.

Thunderdbird Films, based in Oklahoma, is a flourishing production company that helps make quality films while drawing new creators to the state. Photo by Justin Miers Photography

fter nearly two decades in Hollywood as an actor and producer, Oklahoman Randy Wayne felt not only the tug of his state’s roots, but the frustrations that come with living in fast-paced Los Angeles. So, in 2019, Wayne and his partner, Talia Bella, brought their skills to Oklahoma to launch a new production venture: Thunderbird Films. The production company was created to assist Oklahoma’s burgeoning filmmaking industry, which the state is encouraging with a generous tax rebate. The unique name came about from a desire to exude power and true substance. “The Thunderbird is known to create rain, which watered the earth,” says Wayne, who grew up in Moore. “Water is essential for growth.” Wayne says that while the film industry is growing here, it lags behind in infrastructure, equip-

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

ment and qualified crew. Thunderbird Films, he says, can bridge that gap, by providing turnkey production services; movie cameras; grip and lighting gear; and production equipment. “Movie makers come and hire us,” he explains. “We make the budget for the film, hire the crew, find locations and help them with the state tax rebate forms.” He refers to Oklahoma’s Film Enhancement Rebate Program, adopted in 2001, which offering filmmakers a 35% rebate on qualified expenditures. In addition to producing several movies so far – including one that was a week from completion when the COVID-19 pandemic hit – Thunderbird Films has rolled out commercials for Tulsa’s GameStop and Cox Communications. After graduating from Moore High School, Wayne spent a year at a Kentucky college on a swim-

ming scholarship before moving to Los Angeles in 2003 to launch what has been a noteworthy acting career. There, he met Bella, a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, who has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Buenos Aires’ Communication and Media program. She has produced more than 100 commercials, including several for companies like Apple, Nike and Oakley. Wayne branched into movie production 10 years ago. Among his producing credits are Rudderless, directed by William H. Macy and starring Billy Crudup, Anton Yelchin and Selena Gomez; and Trust Me, directed by Clark Gregg and starring Sam Rockwell, Allison Janney and Felicity Huffman. During this time – despite a successful career – Wayne was yearning for his home state. Oklahoma had so much to offer, after all, including a less-hurried life, cheaper costs of living, stunning landscapes and “the nicest people,” he says. “Besides, it’s my home state, and I have pride in being here.” His goal now, he says, is to pitch Oklahoma City and Tulsa to his contacts in California. Thunderbird Films currently has no other permanent employees, but hires 30 to 60 cast and crew members for each production. They try to hire as many locals as possible. Next up for the company is to build a studio for stage and television shows, with a green screen and sound stage. Although production shut down over the summer due to COVID-19, Wayne says he and Bella are ready to get back to work. They have a film project they hope to start this month. “People are still wanting to film,” he says. “We think we can do it safely.” HENRY DOLIVE

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LIFE ON CANVAS Catherine Freshley pays homage to Oklahoma’s wide open skies with her larger-than-life art pieces.

Freshley stands with her piece, Oklahoma Sunset, commissioned by the Oklahoma City Thunder and installed at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Photo courtesy Catherine Freshley

rising star in modern art, Catherine Freshley has painted hundreds of Oklahoma landscapes, and even after moving, continues to create from her reference photos of the state. In doing so, Freshley tells rich, visual stories of Oklahoma’s terra firma, and gives a voice to the state’s wide-open prairie skies. It’s no surprise that her work hangs in homes all over the Sooner State. Freshley was first enamored by Oklahoma’s flat and vast lands – and just how big the sky was – when she moved here with her husband in 2014 while he was serving in the Air Force. The couple stayed until 2018. “In Oklahoma, you so often are treated to spectacular skies, and they vary so much more than the land,” she says. “I was transfixed by the sky. To me, the sky and the light on the land are so beautiful that I can’t handle the idea of it going away and me forgetting the scene. I want to save it, so I paint it.” The daughter of a landscape architect and an artist, Freshley recalls that she “grew up in a creative home with access to craft and art supplies from a very young age. I started with drawing, and spent a lot of time drawing in elementary and middle school, both in my free time and for school projects. I started painting with acrylics in high school.” After getting degrees in economics and English, Freshley started a career in the advertising world while painting on the side. Her focus on landscapes began in 2011, and in 2016, she walked away from her career to fully pursue her passion. “I displayed my work at STASH in Norman, where I met Farooq Karim of REES [architecture firm], who has specified my work for a number of projects, including Stillwater Cancer Center and ReMERGE.

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

Most of my other corporate clients saw my work at the Oklahoma City Festival of the Arts, and bought at the event.” Prominent Oklahoma collections now include Freshley’s paintings. “The Thunder commissioned a huge painting to hang in Chesapeake Arena, and Kimray commissioned a large painting to add to their Oklahoma Collection,” Freshley says. “I worked with designer Rachel Shingleton on pieces for Carlton Landing’s Residence Club, and NBC Bank has purchased multiple paintings for its permanent collection.” Her work can be spotted in several other locales including those owned by corporate groups and even the Girls Scouts of Western Oklahoma. Freshley is constantly photographing landscapes, finding inspiration in scenes of everyday life. She’s known for snapping pictures everywhere, she says, including at stop lights and inside airport terminals. Of breathing life onto the canvas, Freshley likes “the physical act of creating it – the time spent at the easel with a brush in hand – just as a person could enjoy any vocation or hobby.” Freshley, situated in her hometown of Portland, looks to the future. “I would love to continue to have my work specified and commissioned for corporate projects,” she says. “And it is a dream of mine to have my work in hotels and restaurants. I really appreciate thoughtful, creative design in both hotels and restaurants. I look forward to continuing to build relationships with Midwest collectors as well as to establishing myself as an artist in Portland.” CAROL MOWDY BOND

T H E S TAT E | C L U B S

FEATHERED FRIENDS Oklahoma birders flock together.

‘Birding,’ or bird watching, is a popular pastime for many Oklahomans. Photos courtesy Tulsa Audabon Society

ONLINE

TO SEE TIPS AND TRICKS FOR BEGINNER BIRDERS, GO TO okmag.com/ featheredfriends

or many, autumn means vibrant foliage and bonfires. For bird watchers, it brings opportunities to see avifauna not around in the warmer months. It’s clear that “birding” thrives in Oklahoma. Terri Underhill, longtime volunteer liaison for the Oklahoma City Audubon Society, says the state is a hotbed for avian enthusiasts. “We get birds and birders from just everywhere,” she says. “For example, we had a very rare first in the state, a type of gull that people came from all over to see at Lake Overholser. And about every five years, Oklahoma will get an eruption of snowy owls.” To keep bird populations thriving, Underhill advises taking injured birds to drop-offs found statewide through wildcareoklahoma.com, rather than attempting to treat them yourself. Also, she says, “if you see a baby bird out of the nest, it’s rare for both its parents to abandon [it], so to save it from a dog or cat, you can put it in a basket up in a tree to be found by its parents.” Underhill has hardwon and fervent advice when it comes to her personal favorite winged creatures – hummingbirds. “If you feed them, please don’t use the food with red dye and please do keep the feeders clean. Many people just don’t, and it gets rancid and they’ll still drink it, even if it has fungus in it that can hurt them. And avoid feeders with the color yellow, as it attracts wasps. If you have a

feeder with yellow, just paint over those parts with nail polish.” Tulsa Audubon Society president John Kennington says Tulsa area birdwatchers gather for monthly Saturday field trips; to present the yearly Backyard Wildlife Habitat Garden Tour (planned for Sept. 1213 this year); and to sometimes hang out together ... at the town dump. “Going out birding can be solo or social, but either way, it can take you to places you might not normally go,” he says. “Sewage ponds and garbage dumps can be great places to see birds. Since [Sept. 11, 2001], you can’t just walk into a sewage area without making arrangements in advance.” If you’re curating a haven in your own backyard, pick native landscape planting to help out feathered friends. “What we really emphasize is for people to plant native and wildlife-friendly plants in their yards and gardens,” says Kennington. “You can have a beautiful yard that is also friendly to wildlife. A manicured green lawn is a desert to wildlife. Plant choices make a huge difference for bird species, especially our songbirds who are in serious trouble. Native plants are part of the eco-system and they support the birds’ food – seeds and beneficial insects. A Bradford pear tree, as an example, supports only five insect species compared to native oak with thousands of bug types. If everyone would plant native, it would help overall, everywhere. So, when you’re deciding a new tree – go with the oak or native tree and you’ll still have a beautiful yard that’s also a habitat for birds.” TRACY LEGRAND

SEPTEMBER 2020 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

T H E S TAT E | I N S I D E R

MASTER OF ALL TRADES Sand Springs native Sam Harris has conquered just about every entertainment avenue possible, rounding it out with an alarmingly relevant novel.

Sand Springs native Sam Harris published his first novel, The Substance of All Things, this year. Photo courtesy Sam Harris

am Harris may be the ultimate show-biz hyphenate. It’s hard to believe that some 37 years have passed since the Sand Springs native brought down the house, and the whole country, on the TV talent show Star Search, leading to a recording contract, hit songs and a string of full-length albums. That’s when the hyphens began for him: singer-television performer-major-label recording star. Over the subsequent years, he’s compiled more and more credits in all kinds of entertainment fields. He’s been an award-winning Broadway performer, TV producer, songwriter, scriptwriter and even an in-demand television talk show guest. Then, in 2014, he added “author” to that list, when Simon & Schuster’s Gallery Books brought out his memoir Ham – Slices of A Life. What’s left to hyphenate for Harris? Well, how about “novelist”? That’s what he’s become with the publication of his new book, The Substance of All Things, an often harrowing, beautifully realized story about an Oklahoma boy who, after suffering a horrendous automobile accident, finds that he can heal with his broken hands. Unlike Ham, The Substance of All Things is fiction. How-

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

ever, as Harris notes, his protagonist’s town of Dalton is based on Sand Springs, and some of the scenes and characters in the novel come out of his specific past – including a memorable minister who make his appearance early in the book. “We had a pretty theatrical preacher at Broadway Baptist [in Sand Springs],” recalls Harris with a chuckle. “He was fire and brimstone, and he held the Bible up and he’d turn red. It was very exciting. He’d had several heart attacks, and you were always thinking, ‘This is the moment. He’s going to die right now. This is the big one.’” So, while The Substance of All Things is definitely a work of fiction, Harris’ own experiences as a youth form the book’s mise en scene, to use a term from theater and film. “The way the town looks, the way the buildings are – we write what we know, and I know what the culture was like,” he explains. “I know what the air felt like. I know the colors of the sky. The references that I make to the environment, and the people, and the colloquialisms, and all that stuff, that’s from my childhood.” It was reacquainting himself with his childhood that finally led to the breaking of a year-long writer’s block, which followed his editor’s suggestion that he try writing a novel. But even before the block came, the simple notion of committing to a full-length work of fiction was burden enough. “It was something that had always been at the back of my mind, but it seemed so daunting,” he says. “It seemed so large. The idea of a novel is very different from a collection of essays [as with Ham]. “So it was very intimidating, the thought of it. My editor had thrown me a couple of ideas about what he thought I should do, but it didn’t fit with me. So I had a block for a year. I’m not really a writer’s block person. Pretty much when I engage, the river flows. But this just would not come. I think I was overwhelmed and afraid of what it was supposed to be.” Then, one evening a few years ago, at a dinner party, he told a friend about the trouble he was having breaking his block. “He began asking me questions about my childhood, just to get my brain going,” says Harris. “And I remembered this short story I’d written, which no one had ever read, that was about a particular personal time in my life. And then, as I was talking to him about my childhood in Oklahoma, all of a sudden the concept, the seed of it, just hit. “I think a lot of artists can talk about that moment: ‘Oh. That’s it. It’s been waiting there for me to discover.’ It just clicks.” Unwilling to let any more time pass, Harris asked for a legal pad and then, he says, “While everyone else was in the dining room, I sat in the bedroom and started making notes.” He admits to not knowing initially where he was

going with the story, or what was going to happen. But he did have his protagonist, an adolescent boy named Theo Dalton, whose gift for healing with his hands gradually turns into an untenable burden. With a narrative structure that alternates between young Theo and the present-day adult Theo, The Substance of All Things skillfully hints about its protagonist’s fate without giving anything away. The current Theo is a therapist – “a healer in another way,” Harris notes – and his interactions with a deeply challenging female client provide, as Harris puts it, “the conduit for the depth with which he explores his past.” He adds, “I hate to use the word ‘channeling,’ because it sounds so clichéd. But sometimes when you’re writing a character, and you finish a part, you think, ‘I didn’t know that was going to happen.’ You don’t remember writing it. You don’t know that it’s happening as it’s coming out. You just know that it happened – and it’s a great feeling.” Sometimes, also, an author writes something that resonates even more later, well after it was first put down on paper. Harris couldn’t have seen the pandemic coming

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when he was penning The Substance of All Things, but what Theo’s client has to deal with seems as timely as tomorrow.

“I think a lot of artists can talk about that moment: ‘Oh. That’s it. It’s been waiting there for me to discover.’ It just clicks.” “This woman, who has a condition called haphephobia, cannot be touched,” he says. “It physically hurts her, so she’s cut herself off from the world. It’s this idea of touching and being touched, the isolation of people. When she’s talking to Theo early on, she says, ‘You know, it’s really easy not to have contact with people. You can order everything in. You don’t have to go out.’ And here we are now, living in this world, where the lack of human touch has a lot of fallout.” During the four years it took Harris to write the novel, his editor at Gallery Books was let go, so Harris made the decision to release The Substance of All Things independently. “I said to my agent, ‘I want to have a

conversation about this. More than 50% of the books on Amazon, both print and Kindle, are indie books. And it’s going to take six months to sell it – if we sell it – to a big publisher. Then it’ll take a year for their process and editing before we get a publishing date. Right now, we’re in COVID, and people are home. People are reading. People are investing in themselves. This book is about healing. I don’t want to wait.’ So we’re going for it.” The Substance of All Things adds still another hyphenated entry to the long chain that follows Sam Harris’ name. It may, he says, be the hardest-won title of them all. “Of all of the mediums, the things I’ve worked in, this took the longest for me to get there and required the greatest depth,” he muses. “I mean, you hear about a movie taking 10 years to make, and it may have taken that long to get it financed, but I’ll guarantee you it didn’t take 10 years to write. The script was written in a couple of months, maybe a year, and the rest was process and business. “With a book,” he adds with a chuckle, “if you hear someone took 10 years to write it – it took 10 years to write it!” JOHN WOOLEY

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SEPTEMBER 2020 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

LIFE & STYLE

A M A P TO L I V I N G W E L L

A FINE DINING RENAISSANCE Tulsa’s beloved Summit Club has revamped its downtown three-floor oasis.

D The renovated Summit Club offers a dazzling blue-hued color scheme that add a calming, subtle ambiance.

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

By M.J. Van Deventer Photos by Nathan Harmon

owntown Tulsa’s Summit Club – perched on the top three floors of the Bank of America Center – is in the midst of a transformation so dazzling you’ll need to see it to believe. Over the last several months, the team has been hard at work renovating the space to draw more members and stay competitive in the city’s ever-changing culinary market. At the helm, general manager Jared Jordan has been pivotal in the process of the renovations, and has been preparing for this type of major responsibility since his early days in the restaurant business. After graduating from college in Louisiana, Jordan moved to Oklahoma and waited tables at Miss Addie’s in Muskogee. He then moved to Tulsa, where he’s been deeply involved in the city’s restaurant business since 2001. In 2017, he was named general manager of The Summit Club. His early

L I F E & S T Y L E | I N T ERIOR S

Views of downtown Tulsa abound at the Summit Club.

A bevy of seating options allow for pairs and groups to enjoy the views of the Summit.

Globe lights, a granite countertop bar and mosaic tile cabinetry make a perfect gathering place for a drink before dining or meeting friends.

The Cigar Room is another special meeting area. The wood paneling on the walls is original to the 1960s design.

SEPTEMBER 2020 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

L I F E & S T Y L E | I NT ER I O R S

ABOVE: Several plush lounge areas near the bar are perfect for more private conversations or casual dining. LEFT: The board room is the perfect space for planning special events and weddings.

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

jobs in the business were all he needed to assure him this was his true calling. “I’ve been in it ever since,” he says. The Summit, opened in 1967, is now celebrating its 53rd year in business. It’s been over a decade since the club has been renovated, and Jordan says it was time for a rebirth, both for the Summit’s members and for the hardworking and diligent employees. “I have a wonderful staff that gives great care and attention to our members,” he says. The bulk of the remodeling work done thus far has been on the 30th and 31st floors. “The latest attention involves the renovation of the ballroom on the 30th floor, with updated audio and visual amenities,” says Jordan. “Recently completed is a total renovation for the always elegant grand ballroom on the 31st floor, which reopened in late July. We took the 31st floor down to the studs and updated it completely with more pleasing aesthetics.” Up next? The top floor. Still in progress, this area will be stunning once completed. The 32nd floor includes the penthouse and formal dining room and is scheduled for remodeling starting in January. “It has always been a beautiful space,” says Jordan. “When all the re-styling is complete, the Summit Club will look like a private club you would see in New York City.” The team at the Summit collaborated with several firms to redesign this beloved piece of Tulsa’s history. PHX Architecture, headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., led the team through the important nuts and bolts of the renovation, with help from Club Design Associates in Fort Worth, Texas, who spearheaded the interior design choices for this stunning 3-story project. Both firms specialize in upscale private membership clubs. For local help, Summit joined forces with Flintco for all construction needs from start to finish. Another important team addition was Salt Food Group – a premier hospitality design firm that created the club’s sleek kitchen and bar design. Despite the excitement of the renovations, Jordan and the team are equally as attentive to the club’s menus and quality dining experiences. Whether members are enjoying a top-of-the-line juicy sirloin or fresh seafood, Jordan believes that high quality experience all around is vital for a private club. “Our members do a lot of work to help us live up to their expectations,” says Jordan. “Our new members are also really excited about everything that’s going on right now with all the changes and improvements at The Summit Club.”

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L I F E & S T Y L E | D E S T I NAT I O NS

TOP TO BOTTOM: A stunning skyline in Nashville hints at all the fun to come. Photo courtesy Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. B.B. King’s Shining Sign is an iconic beacon in Memphis. Photo by Andrea Zucker Photography courtesy Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau

HITTING THE OPEN ROAD Vacations close to home can offer just as much fun as international adventures.

Nashville’s Parthenon is a full-scale replica of the original in Athens, Greece. Photo courtesy Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. A trip to Memphis isn’t complete without a stop at Elvis Presley’s mansion, Graceland. Photo by Andrea Zucker courtesy Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau

oad trips aren’t just nostalgic this year ... they’re necessary. Due to pandemicrelated travel restrictions, people are seeking close-to-home vacation spots to entertain themselves and their families. Between quarantines, distance learning and an influx of Zoom meetings, Oklahomans are needing a getaway like never before. The road trip format provides the backdrop for many family memories of bonding, or for solitude if you’re traveling alone. Combining points of interest helps break up the driving time and can augment your sightseeing, providing something for everyone. Two pairings within reasonable driving distances from Oklahoma are in Tennessee and Texas.

MEMPHIS AND NASHVILLE

The distance from Memphis to Nashville, Tenn., is approximately three hours. From Beale to Broadway, the streets of these two cities are alive with music, honky tonks, barbecue joints, southern comfort cooking and Americana galore. In Memphis, visit Graceland, Beale Street, the marching ducks at the Peabody

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

Hotel, the hip Cooper Young district and the nearby Loretta Lynn Museum. The Beauty Shop in the Cooper Young district is a lunch spot full of nostalgia; it used to be Priscilla Presley’s frequented hair salon and the hair dryers are still there, incorporated into the decor. Blues City Cafe on Beale Street has delicious barbecue while Charles Vergos Rendezvous has an excellent dry rub flavoring. In Nashville, the Parthenon, The Gulch, Broadway Street, the Grand Ole Opry and the Johnny Cash Museum are just a few recommendations. Trolley and bus tours will give you a lay of the land, so you can easily hop on and off at sights. Hattie B’s Hot Chicken is the truest moniker, because this fried chicken is spicy hot. Midtown Cafe is a mustvisit for classic southern cooking.

AUSTIN AND SAN ANTONIO

Austin and San Antonio, Texas, are approximately an hour and a half apart from each other by car. This makes for an ideal pairing of sightseeing destinations in one of the prettiest areas of Texas. Austin is a stimulating destination where you can set your own pace. For those interested in live music, unique boutiques and taverns, stroll along Sixth Street. If nature beckons you, rent a kayak on Lake Lady Bird, which is a fun activity solo or with the whole family. Enjoy the vintage vibe on “SoCo” (South Congress Street) for eclectic treasures in wardrobe, furniture and decorations. Drop by the historic Driskill Hotel, built in the 1880s, to admire the architectural beauty. Consider a stay on Lake Austin and enjoy the bucolic setting, or venture to Bob’s Steak and Chop House for rooftop dining and city views. The Oasis on Lake Austin is ideal for hilltop views of the lake, and Fonda San Miguel has authentic Mexican cuisine and decor. Juan in a Million is Austin’s taco headquarters with so many delicious varieties available. In San Antonio, Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa, Sea World, the Riverwalk and the Alamo are all wellloved highlights. The Hyatt Regency Hill Country resort includes family friendly activities, like a lazy river, water slide, activity pool and slow rider – a mechanical surfing machine. Savor nightly s’mores and Thursday and Friday night movies on the lawn. Sea World is also open and following COVID-19 protocols. Dining recommendations along the Riverwalk include the County Line for delicious barbecue and Boudro’s Texas Bistro for surf ‘n’ turf and their unique prickly pear margarita. Although this information is as upto-date as possible, it’s recommended to check websites to confirm details during COVID-19 protocols. After that, get on the road and enjoy some Americana! GINA MICHALOPULOS KINGSLEY

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Austin, Texas, is a bustling metropolis with stunning views. Stroll or take a boat ride down the San Antonio Riverwalk. Visitors to San Antonio should visit the Alamo, which oﬀers a rich history. Photos courtesy Travel Texas Located in the Pearl Brewery, Hotel Emma is a popular lodging choice in San Antonio. Photo by Pierce Ingram courtesy Travel Texas

SEPTEMBER 2020 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

L I F E & S T Y L E | HE ALT H

AVOIDING MUSCLE CRAMPS Typically a mild irritation, cramps can be thwarted with a few easy-to-utilize methods.

uscle cramps can range from being a slight ache to a piercing pain, and the cause of the discomfort can vary. While it’s possible that muscle cramps can be a symptom of something more serious, for most people, they’re an occasional irritation that can be avoided by following a few simple steps. “A cramp is an involuntary forcible contraction of a muscle that does not relax,” says Kathryn Reilly, a sports medicine specialist physician with OU Physicians Family Medicine in Oklahoma City. “Cramps can affect any skeletal muscle, but are most common in the legs and feet. Nocturnal or rest cramps occur at night and can affect sleep.” She says rest cramps aren’t well understood but can happen when a person makes a movement, such as pointing the toe away from the head with the leg stretched out, thus shortening the calf muscle. Common causes for muscle cramps include vigorous activity and muscle fatigue from exercise; muscle fatigue from repetitive use or from lying in any awkward position for a long time; and dehydration – whether from environmental conditions, inadequate water intake or certain medications. Low levels of calcium, magnesium and/or potassium in the blood can also be a culprit, caused by diuretics, vomiting, poor diet, hy-

perventilation or certain medical conditions involving calcium absorption. Medications used to treat high cholesterol, high blood pressure and angina, asthma, and certain prescriptions for Alzheimer’s can also increase the risk for muscle cramps. “There are also medical conditions that cause pain that feels like a cramp, but is a symptom of a more serious problem,” says Reilly. “Poor circulation to the legs can cause a cramping pain that goes away with rest, called claudication. Pressure on a nerve in the lower back can also cause a cramping pain in the leg – usually just one – that is made better by bending over slightly, like when pushing a shopping cart. These can be very serious problems and should be evaluated by a doctor.” To help prevent common muscle cramps, Reilly offers the following recommendations: • Stretch before and after exercise; • For activities lasting more than an hour, plan ahead and drink one to two cups of water per hour for a few hours beforehand and eat a few small, salty snacks; • During exercise, drink small amounts of fluid every 20 minutes; • For night cramps, stretch before going to bed. Stretch the calf muscle by standing two to three feet away from a wall and leaning toward the wall, keeping the leg straight and the heel on the ground. The stretch should be held for 30 seconds and repeated three times. “A cramp can often be broken by forcing the muscle to stretch in the direction opposite to the cramp,” says Reilly, adding that a gentle massage of the muscle or use of a hot pack can provide relief. To help a ‘Charley horse,’ a cramp in the calf muscle, she suggests standing on the leg for a short time. “Those with frequent rest cramps can consider taking a supplement with calcium and magnesium, as well as a 2,000 IU of vitamin D, as long as they do not have kidney disease,” says Reilly. REBECCA FAST

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

L I F E & S T Y L E | O U T SI D E T H E M E T R O

READY TO BOUNCE BACK The quirky and inviting Pauls Valley offers something for everyone.

The Stark Art Gallery in Pauls Valley is a major tourist attraction. Photo courtesy City of Pauls Valley

auls Valley is a familiar rest stop on the bustling Interstate 35 between Oklahoma City and Dallas-Fort Worth. But those who venture into the city will find a community rich in history and culture, a fascinating museum, and, once a year, one of the most unique fishing tournaments anywhere. The annual Okie Noodling Tournament – where competitors scavenge for catfish with their bare hands – has been a fixture on Father’s Day weekend for the past two decades, and last year brought an estimated 12,000 visitors to town. Although organizers were forced to cancel the tournament this year due to COVID-19, they are planning to resume it in 2021. In addition to the Saturday weigh-in for the biggest catfish taken from any Oklahoma body of water, the contest features a free Friday night concert, food and

craft vendors. The tournament is the city’s largest event, bringing in impressive tourism dollars, says Jason Selman, the tourism director of the Garvin County seat of just over 6,000 people. “We promote it on billboards, radio commercials and social media,” he says, “and we use it to advertise our other attractions.” A September high school marching band and police department car show called Brickfest also brings flocks of tourists to town. Named in recognition of Pauls Valley’s estimated 17,000 square yards of brick streets, Brickfest is scheduled for Sept. 26. “We’re not your ordinary small town,” says Selman. He is echoed by the city’s mayor, Jocelyn Rushing. “We have people from all walks of life and ethnicities, yet we can come together,” she says. “It’s not like it’s a fairytale, but we work together for the good of the community.” Selman says Pauls Valley has close to 600 hotel rooms, and he and Rushing agree that occupancy will rise once COVID-19 wanes. Several years ago, the city adopted a 5 percent lodging tax, with the money dedicated to tourism.

Prominent among these tourism draws are the Stark Art Gallery and the Toy and Action Figure Museum, opened in 2005 in a former downtown department store. The 7,000-square-foot museum has had over 50,000 visitors from every U.S. state and 40 countries, says local artist Kevin Stark, the museum’s curator. He believes it to be the only museum in the world dedicated to action figures. Downtown Pauls Valley also offers visitors the restored Santa Fe Depot Museum, where historic photos, railroad memorabilia and a 1902 Santa Fe steam engine are displayed. The location doubles as a working train depot, where the Amtrak Heartland Flyer stops twice daily on its run between Oklahoma City and Forth Worth. The city’s name derived from North Carolinian Smith Paul, who settled in the area in the 1800s after spotting the rich river bottomland on his way west with a wagon train. Returning years later, he homesteaded it when it was part of Indian Territory, Ark., and mail was delivered to ‘Smith Paul’s Valley.’ Mayor Rushing says the community’s strong spirit was evident as the city fought to keep its lone hospital open – an effort that included passing a 1/2-cent sales tax. “It didn’t save the hospital,” she says, “but the community rallied together to try.” A Walmart distribution center that employs about 650 people is the city’s largest source of jobs, says Sherri Wing, president of the Pauls Valley Chamber of Commerce. Wing says Pauls Valley’s economy is diverse, including manufacturing, agriculture, and oil and gas. Rushing says that Pauls Valley, like other communities, has suffered economically during the COVID-19 pandemic, but will rebound. “We’re right on the [I-35] corridor,” she says. “Once sports and events pick up, our hotels will fill back up. When construction picks up, I look for us to bounce back.” HENRY DOLIVE

SEPTEMBER 2020 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

L I F E & S T Y L E | F YI

HOOK, LINE AND SINKER Oklahomans looking for no-contact activities are drawn to the serenity of fishing.

klahomans are flocking to the state’s rivers, streams, lakes and ponds to try their luck at catching fish. Sport fishing is enjoying a surge of popularity this year, says Skylar St. Yves, information and education specialist and fishing coordinator for the State Department of Wildlife Conservation. Oklahoma has great fishing spots throughout the state, he says, which include huge reservoirs such as Grand Lake, Lake Texoma, Lake Eufaula, Lake Murray, Arcadia Lake and Lake Tenkiller, along with rivers, creeks, smaller lakes and farm ponds. St. Yves says fishing activity was at its height from mid-March into May, when the weather was relatively cool. “Not only were there lots of people out there fishing; they were having success,” he says. “Success drives you back.” Richard Minyard, an El Reno resident, is the president of Oklahoma Bass Nation, which organizes bass tournaments throughout Oklahoma. “The lakes have been absolutely packed,” he says. “People are definitely taking advantage of the outdoors, some just sitting on the bank of a river or pond by themselves, maintain a safe distance from anyone else.” St. Yves says that anyone interested in learning to fish can check out the department’s website – wildlifedepartment.com – which is chock full of relevant and helpful information for beginners. It also has details, updated monthly, specific to the pandemic, and a complete list of fishing guide services throughout the state. He recommends starting with the basics, including a standard, mediumsized rod with a worm, hook and bobber. Oklahoma fishing licenses cost $25 annually for anyone over 17, and can be obtained online, at sporting goods stores, bait shops or at the Wildlife Conservation Department’s Oklahoma City office. A $25 license for seniors 65 and over is good for life. Minyard says newcomers should plan to go fishing with a friend or someone who has fished before. Using a fishing guide is also helpful, he says, as finding the right equipment is a challenge. “There are so many varieties of fish, and everything is tailored to what you’re fishing for,” he says. Scott Hood, a Tulsa resident, has been a fly fisherman for about 20 years. He suggests that anyone interested in learning should reach out to a fishing organization, such as the Tulsa chapter of Trout Unlimited. Hood says that for him, fly fishing is a great stress reliever in addition to offering some of Oklahoma’s most beautiful scenery. When he fishes, he says, he can forget about the pressures of life and enjoy an Oklahoma sunrise. There’s an old saying among fly fishermen, he says: “Trout don’t live in ugly places.” For more information on fishing licenses, tips and tricks, call the department at 405-990-9743 or email St. Yves at skylar.styves@odwc.ok.gov. Tulsa Trout Unlimited meets on the second Thursday of each month, except for June-August, at the Hardesty Public Library, and visitors are welcome. Visit tu420.com for more information. HENRY DOLIVE

Oklahoma oﬀers several fishing hotspots for novices and pros alike. Photos courtesy Oklahoma Trout Unlimited

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

mission is helping start-ups and small businesses thrive in our community while providing fulfilling, purposeful jobs to my team by innovating better ways for everyone to work together, and facilitating candid conversation. We had to reinvent how local business owners interacted with a software development shop to enjoy success together.” In Tulsa, tech company TMA Systems operates in 20 countries and in nine languages. The team, however, is happy to keep headquarters right where they are to ensure Oklahoma stays competitive in the software sector. “Our focus is developing software for clients to eﬀectively manage their physical assets and maintenance operations,” says John Smith, the company’s chairman and CEO. “For more than 30 years, we’ve provided customers outstanding value through leading software products and world-class service. 98% of our business is outside of Oklahoma, but we have grown our business here because the climate is conducive to developing a business, due to great people with great skills and work ethics.

Oklahoma is experiencing the rise of technology and software

development companies, making the future bright ... and easier to navigate than in decades past. Developer Kris Dillon founded StartupOKC – a community of passionate entrepreneurs who can help aspiring business owners – and Deep Fork Technology – a software company in OKC. He says that in the next 10 to 20 years, Oklahoma is “on a good course to get better at supporting high tech start-ups, as well as established tech-driven companies. Oklahoma has great talent, good cost of living and great places to live. We are in a good position to diversify our economy and gain a lot from being a tech-friendly place to do business. I want Oklahoma to be a great place for entrepreneurs, whether they are just starting or are seasoned veterans.” He is leading the charge on those progressive goals at Deep Fork. “Deep Fork has spent seven years learning what small businesses need,” he says. “My

Kris Dillon (left) and his team at Deep Fork Technology work to make OKC competitive in the tech sector. Photo courtesy Deep Fork Technology

“We support local businesses, and in turn they grow and thrive, which I hope improves the quality of life for their businesses and employees. Overall, I hope this improves our local communities as well as our state.” Integrated Business Technology founder and CEO Eric Kehmeier says his primary focus is on client infrastructure, making sure things run smoothly for everyone. “I joke that nobody calls us when they are happy,” he says. “It’s our job to make sure our clients are happy when they get oﬀ the call with us.” Other major focuses for IBT are client safety and getting more people comfortable with artificial intelligence. The company’s layered network of employees can handle complex issues on both fronts. “Software is beginning to have artificial intelligence capabilities that can be implemented in many ways, but a major one is for cyber security protection. Threats to computer networks and both business and personal data are increasing daily,” he says. “We protect our clients’ networks and keep them running smoothly. We bring a team and standardization to the table with clients; we’re providing a help desk that can escalate issues to engineers who dive deeper into higher and more technical issues. We have field engineers if there is a need to come on site. We provide project implementation and network administrators.” Looking toward the future, Kehmeier thinks that “3D printing and robotics are technologies that will drive industries to improve and innovate new solutions. And cloud services are allowing many small businesses to leverage enterprise level systems at an aﬀordable price. Small businesses are going to be capable of innovating new solutions that they never dreamed about in the past.” SEPTEMBER 2020| WWW.OKMAG.COM

A Day in the Life ... During a Pandemic

For most, software development is a foreign subject, but a day in the life of a tech developer isn’t that diﬀerent from other more common day jobs. The common denominator? A drive to help clients succeed. “We program our product, install our products and support our products,” says Smith. “We provide software to outstanding organizations like Microsoft, American Airlines, the U.S. House and U.S. Senate and the Federal Reserve Board. We have a collaborate work environment. We help our clients by listening to them, and understanding their problems, dreams and goals, and helping them with outstanding products and services.” Even for tech companies, working from home came with some challenges, along with some happy realizations about just how much can be done from one’s living room. “We have had the technology available for years, but the pandemic has proven to everyone that we can do it,” says Kehmeier. “I believe that working from home gives us the ability to be flexible with our teams and their

In Tulsa, tech company TMA Systems operates in 20 countries and in nine languages. Photo by Adam Murphy Photography

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

specific needs, but also forces us to focus on results, and not just being at the office from 8 to 5. It won’t be possible for everyone in every job role to work from home. Employers need to be aware that each employee’s personal circumstance – such as kids going to virtual school – and job responsibilities are a factor when moving forward. In ways, it has made us more efficient; I get more accomplished in less time. I can have multiple Zoom or Teams meetings a day. In the past, I spent a lot of time driving from meeting to meeting. The downside is I miss the face-to-face interactions, and we need to be aware of this.” Dillon and his team at Deep Fork try to emphasize the positives of this new normal. “We focused for awhile on just keeping our team together. We have had to lean into our project management software and use it more effectively, and do plenty of video calls,” he says. “We aren’t letting the pandemic get in the way of enjoying the work we do; we are active in Oklahoma’s start-up ecosystem. We help [start-ups] develop a tech road map that maximizes their likelihood of success. Startups and local businesses are important for

Major focuses for Integrated

our state’s economic Business Technologies are client safety and getting more people diversity and we comfortable with artificial work hard to support intelligence. Photo courtesy Integrated Busithem. “I have seen first- ness Technologies hand the impact of bringing like-minded people together. Perhaps that will add just a tiny bit of fuel toward making Oklahoma an even more attractive place for entrepreneurs to do their magic.” Kehmeier says that now is the time to take a look at your company’s security to ensure everything is as safe as it can be. “The world seems to be changing daily, and we are all reacting to it as best we can. At some point, I suggest everyone take a deep breath and review the decisions they’ve made over the last six months,” he says. “I’ve had conversations where people did whatever they could to enable employees to work from home ... but is it set up as secure as they prefer? Or, since they moved so fast, did they miss something important? I suggest everyone review their current cyber security measures in place and determine if there is anything they need to address. There has been a 4,000% increase in pandemic-related phishing in email attempts since February. That’s a very scary statistic, and everyone needs to be diligent in protecting their business data and personal information.”

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THE PROFESSIONALS FINANCIAL ADVISOR How can I avoid emotional investing? Emotional investing may be amplified during periods of market stress. But by understanding your emotions and biases, you can better avoid common pitfalls, including: 1. Overconfidence. Investors tend to overestimate their ability to generate a DAVID KARIMIAN return and underestimate the risk associCFP®, CRPC®, APMA® ated with a particular investment. 2. Aversion to Loss. In an attempt to minimize the pain associated with an investment loss, investors may be more prone to take action that can lead to the derailment of their long-term investment success. 3. Anchoring. Investors tend to rely too heavily on specific information or lean on recent circumstances to make decisions. Our minds can “anchor” to information, and it’s used as a reference point moving forward, regardless of relevancy. 4. Pattern-seeking behavior. This describes our brain’s desire to seek out ways to compartmentalize the flow of information and find patterns that help us make sense of the world quickly. Since our brain is hardwired to do this, investors can mistakenly believe they see patterns in market trends that prove false.

David Karimian, CFP®, CRPC®, APMA® Prime Wealth Management A private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial 7712 S. Yale Ave. Suite 240 Tulsa, OK 74136 918.388.2009 • David.x.Karimian@ampf.com www.primewealthmgmt.com Views expressed in the Professionals do not necessarily represent the views of Oklahoma Magazine, Schuman Publishing Co. or its affiliates.

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Absolutely! It is always a good idea to have this conversation with loved ones. There are two main types of advance medical directives. One is called a living will and the other is a medical power of attorney. A living will allows you to write down your wishes about medical treatments if, at some point, you are nearing the end of your life. There are safeguards in place before it can be utilized. Two physicians must certify you are unable to make medical decisions and have a medical condition covered by the state’s living will law. A medical power of attorney allows you to appoint a person you trust as your healthcare agent. This person will be authorized to make medical decisions on your behalf. Before a medical power of attorney can go into effect, that person’s physician must make the determination that they are unable to make their own medical decisions. For help, please call 918-744-7223 or visit www.gracehospice.com. CAITLIN EVERSOLE

Caitlin Eversole Admissions Supervisor Grace Hospice of Oklahoma 6218 South Lewis, Suite 1000 Tulsa, OK 74136 918.744.7223 www.gracehospice.com SEPTEMBER 2020 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

Sports By Stephen Hunt and Mary Willa Allen

in the COVID Era

e v a h . S . U e h t d n u o r i Fans ar e h t g n i s s i m y l t n e s i h been ard t g n i r u d s e m i t s a p favorite of limited contact, new world d n a g n i c n a t s i d l a i c o s . s e r u s a e m e m o h t a stay w e f a h t i w t c e n n o c a t We e g o t s e t e l h t a e r o l p collegiate x e ; s e iv l r i e h t o t d n a glimpse in ; g n i t i u r c e r f o m l us the rea o i r a v s â&#x20AC;&#x2122; a m o h a l k O o t talk t u o b a s m a e t l a n o i s s a profe g n i t u c e x e d n a r o . y f a g l p n i o r t a p n r e u r p safe ret TU tennis player Martina Okalova, originally from Slovakia, will return to Tulsa this fall as a tennis captain. Photo courtesy the Intercollegiate Tennis Association

SMU player an native Tyso d Oklahoma n Jo for Baylor be lly played fo transferring. re Photo cour te sy Methodist Un Southern iversity

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

The Life of a Student Athlete Collegiate student athletes are creatures of habit, with lives featuring rigid inseason schedules on top of classes, meetings, study halls, practices and games. However, when COVID-19 struck in mid-March, seasons were canceled, immediately sending collegiate athletes into a state of flux. “That’s been weird for sure,” says Dylan Gardner, a member of the Oklahoma State University baseball team. “It was super sudden. Not being in the facilities to work out has been frustrating.” No matter the sport, striking the right balance between academics and athletics can initially be difficult for many. It certainly was for Arlette Melendez, a junior track and field thrower for the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma City native was a 4.0 student in high school. “My freshman year, I got a D,” she says. “Getting home at two in the morning and then having class at 8 a.m., doing homework on the road, that was the tough part. After my freshman year, I improved my study habits, which helped me in the classroom.” Her efforts paid off; in July, she earned a Scholar Athlete Award from the Sooner Athletic Conference. University of Tulsa senior Martina Okalova was named the 2020 American Athletic Conference’s Scholar Athlete of the Year for women’s tennis, an award she credits to her simple approach. “It’s mostly about time management,” she says. “I was able to do it mostly my whole career. I was just trying to go to practice, then come home and try not to socialize, but do that extra schoolwork and everything I could for tennis as well.” Besides offering study halls for student athletes, universities also have tutors available when needed, and ensure teams get whatever resources they need to complete classwork on the road, like high-quality WiFi on team busses and at hotels. But time management and balancing academics are not the only resources schools provide. Others include life skills programs which address etiquette, managing mental health and resume writing. One thing today’s student athlete deals with that previous generations did

Despite a canceled season, the Tulsa Drillers fielded a baseball team in the Texas Col legiate League that played 30 games. Photo by Rich Crimi courtesy Tulsa Drillers

not? Social media. Southern Methodist University basketball senior Tyson Jolly, an OKC native who previously played at Baylor and Trinity Valley Community College, doesn’t remember coaches in his youth having a social media philosophy. “[At Baylor] they told us, ‘don’t go crazy,’” says Jolly. “We didn’t really get a speech at Trinity Valley. [My SMU head coach Tim Jankovich] said, ‘Be careful what you say to the media and on social media.’” However, knowing coaches are monitoring her social media is enough to keep Melendez from posting anything questionable. “They see what I post,” she says. “Just knowing that I have them on social media makes me not want to post something that might hurt me.” Each student athlete profiled has seen the silver linings from having their respective routines upended by the pandemic. Gardner, Melendez and Okalova have savored the opportunity to return home and see family and friends, while Jolly has mostly remained in Dallas to continue working out with his coaches and teammates. “It keeps your hopes up, because there’s been a lot going on,” says Jolly. “Just being there with your teammates and coaches and getting your work in keeps you alive, keeps you grounded.” Gardner, a pre-med/economics major who aspires to be an emergency room doctor, landed a job, started applying to medical schools and preparing for the Medical College Admission Test during his downtime. Originally scheduled to graduate this spring, Okalova changed her major after this season was canceled, petitioned for a fifth year of eligibility – a request which was granted – and will return as TU’s team captain this fall. “It’s very exciting,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to it.” -SH

Despite a shortened season, the FC Tulsa will still play eight home games through October. Photo courtesy FC Tulsa

SEPTEMBER 2020 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

OKC Energy FC took on Rio Grande Valley FC in a USL Championship match at Taft Stadium in July. Photo by Steven Christy courtesy Energy FC

The World of Recruitment Due to COVID-19, the NCAA suspended inperson sports recruiting through Aug. 31. Normally, Division I schools can begin electronically contacting football prospects after Sept. 1 of their junior years. For basketball, that date is after June 15 of their sophomore years. Every sport has designated contact periods (contact allowed), live periods (inperson visits), dead periods (no in-person contact), and quiet periods (student athletes can only visit coaches on campus). But how does a collegiate athlete get noticed? Coaches often have relationships with recruiters and tell them who to observe. Others get noticed when recruiters attend games to scout another teammate. Ultimately, recruiting boils down to fit, for both the athlete and the institution. “You have to go to a college where you fit,” says Jolly. “It’s not about how good a player you are.” Sometimes, an athlete gets recruited for one sport ... but plays another. “I got recruited for volleyball,” says

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

Melendez. “After my freshman year, they asked me if I wanted to be part of the track and field team. I was the first female thrower in program history. I wanted other kids to know that girls can do this, too.” Okalova was recruited by assistant coach Lenka Broosova, who hails from her Slovakian hometown. “My parents knew her pretty well,” says Okalova. “We started talking. I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to Tulsa.’” -SH

An Update from Pro Teams Professional sports, like most other industries in the U.S., suffered at the hands of COVID-19. The game that was dealt the brunt of the blow was minor league baseball, which lost its entire season. “A total of 140 games,” says Brian Carroll, the public relations rep for the Tulsa Drillers. “It was the first time since 1945, during World War II, that Tulsa did not have a summer of professional baseball.” The organization, however, made the best of a tough situation.

“Everyone has remained positive and has used to time to plan for the future and improve things that might get pushed aside during a busy summer,” says Carroll. “Also, the Drillers organization fielded a baseball team in the Texas Collegiate League that played 30 games.” Ben Beecken, director of marketing with the Oklahoma City Dodgers, says the team is looking forward to a regular 2021 baseball season. “We anticipate our enhanced cleaning and sanitization measures to carry forward into the foreseeable future,” he says. “Our fans are telling us they are eager for baseball to be back at the ballpark. We anticipate that opening day next year will be an exciting event in OKC.” For professional soccer, the pandemic’s timing couldn’t have been worse. “We played our first game of the season on March 7 and then everything shut down the following week,” says Tyler Vaughn, the communications manager for Energy FC in Oklahoma City. “Once the return to play was announced, it was decided a shortened schedule would be necessary. So, we went from having a 34-game season to just 16 games.”

Oklahoma native and SMU basketball player Tyson Jolly believes recruitment is all about finding the right fit – for both schools and players. Photo courtesy Southern Methodist University

During the downtime, Vaughn says the team utilized video apps Zoom and Slack to keep up with workouts. Regular season play resumed in mid-July, with some major changes that include 38% maximum capacity, mandatory masks when fans are seated and sanitation measures. “[The team] is required to undergo weekly COVID-19 tests, and we are pleased to report that all tests have come back negative so far,” says Vaughn. For the FC Tulsa, the team will play a total of 15 matches through Oct. 3, including eight home matches at ONEOK Field. “We are excited to be the first team to usher back in live professional sports for the city of Tulsa,” says Austin Gwin, head of digital and communications for the team. In their downtime, the team and its staffers strove to help vulnerable Tulsans. “We worked with the Tulsa Area United Way and the Tulsa Foundation to put proceeds from all merch sales during the pandemic towards the Tulsa COVID-19 Response Fund,” says Gwin. “FC Tulsa also made a matching donation of $500,000 to Philbrook Art Museum to assist their community efforts and help them during the crisis.” All eyes are now on the NBA, which resumed gameplay in late July in a contained ‘bubble environment’ in Orlando, Fla. Each team played eight seeding games, which determined playoff standings. The postseason will commence in a traditional format ... minus fans in the stands. Dan Mahoney, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s vice president of broadcasting and

corporate communications, says the team is taking health protocols very seriously. “We’re happy to be playing basketball again, but we are very focused on keeping everyone safe and healthy,” he says. “The NBA has done an historic and wonderful job to develop and maintain a safe environment. Everyone is tested daily, and everyone is wearing masks at all times in public, adhering to the rules, because they all understand how important it is.” -MWA

Dylan Gardner, a baseball player with Oklahoma State University, has used the COVID-19 downtime to prepare for the MCAT and apply for summer jobs. Photo courtesy Oklahoma State University

SEPTEMBER 2020 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

Finance 101 By Kimberly Burk

Stock markets. Retirement funds. Bonds. Dividends. For many, these buzzwords and phrases cause anxiety. And it’s no wonder – budgeting, planning for one’s future and managing money are all overwhelming topics. The following feature walks both novices and pros alike through some need-to-know tips and tricks, from pandemic penny pinching to investment advice, discussions on generational money hurdles and the perks of hiring a financial advisor.

Green by the Generation

People who have saved and invested all their lives often find that retirement presents a new challenge, says Andy Nelson, a senior financial consultant at the Oklahoma City branch of Charles Schwab. “All they know is how to put money away; they don’t know how to take money out,” he says, mentioning that many of his clients are from the baby boomer generation (born between 1946 and 1964). Nelson says he helps them plan “how to strategically withdraw those funds. And they need to continue to manage their investment portfolios. You don’t want to outlive your funds. For a lot of retirees, it’s all about taxes.” Nelson says that he looks forward to helping his older clients map out their retirement incomes. “How do I help them enjoy the second half of their lives?” he asks. “I have some who have been in retirement longer than they actually worked.” Adam Ingram, a branch leader of the Tulsa Investor Center at Fidelity Investments, says a recent Fidelity survey showed that millennials – those born

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

between 1981 and 1996 – are generally doing a good job of managing their money and planning for retirement, despite debt from higher education, credit cards and other stressors. “59% of millennials have a plan in place for their financial goals,” says Ingram. “And 24% say they are prepared to retire by age 60.” Members of Generation Z – born in the late ’90s until around 2010 – are often having to return to their parents’ homes after college due to low starting wages and job losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Tulsan David Karimian, who owns a private wealth advisory practice of Amerprise Financial Services, encourages younger people to start strategizing now. “While they may not be in their peak earning years, this is the best time to invest,” he says. “They have the biggest asset in their favor, and that is time. And if they are still living at home and not paying rent, they have some discretionary cash.” But he also cautioned parents about making things too easy for their grown offspring. “My personal opinion is that teaching kids, and even grown kids, financial discipline, is very important,” he says. “Financial discipline gives you financial freedom.”

Pandemic Penny Pinching Financial self-discipline is always a good idea, a point that’s been driven home during the duration of COVID-19’s prevalance in the U.S. “Right now, times are very, very hard for a lot of people,” said Jerry Hensley, executive vice president and chief financial of-

ficer of the Oklahoma-based Regent Bank. “Just a few short months ago things were good. Unemployment was at record lows. If you wanted a job, you could get a job. A lot of people had multiple jobs.” People who decide now to make major life changes can be prepared to survive the next financial downturn and maybe even help others, says Hensley. “If you learn to live on about 80% of your income, you will always be able to save something,” he says. “A lot of people live off 110% off their income by getting a credit card and accumulating debt.” Pandemic penny pinchers can give up gourmet coffee-to-go and $10 work lunches, Hensley says, and then continue to brown bag it for savings that will total thousands of dollars a year. Hensley says that while he enjoys spending money, “I like to spend money that I’ve got after I’ve taken care of the necessities. If you are not taking care of the necessities, then when you stumble and fall, it hurts. I’ve been in banking for 41 years now, and I’ve seen several cycles, up and down.” Some people who are working in essential industries during the pandemic are bringing home extra money, and Hensley says this is a great time to bolster savings accounts. He used his own bank as an example, as Regent Bank processed more than 1,500 Paycheck Protection Program loans. “We had people working here around the clock, getting those loans processed. We paid $70,000 in overtime for those people to do that, and in addition, we paid them a bonus.” Hensley, he says, encouraged his employees to save a large chunk of that money for a rainy day.

The Ins and Outs of Investment Generally speaking, it’s never too early to start investing. But people should do a couple of things before they start buying stocks and bonds. “When we first meet with a client, we ask them what their debt situation looks like,” says Ingram. “High-interest debt is a great thing to pay off before you start investing money.” Potential investors should also have an emergency fund, says Hensley. “Once you get about 6 months of living expenses saved up, you can go on to certain websites and set up small accounts and start buying,” he says. “But before I did that, I would encourage people to look at your employer and start investing in

your 401K. Put in the maximum they will match.” Beyond that, “there are brokers who can give you advice on how to start investing money,” he says. Karimian says that app-based investing, which people can do on their cell phones, has become very popular. “I think it’s great to give investing abilities to more people,” he says. “Even my nephew – who is 17 – wants to buy stocks.” Another way to enter the market, especially for those just starting out, is to invest in ‘slices.’ “For a company whose share price is large, over $1,000, the company allows you to invest in a fraction of it,” says Karimian. Nelson says the most important principle of investing is to have a financial plan. The second most important principle, he says, is “the time that you spend in the market. The earlier you start to save and invest, the more time your investments have to grow, thanks to that power of compounding.”

Along with paying more than $70,000 in overtime for employees, Regent Bank leadership also paid their employees bonuses during the pandemic. Photo courtesy Regent Bank For those looking to get involved in investing, pay oﬀ high-interest debt first, says Adam Ingram, branch leader at Fidelity Investments. Photo courtesy Fidelity Investments

Perks of a Financial Advisor The stock market changes brought on by the pandemic have been a source of stress for many investors, says Karimian. “A lot of people were wanting to sell,” he says. “A lot of people probably did, if they were working on their own, and are probably regretting it right now.” Nelson espouses that one of the seven principles of investing is to ‘ignore the noise.’ “Right now, it is hard to do,” he says. SEPTEMBER 2020 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

“Markets are always going to fluctuate. If you are truly a long-term investor, it shouldn’t offset your progress toward your goals. I’m trying to have my clients turn off the outside noise and focus on the long term.” The primary reason for using the services of a financial advisor or planner, says Karimian, who is a certified financial planner, “is to establish an objective of what you are trying to accomplish, and make sure you are making decisions that are aligned with those goals. Working with an advisor on a specific plan can help you accomplish your financial goals.” Karimian says he helps his clients decide what stocks to invest in by looking at factors such as price to earnings ratio, price to sales, price to book ratio and revenue growth. “Looking at the price of a stock by itself does not tell you whether that company is successful or not,” he says. Andy Nelson with Charles Schwab says the most important aspect of investing is having a financial plan in place before you start. Photo by Doug Menuez courtesy Charles Schwab

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

Finance Buzzwords Stock: Equity in a company. You are investing in or purchasing future profits. Owners of common stock are shareholders. Bond: A debt instrument. You are lending money with the promise that the recipient will pay you interest, and the promise you will get your money back at the end of the term. Municipal bonds are issued by state and local governments. General obligation bonds are backed by the issuer’s taxing power. Revenue bonds are repaid from a specified revenue stream. Money market fund: A mutual fund made up of short-term bonds – usually government – that is considered very safe and pay a rate of interest based on current short-term rates. Mutual fund: A financial vehicle made up of a pool of money collected from investors, to then invest in securities such as stocks, bonds and money market instruments. They are operated by professional money managers. Dividend: Stock or cash typically paid quarterly from company profits to shareholders, who can reinvest it or cash it out. Sources: Fidelity Investments and thestreet.com, a financial literacy website.

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Active

Years

One’s golden years should be punctuated with healthy eating, a bevy of activities and a rich social network ... but obtaining Exercise: the Antidote to Aging those things and reaching Balance and connection make life sweet, muscle strength longer, says Shah. Be sure to talk to your doctor about your specific and as we begin to age, this truth becomes new heights isn’t always health concerns before starting a new exereven more important. Older adults need a easy. In our annual Active unique symmetry of movement, nutrition, cise regimen. At Covenant Living at Inverness, a senior and care to make their golden Years feature, we explore community living community in Tulsa, residents have years some of the best. myriad fitness choices. One way to address several of these helpful exercise tips, “Multiple levels of classes have been needs at once is to stay active. But what how loneliness affects created to maximize the benefit for the kinds of movement and exercise make residents, who attend based on their mental health, and some sense for those 60 and older? current abilities,” says Jana Decker, the “In general terms, almost any amount nutritional advice. community’s director of wellness. “Classes of movement of any type is beneficial as By Bonnie Rucker

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

we age,” says Robert Hauger, an internal medicine physician with Warren Clinic. He encourages aerobic exercise, strength training and balance work, such as yoga or tai chi. “In general, you want to start exercising slowly and build up your strength,” seconds Gargi Shah, an internal medicine doctor with INTEGRIS. She specifically recommends stationary bicycles for those with knee and back pain, common ailments as we age. The benefits of exercise are vast and include an increased capability of handling illness, says Hauger, as well as keeping

focus on strength, agility, balance, aerobic endurance, flexibility, and are available in water and [on] land.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend adults get 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise, but the main goal should be to get some movement in each day, says Hauger. “But movement is movement, and sometimes just a walk around the block is all somebody can do, and that’s perfectly great and has the health benefits that would be afforded to other, maybe more complex exercise,” he says.

A Well-Rounded Diet

Movement and exercise aren’t the only piece of the puzzle for physical wellness in seniors; nutrition plays a vital component as well. What does a well-balanced diet look like for an older adult? “In general, lean meats with a healthy amount of fruits and vegetables,” says Hauger. “Eating more plants is an important thing for all of us to do. Mixing in seeds and nuts and good fats will be beneficial as well.” Shah continues: “I see a lot of patients with vitamin B12 deficiency and other vitamin deficiencies [when they do] not eat enough vegetables.” She says that one of the things seniors often lack is eating fresh vegetables and protein, and a balanced diet would go a long way in helping them feel more energetic. But, like most things, seniors should talk with their doctors about diet changes, as some medical conditions can be affected by the things one eats. Typically, even with older adults, a balanced diet eliminates the need for nutritional supplements ... but there are exceptions to this rule. “If you’re on a diet that is reasonably balanced, you don’t need a lot of nutritional supplementation in general,” says Hauger. “But there are a few things that we need to be careful about as we age. One is getting enough calcium and vitamin D [which are] are very important in bone development. And many people who are older can’t tolerate some of the foods, for instance dairy products, that are rich in calcium and will have to supplement those with an overthe-counter supplement.”

Mental Health

While the two sides of physical health – diet and exercise – are well-known and acknowledged, addressing mental health concerns are also vitally important to a senior’s ongoing success. The fact that many older adults are losing their independence, mobility and, oftentimes, their cognitive functions, can play a role in exacerbating mental health concerns, says Jeromy Buchanan, director of aging services with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. “Anxiety can become worse – and sometimes, even substance abuse and self-harm in the aging population,” he says. “The best

way to promote mental health wellness in seniors is to assure they are getting the care they need, both medically and psychiatrically.” One great result of ensuring an elderly person is mentally healthy is that it can allow him to continue aging in place, says Buchanan. Addressing mental health in the aging population is an individual experience, says Nadine Walter, Department of Homeland Security’s Aging Services Programs Administrator. But there are a few simple ways to boost the mood and support healthy minds. “If they’re staying connected and staying active, then the mental health issues ... are going to decrease,” she says. The Oklahoma Mental Health and Aging Coalition website (omhac.org) can connect seniors and their caregivers to many resources for maintaining good mental health.

The Power of Loneliness

A condition that many seniors face, contributing to mental health concerns, is loneliness. In fact, a University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging found that more than one third of older adults reported that they felt a lack of companionship. And, due to COVID-19 visiting restrictions, these numbers are likely even higher today. Cultivating and maintaining relationships is the obvious first step in combating loneliness; many older adults find this living in a retirement community. “Covenant Living at Inverness is a relationship centered community,” says Decker. “Developing and maintaining relationships is a reciprocal act from resident to employee and employee to resident.” Staying in touch with loved ones while living in a retirement community has proven difficult while visitation is restricted. Many facilities are working hard to keep their residents connected, both virtually and in person ... from a distance, of course. “They’re really trying to embrace different things and be open-minded,” says Walter about seniors’ response to newer technologies. In addition to helping residents stay connected virtually, she mentions how many nursing homes are organizing drive-by birthday parties and for residents to sit outside to watch loved ones come by and wave with signs and banners. And those older adults living at home by themselves or with a spouse can utilize

technology to stay in touch. “The best interventions are those that involve a rich network of social relationships, whether that’s volunteering, connecting with friends or something else, at least on a weekly basis,” says Buchanan. “During COVID-19, many older adults use video technology like Zoom, Skype or FaceTime to connect with their families and friends.”

Retirement Homes’ Duties to its Residents

Living in some sort of retirement community can be the best way for aging Oklahomans to make their golden years full of connection and health. When researching homes, Buchanan emphasizes focusing on the resident’s interests and finding a place that offers those specific amenities. Communities offer many above-and-beyond resources including menu dining, individualized activities, access to the outside community, transportation services and a robust social service program, he says. Leadership at Inverness take their responsibilities and residents’ experience seriously. “From the beginning, Covenant Living at Inverness was created to be a place people wanted to go; not had to. And it was thoughtfully developed to lend itself to successful and active aging,” says Decker. “From that, the culture organically became one that supports a never-ending pursuit of lifelong learning, engagement and community.” There are many resources offered through the Oklahoma Department of Human Services Aging Services, including the long-term care ombudsman program, who help improve the quality of life and care available facility residents. Buchanan recommends the ombudsman as a vital resource to answer questions and help with any concerns in making the right choice for long-term care. “True quality care should be individualized, person-centered and designed to improve a resident’s overall health,” says Buchanan. Successful and active aging is something we all want for ourselves and for our loved ones. And, while these goals can seem more challenging during a tumultuous year, there are many resources that can help achieve the balance and connection we all need. SEPTEMBER 2020 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

Oklahoman

By Mary Willa Allen

Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, Pawhuska

Perhaps you were born and raised in the Sooner State, or maybe you just moved here. No matter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; your status as a true Oklaho-

man is defined through the myriad experiences you collect along the way. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gathered a spectrum of such outings â&#x20AC;&#x201C; some quite common, others oďŹ&#x20AC; the beaten path â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to create a bucket list for those looking to obtain bonafide Oklahoman status. Read on to start your journey.

ď Ż Beloved Tourist Hotspots Tourist spots are popular for a reason â&#x20AC;&#x201C; theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re great! These include the Tulsa and Oklahoma City zoos â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which oďŹ&#x20AC;er just about every animal under the sun and amazing amenities â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks, the Myriad Botanical Garden in OKC and the Tulsa Botanic Garden. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re worth the lines and crowds â&#x20AC;&#x201C; trust me! ď Ż Route 66 The longer you live in Oklahoma, the harder it is to bypass a trip on the Mother Road. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve managed to avoid it thus far, no more! Take a leisurely weekend drive along the highway and enjoy the slow pace that comes with the two-lane life. ď Ż Local Sporting Events Maybe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Tulsa Drillers or the OKC Dodgers; the FC Tulsa or Energy FC; the roaring OKC Thunder; or a rousing collegiate football game with the University of Tulsa or a match-up between the Sooners and the Cowboys (better known as Bedlam ... but you knew that, right?) No matter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; sports are a quintessential slice of Oklahoma life.

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ď Ż The MegaParks Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be remiss to avoid Tulsaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gathering Place and OKCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Scissortail Park. From miles of walking paths to outdoor amenities, food trucks, community events and all-around gorgeous views, these world-class parks are some of Oklahomaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crowning achievements. ď Ż Museums Big and Small Most people know about our museum behemoths â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Philbrook, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Gilcrease and the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. You can spend hours upon hours strolling through their hallowed halls and beautiful gardens. But what about the not-so-well-known gems? Try the American Pigeon Museum in OKC; the Toy and Action Figure Museum in Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Valley; the Windmill Museum in the tiny, blink-and-youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll-miss-it Shattuck; the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art in Shawnee; the Fred Jones Jr. and Sam Noble museums in Norman; or the Museum of Osteology and Skulls in OKC. Whatever niche interest you may have, we likely harbor a museum to cater to you.

Blue Whale of Catoosa Photo courtesy Lori Duckworth/Oklahoma Tourism

Black Mesa State Park, Kenton Photo by Kim Baker/Oklahoma Tourism

 Don’t Forget the Entertainers We’ve got performers aplenty from our great state, but the two most beloved may arguably be Will Rogers and Woody Guthrie. The good news is they both have their own centers/museums (Rogers’ in Claremore; Guthrie’s in Tulsa) with memorabilia, captivating biographical information and photographs.  Wowed by the Whale Yes, the Blue Whale of Catoosa gets its own bullet point! Created in the early 1970s by Hugh Davis, the Blue Whale is an Oklahoma cultural staple, kitschy as it may be. Any drive along Route 66 should include a stop at this magnificently ridiculous piece of art.  The Crawl’s for All We aren’t the only state to do art crawls, but we might just do it best. Try the First Friday Art Crawl in Tulsa; the First Friday Gallery Walk in OKC; or the Second Friday Art Walk in Norman. Food, drinks, art and music ... what more could you want?  Theme Park Fun While we may not oﬀer a vast amount of theme parks for thrill-seekers, what we do have is pretty great. Classics include Frontier City Theme Park and Hurricane Harbor in OKC; Safari Joe’s in Tulsa; and the Water-Zoo Indoor Water Park in Clinton. (Extra points to anyone who got to experience By Mary Willa Allen the joys of Bell’s Amusement Park and the iconic Zingo rollercoaster.)  Don’t Cry, Baby! Not for the faint of heart, Cry Baby Hill – which takes place during the annual Tulsa Tough bike race – is an experience you’ve got to see to believe. Revelry, camaraderie and a bit of madness swell as spectators cheer on bikers during their grueling journeys to the finish line. Make sure to hydrate – with more than just beer – and wear sunscreen if you’re going to this one.  Your Use of Y’all Not an experience, but the longer you live in Oklahoma, the more common this contraction will be found sneaking into your vocabulary. And it’s A-OK, y’all! Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore Photo courtesy WIll Rogers Museum

 The Local Music Scene Undiscovered musical talent abounds in Oklahoma, and ranges from country crooners to hard rock, jazz, and everything in between. You can spot these gems at bars, small indoor and outdoor venues and casinos.  Learning Some History Visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, which includes touching tributes and informative displays on a harrowing day in Oklahoma history. In Tulsa, visit the Greenwood Cultural Center and the Center for Reconciliation, which both educate visitors on the Tulsa Race Massacre and foster conversations on racial reconciliation and racial justice by confronting the legacy of slavery.  An Ode to the Mother Road No, it’s not enough just to drive on the highway ... you need to go to the museum, too! In Clinton, this landmark oﬀers visitors a personal journey through the history of the nation’s most beloved stretch of road.  What’s Poppin’ If you haven’t seen this glowing neon bottle as a beacon in the night during a long drive ... you’re missing out. Pops, in the small town of Arcadia, is a quirky combo of soda shop, restaurant and gas station. Fill up, grab some grub and sip on one of thousands of soda flavors.  Movie Magic Add a bit of local flair to your film experience by visiting Circle Cinema in Tulsa or Rodeo Cinema in OKC. Here, you can see the indie films you can’t find anywhere else. Don’t forget about the classic drive-in experience, found at Tulsa’s Admiral Twin Drive-In, Guthrie’s Beacon Drive-In and OKC’s Winchester Drive-In.  On the Water It’s no secret that Oklahoma oﬀers some of the best venues for on-thewater fun. Whether it’s floating down the Illinois River with friends, taking a weekend to rent a cabin at Grand Lake or spending some time fishing and swimming at Lake Eufaula, the options are nearly endless.

Oklahoma City Zoo Photo courtesy OKC Zoo

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Tulsa Botanic Garden Photo courtesy Tulsa Botanic Garden

Shattuck Windmill Museum Photo courtesy Shattuck Windmill Museum

 Going Underground There’s a whole world under the streets just waiting to be explored in Tulsa and OKC’s undergrounds ... and yes, tours are offered. We’ll let you do your own research on that one.  Feeling Spooky For those with a love for the creepier side of life, Oklahoma offers several ghost towns you can explore. Top picks include Picher, an abandoned zinc mining town in northeast Oklahoma; Acme, the once-booming home of the Acme Cement and Plaster Company in southwest Oklahoma; and Beer City, in the panhandle, which boasts a colorful history of brothels, dance halls and salons.  Exploring the Wichitas Near Lawton, the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is the oldest managed wildlife facility in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service system. You’ll spot intimidating yet majestic American bison, gorgeous flora and fauna, and a variety of geological wonders.  The State’s Weirdest Forest A bizarre treasure left over from the 1920s, the Parallel Forest was built by the federal government in an attempt to thwart the damage of the Dust Bowl. Over 20,000 red cedar trees, planted 6 feet apart over 16 acres, makes for a bizarre tour. Some say it’s haunted ... but you should see for yourself.  Get Salty You’ll be transported to another world at the Salt Plains in Jet, a barren but stunning landscape where you can camp, hunt for crystals, kayak and enjoy views you can’t find anywhere else in the state.  Secret Haunts The state harbors a variety of clandestine watering holes, restaurants and clubs. Tulsa offers Bull in the Alley, Boston Title and Abstract and the Cellar Dwellar. Don’t miss Nic’s Place in OKC. This writer doesn’t know of anymore ... but I’m sure they’re out there!  Ree Drummond Reigns Pawhuska has been brought to life in the last few years with the adPawnee Bill Wild West Show Photo courtesy Pawnee Bill Ranch

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

dition of the Pioneer Woman Mercantile. Oﬀering delicious eats, home goods and other delightful merch, people come from around the country to feast on Ree Drummond’s recipes. Stick around the city for beautiful boutique hotels and the Osage Nation Tribal Museum. Keepin’ an Eye Out The most accurate stereotype about Oklahomans? We’re fascinated by tornadoes. You know you’ve made it to true Okie status when you run outside at the sounds of a tornado siren. (But take precautions right after that, yes?) Throw Back a Few Our state hasn’t been exempt from the brewing craze; you can find a brewery around every corner. Classics included Marshall Brewing Co. and American Solera in Tulsa; and Anthem and Prairie Artisan Ales in OKC. Other popular breweries outside the metro include Black Mesa in Norman; Iron Monk in Stillwater; and Expenditure Brewery in Okarche. Ooooooooklahoma! The Rogers and Hammerstein musical homage to our great state is a must-see, whether that’s the 1955 movie or a live musical performance. (Bonus points for any theater junkies who were actually in a stage production themselves.) Get to Grillin’ Oklahoma barbecue is unlike any other. Whether you’re munching down at one of our many delicious restaurants or smoking it up in your backyard with a cold one, we’ve got smoked meats down to a science. Appreciating Native America Home to dozens of tribes, Oklahoma history is Native American history. Many a pow-wow, dance, festival or other cultural event is open to the public, and a quick internet search can get you there. Spiro Mounds Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center preserves 150 acres of the site along the Arkansas River. From exhibits to trails, tours and familyfriendly events, Spiro Mounds’ center helps Oklahomans learn more

Spiro Mounds Photo courtesy Oklahoma Tourism

Scissortail Park, OKC Photo courtesy Scissortail Park

about this fascinating portion of our history.  Black Mesa Black Mesa State Park, in Cimarron County, is located 15 miles away from its namesake, the highest point in Oklahoma. Enjoy hiking galore within 1,600 acres, where you’ll find several rare plants and animals.  Pawnee Bill Wild West Show Visit the historic Pawnee Bill Ranch in its namesake city for a trip back to the Old West. The shows spotlight talents including trick shooting, singing and animal roping. Stick around to see the museum, which presents historically accurate demonstrations of Old World talents like

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Coleman Theater, Miami Photo courtesy Lori Duckworth/Oklahoma Tourism

blacksmithing, sharp shooting and gunfighting.  Little Sahara State Park Another small but mighty eco-region, Little Sahara is a desert world in the plains of Waynoka. The sand dunes are perfect for dune buggy and ATV rides. What did we miss? What we think defines the Oklahoma experience and what you think differs – as it should! Tell us what we should add by emailing us at events@ okmag.com!

8/10/20 5:04 PM

SEPTEMBER 2020 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

Merrill welcomes Ivan Williams, IV, our newest financial advisor. Turning your ambitions into action begins with a conversation. Ivan can give you straightforward advice and guidance, and will work with you to create a personalized strategy to pursue your goals.

FACES FACES of of Ivan Williams, IV, AAMS® Senior Financial Advisor 918.586.8046 ivan.williams@ml.com

FACES FACES of of LOCAL

Tulsa

businesses make up the fabric of Oklahoma’s economy. Whether you’re in need of a roof repair, legal advice, a fine dining experience or a spa day, companies in our great state set the bar incredibly high. Oklahoma is ever-evolving – pulsing with a palpable energy that lends itself to continual community improvements, putting us on the forefront of our nation’s success. In Faces of Oklahoma, we highlight the hardworking business owners and employees who make this change and growth a reality.

Tulsa

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management 6100 South Yale Avenue Suite 1500 Tulsa, OK 74136

FACES FACES of of fa.ml.com/ivan-williams-iv

OKC

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (also referred to as “MLPF&S” or “Merrill”) makes available certain investment products sponsored, managed, distributed or provided by companies that are affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”). MLPF&S is a registered broker-dealer, Member SIPC and a wholly owned subsidiary of BofA Corp. Investment products:

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Are Not FDIC Insured Are Not Bank Guaranteed May Lose Value

The Bull Symbol is a registered trademark of Bank of America Corporation. AAMS® is a registered service mark of The College for Financial Planning. © 2020 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved. ARSKD9JX | AD-07-20-0659 | 470957PM-0919 | 08/2020

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OKC

When deciding who to trust with your business, turn to the best. Turn to the

Faces of Oklahoma. 8/18/20 10:19 AM

FACES FACES of of FACES ofFACES

Tulsa

FACES FACES of of

OKC

FACES

Corporate Law THE FACE OF

Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson BACK ROW: D. Benham Kirk and Kristen L. Brightmire | FRONT ROW: Sara E. Potts and Nathan S. Cross

Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson’s history spans over 124 years while serving Oklahomans in complex corporate legal matters. Founded in Indian Territory in 1896, our lawyers were leaders who actively shaped our region to help pioneer success. Our history plays an important role in today’s contemporary business world – evident in our depth of experience and get-it-done attitude that each of our lawyers brings to the table. Practicing in three locations, Doerner is one of the oldest law firms in Oklahoma.

Our clients include startup and Fortune 100 companies, familyowned businesses and partnerships, developers and Indian tribes, public trusts and municipalities. We provide counsel on legal matters pertaining to business operations, contracts, purchases/ sales, financing and infrastructure transactions. Regardless of where clients’ business interests take them, we help them grow and survive during economic hardships.

Two W. Second St., Ste. 700, Tulsa — 918.582.1211 | 210 Park Ave., Ste. 1200, Oklahoma City — 405.319.3500 1215 Crossroads Blvd., Ste. 210, Norman — 405.319.3501 | www.dsda.com SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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ES ofFACES

Tulsa

ES ofFACES

OKC

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

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THE FACE OF

Funeral Services Stanleys Funeral & Cremation Service Cassandra Lawrence Carter

Founded in 1909, Stanleys has been Tulsa’s premier funeral and cremation provider for over a century. Lifelong Tulsan and Managing Funeral Director, Cassandra Lawrence Carter, is continuing the Stanleys tradition of setting the standard while adapting to the modern progression of funeral and cremation care. She grew up in Midtown Tulsa and graduated from Booker T. Washington High School, the University of Oklahoma and the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. Cassandra and her dynamic professional

team provide concierge level care with a contemporary edge that is unique in Tulsa. Each funeral, cremation or event service is designed specifically to meet the wishes of each family served. Cassandra Lawrence Carter and the Stanleys Funeral & Cremation Service team deliver “Farewells Done Well” in quiet good taste. From celebrations in the Icon Free Chapel to catered events in the Club Room, the difference is truly in the details at Stanleys Funeral & Cremation Service.

3959 E. 31st St., Tulsa | 918.743.6271 | www.stanleysfuneralhome.com SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

SEPTEMBER 2020| WWW.OKMAG.COM

ES ofFACES

Tulsa

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OKC

Hydroelectricity THE FACE OF

Grand River Dam Authority Dan Sullivan, GRDA President/Chief Executive Officer

Renewable before renewable was cool … The Grand River Dam Authority has been in the renewable power business for 80 years. It was in the fall of 1940 that Pensacola Dam – Oklahoma’s first hydroelectric facility- was completed to harness the waters of the Grand River and provide renewable electricity to the state. Of course, Pensacola Dam is just one part of GRDA’s hydroelectric history. GRDA also built Robert S. Kerr Dam in the early 1960s and the Salina Pumped Storage Project (SPSP) in the late 1960s. Together, these resources play an important role in meeting electrical demand for thousands of people as GRDA puts Oklahoma water to work for Oklahomans. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) hydroelectric facilities, like GRDA’s, “fit the concept of renewable energy” because these facilities use “running water, without reducing its quantity, to produce electricity.” At GRDA, that water is used repeatedly as it flows down the Grand River, through both Pensacola Dam and Kerr Dam.

However, there are other benefits of hydro power. First, hydroelectricity increases the stability and reliability of electricity systems because hydro power units can be started very quickly. At GRDA, this capability balances with other portions of our diverse generation portfolio - coal, gas and wind resources - to quickly meet demand, keeping rates low and reliability high. Hydroelectricity also contributes to water storage. GRDA lakes serve as storage for 50 Oklahoma municipal water systems and rural water districts. Without hydroelectricity, that storage might not be available. Additionally, hydroelectric power helps develop the entire region. Prior to Pensacola Dam, the surrounding region was rugged and rural. Today, it is the heart of a thriving tourism and recreation industry with GRDA lakes serving as its foundation. These are a few of the reasons why GRDA is proud to be the face of hydroelectricity in Oklahoma.

918.256.5545 | www.grda.com

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

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Tulsa

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OKC

Construction Companies THE FACE OF

Ross Group BACK ROW: Eli Kieslich, Alan Hill, Jason Dennis, Kevin Symcox, Dan Moore and Will Moore FRONT ROW: Brittanie White, Tommy Shara, David Thomas, Warren Ross, Alexie Kindrick and Jennifer Maxwell

Ross Group’s roots go back to 1979 in Catoosa, Oklahoma, when Jesse Ross founded J. Ross Acoustics and Drywall. Beginning as a small contracting company, Jesse specialized in carpentry and interior finishes and quickly earned a reputation for quality facilities construction, professional excellence, and good old-fashioned hard work.

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

Then in 1996, Warren Ross joined his father Jesse and The Ross Group Construction Corporation was incorporated in the great state of Oklahoma. Building on one another’s strengths, Jesse and Warren used their knowledge and reputation to make a seamless transition into general contracting.

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Over the past two decades, Ross Group has evolved into a development, engineering, and construction firm serving private, commercial, and government clients under the leadership of President Warren Ross and CEO Dave Thomas. We work handin-hand with our clients to provide industry-leading solutions in a variety of markets, such as medical, aviation, hospitality, education, government, manufacturing, industrial, and oil and gas. By offering an integrated suite of services to fit any need in any market, we commit to making sure each project ends just as our clients envisioned it. While our company has grown to include more than 150 employees

spread across four offices, we are still a roll-up-our-sleeves and get-to-work kind of place. Just like our founder Jesse, our leadership and staff realize that companies don’t build projects. People do. We are team players who will help anyone who asks, regardless of our titles, because we know we all succeed or fail together. With that in mind, Ross Group’s dedicated employees continue to build our firm’s reputation through our actions, while delivering tangible benefits to our clients as a one-stop-shop for project delivery. Visit us at www.withrossgroup.com to learn more about how Ross Group can help you make your vision a reality.

510 E. 2nd St., Tulsa – 918.234.3811 | 620 W. California Ave., Oklahoma City – 405.235.0726 | www.withrossgroup.com SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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Fine Dining THE FACE OF

The Summit Club BACK ROW: Jared Jordan, William Lyle, Ashley Sutton, Michael Bennett and Derrick Shanklin FRONT ROW: Susan Devonshire, Sarah Elliott and Kristen Villareal

The Summit Club offers members a truly unique dining and social experience, conveniently located in downtown Tulsa on the 30th, 31st and 32nd floors of the Bank of America Center. Our members enjoy spectacular panoramic views of our great city, whether they’re attending a private event in our ballroom or having a drink with friends in the Penthouse. This summer, we reopened our newly remodeled 30th and 31st floors. Our Ballroom, on the 30th floor, features an upgraded

private event space with an increased capacity to host 300 people. Our new TH1RTYONE kitchen and dining room, on the 31st floor, features a more relaxed, casual dining experience with a new menu designed by Chef Bill and inspired by different global cuisines. Whether you are looking for a relaxing night out or a place to host your next celebration, we’re excited for you to enjoy a new experience at The Summit.

15 W. 6th St., Tulsa | 918.582.5243 | www.summittulsa.com

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FACES FACES of of FACES ofFACES

Tulsa

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OKC

Stephen M. Brownlee, M.D.

Jeremy G. Foon, M.D.

David W. Hall, M.D.

Anthony E. Loehr, M.D.

Evan R. Moore, M.D.

William P. Sawyer II, M.D.

Christopher R. Siemens, M.D.

Atul M. Vaidya, M.D.

David W. White, M.D.

THE FACE OF

Ear, Nose & Throat Care Eastern Oklahoma ENT

Eastern Oklahoma Ear, Nose and Throat has been dedicated to providing the highest quality of care with respect, integrity and compassion for more than 40 years. In fact, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grown to be the largest clinic of its kind in Oklahoma, specializing in complete care for pediatric and adult ear, nose and throat diseases. The clinic has the only board certified neurootologist in Tulsa, a full service allergy testing and treatment center, board-certified audiologists and staff members who are committed

to ensuring patients and their families enjoy a positive experience during each visit. The dedicated Eastern Oklahoma Ear Nose and Throat team includes Drs. Anthony Loehr, Stephen Brownlee, William P. Sawyer II, David White, David W. Hall, Atul Vaidya, Christopher Siemens, Evan Moore and Jeremy G. Foon, and our audiologists include Jessica Degginger, Mary Ellen Finerty, Megan D. Ellwood, Karen B. Cox, Desirae Webb, Kevin Hamilton and Shelley Ballard.

5020 E. 68th St. S., Tulsa | 9343 S. Mingo Rd., Tulsa | 918.492.3636 | www.eoent.com SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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Tulsa

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OKC

Medical Spas THE FACE OF

BA Med Spa & Weight Loss Center BA Med Spa staff

BA Med Spa & Weight Loss Center is Tulsaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier medical spa and weight loss center. Over the past decade, managing partner and founder Malissa Spacek, along with her partner and overseeing physician Dr. Campbell and their team of experts on staff, have been helping the men and women of this community to look and feel their best. With state-of-the-art procedures and treatments, customized treatment plans and complimentary consultations, BA Med Spa offers something for everyone â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whether it be Botox or dermal fillers, laser services, hormone therapy, body contouring with Coolsculpting or

Emsculpt, weight loss services, or one of their many other services. Now more than ever, it is important to take time to care for yourself, which is why they have gone above and beyond the recommended CDC guidelines for patient safety. They have implemented new cleaning and sanitizing procedures, staggered appointment times, curbside product and medication pick-ups, as well as convenient online shopping to ensure everyone is safe when coming to treat their beauty and wellness needs.

510 N. Elm Pl., Broken Arrow | 918.872.9999 | www.baweightspa.com

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Tulsa

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Pool Design THE FACE OF

Caviness Landscape Design Kathy and Kelly Caviness

Caviness Landscape Design in Oklahoma City has built a reputation for quality work on landscapes and pools that is impossible to ignore. The company was started by Kelly Caviness and Kathy, his wife of 40 years. Their sons, Cameron and Christian, have also joined the company to be the next generation of Caviness Landscape Design. Caviness attended what is now the University of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University. He was originally attending UCO on a full music/jazz scholarship before discovering his love for landscape design. The company is one of the oldest in the state to combine pool, landscape and outdoor living design into one seamless package

that provides complementary looks to a home’s outdoor spaces. Kelly has been working on this approach to design since 1994, when he designed his first pool with natural boulders as steps into the pool, a stream bed and a tunnel people could swim though. Those elaborate and eye-catching designs have become a signature of Caviness. The company’s work has been on HGTV’s Cool Pools, Destination America’s Epic Homes and was recently chosen to appear on HGTV’s Pool Kings, which reveals what happens behind the scenes to bring a project to life. Kelly has also received International Awards of Excellence from his peers in the pool and spa industry.

405.330.2844 | www.cavinesslandscape.com

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

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ES ofFACES

Tulsa

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THE FACE OF

Hardwood Flooring Renaissance Hardwood Floors

What started out as a small venture with a filing cabinet, a nail gun, a couple crew members and some sanding equipment has transformed into Renaissance Hardwood Floors, one of the region’s premier wood installation services based in their new showroom in Glenpool, Oklahoma. In business since 1982, Renaissance was founded by Tom Nicklas, a firefighter who was working a side job as a contractor and remodeler to make ends meet. After overhearing a hardwood floor crew complain about their conditions, Tom suggested the team start their own business. A few weeks later, they did just that … with Tom at the helm. The family-owned-and-operated company is now celebrating over 38 years in business and is joined by Charla, Tom’s wife, and their son, Duston. What sets Renaissance apart from its competitors? Just about everything. From top-of-the-line craftsmanship to outstanding

crews and some of the best installers in the region who boast decades of experience, the team at Renaissance will work tirelessly to see that their clients get exactly what they want – even if it means spending hours to get a stain color just right. Tom and Duston can even work from a single photo for reference to create the custom flooring their clients desire. The team is dedicated to continuing its long-standing positive relationship with Tulsans, evidenced in their enthusiastic customer service and passion for each project, big or small. Award-winning, hand-crafted hardwood floors; intricate and unique designs; custom trims, beams and mantles; hardwood ceiling and wall installation and custom furniture design are just a few of the myriad services offered at Renaissance. Whatever it is that you want, Renaissance will make those dreams a reality for you. “If it has to do with wood,” says Tom, “we can build it.”

550 W. 125th Pl. S. Ste. 300, Glenpool | 918.298.4477 | www.renhardwood.com

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

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Tulsa

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OKC

THE FACE OF

Hearing Aid Providers Clear-tone

You probably know the Clear-tone jingle (“ding!”). And might even remember Bob Hower and Betty Boyd as spokespeople, or more recently, Steve Largent. What you probably don’t know is how this simple hearing aid clinic in midtown Tulsa has revolutionized not just hearing aids, but the entire hearing industry. In 2003, Clear-tone introduced an entirely new style of hearing aid that eliminated many of the issues of custom devices. Today, that patented technology is licensed to other manufacturers and is used in over 80 percent of all hearing aids sold in the United States, and over 70 percent of hearing aids sold worldwide.

With the rise of COVID-19, the need for better hearing is evident now more than ever. As more and more places require masks, folks with hearing loss are struggling to understand those around them. So, Clear-tone has implemented extra sanitization and infectioncontrol procedures, we’ve added curbside service for routine appointments, and we have made a decision as a company to remain open and continue to serve our patients across Oklahoma. Our passion is, and always will be, helping Oklahomans hear better. If you or a loved one is struggling with hearing loss, call Clear-tone for a free hearing test and consultation.

2323 S. Sheridan Rd., Tulsa | 918.221.6869 | www.cleartonehearingaids.com

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

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Tulsa

ES ofFACES

OKC

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Roofing T-Town Roofing T-Town Roofing Staff

With over 40 years of experience serving Oklahoma, the expert team at T-Town Roofing offers cost-effective and time-sensitive solutions for any roofing need. Driven by the belief that having a reliable and solid roof over your head is imperative for both family life and business success, T-Town Roofing delivers quality services for every client, getting them back to business as usual. The company â&#x20AC;&#x201C; led by Ricky and Krystal Hanks

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is dedicated to building strong relationships with clients, in which all questions and concerns are heard, acknowledged and resolved. The services offered at T-Town are vast, from small repairs to major restorations and replacements. And you can trust this team, which boasts installers and contractors certified by the top names in the business. This, in turn, leads to an impressively high customer return rate and glowing reviews.

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T-Town lives by the tenant that no job is too small or too big for their team. Expertise include residential roofing, covering everything from storm damage to minor leaks; commercial roofing, with inspections, repairs and replacements; gutter maintenance to avoid any deck, roof or foundation damage; roof maintenance; and flat roof and metal roof restoration, which can extend the life of your roof up to 10 years. And apart from talented, enthusiastic employees, T-Town Roofing is a family owned and operated business that earned an A+ rating with

the Better Business Bureau. Top that off with a 24-hour emergency service team, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clear why this company is the right place to turn for any roofing problem. The members of T-Town also continually take advantage of the vast amount of roofing industry training available, keeping their technicians up-to-date while utilizing the newest technology, thus maximizing customer satisfaction. Simply put, the client comes first with T-Town Roofing, ensuring the job will get done right, every time.

5770 E. Skelly Dr., Tulsa | 918.445.4400 | www.t-townroofing.com SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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ES ofFACES

Tulsa

ES ofFACES

OKC

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Sustainable Gift Shops PLENTY Mercantile Brittney Matlock and Traci Walton

Founded in 2012, PLENTY Mercantile is a mother/daughterowned, sustainable home goods and gifts shop with three OKC locations and a robust online store that offers curbside pick-up and fast shipping. All PLENTY products are socially or environmentally responsible, allowing guests to shop locally, responsibly and consciously. We believe commerce has the power to change the world, so we funnel each dollar spent in our stores towards a growing sustainable infrastructure that only exists with concerted financial support. We do this while specializing in fun and timeless design on quality household and specialty goods for each member of the family. We offer bulk refill for cleaning products as well! The Venue at PLENTY is attached to our downtown flagship store and is available for reservation for private gatherings. Add our in-house rentals and bar services to complement your event! Shop in-person or online and learn more about The Venue on our website.

807 N. Broadway Ave., Oklahoma City — 405.888.7470 1466 S. Bryant Ave., Edmond — 405.888.9396 1332 W. Memorial Rd., Oklahoma City — 405.898.9026 www.plentymercantile.com

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FACES FACES of of FACES ofFACES

Tulsa

FACES FACES of of

OKC

FACES

OKC

Banking THE FACE OF

JPMorgan Chase Oklahoma leadership includes: Jordan Anderson, Chase Wealth Management; Ginger Kollmann, J.P. Morgan Private Bank; Lee Mahan, Chase Branch Banking; Kelly Hicks-Drees, Chase Business Banking; Ryan Kirk, Chase Commercial Banking

The dedicated bankers of JPMorgan Chase care deeply about our clients and our community. Our bank’s roots in Oklahoma date back more than 125 years. With 300 local employees and 27 Oklahoma branches, JPMorgan Chase now has 900,000 customers and clients across the state. JPMorgan Chase has invested more than $5 million with Oklahoma non-profits since 2014, including a $2 million grant to improve career education opportunities for youth in the state.

110 W. 7th St., Floor 17, Tulsa — 918.586.5381 | 210 Park Ave., Floor 27, Oklahoma City — 405.231.3531 www.jpmorganchase.com SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

SEPTEMBER 2020 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

ES ofFACES

Tulsa

ES ofFACES

OKC

Payroll Services THE FACE OF

Red River Payroll Steve Hobbs and Kevin Burr

Growing up together in Tulsa, Steve Hobbs and Kevin Burr shared a rivalry based on their favorite college football teams, Texas and Oklahoma. It was only fitting that when they partnered up to start a payroll service bureau, they named it after the game that defined their childhood friendship, The Red River Shootout, played at the Cotton Bowl on the second Saturday every October. Steve and Kevin have a unique perspective of the service they offer. They are both small business owners, meaning they not only

understand how important payroll is to their clients, but they also know how precious a business ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time is. Their objective was to create a solution for small- to medium-sized businesses that brings together the best workforce management technology with the highest level of personal service. Combine that with their passion for helping others, and you have a successful formula for providing the best payroll service on either side of the Red River.

1660 E. 71st Ste. 2J, Tulsa | 918.488.6196 | www.redriverpayroll.com

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

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FACES FACES of of FACES ofFACES

Tulsa

FACES FACES of of

OKC

FACES

OKC

Heating and Air THE FACE OF

Airco Service, Inc. Chase and Austin Boyce

Airco Service was founded in 1961 by John R. and Louise Boyce. After all these years in business, Airco has earned the third-generation, family-owned reputation built on excellent service, hard work, honesty and integrity. We now have three locations in Tulsa, Oklahoma City and the Grand Lake area. Airco offers not only heating and air, but also electrical and plumbing services for residential

and commercial properties. The three divisions work seamlessly to provide complete and comprehensive services. From employee training to customer care, Airco is fully qualified and dedicated to finding customers the best solutions and providing quality products for their homes. We offer free estimates on replacing equipment in your home. All our locations offer 24/7 service.

11331 E. 58th St., Tulsa — 918.252.5667 | 14801 Santa Fe Crossings, Oklahoma City — 405.715.2665 343 Magnolia Dr., Grand Lake — 918.782.2263 | www.aircoservice.com SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

SEPTEMBER 2020| WWW.OKMAG.COM

ES ofFACES

Tulsa

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OKC

Recovery Centers THE FACE OF

12 & 12, Inc. Tricia Mason, Yvonne Rainwater, Brian Day and Brandie Herren

12&12, Inc., the largest Comprehensive Community Addiction Recovery Center (CCARC) in the state, utilizes a holistic approach to aid adults in addiction recovery.

a full spectrum of solutions that include supervised detoxification, medication-assisted treatment, intensive residential treatment, outpatient counseling and transitional living.

The staff at 12&12 wholeheartedly believe two things: That addiction Is a chronic, progressive brain disorder; and that addiction treatment requires an individualized recovery process. These two tenants pave the way for all-inclusive, proven solutions.

Accredited from the Joint Commission, 12&12 is also certified by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. The center even includes Bryce House, a residential living facility for homeless veterans in recovery â&#x20AC;&#x201C; accredited by the Veterans Administration.

The center serves adults with the disease of addiction that concurrently have mental health and substance use disorders. The team includes specialists in addiction medicine, along with psychiatrists, nurses, counselors and case managers. 12&12 offers

A Tulsa Area United Way partner agency since 1989, 12&12 approaches each case with compassion, safety, respect and dignity.

6333 E. Skelly Dr., Tulsa | 918.664.4224 | www.12and12.org

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

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TASTE

F O O D , D R I N K A N D OT H E R P L E A S U R E S

SWEET SERENDIPITY Downtown Tulsa’s Vintage Wine Bar combines elegance, affordability and culinary excellence.

n amalgam of events aligned to create the bustling Vintage Wine Bar in downtown

The squash, corn and goat cheese flautas are topped with a raw green salsa made with cucumber and mint. Photo by Stephanie Phillips

Tulsa. A brilliant high school physics teacher, Colin Sato, put his career on hold to become a chef. He walked into one of the city’s top restaurants unannounced and started work as a line cook the next morning. A young bartender, Matt Sanders, decided to stock a few bottles of an obscure wine at his restaurant gig. Soon after, he was thanked by the vineyard owner for helping to save his struggling business. Sanders decided then that henceforth, he would try to arrange all his business

dealings with the end goal of helping people. A Brooklyn couple, Robert Highsmith and Stefanie Brechbuehler, who were perhaps the most highly sought after interior design team in New York City, decided to take a break from their hectic lives and answer a call to help design a new restaurant concept. A kindergarten teacher from El Paso, Marco Herrera, then joined his physics teacher friend in this new venture. The pair are now co-chefs at the soaring, spectacular space in Tulsa, designed by the Brooklyn couple and owned by the altruistic former bartender. When guests arrive for one of

Vintage Wine Bar’s memorable seven-course dinners, their temperatures are checked at the door and they’re led to a cozy spot on plump couches, designed to complement the peach-pink walls that, together with the brass globe lights and long bar, evoke Tulsa’s Art Deco roots. These arriving guests are doubtlessly dazzled by the warm welcome and delighted by the competitive prices – the whole meal is under $50 – both of which reflect Sanders’ strong desire to never appear pretentious. “You may be drinking a fabulous wine,” he says, “but you’re also drinking a beverage made by farmers in overalls, so it’s nothing to be snobby about. And I want to be the guy who lets the world appreciate that farmer’s creation.” The diners, however, are probably unaware of the long line of choices and coincidences that were necessary to bring this restaurant into being (and here, let us tip our hat to

SEPTEMBER 2020 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

TA S T E | FIR S T BI T E

TA S T E | LO C AL F L AVOR

With so many courses to try, the team oﬀers a palate cleanser of watermelon, jicama and cucumber with chamoy and Tajin. Pair that with a hibiscus margarita for a fruity rest-stop between courses. Photos by Stephanie Phillips

the contributions of the other partners and building owners Mark Perkins, Jessica Bond and James Sherrod), and of the immense amount of work that goes into each menu. “We’re obsessed with food, we’re obsessed with cooking, and we talk about it constantly,” says Herrera. “One of our strengths is research and new ideas,” agrees Sato, who came to Tulsa as part of Teach for America and never left. Another one of Sato’s strengths? His obsessive focus. “I don’t get tired of repetition, and I don’t get tired of doing things the right way,” he says. To decide the best temperature for cooking a pot de creme, he made a batch at 160 degrees, then one at 160.5 degrees, then one at 161 degrees ... until, after over twenty repetitions, he finally determined that the best temperature was 170.5. He does an approximation, then varies it subtly, tirelessly, endlessly, until after weeks and weeks of iterations, he has created the perfect recipe. “I don’t know anyone else who works as hard as Colin,” says Sanders. All of this makes Sato sound robotic, but in reality, it’s just the opposite; he’s as passionate as they come.

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

“Everyone has memories with deep feelings that revolve around food,” he says. “I more than most. I try to recreate these memories so that others can experience it. My father is Japanese, and sometimes on a cold winter day, he would make nabe, a kind of Japanese hot pot. One of my most cherished memories is the joy of eating that nabe with my family. I’ve sometimes cooked nabe in Tulsa to let them feel what I feel, to share this joy with others.” Fortunately, Sato has a rich panoply of experiences to draw from. His mother helped the poor, especially immigrants, and at any given time they usually had a family of refugees staying with them until they could strike out on their own. “And we always learned how those people cooked,” says Sato. “One Mexican family of five lived with us for months, and so we learned Mexican food. Perogies? I can cook that because an elderly Polish lady once lived with us. In my family, instead of birthday presents, you got to request a birthday meal – nabe, soba, perogies, whatever you wanted. Those were some of the happiest times of my life.” No matter the occasion or theme, the culinary team is consistently collaborating. “Colin and I have the best creative relationship; we’re constantly talking new ideas,” says Herrera. And here he comes now, bringing one of the courses of the Mexican dinner to the couple who just arrived. “This tortillita de tamal is a pancake made of dehydrated masa,” he tells them. “It’s topped with green chorizo and crema. We were poor growing up in El Paso, and my grandmother, who comes from Michoacan, used to make these pancakes for us. I like them so much that I serve them to the whole kitchen sometimes as a snack.” BRIAN SCHWARTZ

INDULGE IN GRAFFITI

Perusing the menu at Graffiti OKC, you’ll find chef-driven excellence made in a Latin-Asian fusion style. Chef Jonas Favela’s creations are crafted from a curated selection of local vendors, including area farmers and specialty shops, with an emphasis on all things fresh. A bright beginning to a meal can include the Thai-Latin salad, replete with cherry tomatoes, hearts of palm, avocado, red onion, baby spinach, carrots, jalapeño, peanuts and finished with Togorashi salt. For a meatier choice, go with the much beloved Graffiti Chicken Wings, done in a garlic brine, then pan-fried and tossed in a white balsamic caramel glaze and served with peanuts, carrots and cilantro. For the main course, a favorite is the grilled choice sirloin that is miso-spice rubbed, grilled and served over Graffiti Rice and topped with cilantro sour cream and corn salsa. If the water’s bounty appeals more, try the seared fresh salmon, spiced with red curry, seared and served with marinated grilled vegetables and Guajillo Sauce, finished with sweet chili vinaigrette and sesame seeds. Decadent and unique dessert options include the N.B.K. (Never Been Kaught) Sundae – a creamy concoction of vanilla ice cream, marshmallow cream, strawberry jam and salted caramel and cinnamon-vanilla cookies. 11 NW Sixth St., Oklahoma City; graffitiokc.com TRACY LEGRAND

Photos courtesy Graﬀiti OKC

TOP TO BOTTOM: The main dish of the evening includes green mole topped with a piece of blanched gailan (Chinese broccoli). The yellow mole is tomato-based, made with warm spices, clove and allspice, topped with pork ribs.

COMING IN NOVEMBER

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Ti Amo Mediterranean Market Opening in September!

FOOD

THE

ISSUE

OPEN 6 a.m. - 2 p.m. DAILY

918-742-4563

Ti Amo South 918.499.1919 6024 S. Sheridan

3310 E. 32nd, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Across from Walmart Neighborhood Market

Now on

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Dine in at our seating area or patio or pick up something from our menu or a family-style meal to go. Ti Amo is perfect for your wedding, social or business event, with private dining room seating for up to 230 and catering for any size gathering. View the menu at TiAmoTulsa.com Ti Amo Downtown 918.592.5151 219 S. Cheyenne

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SEPTEMBER 2020 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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Photo courtesy El Vallarta’s

chalupa grande or a Mexican shrimp cocktail. Or, try a south of the border twist on cheddar cheese sticks, served with jalapeño dressing and salsa. Queso choices are topped by Top Shelf Queso, a chili cheese dip mixed with taco meat, topped with pico de gallo and chopped tomatoes. Several delectable nacho choices include the grilled chicken with freshly made chips, beans, cheese, jalapeños and guacamole; or the fajita chanos with grilled steak or chicken, grilled onions, green peppers, cheese, guacamole and jalapeños. 1201 John Dahl Ave., Pawhuska; 809 N. Broadway St., Cleveland; el-vallartas-mexican-restaurant.website.spoton.com

Photo courtesy Hal Smith Restaurants

Authentic Mexican restaurant and bar El Vallarta’s serves up traditional, mouthwatering cuisine that shouldn’t be missed. Start off with a dazzling appetizer, like a

RED ROCK CANYON GRILL

With a casual, energetic ambiance, Redrock Canyon Grill offers a yummy mélange of American classics with a Southwestern flair. Start with an appetizer like the stuffed poblano, cram-jammed with rotisserie chicken and chipotle sour cream, black bean salsa and salsa verde. Perhaps it’s too hard to decide – in that case, go for the Dip Duo with generous mounds of jalapeno pimento and house-made guacamole, served with hand-cut tortilla chips. Some folks come for Red Rock’s signature iron skillet cornbread, a can’t-miss. A solid healthy choice is the Redrock salad with rotisserie chicken, corn, Campari tomatoes, dates, avocado, mixed nuts and champagne vinaigrette. The main event entrées include house specialties like gulf shrimp sauté with asparagus, bell peppers, pesto, Italian sausage and linguine pasta; or the barbecue pork ribs and woodfired rotisserie chicken. A delicious brunch choice is the huevos rancheros with corn tortillas, ranchero sauce, chorizo, black beans, avocado and sunnyside up eggs. Locations statewide; redrockcanyongrill.com

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

HATCH EARLY MOOD FOOD

Beer, wine and breakfast at Hatch Early Mood Food – because why not? The most important meal of the day reaches a new level with a menu that includes starters like Poutine & Two Look’n at Ya, a creation of house-made brown gravy over French fries, cheese curds and sunnyside up eggs. Or go sweet with a half dozen house-made beignets. For some, the savory creativity of Our Little Nuggets of Love hits the spot with crispy, crunchy hashbrowns loaded up with bacon and cheddar cheese. Try creative spins on classics like the steak and eggs benedict; migas; avocado toast or blueberry streusel. And not to worry – cocktails, wine and beer abound. 1101 N. Broadway Ave.; 13230 Pawnee Dr., OKC; hatchearlymoodfood.com

SAVOY The legendary Savoy began in 1918 with Greek

immigrant Nick Kelamis. Four generations later and still going strong, the hotspot oﬀers up traditional classics like the joint’s famous cinnamon rolls, caramel pecan rolls, from-scratch biscuits, pancakes and other breakfast fare. Savoy is a lunch hotspot as well, with options like the hot roast beef sandwich, served openfaced on a slab of homemade toasted bread, served with mashed potatoes and covered in rich, brown house gravy. Lighter appetites are served with items including the Mandarin Orange – a salad with mixed greens, mandarin oranges, celery, green onion, sugar-glazed almonds and zesty vinaigrette. Some menu items are so popular that they’re sold packaged and ready to go in larger quantities, like the savory sausage breakfast casseroles. 6033 S. Sheridan Rd.; eatsavoy.com TRACY LEGRAND

Photo courtesy Savoy

EL VALLARTA’S

Photo courtesy Hatch Early Mood Food

TA S T E | TA S T Y T I D BI T S

TA S T E | CH EF CHAT

BIRD’S THE WORD Marc and Jenny Dunham serve up spicy hot Nashville-style sandwiches at Nashbird.

RIGHT: After attending culinary school in New York, Marc Dunham worked in NYC and in Austin, Texas, before moving to Oklahoma City with his wife, Jenny. BELOW: Hot chicken is the name of the game at Nashbird. Photos by Gray Siegel – Gray Photography

ONLINE

TO SEE DUNHAM’S RECIPE FOR A NASHBIRD HOT CHICKEN SANDWICH, VISIT okmag.com/dunham

nspired by his grandmother, chef Marc Dunham loves making people happy through food. Fortunately, his current culinary journey has him doing just that. At an early age, the Texas native began cooking out of necessity, but after watching his grandmother’s zeal for the activity, he quickly grew to love it. However, it was a job in his pre-teen years that fueled his life-long passion for the hospitality industry. “I started working in restaurants at twelve washing dishes and fell in love with [it],” says Dunham. “I worked around my hometown of New Braunfels, then Austin, and left for New York to work and attend culinary school.” After finishing at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Dunham took up residence in the city for three and a half more years before moving back to Austin to work in several restaurants and culinary schools, including the Texas Culinary Academy. There, he met another chef and his future wife, Jenny, who is a native Oklahoman. The pair then decided to move to Oklahoma City to be near family. After settling in, the Dunhams opened Nashbird, a Nashville-style hot chicken restaurant and bar. They have additional locations

in Norman and Edmond with plans to open a spot up in Midwest City in 2021. “My mother was a supervisor in a fried chicken restaurant when I was young, and I remember spending time there with her,” says Dunham. “I noticed that there weren’t that many fried chicken counter service restaurants in the [Oklahoma City] area, and no one was concentrating on spicy fried chicken, although several restaurants had hot chicken as a dish on their menu.” Thus, Nashbird was born. But besides his bustling restaurant, Dunham also offers consulting through Dunham Hospitality Group. He lends his expertise and services to local restaurants and hospitality businesses to help them succeed in a variety of ventures. “I have helped restaurants with simple projects, like recipe development, or something more involved, like becoming a restaurant operating partner,” he says. “Clients reach out, we discuss what they need and then we put together a plan to execute and solve whatever challenges they are having.” For aspiring chefs, Dunham had a little advice. He recommends finding a job in a kitchen to see if the work is for you, then sidling up to a talented chef to teach you a few things. If you love cooking, you can either continue to work in restaurants to gain knowledge or attend culinary school. “For people from Oklahoma City, I would recommend traveling to larger markets like New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, or even overseas to work and learn from chefs in highly competitive cities,” he suggests. “When you surround yourself with a lot of talented people from different backgrounds, it forces you to get better at your craft.” ALAINA STEVENS

SEPTEMBER 2020 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

WHERE & WHEN G R E AT T H I N G S TO D O I N O K L A H O M A

SPORTS

O N T H E S TA G E

A PACKED SEPTEMBER

Photo courtesy OKM Music Festival

You can enjoy a bevy of live and virtual performances this month. Tulsa Symphony kicks off its season on Sept. 4 with Symphony in the Park at Guthrie Green. Enjoy a rousing performance with a spectacular fireworks finale. The group is back at it on Sept. 12 at the Tulsa PAC for Opening Night: A Celebration of Beethoven, which celebrates the composer’s 250th birthday. Bartlesville’s OKM Music Festival runs Sept. 5, 6 and 10. All indoor concerts have been canceled, but the magic of the internet means virtual events reign, including performances from Tina Guo Sept. 5, Dallas String Quartet Sept. 6 and Clark Gibson Quintet and Balsam Range Sept. 10. RSVP at okmmusic.org. Stillwater’s McKnight Center for the Performing Arts is bustling with performances in September. These include American opera sensation Sarah Coburn on Sept. 13; award-winning pianist William Wolfram on Sept. 18; and the Philadelphia Orchestra on Sept. DALLAS STRING QUARTET 25-26.

IN TULSA PERFORMANCES

TULSA SYMPHONY PRESENTS: SYMPHONY IN THE PARK Sept. 4 Guthrie

Green Enjoy a rousing

performance by Tulsa Symphony to kick oﬀ the season. tulsasymphony.org

Center Comedian Joe Rogan brings his Sacred Clown tour to BOK Center. bokcenter.com

CONCERTS UMPHREY’S MCGEE Sept. 6 Cain’s Ballroom The music of Umphrey’s McGee unfolds like an unpredictable conversation between longtime friends.

TULSA SYMPHONY PRESENTS: OPENING NIGHT: A CELEBRATION OF BEETHOVEN Sept. 12 Tulsa

RAY WYLIE HUBBARD

birthday of musical luminary Ludwig van Beethoven with the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra.

Oklahoma native and lauded singer/songwriter returns to his homestate.

PAC Celebrate the 250th

tulsasymphony.org

JOE ROGAN Sept. 12 BOK

cainsballroom.com

Sept. 10 Cain’s Ballroom

cainsballroom.com

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

ART COVID-19 ARTIST RELIEF EXHIBITION Through Sept.

27 ahha Tulsa The ahha

Tulsa COVID-19 Artist Relief Exhibition was born out of the desire to help local artists during this unprecedented time through an opportunity to sell their work in the ahha Tulsa Community Gallery. ahhatulsa.org

CELEBRATING A CENTURY OF LIFE: BOB HAWKS

Through Sept. 30 108 Contemporary Celebrating

the hundredth birthday of local member artist Bob

BRING IT ON

Whether you’re on the sidelines or watching from home, the cup overfloweth with sports options. Soccer continues through the month. FC Tulsa plays at ONEOK Field Sept. 2, 12, 26 and 30. The Energy FC in Oklahoma City offers one match on Sept. 27 at Taft Stadium. OSU FOOTBALL Oklahoma’s greatest love – college football – returns this month. The University of Oklahoma Sooners play at the Gaylord Memorial Stadium on Sept. 12; the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane play at the H.A. Chapman Stadium on Sept. 5 and 19; and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys play Sept. 12 and 19 at Boone Pickens Stadium. Enjoy two equine events at Expo Square. The National Reining Breeders Classic runs through Sept. 6 and the AMHR Nationals gallops through town Sept. 10-12. Auto enthusiasts should try the O’Reilly Auto Parts Outlaw Nationals on Sept. 18-19 at the Ottawa County Fairgrounds in Miami, where spectators can enjoy twelve monster trucks in action.

Hawks, 108 Contemporary features a collection of his woodwork and photography.

Through Sept. 6 Expo Square Enjoy an equestrian

108contemporary.org

event like none other at this annual classic. nrbc.com

MEXICAN MODERNISM: REVOLUTION & RECKONING

AMHR NATIONALS Sept.

Through Dec. 6 Gilcease This exhibition features a rotation of works representing a pivotal time in Mexico’s history. gilcrease.org

AMERICANS ALL!

Ongoing Gilcrease Drawn

from the Gilcrease Museum permanent collection, this exhibition showcases the many positive contributions immigrants have made, and continue to make, to American life and culture. gilcrease.org

SPORTS FC TULSA MATCHES

Sept. 2, 12, 26, 30 ONEOK Field Enjoy some rousing

games of soccer with the FC Tulsa. fctulsa.com

UNIVERSITY OF TULSA FOOTBALL Sept. 5, 19 H.A. Chapman Stadium See the Golden Hurricane in action in some of the first football games of the season.

tulsahurricane.com

NATIONAL REINING BREEDERS CLASSIC

10-20 Expo Square This

equine event is hosted by the American Shetland Pony Club, the oldest small equine registry in existence. shetlandminiature.com

NEOKLA SCCA AUTOCROSS Sept. 13

Expo Square Exciting

autocross events await for the whole family. exposquare.com

CORNDOG CLASSIC 5K

Sept. 26 Expo Square Take a walk or run in the crisp autumn air. exposquare.com

COMMUNITY FOOD TRUCK WEDNESDAYS Sept. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Guthrie Green Every Wednesday,

grab some tasty eats and gather on the grounds of Guthrie Green. guthriegreen.com

TULSA’S GREAT RAFT RACE Sept. 7 River West Festival Park Head out to Tulsa’s

Great Raft Race for a thrilling Labor Day on the Arkansas River. tulsaraftrace.com

GREEK STREET

DRIVE-THRU Sept. 11-12, 18-19 12th and Guthrie The

Greek Street Drive-Thru welcomes Oklahomans of all ages for delicious food. greekstreettulsa.com

TULSA BEER & WINE FESTIVAL Sept. 12

Gathering Place Get wined

and dined as you stroll through vendor booths at this new community event.

gatheringplace.org

AQUARIUM RUN Ongoing Virtual The Aquarium Run welcomes all runners and walkers. okaquarium.org

IN OKC

PERFORMANCES

AN EVENING WITH BRANFORD MARSALIS

Sept. 10 Armstrong Auditorium Saxophonist

Branford Marsalis is one of the most influential and revered figures in contemporary music.

armstrongauditorium.org

CONCERTS MT. JOY Sept. 8 Tower

Theatre Enjoy this indie

Photo courtesy Tulsa Great Raft Race

READY FOR AN EXCITING SEPTEMBER? READ ON FOR OUR TOP CHOICES THIS MONTH. DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, MANY EVENTS ARE CANCELED OR POSTPONED. CHECK INDIVIDUAL LISTINGS FOR UPDATES.

Tower Theatre See the

programs and software transformed graphic design, illustrators gave form to thought and generated the majority of public imagery.

towertheatreokc.com

POSTWAR ABSTRACTION: VARIATIONS Through

towertheatreokc.com

PAUL THORN Sept. 13

nationalcowboymuseum.org

guitar-weilding crooner with guest Jared Deck.

MAYDAY PARADE Sept.

22 Tower Theatre This

rock quintent visits with Grayscale and Point North.

towertheatreokc.com

KEVIN GATES Sept. 29 The Criterion See Gates

on his I’m Him Part 2 Tour.

criterionokc.com

ART

RENEGADES: BRUCE GOFF AND THE AMERICAN SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE Ongoing Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, Norman (Online) The

RICK SINNETT SHOW

Sept. 10-Oct. 4 DNA Galleries

Photo courtesy Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics

Feb. 14 OKCMOA The halfcentury or so following the end of World War II was one of the most fertile periods in the history of abstract painting. okcmoa.com

Enjoy a solo exhibition featuring works from Sinnett. dnagalleries.com

THE ART OF LIGHT

Through Sept. 27 OKCMOA

In celebration of Oklahoma Contemporary’s inaugural exhibition, Bright Golden Haze, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art presents its own satellite exhibition.

okcmoa.com

STORYTELLERS AND SELLERS: ARTIST ILLUSTRATORS Through

Nov. 15 National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum Before pixels,

American School refers to the imaginative school of design and practice that developed under the guidance of Bruce Goﬀ, Herb Greene and others at the University of Oklahoma in the 1950s and ‘60s. gibbs.oucreate.com

SPORTS UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA FOOTBALL

Sept. 12 Gaylord FamilyOklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman Enjoy some home

game fun in Norman. soonersports.com

OKC ENERGY FC MATCH Sept. 27 Taft Stadium

Experience the excitement of professional soccer as the Energy takes on Austin Bold FC. energyfc.com

COMMUNITY FULL MOON BIKE RIDE AND RUN Sept. 3 Myriad Botanical Gardens This

is a casual monthly event where friends and families can enjoy a leisurely one-hour bike ride or 5K run through downtown OKC. myriadgardens.org

CHUCK WAGON FESTIVAL Sept. 5-6

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum

Come to this much-loved festival for amazing stage entertainment and family-friendly fun.

nationalcowboymuseum.org

OU AVIATION FESTIVAL Sept. 26 Max Westheimer Airport, Norman The day

includes an open house, static aircraft displays, tours of the control tower and much more. ou.edu/airport

AROUND THE STATE PERFORMANCES

SARAH COBURN Sept. 13 McKnight Center for the Performing Arts, Stillwater

American soprano and international opera sensation Sarah Coburn has captivated audiences with her stunning operatic style.

K I D S / FA M I LY

A FAREWELL TO SUMMER

mcknightcenter.org

WILLIAM WOLFRAM

On Sept. 7, Tulsa’s beloved Great Raft Race returns to the banks of the Arkansas River. Teams compete to create the best hand-made raft and race down to the aquatic finish line. Adjusting to pandemic protocols, the Greek Street Drive-Thru runs Sept. 11-12 and 18-19 at 12th and Guthrie. Enjoy delicious Greek eats to-go. In Keifer, the Let It Be Arts Festival runs Sept. 12 at the Keifer Municipal Park. Enjoy craft vendors, stage entertainment, food, drinks and a children’s area. And fans of succulent fruits can visit the Stilwell Strawberry Festival on Sept. 19 for outdoor activities, children’s events and a pageant.

Sept. 18 McKnight Center for the Performing Arts, Stillwater Award-winning

American pianist William Wolfram has appeared with many of the greatest orchestras in the world.

mcknightcenter.org

THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA Sept.

25-26 McKnight Center for the Performing Arts, Stillwater See this talented

group live in concert. mcknightcenter.org

ART STATE OF THE ART

Ongoing Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Ark. Crystal

Bridges begins the new decade with the opening of the Momentary, a new space for contemporary visual and performing arts, and the debut of State of the Art 2020. crystalbridges.org

SPORTS PRCA RODEO OF CHAMPIONS Sept. 4-6

Beutler Brothers Rodeo Arena, Elk City This event

TULSA GREAT RAFT RACE

Photo courtesy Max Westheimer Airport

band with special guest Wilderado.

OU AVIATION FESTIVAL

COMMUNIT Y

A SMATTERING OF EVENTS

At the Gathering Place, you can bring out your inner sommelier at the Tulsa Beer and Wine Festival on Sept. 12, which offers a variety of vendor booths and plenty of food and drink samples. Going virtual this year, the Aquarium Run – hosted by the Oklahoma Aquarium – allows participants to walk, run or jog their ways to a 5K. The event has an open date; participants can take part through October. Visit okaquarium.org to sign up. Reach new heights at the OU Aviation Festival on Sept. 26 at Norman’s Max Westheimer Airport. The festival offers an open house, aircraft displays, tours of the control tower and more. The Red Earth Festival, Sept. 5-6, brings thousands of Native American artists, dancers and creators from around the world to Oklahoma. The event takes place at the Grand Casino Hotel and Resort in Shawnee. Park, Henryetta Grab your cowboy hat and get ready for two nights of fast-paced action. cityofhenryetta.org

world-class musicians and concert artists to Bartlesville for more than 35 years. okmmusic.org

craft vendors, entertainment and a children’s area.

OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL

RED EARTH NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL Sept. 5-6 Grand

RIDE Sept. 12 Woolaroc Museum, Bartlesville Watch

Sept. 12, 19 Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater Get

back in the groove of Oklahoma football with the OSU Cowboys. okstate.com

O’REILLY AUTO PARTS OUTLAW NATIONALS

Sept. 18-19 Ottawa County Fairgrounds, Miami This

two day, family-friendly event showcases twelve of the nation’s top monster trucks in racing, wheelie contests and freestyle.

mapmotorsports.com

COMMUNITY BBQ SHOWDOWN Sept.

4-5 Fuqua Park, Duncan

From barbecue brisket and pork to ribs and chicken, guests at the annual showdown are in for a tasty treat. travelok.com

DUSK ‘TIL DAWN BLUES FESTIVAL Sept. 4-6

OK Blues Hall of Fame, Rentiesville Come and

enjoy three days and nights of regional and national blues. dcminnerblues.com

CHEROKEE NATIONAL HOLIDAY QUILT SHOW

Sept. 4-6 Sequoyah High School, Tahlequah As part

brings thousands of visitors to watch top-ranked cowboys and cowgirls compete for cash and points as they ride, rope or wrestle.

of the Cherokee National Holiday festivities, come see the ornate quilts crafted for the Cherokee National Holiday Quilt Show competition. travelok.com

JIM SHOULDERS LIVING LEGENDS PRCA RODEO

Sept. 4-10 Various locations and online, Bartlesville This

elkcityrodeo.com

Sept. 5-6 Historic Nichols

OKM MUSIC FESTIVAL

festival has been bringing

Casino Hotel and Resort, Shawnee The Red Earth

Festival features more than 1,000 American Indian artists and dancers from throughout North America, celebrating the richness and diversity of their heritages. redearth.org

LABOR DAY CELEBRATION Sept. 7 Downtown Main Street, Henryetta Make

your way to the town of Henryetta for a parade, games for all ages, concerts, a carnival, a rodeo and an impressive fireworks display. cityofhenryetta.org

MUSTANG WESTERN DAYS Sept. 11-12 Wild

Horse Park, Mustang With

a bevy of family activities, this is a timeless event.

mustangwesterndays.com

travelok.com

WOOLAROC FALL TRAIL

for buﬀalo, elk, deer or longhorn cattle on this trail ride that covers approximately 15 miles. woolaroc.org

STILWELL STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL Sept. 19

Downtown The Stilwell

Strawberry Festival has become one of Oklahoma’s most-loved hometown traditions.

strawberrycapital.com

ELK CITY FALL FESTIVAL Sept. 19-20 Convention Center Enjoy one of the

largest arts and craft shows in western Oklahoma. elkcitychamber.com

PUMPKIN FESTIVAL AT SHEPHERD’S CROSS

Sept. 22-Nov. 7 Shepherd’s Cross, Claremore Celebrate

fall with pumpkins, hayrides and educational activities at Shepherd’s Cross.

WINE’N ON THE CHISHOLM TRAIL Sept.

shepherdscross.com

This fun, two-day festival features Oklahoma wineries, food and vendors.

FESTIVAL Sept. 25-27 Fin and Feather Resort, Gore

11-12 Main Street, Duncan

mainstreetduncan.net/ winen-on-the-chisholm

BLUEGRASS AND CHILI

FESTIVAL Sept. 11-12 Historic Downtown Wagoner The annual Bluegrass & Chili Festival in Wagoner is cooking up plenty of family fun. bluegrasschilifest.com

LET IT BE ARTS FESTIVAL Sept. 12 Keifer Municipal

Park This two-day event is free to the public and features a large variety of

FIN & FEATHER FALL

Bring family and friends out for shopping fun at the three-day Fin & Feather Fall Festival.

finandfeatherresort.com

BUTTERFLY HOUSE AT THE PAPILION Through Sept. 30 Honor Heights Park, Muskogee The

Papilion is a teaching garden and open air butterfly house that welcomes visitors to get a great view of these winged wonders.

muskogeeonline.org

SEPTEMBER 2020 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

W H E R E & W H E N | F I L M AND CI NEMA

PUSHING THROUGH Despite a tumultuous year, the film industry is cranking out some gems in September.

s COVID continues to ebb and flow in the U.S., the film industry waits anxiously to measure the full impact. It’s hard to know when things will return to even a semi-normal state ... a situation which makes it distinctly hard to predict what will be available for viewing in the next few months. With that in mind, I’m going to recommend my usual three different ways to enjoy films this month, substituting in an extra streaming option instead of a local film event.

Streaming

Charlie Kaufman, writer of mind-bending films like Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, tries his hand at his first adapted screenplay since the bizarre, circular Adaptation with upcoming Netflix horror film I’m Thinking of Ending Things. This effort should be a bit more straightforward than Adaptation, as Kaufman directs his own screenplay, based on a recent thriller by Iain Reid. While it might lack something of Kaufman’s usual twisty, meta-approach (though who knows what he has up his sleeves), the film should still provide plenty of thoughtful chills and scares as

it follows a woman whose visit to her boyfriend’s parents goes terribly awry. A loaded cast, including Jesse Plemons, Toni Collette and David Thewlis, should bring plenty of heft to the proceedings, and Kaufman’s knack for the weird and absurd should be a great fit for a horror film. Expect something off beat, possibly even humorous, as well as scary.

On Disc

This month, Criterion has me especially excited with a deluxe reissue of one of my favorite films, full stop: Claire Denis’ masterful 1998 film Beau Travail. If you’re not a fan of international cinema, you

may not know Denis’ name, but she’s one of the most important female directors working today. Beau Travail marked her breakthrough internationally, and with good reason: a pulsing, hypnotic adaptation of Herman Melville’s Billy Budd, transposed to postcolonial French Africa, Beau Travail is one of the most unsparing, ravishing portrayals of obsession ever put on film. The great Denis Levant stars as a French Foreign Legion officer undone by his cruel fixation on an underling, and Denis’ counterintuitive directing, alongside a haunting soundtrack pulled from Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd opera, combine to make a masterwork. The Criterion disc features new essays, both written and video, and a conversation between Denis and the American director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight).

In Theaters

Who knows if The King’s Man will actually screen in physical theaters this month? It should, at least, be available for digital rental – try to do so through your local theater, if you can, to lend them support. Matthew Vaughan’s brash film franchise, about a British secret service group filled with refined gentlemen – think James Bond meets Tarantino – gets a prequel in this third installment, which tackles the origins of the spy service in the run up to World War I. With ringers like Ralph Fiennes, Tom Hollander and Djimon Hounsou on board, the film should be brisk and entertaining, a great antidote to the September doldrums. ASHER GELZER-GOVATOS

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CLOSING THOUGHTS

DWIGHT LAWSON

wight Lawson, Ph.D., had a migratory childhood as an Air Force brat, with stints in Pakistan and several cities around the U.S. before settling in North Carolina. Harboring a lifelong interest in biology, Lawson attended the University of Pennsylvania for his undergraduate degree and the University of Texas, Arlington, for a graduate degree in quantitative biology. Before joining the Oklahoma City Zoological Park and Botanical Garden in May 2014 as executive director/CEO, Lawson worked at Zoo Atlanta, the Wildlife Conservation Society in Cameroon, Africa, and the Stone and Webster Environmental Services in Boston. In his spare time, Lawson is involved with several animal conservation groups. We caught up with Lawson and got his thoughts on ...

... the appeal of this job.

... a day in the life.

There really isn’t an average day at the zoo – especially recently. While most of the day is spent with big picture planning, finances and supporting the zoo’s various teams, there is still plenty of opportunity to be involved with decisions about the animals and the tasks of daily operations. With several hundred team members, more than a thousand animals, and close to a million guests each year, there are countless moving pieces behind the scenes that contribute to us fulfilling our mission of connecting people to the world’s vanishing wildlife and wild places.

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2020

... his proudest moments and his goals.

Proudest moments: Surpassing one million visitors within a single year; expanding the zoo’s conservation programs; reaching and maintaining some of the highest visitor satisfaction scores among Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoos and aquariums in the U.S. – our on-going participation in a national study of visitor satisfaction has allowed us to identify and build on key touch points that matter to our mission and our guests. Still to do: More on the above, as well as implementing our long-range master plan to enhance the zoo’s animal habitats and to create meaningful opportunities that truly inspire our guests to want to protect the wildlife around them and worldwide.

... his favorite animal and section of the zoo.

None that I will admit! However, I do have a house full of turtles and tortoises (in addition to two cats and two dogs) if that gives you any indication.

... an oddball snake story.

At the risk of my mom reading this, while working in central Africa years ago, I was bitten on the finger by a venomous snake. I went to the nearby hospital in the small rural town where I was based. When I told the doctor what happened, his exact reply was, “Well, what do you want me to ONLINE do about it?” I find FOR MORE, VISIT that funny. At least, okmag.com/lawson now I do.

Photo courtesy OKC Zoo

In addition to its great reputation locally and in the zoo and aquarium community, the OKC Zoo has three things that differentiate it from most other organizations: 1. Size. At more than 150 acres, we have room to develop, grow and provide appropriate habitats for the animals. 2. A great funding model. The OKC Zoo benefits from both earned income and some public support. This combined support enables us to provide our visitors with bold new ways to connect with wildlife and ... to weather the recent closure due to the pandemic. 3. A very supportive and engaged community. Both the ZOOfriends membership base and local business community are strongly invested in the zoo.

“

curriculum The Chickasaw Nation has a unique and celebrated history, f illed with stories of our resilience, perseverance, challenges and triumphs. We believe f ilm is a great way to tell our story, past and present. These works preserve the legacy of the many events and people that shaped history.

”

Bill Anoatubby, Governor The Chickasaw Nation

First Encounter

bearer of the morning

On Top of the World

c u lt u res i n c ontac t a nd c onf l i c t

T e Ata – T h e E n du r ing L e g ac y o f a T r a d it io na l Nat iv e S t o ry t e l l e r

P e a r l C a rt e r S c o t t – A m e r ic a’ s Young e s t P il o t

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The Chickasaw Heritage Series, and curriculum, were created to inform, educate and connect diverse audiences to the story of the Chickasaw Nation and its people f rom European contact to modern day. •

Documentary f ilms

•

Educational videos

•

Short history f ilm projects

•

Educational resources for teachers, educators and students

Visit Chickasaw.net/Curriculum for more information. To purchase films and documentaries, visit ChickasawFilms.com.