TulsaPeople March 2023

LEGENDS: DON THOMPSON | NCAA WRESTLING COMES TO TULSA

ANNUAL BUSINESS ISSUE

BUSINESS INCUBATOR AND ACCELERATOR ECOSYSTEM

HELPS LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS

Treats

“Daylight Donuts are a treat. But how we treat people is the real secret to our success. It’s the same with our bank. They’re experts at guiding us on how to best use our money, but it’s working with people who truly care about us that’s the real treat. That’s why MY BANK IS MABREY.”

Read more at MyBankIsMabrey.com/Daylight

John, Sheila & Jason Bond Owners, Daylight Donut Flour Company

WARREN CLINIC URGENT CARE

For adults and children with a minor illness or injury, visit saintfrancis.com/urgentcare to select a time and clinic location to visit, or choose a virtual visit online.

TULSA

Springer Building

6160 South Yale Avenue

918-495-2600

Tulsa Hills

7858 South Olympia Avenue

918-986-9250

South Memorial 10506 South Memorial Drive 918-943-1050

SAND SPRINGS

102 South Main Street 918-246-5750

BROKEN ARROW

Elm Place

2950 South Elm Place, Suite 120 (101st Street and Elm Place) 918-451-5191

Kenosha 1801 East Kenosha Street (71st Street and OK-51) 918-449-4150

OWASSO 11610 North 137th East Avenue (Hwy 169 and 116th Street North) 918-928-4180

*If you are experiencing severe illness, a major injury, symptoms of a heart attack, stroke or shortness of breath, please call 911 or visit your nearest emergency room.

saintfrancis.com/urgentcare

URGENT CARE HOURS FOR IN-OFFICE VISITS:

Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Springer location only)

Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

VIRTUAL URGENT CARE: Visit saintfrancis.com/urgentcare to schedule a virtual urgent care visit 24/7/365.

FIRST OKLAHOMA BANK PRESENTS

Leaders with Heart

GRATEFUL. COMPASSIONATE. HELPFUL.

Fazl Muradi’s gratefulness abounds. He no longer fears the Taliban or explosions or threats.

Fazlullah (Fazl) Muradi and his wife Aria are among the thousands of Afghans who fled their country following the U.S. military’s evacuation. Today, they live in Tulsa with their son, Arshia, who was born on a military base not long after the couple arrived in the United States.

Fazl and Aria are both college-educated, and he was a translator and interpreter for U.S. military and personnel in Afghanistan.

Today, Fazl works for First Oklahoma Bank as a Vice President and Systems Administrator in the IT department, where he has become an instrumental part of the bank’s team.

Nearly 850 Afghan evacuees have been resettled in the Tulsa area. Fazl is the first Afghan among this group to receive asylum status – a lengthy process that now opens the way for him to apply for a Permanent Resident Card and ultimately U.S. citizenship.

Upon their arrival in Tulsa, he assumed there would be challenges and it would take time to adjust to being in a new environment and culture. When Fazl saw two families waiting to welcome them at the airport, he knew they had come to a place where people cared.

“We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped us here in the United States and made us feel at home. I feel I have a bright future right now,” Fazl says. “I can take care of my family … It’s great to be here!”

That thankfulness overflows into wanting to help others. Recently, he hosted a gathering for some Afghans to share lessons he has learned from Americans and talk about his experience with the asylum application process. He and his wife also have helped resettle other Afghans by teaching them how to use an Instant Pot for cooking and working with caseworkers to move furniture and set up apartments for them.

“There is no way to adequately describe Fazl’s journey from Afghanistan to Tulsa – the overall chaos and trauma. However, Fazl has embraced his new life here and wants what every American wants – peace, the opportunity to thrive and the ability

to support his family,” says Sue Bennett, Community Outreach Director of First Oklahoma. “He has integrity, an excellent work ethic and professional skills. He looks for opportunities in troubled times, listens and learns from others, and is generous in heart and deeply committed to helping Afghans adapt and integrate into American society. He has a wealth of love and ambition to serve our community.”

Afghans know what it is like to fear for their life every day, says Fazl. When he witnesses negativity, he feels the urge to take positive action. “If I can assist someone and make a positive impact, perhaps they will in turn assist others.”

Due for scheduled service?

Due for scheduled service?

Preventive maintenance is the best thing you can do for your health. If you’re 45 or older, now is a great time to schedule a colonoscopy. Early detection with regular colon screenings can give you the peace of mind to stay focused on the road ahead.

Preventive maintenance is the best thing you can do for your health. If you’re 45 or older, now is a great time to schedule a colonoscopy. Early detection with regular colon screenings can give you the peace of mind to stay focused on the road ahead.

Start your preventive health journey as early as age 45 for a lifetime of wellness. Schedule a colonoscopy today.

Start your preventive health journey as early as age 45 for a lifetime of wellness. Schedule a colonoscopy today.

For more information, visit uticaparkclinic.com/colon-screening

For more information, visit uticaparkclinic.com/colon-screening

7 CITY DESK

Recognizing Equal Pay Day. It’s a new season for FC Tulsa. Coffee with Greenwood Rising’s new director. A new album and venue in the city’s music scene.

75 LIFESTYLE

Tips for succulent success. Missouri road trip ideas. Mastering the art of woodworking. Connie Cronley’s dream dinner guests.

BY LAURA DENNIS

SPECIAL SECTIONS

48 Best Lawyers® 59 Legacy Business Profiles

87 TABLE TALK

Recent updates at The Chalkboard. Checking in at Marshall Brewing Co.’s taproom. Tacos and margs at Salt and Lime Social. Three pubs to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

ON THE COVER: Abbey Marino Briggs, Tracy Poole and Amber Buker of 36 Degrees North Incubator

PHOTO BY MICHELLE POLLARD

Krisheena and Davonte Suarez, founders and artists of Suarez !nspired Republic, are graduates of the 2022 accelerator program for Tulsa Creative Engine, which aims to support the city’s creative community by championing artists and musicians as entrepreneurs.

Finding the best care for you starts with a conversation between you and an Ascension St. John doctor. What sets us apart is our unrelenting commitment to advanced and highquality care in our community.

• Experienced heart care for routineand advanced heart care

• Leading brain and spine specialists, caring for movement disorders, spine care and more

• Advanced cancer treatment and surgery with you from diagnosis through recovery

• ER care teams available 24/7, including our Joint Commissioncertified Comprehensive Stroke Center

And you’ll find we excel just as much in the things that can’t be measured — listening more closely and caring more compassionately.

Your first choice for leading care

Haven of hope

Tucked into the trees of a 5-acre ranch in Sapulpa, Tulsa Girls’ Home serves teen girls placed in Oklahoma’s foster care system by offering a safe space of shelter, services and support.

“Tulsa Girls’ Home is less like a facility and more of a family. It’s less clinical and all that,” says current resident Georgia (name changed for privacy), 17. “We do sit-down dinners together, and we talk about our day. We hug each other, and we’re just close like that.”

When a girl arrives, she is immediately placed on an individualized path toward healing that includes weekly one-on-one therapy,

group counseling and support for her own personal goals. The girls also receive life skills training in areas such as cooking, personal finance, etiquette, household management and employment assistance like resume building and interview coaching.

Tulsa Girls’ Home staff members also work to combat negative or preconceived notions that may exist about teens in foster care. “Whenever you meet someone, they might have this opinion or stereotype of us in their head,” 15-year-old Jessica (name changed for privacy) adds. “They (TGH) try to tell them ‘Hey, that’s not it,’ and show them we’re more than that.” TP

NOTEBOOK

BY TIFFANY HOWARD

UNION MATH TEACHER MAKES HISTORY

Oklahoma educator Rebecka Peterson, who was named Oklahoma’s State Teacher of the Year in 2022, is now a top five finalist for the 2023 National Teacher of the Year. A high school math teacher for Union Public Schools, she is passionate about making math exciting, relevant and accessible to all. Peterson makes history as the first Union district finalist to be named in the top five nationally and is recognized alongside four other educators from Illinois, Connecticut, Alaska and the District of Columbia. The 2023 National Teacher of the Year will be named in late April. TP

Foodie feats

Several Tulsa culinary hot spots and well-known restaurateurs were announced in late January as semifinalists up for receiving James Beard Awards:

Best New Restaurant: et al.

Outstanding Hospitality: SMOKE. Woodfire Grill

Outstanding Bar: American Solera

Outstanding Restaurateur: Johnna Hayes and Debra Zinke of Tulsa’s 3 Sirens Restaurant Group, which owns Bird and Bottle, three Bramble Breakfast and Bar locations, Holé Molé, and Shaky Jake’s Burgers and Franks

Outstanding Chef Southwest (from Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada): Lisa Becklund of FarmBar; Ben Alexander of Mr. Kim’s; and Paul Wilson of Sans Murs at the silo

The James Beard Awards recognize exceptional talent and achievement in the culinary arts, as well as pioneering sustainability and equitable advancement initiatives within the restaurant industry. Nominees will be announced March 29, and winners celebrated June 5 at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony. TP

CYBER CAREER SWITCH

Tulsa Community College is offering Tulsa-area adult learners the opportunity to participate in accelerated 24-week training programs in either cybersecurity or data science, with tuition fees completely covered. The two flexible courses — put on through TCC’s Cyber Skills Center in partnership with edX — teach in-demand IT skills and prepare participants to secure careers in helping organizations defend against cyberattacks or measure data in order to grow. Students admitted to the free program also can access child care, transportation, required equipment, career-readiness support and, upon graduation, an optional one-year apprenticeship that provides 10 additional weeks of job-specific training.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the fast-growing field of information security is projected to expand 33% between now and 2030. Prepare for a lucrative career switch by applying to participate in one of TCC’s Cyber Skills Center courses. The application window will open around the second week of March; scan the QR code to learn more and sign up to be notified when applications are live. TP

Rebecka Peterson, high school math teacher for Union Public Schools and Oklahoma’s 2022 State Teacher of the Year, makes the top five finalists for the 2023 National Teacher of the Year.

From its signature pop-up dessert bars to offering equal pay to all employees — from chefs to dishwashers — et al. is a local gastronomy game changer. Established by Marco Herrera and Colin Sato, other minds behind et al. include Josh Knorr, Sam Luna, Aaron Loud, Chloe Butler, Parker Owen and Peter Greve.

MARCH

COMPILED BY BLAYKLEE FREED AND J. D. MYER

Tulsa Symphony performs ...

MARCH 4

ALLURING: AN EVENING OF OPERA

The symphony accompanies performances by Sarah Coburn and Stephen Powell, including Mozart ’s “Don Giovanni,” Rossini’s “Barber of Seville” and others.

MARCH 12

TSO AT TU: PROKOFIEV’S SYMPHONY NO. 1

Guest conductor Brett Mitchell leads the TSO quartet playing Symphony No. 1 in D, Op. 25, “Classical” and other works at University of Tulsa’s Lorton Performance Center.

MARCH 23-26

TSO WILL ACCOMPANY TULSA BALLET’S “TCHAIKOVSKY: THE MAN BEHIND THE MUSIC”

The creative team includes composer Oliver Peter Graber, Russian historian Daniela Kolic, designer Tracy Grant Lord and choreographer Ma Cong Visit tulsapac.com for showtimes and tickets.

MARCH 3

FIRST FRIDAY

Shows are opening at multiple Tulsa Arts District galleries. Also catch Living Arts of Tulsa’s annual Champagne and Chocolate Member Showcase — which features works from 61 artists — until March 10.

LIVING ARTS OF TULSA, 307 E. RECONCILIATION WAY LIVINGARTS.ORG

MARCH 7-19

HAMILTON

The blockbuster musical telling the story of an American founding father returns to Tulsa for a 16-performance run.

TULSA PAC, 110 E. SECOND ST. TULSAPAC.COM

MARCH 9-12

TULSA HOME AND GARDEN SHOW

Get inspired to tackle that next home improvement project by viewing more than 300 exhibitors at Oklahoma’s largest home and garden products trade show.

EXPO SQUARE, 4145 E. 21ST ST. TULSAHBA.COM

MARCH 11

T-TOWN GIT DOWN AND MIDNITE CHOOGLE

Admission to this good ol’ Tulsa jam performance with Ian Moore, BC & The Big Rig, Brad Absher and others gets you free gumbo with sides.

VFW POST 577, 1109 E. SIXTH ST. FACEBOOK.COM/HORTONRECORDS

MARCH 17

ARNIE’S 67TH ST. PATRICK’S CELEBRATION

An all-day street party kicks off at 11 a.m. with live Irish music starting at noon. The event will be all ages until 8 p.m. and won’t charge cover all day.

EAST SECOND STREET AND SOUTH ELGIN AVENUE ARNIESBAR.COM

MARCH 24

TECH CONNECT: BUILDING THE FUTURE

Join industry pros discussing advancements in augmented and virtual reality technology.

TULSA PRESS CLUB, 415 S. BOSTON AVE. FACEBOOK.COM/TULSAPRESSCLUB

MARCH 25

INTRO TO MUSHROOM FORAGING

Learn the basics of foraging fungi with a guide from the Oklahoma Mycology Society.

RAY HARRAL NATURE CENTER, 7101 S. THIRD ST., BROKEN ARROW | BAPARKS.ORG

VISIT TULSAPEOPLE.COM/ABOUTTOWN FOR MORE LOCAL EVENTS AND A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF WEEKLY MUSIC LISTINGS.

RAYMOND DOSWELL, PH.D.

NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR GREENWOOD RISING

Raymond Doswell, Ph.D., has just moved to Tulsa when he meets for co ee at Chimera Cafe to discuss his new role as executive director for Greenwood Rising.

Previously, Doswell devoted nearly three decades to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, serving as its vice president since 2011. He holds a doctorate in educational administration and leadership from Kansas State University, a master’s degree in historic resources management from the University of California-Riverside and a bachelor’s from Monmouth College.

“I’ve been moved by the fact there’s such interest in this — that the community really wants to embrace this push for greater understanding of this history,” Doswell says. “ ere seems to be a good deal of support in the community now for Greenwood Rising, and I want to keep that momentum going.”

DOSWELL BEGAN LEARNING THE ROLE IN MID-DECEMBER AND RELOCATED TO TULSA IN EARLY JANUARY, REPLACING INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PHIL ARMSTRONG ... I’ve had a ton of meetings, both virtually and in person. We’ve been very aggressive about getting me connected with key stakeholders who already supported the institution and those who have great interest in the supporting institution. ere’s just a tremendous amount of interest in folks wanting to connect with the institution and the story, and that’s all I can ask for as a leader coming in, and hopefully just build upon and enhance the good work they’ve already done.

HE FIRST LEARNED ABOUT THE 1921 TULSA RACE MASSACRE MANY YEARS AGO, BUT DIDN’T UNDERSTAND THE GRAVITY OF IT UNTIL RECENTLY ... Right before the pandemic in Kansas City, I was a member of a group called the Black History Study Group, and I helped put on public programming for the group

and made the race massacre a topic for discussion. We worked with the local branch of the National Archives to show (a History Channel) documentary and had some of our local historians and professors who knew a little bit about it come and talk to the group. And boy, to get into a little bit more of the details, and then the documentary with the rich detail and seeing (Tulsa Race Massacre historian and Greenwood Rising curator) Hannibal B. Johnson for the rst time, I can tell you that the intenseness after that lm ended was palpable. I felt it. Everyone in the room felt it. We really didn’t have a clue how deep it was, and the conversation was intense afterwards. at stuck with me for a while.

THE STORY STUCK WITH DOSWELL BECAUSE IT REMINDED HIM OF HIS HOMETOWN’S OWN TRAGIC HISTORY ... I grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois, which went through the same thing in 1917. It was something that we learned a little bit about in school, but we never got super deep into it either, not the blow-by-blow details of what happened. So I understand people

here, and in other places, but especially people who are here saying they knew about it, but didn’t really learn about it. at makes the work that’s happening down in Greenwood extremely important.

THROUGH LEARNING ABOUT THE MASSACRE, DOSWELL HAS LEARNED MORE ABOUT THE HISTORIC GREENWOOD DISTRICT ... Just the fact the Greenwood District even existed (before the massacre) is a miracle, and then the rebirth afterward is amazing. I’m charged with making sure we tell that entire story, making connections to their broader story to our modern times, and our modern history as well, so that it remains relevant for everyone. e way I see it, you’ve got really two pillars of understanding: the creation of generational wealth, especially for people of color, but then also combating to end racial violence. And that’s both, you know, locally, regionally, nationally, worldwide. And so where we can make these connections locally, nationally and internationally, that extends our reach and keeps us relevant as well. TP

STORY AND PHOTO BY TIM LANDES

GAME CHANGER

TULSA-BASED COMPANY CREATES INNOVATIVE PERIOD CARE PRODUCT.

BY JULIANNE TRAN

After years of prototyping, beta-testing and a move to Tulsa from Indianapolis, co-founders Drew Jarvis and Cindy Belardo of menstrual care company Sunny Period are prepping to ship their rst orders for the Sunny Cup + Applicator.

“ e Sunny Cup + Applicator is a menstrual cup that inserts like a tampon with the help of a reusable applicator,” Jarvis describes. “It has all the bene ts of other menstrual cups with the ease of use of a tampon. It has the potential to save menstruators thousands of dollars over their lifetime in disposable period product expenses since it can be reused for up to a year.”

Jarvis started thinking about period care as a high schooler in Indiana. “In 2018, I entered into and won a business idea pitch competition,” Jarvis says. “I pitched my idea for a menstrual cup that inserts like a tampon.”

Her idea started to gain more traction in 2020, when she rst connected with Belardo after she moved to Indianapolis. While in college at the University of Oklahoma, Belardo had created a period-focused club and traveled to India to research period stigma and rst-time menstrual cup use.

“We had many FaceTime calls that led to the realization of our similar goals,” Jarvis says.

A match made in co-founder heaven, Jarvis and Belardo founded Sunny Period, which produces the product that Jarvis rst pitched in 2018 (though the original design evolved throughout the research and development process). Interest in the reusable applicator really took o after an April 2022 video on Sunny Period’s TikTok of Jarvis demonstrating how to use the Sunny Cup + Applicator went viral, garnering over 1 million views that month.

“I didn’t think much of it when we posted it. As views and likes quickly climbed, we had people asking where they could buy it,” Jarvis says, noting that’s when they decided to open pre-orders.

“Menstruators are often ignored and underserved, and we’re here to listen and innovate,” she says.

Jarvis and Belardo relocated the company to Tulsa last summer after being invested in by Atento Capital. e Tulsa-based investment rm had put on a business pitch competition, which Sunny Period won.

For more information and to pre-order the Sunny Cup + Applicator, visit sunnyperiod.com. While on the website, also check out Sunny Period’s merch line from which a portion of proceeds are donated to period.org, a global nonpro t working to end period poverty. TP

Covers REVISITED

Since appearing on TulsaPeople’s October 2007 cover, Christina Frederick (maiden name Clayton) has gained the title of “multifaceted mompreneur.”

After graduating from the University of Tulsa in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in communications, Frederick started her own boutique wedding and event planning company, Christina Leigh Events. “I have had the privilege of helping my clients celebrate their most treasured milestones and moments for over a decade,” Frederick says.

She moved her business to Houston 10 years ago after marrying her husband, Blair. The two met during their time at TU but didn’t begin dating until after graduation.

Five years ago, Frederick started another event planning business, adding The Helpful Host to her resume. “It is there that I help my clients with everyday celebrations and making the most of the holidays,” she explains.

With two businesses and two children ages 1 and 4, you would think she has no time for anything else, but that isn’t the case. She also lobbies for more protective consumer laws with Beautycounter, advocates for hormone safe homes with Hugh and Grace, is actively involved in Junior League of Houston and volunteers for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo with Blair.

Frederick attributes her volunteering spirit to her time spent in pageants and as a cheerleader. “Confidence, public speaking and volunteerism are just a few of the lessons I learned that are a part of who I am today.” —

ABBY MEDICO

Cindy Belardo, left, and Drew Jarvis are the co-founders of Sunny Period, a pioneering period care company based in Tulsa that ’s created a menstrual cup that inserts like a tampon with the help of a reusable applicator.

MIXED-MEDIA MESSAGES

TULSA-BORN ARTIST THRIVES IN NEW YORK.

BY ZACK REEVES

Julie Peppito has always stood out a little. e multidisciplinary artist was the only member of her family to be born in Tulsa, coming from an Italian-Irish family of New Yorkers who moved to Oklahoma to get closer to the American dream. Peppito’s art, similarly, is a complex re ection on that dream.

Her kaleidoscopic work comprises sculpture, drawing and painting, often mixing the three. Alternating between senseless and sensible with the air of Lewis Carroll, her pieces are reminiscent of dreams: swirling colors, reimagined animals, organic patterns growing out of arti cial forms. A child’s innocent love of detritus is evident here, as her works are full of treasure made from cast-o ephemera and found objects.

“I was a teenager in the ’80s, and I was very into going thrift shopping and nding clothes and remaking them into my own fashion,” Peppito says. “And in the stores, there were all these plastic bags lled with all this stu that no one wanted anymore. I started thinking: ‘Where did this come from? Where is it going? Why are people throwing it away, and why isn’t it valuable anymore?’ Eventually I started using that in my art.”

And by “that,” she means the questions, as well as the stu . Peppito’s work grapples with weighty questions of capitalist overproduction by juxtaposing the ostensibly innocent against much

more serious and urgent undertones. A tapestry of Peppito’s titled “It’s In e Water,” which was displayed in 2018 at Living Arts of Tulsa, contrasts a plastic red re engine, a stu ed animal and other found objects against a worried black and white gure at the bottom.

“It is about the troubling fact that these things that we buy to make our children happy are also killing them, due to the pollution their production and disposal causes,” Peppito says of the tapestry.

One of her most recent outdoor installations at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden featured mosaics, paintings and sculptures of ve endangered species of birds integrated into a maximalist birdhouse.

Birds actually helped create Peppito’s rst artistic success: rst place in a statewide competition for a turkey she drew in the rst grade at Mayo Elementary. From there, Booker T. Washington High School’ s Linda Stilley served as a mentor and teacher, helping Peppito shape her portfolio for college, which she attended on a full tuition scholarship to e Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City. She received her MFA from Alfred University and now lives with her partner and son in Brooklyn, teaching art and exhibiting her work across the country.

Find more at juliepeppito.com or on Instagram @juliepeppito. TP

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

After immigrating to the United States from Vietnam, Rev. Duy Nguyen was ordained as a priest and now works full-time as a chaplain at Bishop Kelley High School, where he shares a treasured bond with the students. Nguyen answered questions from his office surrounded by personal mementos — photos of him with Pope Francis, sticky notes from students and some religious artwork.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A PRIEST, AND HOW DID YOU KNOW THIS WAS YOUR CALLING? I have been ordained for five years. The first time I thought about the priesthood was when I was (13) in Vietnam. I loved serving mass. (The priest) was celebrating the mass and I thought to myself, “Oh my gosh, how special he is to be able to offer the mass and to make the bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus Christ.”

HOW DO YOU CONNECT TEENAGERS TO VOLUNTEERING AND MINISTRY WORK? What I try to do is just to build a relationship with them. By knowing them, by inviting them to be a part of what I love, they respond ... Every Wednesday through the generosity of Catholic Charities, we go downtown sharing little snacks or some hot chocolate with (the homeless community). We give them something tangible, but more than that, it’s just validation and love that we can offer to them.

WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB? I get to see the students and my parishioners every single day. We share everything together — the joy, the sorrows, their successes, their failures. Then every once in a while you see things change because of their love for the Lord and how the Lord works through them. It is so edifying to see that. — ABBY MEDICO

READ MORE OF THIS DISCUSSION AT TULSAPEOPLE.COM.

Multidisciplinary artist Julie Peppito with her tapestry creation titled “It’s In The Water.” Most of Peppito’s work contrasts playful themes with urgent messages to better care for the environment. Above, Peppito’s maximalist birdhouse at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Rev. Duy Nguyen

REWRITING THE CODE

HOLBERTON TULSA HOSTS WORKSHOP TO EMPOWER FEMALE SOFTWARE ENGINEERS.

BY JANE ZEMEL

Holberton Tulsa, a computer science school for aspiring software engineers, looks to encourage more females to pursue a career in tech by hosting an open-tothe-community workshop on March 15, the date National Women’s History Month collides with National Equal Pay Day. Co-hosts are Oklahoma Women in Technology and Tulsa Remote.

Holberton’s Megan Radford, instructor of general education, will join Karen Pennington, director of Madison Strategies Group — a nonpro t connecting individuals to education and employment opportunities — to address topics including the gender pay gap, how to ask for a raise and earning opportunities for women in the tech sector. Additional speakers will tackle closing the gender pay gap and work life in a primarily male industry. e event is free and open to the public. Attendees can register at holbertontulsa.com/register.

Also this month, a Holberton representative will visit McClure Elementary, Tulsa MET Middle and High School and other under-resourced schools to introduce coding as a career path. “We hope this inspires future generations of female software engineers,” says Libby Ediger, CEO of Holberton Tulsa.

e licensed vocation school is named for Betty Holberton, who worked on the rst U.S. Army computer in 1943 and helped to pioneer modern-day software engineering. e school’s 20-month programs blend in-person and online classes, ranging in size from 60-70 students per cohort. Most are locals; others are from nearby

cities, surrounding states or as far away as Atlanta or New York.

Career switchers — those who come from other industries — account for 80% of Holberton’s students. “A large population was making below minimum wage,” Ediger says. “We have a wide range of students previously working as service workers and on oil rigs to those with a master’s degree.”

Ediger says one misconception is coders are anti-social and spend all day staring at a computer screen. “In fact, you have to be a collaborator. You may have dozens of people working with you,” she says. “You have to be creative to do websites and video games, mobile apps, virtual reality and ight simulators.”

So far, Holberton graduates have landed positions at American Airlines, CymSTAR, BOK Financial and Consumer A airs.

e future for software developers here is bright. According to data from inTulsa, local job posts have jumped 116% since 2016; recent posts are up 57%. By 2026, demand is expected to shoot up another 15%, with salaries averaging north of $50,000. TP

SHOPPER’S DELIGHT

More than 200 Oklahoma small businesses will gather March 18 at Expo Square for the second annual OKGO Market, inviting Tulsa shoppers to discover what’s in store.

“Events like this give businesses across Oklahoma a chance to tell their story,” says Erik-Michael Collins, managing partner for TulsaGo, which manages the OKGO Market and a website promoting local businesses. “Many of these businesses don’t have a brick-and-mortar storefront; a lot of them are home-based businesses who would love to expand.” The goal is to bring them face-to-face with customers, he says. “That way they can get a little taste of what it’s like to have a storefront.”

Last year’s market included not only Tulsa County businesses but also those statewide, and this month’s market is growing from representing 29 cities to 56, Collins says.

In addition to the benefits businesses get from the exposure and patronage, Collins is most excited about the ability to give back to the city. “Hosting something like this, it’s really good for the economy. We’re generating tax revenue for the city, so I really feel like we’re doing our part.”

The vendors are divided into nine categories: artwork and photography; clothing, jewelry and accessories; custom specialty products; food and drink; gifts and novelties; health and natural beauty; home goods and decor; pet products; and “other.” You’ll find everything from handmade cookies, felted toys and glass art to barbecue sauce, macrame and candles.

Check out the list of vendors at okgomarket.com. Learn how your business can become a part of TulsaGo, visit tulsago.com/partners.

— ZACK REEVES

Students of Holberton Tulsa work on projects at the downtown campus located at 15 N. Cheyenne Ave. Inset, Libby Ediger, CEO of Holberton Tulsa.

Esther Wright, owner of Hilo de Amor, shows off the shop’s one-of-a-kind totes handmade by male and female Oaxacan artisans.

FORGED FUTURES

TWO LOCAL WOMEN SPEAK ON THE RISING FORCE OF FEMALES WITHIN THE WELDING INDUSTRY.

BY BLAYKLEE FREED

Celia Reyes moved to Tulsa from Colorado in 2010 to attend Tulsa Welding School. While the school’s Florida and Texas campuses are closer to the ocean and tempting in their own rights, Reyes had family in Oklahoma and welcomed the support system.

Reyes chose welding because she saw her father’s successful career in thermite welding. “My dad welded for the railroad tracks — for Union Paci c Railroad,” Reyes says. She tested the waters at a community college class and excelled, committing to Tulsa Welding School shortly after. Now she works full time as a welder at John Zink Hamworthy Combustion and part time as a welding teacher.

She’s been with John Zink since graduating in 2011, welding ares for oil rigs and inspecting work. “(John Zink) actually came to the school looking for candidates to work for them,” Reyes says. “We took the weld tests at Tulsa Welding School, and once we passed our test, we went to work for them through a temp agency.” Reyes was hired for full-time work and has been there ever since.

Pathways at Tulsa Welding School include the seven-month professional welding program — with an additional seven-month option to earn an associate degree and become a certi ed welder inspector — and electrical and HVAC programs, according to Shalisa Powell, president of the school’s Tulsa campus.

“If they’re willing to put the time in and sacri ce a little bit for seven months, they can make a tremendous jump in, and change in, their lives,” Powell says. “ at’s important to us here.”

As a woman in welding, Reyes is in a minority — a fact Powell and Tulsa Welding School are working to change. “I’m passionate about increasing the female and the Black population in this school, which is mostly white-male dominated,” Powell says. “ ese women are erce, they’re tough, and I want them to see that they have just the same opportunities as men. (Learning trades) evens the playing eld. It’s not that they don’t have to deal with a lot of prejudice in the sense that people just assume you’re not strong enough or you’re not good enough, but if a weld is good, it’s good.”

Tulsa Welding School is holding spring open house events on March 29 and April 1, where potential students can learn about the school’s programs and take a look around. Powell recalls a student she met at a previous open house who became a nurse because that was what people expected of her. “She did nursing for 10-15 years, hated every moment of it and then decided (to weld),” Powell says. “I think we just steer girls and women to certain careers and we don’t o er the skilled trades. Girls become teachers, nurses, medical assistants, things like that ... (but women) are just as powerful in trades.” TP

Above, Shalisa Powell, campus president of Tulsa Welding School, is passionate about advocating for skilled trades education as an affordable and accessible career path option for both women and men. Left, TWS graduate Celia Reyes has worked with John Zink Hamworthy Combustion as a welder since graduating in 2011. Right, Reyes welds a connector piece for a flare in the field.

GREG BOLLINGER; REYES: STRATA TECH EDUCATION GROUP

HOME BASS

TULSA FAMILY’S LIVING ROOM DOUBLES AS COZY CONCERT VENUE FOR LOCAL AND TOURING ACTS.

BY BLAYKLEE FREED

About once every month, Chris McCabe recon gures the Riverview neighborhood home he shares with his family into a live music venue that’s hosted more than 50 concerts in every genre with touring and local acts.

e house-venue, Vox Pop Tulsa, is a project for McCabe and an outlet that combines his love of music and community. He started the initiative in 2017 with good friend Daniel Sharples to bring more live acts to Tulsa and provide a more intimate setting for shows, with crowd size of 60 people.

“You can see some great bands (at local venues), but 80% of the people, they’re just hanging out, so they’re talking. e music is in the background,” McCabe says. “When it’s time for the music to start (at Vox Pop), it’s dead quiet. It’s about the art. It’s more like going to the symphony.”

Concerts typically include a touring act paired with a local act. Concerts this year have included Austin, Texas, singer-songwriter Matt the Electrician with Tulsa’s Casii Stephan, and Mike Hosty with Clancy Jones — both Oklahoma musicians. McCabe doesn’t make money from the shows; proceeds from suggested donations go to the artists.

Acoustics are a top priority, and McCabe says the high ceilings in his 1915 two-story craftsman home make for great sound, thanks to sound tech-

nician Ken Lewellen, who volunteers his skills to make it so.

Before every show, there’s a potluck. McCabe, president of the Riverview Neighborhood Association, is a self-described extrovert and wants to foster communal experiences. “I really love being around people, and that’s really the heart of why I keep doing this, because I just want to create an atmosphere and a place where people can be in community,” he says.

When Vox Pop began, McCabe noticed the potlucks weren’t drumming up a lot of conversation. “I just saw a lot of people kind of sit in a corner by themselves, with their food and whoever they came with, so we started bringing in guest speakers for that rst hour, and we’ll do an interview session with somebody of interest.”

Social hour speakers are typically key players in Tulsa organizations, local artists and authors. Previous speakers have included Dylan Goforth, editor of e Frontier; Outsiders House Museum founder Danny Boy O’Connor; and Muriel Fahrion, creator of Strawberry Shortcake.

It takes about half a day to set up a show, pushing all the dining and living room furniture that can’t be sat on to nooks and crannies elsewhere in the home. McCabe has ve children ages 3-19, four of whom live in the Vox Pop house. e kids

and McCabe’s wife, Erin, help with Vox Pop however they can, sometimes by suggesting artists.

“( e kids) will show me somebody they’re listening to, and I’ve been able to get them,” McCabe says with a grin.

On March 24, Tulsa country musician Joey Frendo* is on the lineup with Colorado songwriter Jackson Emmer. For tickets (suggested $20 donation) and location information, visit voxpoptulsa.com. TP

*READ MORE ABOUT JOEY FRENDO AND HIS NEW ALBUM RELEASING APRIL 21 AT TULSAPEOPLE.COM.

Chris McCabe, founder of Vox Pop Tulsa — a live music venue McCabe hosts from his Riverview family home’s living room — introduces local musician Casii Stephan and guitarist Tye Slagle to an intimate audience in January.

Chris McCabe started Vox Pop Tulsa with friend Daniel Sharples in 2017.

‘ LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE ’

GUITAR SHOP OWNER RELEASES DEBUT ALBUM WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM HIS FRIENDS.

BY JULIE WENGER WATSON

Drew Winn, owner of Guitar House of Tulsa, released his self-titled debut album this past November. e collection of 13 songs was recorded in Nashville and produced by Winn’s good friend, noted session musician Tom Bukovac. Packed with Music City talent, “Drew Winn” was mixed by six-time Grammy award-winning record producer and engineer Vance Powell, whose credits include Phish, Chris Stapleton and Jack White. Inspired by an impromptu jam between Winn and Bukovac, the album gives a whole new meaning to playing music with friends.

Although Winn picked up the guitar at 14 and wrote his rst song at 15, he’s never given much thought to recording his work in the decades that followed. In fact, he’s rarely performed publicly in recent years. All of that began to change last year when Winn stopped for the night at Bukovac’s Nashville home en route to a trade show in Orlando.

Pulling out guitars, Bukovac asked Winn to play a song he knew Winn had been working on, jumping in to provide improvised lead accompaniment. Winn recounts Bukovac’s playing sounded like angels, and that suddenly the song took on two lives instead of just one.

Bukovac told Winn they should make a record. After a clinking of bottles, it was decided.

Two months later, they recorded the album. Bukovac, who’s played with everyone from Vince Gill and Ann Wilson to Tom Petty and Faith Hill, booked studio time and gathered an A-list group of players. Winn and his music were the remaining ingredients.

“ e session can only be described as capturing lightning in a bottle,” Winn says. “ e musicians were all in, and all on.”

It was an unforgettable experience for Winn, who’s quick to acknowledge all the talented individuals who contributed to the project. e result is an exceptional debut release of nuanced Americana with beautifully crafted lyrics and, unsurprisingly, outstanding production.

“ ere are some similarities between a few of the songs, lyrically and thematically. But sonically, it’s very diverse,” Winn says, noting track four’s similarity in sound to “ e Cure” and track ve’s Traveling Wilburys country vibe.

For more information, visit drewwinn.com. Catch a performance March 3 at the Tap Room at Marshall Brewing Co., 1742 E. Sixth St. TP

RIFFS ON THE ROAD

Actress/rocker Sam Quartin has been a Tulsan about a year, technically, but last fall she finally settled into her new home with husband John Swab, a native Tulsan and filmmaker, after recording a new album and touring with her band The Bobby Lees as well as acting in Swab’s horror film “Candy Land.”

She took part in an online Q&A to discuss her music and movies, plus settling into Tulsa and more.

WHAT IS THE BEST PART ABOUT LIVING HERE?

We had a show in Georgia and the band was flying in. I was driving over by myself, which I do a lot. I got to Oklahoma, and I got something stuck under my tire and I had to pull over. This guy pulls over and just hops under my car. That’s not what he does for a living. He just takes the thing out of my tires, which was so nice. I say, “Thank you,” and he says, “That’s how we do it down here, ma’am.” Then he drove off. We’re in New York, like no one’s stopping for you. It’s hard to find someone who will help.

I love it for routing, too. It’s a dream out of here. Out of any states, I feel like this is the best because we can go east or west from here. So we’re planning in the spring to start touring this new record. We’re (routing) from here then starting in Chicago then going for a couple of weeks, and then a week off here, which is great. Then doing it again in the west, and I think we’re gonna end one of them in Tulsa.  — TIM LANDES

THE BOBBY LEES RETURN TO TULSA ON MAY 13 FOR A CONCERT AT THE VANGUARD. TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THEVANGUARDTULSA.COM

SCAN THE QR CODE TO READ THE FULL INTERVIEW

Drew Winn, owner of Guitar House of Tulsa, showcases his musical talent alongside Nashville-based musicians and collaborators in a recently released, self-titled debut album.

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FROM SAPULPA TO PARIS

LOCAL TWINS’ MODELING CAREERS ARE TAKING THEM AROUND THE WORLD.

BY TIFFANY HOWARD

As Raini and Autumn Deerinwater, 25, talk about the excitement of their whirlwind modeling journey, their eyes sparkle like the light of the fashion-forward cities where they’re ful lling their dreams. e Muscogee (Creek) twins, who are also Navajo and Cherokee, discuss the surreality of seeing themselves on a Times Square billboard last summer, and how their rst trip to Europe this year will be to walk in one of the world’s most prestigious fashion events — Paris Fashion Week happening in July.

While Raini walked in her rst two fashion shows in late 2022, this will be Autumn’s rst time. Both are taking classes locally to perfect the mechanics of a high fashion walk.

“How is the rst time I’m walking in something Paris Fashion Week? Like, how did that even happen?” Autumn laughs.

It happened because these sisters are not afraid to say yes to opportunity and are eager to blaze a trail for Native individuals interested in the fashion industry.

“I grew up never seeing Indigenous people in media,” Autumn says. “After working retail and seeing a di erent side of fashion, I noticed there were no Indigenous people modeling and it frustrated me that we had no representation.”

ough the Sapulpa sisters did a bit of mod-

eling as children, they mainly focused on sports growing up. But in the past couple years, both twins experienced a resurgence of interest in modeling. For Raini, it started with watching reruns of “America’s Next Top Model” during the pandemic lockdown.

“I remember just putting on a pair of heels and walking up and down the hallway, just joking around with my boyfriend,” she says. “It’s crazy to see now what it’s become.”

As for Autumn, who was eager to experience life in a bigger city, a move to Phoenix in September 2021 fueled her desire to try new things. When she answered a social media call for models by Sheila Tucker — a Phoenix-based, Anishinaabe Ojibwe designer known for her beadwork pieces inspired by traditional Ojibwe oral designs combined with elegant attire — she never could have guessed modeling for Tucker would lead to appearing on a Times Square billboard.

“When she asked me if I wanted to model for the billboard, I was just sitting there thinking, ‘I have to ask Raini if she wants to be a part of something huge like this with me,’” Autumn says, noting Tucker loved the idea of including both sisters.

Raini re ects on the trip they took this past July to see the billboard.

“It was a rainy day in New York City. Two or three minutes before our billboard went up, it

started pouring. We took cover under a closed newspaper stand directly in front of the billboard just waiting ... and then, there it was. e rest of the world felt black and white, and that billboard was the only thing in color. It was amazing to be a part of a milestone for Sheila’s brand recognition/ her dreams and our dream of modeling,” she says.

In Paris, the twins will model Tucker’s couture collection, “ e Floating World,” which features chi on, satin, tulle and plenty of Tucker’s signature bead work.

“With all of us being Native, we are proving that we can be a force in this industry through the adversity faced to get here,” Raini says. “It’s nice to be on the forefront of representation for Native people because there is still racism, stereotyping and people who don’t know that Natives still exist.”

While both sisters are currently based in the Tulsa area and aren’t sure what the future holds, they hope Paris will bring more travel and platform-building opportunities for their story to reach and encourage others.

Follow the twins’ journeys on Instagram @rainideerinwater and @autdeerinwater. TP

Wrapped in a Pendleton blanket from Southwest Trading Co., twin models Raini and Autumn Deerinwater are passionate about increasing Indigenous representation within the fashion industry; this July, they will represent Anishinaabe Ojibwe designer Sheila Tucker in one of the many high-profile runway shows happening during Paris Fashion Week. Right, the twins saw themselves appear on a Times Square billboard last summer in New York City.

the university of Presidential Lecture Series

Sponsored by The Darcy O’Brien Endowed Chair, Oklahoma Center for the Humanities

Anthony Doerr

Anthony Doerr is the author of the story collections The Shell Collector and Memory Wall and the memoir Four Seasons in Rome. His novel All the Light We Cannot See was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, while Cloud Cuckoo Land was a finalist for the 2021 National Book Award and Novel of the Year in the British Book Awards and won the Grand Prix de Littérature Américaine in France.

Doerr’s short stories and essays have won five O. Henry Prizes and been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories, New American Stories, The Best American Essays, The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Fiction and many other places. All the Light We Cannot See was a No. 1 New York Times bestseller, remained on the New York Times Bestseller List for over 200 weeks and is being adapted as a limited series by Netflix.

march 28 • 7:30 p.m. • utulsa.edu/pls

Donald W. Reynolds Center – 3208 E. 8th St.

Free and open to the public. Q&A and book signing will follow the lecture.

THE UNIVERSITY OF TULSA WELCOMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

STORIES TO TELL

TULSA CERAMIC ARTIST EXPRESSES DEEP EMOTION THROUGH CLAY.

BY JORDAN COX

For Colombian American artist Amy Sanders de Melo, ceramics is about celebrating imperfections. A ngerprint in clay, a crooked rim on a cup — each detail tells the story of an art form that’s very sensory and human. Sanders de Melo keeps the story going and has made ceramics her medium for telling others’ stories and encouraging them in the process.

As a child, Sanders de Melo was exposed to art regularly. Her childhood was spent on a farm in Kellyville with a cowboy father whose creative expression included building their family home, and a mother whose interest in culture allowed her upbringing to be lled with art, vibrant colors, museums and frequent trips to Colombia, where her mother has dual citizenship and still calls home. Sanders de Melo pursued painting in high school and studied lm at the University of Oklahoma.

“Art is so humbling and vulnerable,” she says. “I don’t love it every single day, but I’ve seen the impact, so that’s what keeps me going.”

She delved into ceramics as a form of therapy in response to a rare condition she su ers that is causing her to slowly lose her sight. She tested her ability to sustain her passion for ceramics by completing projects blindfolded, expressing her emotions literally by writing what she was feeling in Braille onto her pieces.

is Braille series inspired her to tell the sto-

ries of others, and in 2021 the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition’s rive grant allowed her to begin “Invisible Voices,” an ongoing project.

“ e vision of the project was to incorporate voices of people that are on the fringe of society,” Sanders de Melo says. She collected narratives from past and current Oklahoma residents and created a series of vessels to represent each individual. She then textured each story in Braille by hand onto the vessels’ surfaces. Shown last year at artist-run nonpro t Resonator Institute in Norman, the collection is a chance to bring unlikely individuals together into conversation, understanding and healing, she says.

Currently, Sanders de Melo is an instructor, studio assistant and resident at Red Heat Ceramic Art Studio in Tulsa. She also sits on the committee for the Sunny Dayz Mural Festival — a public art initiative created to empower and celebrate women and non-binary artists and muralists — which will hold its third annual event this September in the Pearl District.

“My biggest hope is to continue making work that tells stories and encourages healing,” she says. TP

A LIFE OF VISION

Growing up Osage in Pawhuska with her grandparents, one of Julie O’Keefe’s earliest memories is of the mobile units that would visit rural areas to provide free eye screenings.

Remembering the impact these screenings had on her as a young girl, O’Keefe is now involved with Vizavance, a nonprofit that provides free mobile eye screenings and follow-up eye care for thousands of school children in every county — as well as all 39 tribal nations — in Oklahoma.

O’Keefe developed another of her passions — fashion merchandising — after the late Nan Drummond spoke at O’Keefe’s high school on Career Day. Not long after, she began working at Drummond’s Pawhuska clothing store.

“That helped me really open my eyes to a whole world out there,” O’Keefe says. “They sent me to Dallas to buy for the teen lines; I saw people manufacturing, designing, buying and organizing — just an incredible learning experience.”

After a fashion merchandising degree at Oklahoma State, O’Keefe traveled around the world working in product development for clients such as Neiman Marcus, Marriott Hotels and Ballinger Designs.

In 2011, she opened the Cedar Chest Shop, a custom clothing store specializing in Native American regalia, in Pawhuska. Connections in Oklahoma brought new opportunities: restoring the art collection of Bacone College, creating merchandise for the store at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City, working as Head Osage Wardrobe Consultant for the upcoming film “Killers of the Flower Moon” and curating the art for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s new Council Oak Comprehensive Healthcare facility in Tulsa. — ZACK

REEVES

Julie O’Keefe

AMY SANDERS DE MELO’S ART CAN BE VIEWED AT AMYSANDERSDEMELO.COM.

Ceramic artist Amy Sanders de Melo creates works of art to encourage healing in others. Many of her pieces feature empowering messages written in Braille.

Julie O’Keefe will chair the Vizavance Sip for Sight Gala happening on March 11 at The Mayo Hotel. Visit vizavance.org/fundraising-and-events to purchase tickets or donate.

THIS MONTH AT Circle Cinema

NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE: THE CRUCIBLE

7 p.m., March 2

National Theatre Live brings the best of British theater to global audiences. Come early for pre-show trivia with prizes hosted by Tulsa actor Nick Cains. A witch hunt is beginning in Arthur Miller’s captivating parable of power with Erin Doherty (“The Crown”) and Brendan Cowell (“Yerma”).

CIRCLE FAMILY FILM SERIES: E.T.

3 p.m., March 5

Circle’s new monthly Family Film series kicks off in March! Kids and parents alike will enjoy new and classic films throughout the year. Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning 1982 film “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” begins the series.

WOMEN’S ADVENTURE FILM TOUR

7 p.m., March 8

CRAFTING DOWNTOWN

108|CONTEMPORARY TURNS 10.

BY ZACK REEVES

This month, 108|Contemporary celebrates 10 years of enriching the Tulsa arts scene. Free to visit and sandwiched between the Bob Dylan Center and the Woody Guthrie Center downtown at 108 E. Reconciliation Way, the art gallery has made a unique name for itself since it opened in March 2013.

e gallery will host a members-and-patrons anniversary party on March 23, looking back on the past 10 years. A pop-up graphic installation will show a historic timeline of the gallery’s more standout exhibitions, programs and community impact, and a video highlighting additional memorable moments also will screen on a loop during the event.

e public kick-o for 108’s 10th anniversary celebrations will be a “Birthday Bash” event happening April 7, during First Friday. Visitors can look forward to birthday treats, buttons, craft kits and artwork for sale in both the gallery’s store and second exhibition of the year, “Marilyn Artus: Assorted American Commentary,” which runs through May 21.

108 is one of the few ne art galleries in the country to focus exclusively on “craft art,” like weaving, sewing, carving and beading. While a lot has changed downtown since 108 — formerly the

Brady Craft Alliance — moved into the Mathews Warehouse space, what hasn’t changed, Executive Director Jen Boyd Martin says, is the institution’s commitment to craft and amplifying diversity of experience through art.

“ e best things that have stayed the same are our quality and dedication to showing the most, and the newest, contemporary craft,” says Boyd Martin, who began her career at 108 as the gallery’s rst intern just ahead of its opening reception in 2013. “When planning our exhibitions, we commit to providing a platform for diverse cultural commentary and using the artwork to spark conversations and engagement through the understanding and exploration of the experiences of others.”

Boyd Martin’s goals for the next 10 years are to make 108 a true community space, host open dialogues, explore craft and maintain the quality of exhibition that has made it a favorite among Art Crawlers.

“108|Contemporary is so special to me, and I’m proud to lead our mission and programs,” she says. e gallery will host multiple other anniversary events throughout the spring and summer, as well as a big block party-style bash this fall that will focus on the future of 108. TP

In support of International Women’s Day, see a collection of exhilarating short documentaries. The tour is a celebration of the fantastic women around us who are doing extraordinary things in the name of adventure.

SECOND SATURDAY SILENT: THE LAST TRAIL

11 a.m., March 11

This month’s silent film with live pipe organ score stars Tom Mix, Hollywood’s original cowboy and one-time sheriff of Dewey, Oklahoma. Plus, memorabilia on display from Dewey’s Tom Mix Museum and a special intro by museum director Fawn Lassiter. With support from the American Theatre Organ Society Sooner State Chapter and Play Tulsa Music.

RED CARPET EXPERIENCE

5 p.m., March 12

As the stars come out for the awards on Hollywood’s biggest night, this year’s Red Carpet Experience at Circle Cinema will be free and exclusive for Circle Members. Join online now if you’d like to see the Academy Awards on the big screen accompanied by local hosts, live music, light bites, cash bar, swag and more.

OKLAHOMA JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

March 26-30

The Oklahoma Jewish Film Festival returns in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Tulsa. Enjoy five days of the best in classic and contemporary Jewish cinema from around the world.

Compiled by Circle Cinema’s Ryan Thomas. Visit circlecinema.org for pricing and more information.

108|Contemporary is celebrating 10 years of showcasing the latest in contemporary craft and using artwork to encourage diverse cultural commentary. See the current show "Strange and Oppositional" — a collective meditation on Black feminist fugitive aesthetics, mourning and liberation — until March 19. Inset, Jen Boyd Martin, the gallery’s executive director.

FAIRY TALE REIMAGINED

BILINGUAL PLAY BRINGS MODERNITY TO CINDERELLA STORY.

BY SARA PLUMMER

The Imagination Series at Tulsa Performing Arts Center continues this month with “Cenicienta: A Bilingual Cinderella Story.” Voiced through 10-year-old Belinda, this bilingual one-woman show is a retelling of the Cinderella story that puts a modern spin on the classic fairy tale, tackling cultural heritage, family and the power of language.

Aimed at children from kindergarten- fth grade, the Imagination Series is an educational mix of traditional storybook theater shows and performances that teach STEM lessons in a fun way.

“ e Imagination Series does so many things: it provides a ordable theater for families; it’s a fun opportunity for teachers to bring their students to learn through a medium they may not be able to provide in the classroom; and it gives families a chance to learn and laugh together,” says Terri McGilbra, director of programming at the Tulsa PAC.

Beginning more than 30 years ago, the series is meant to engage young audiences and introduce them to the magic of live theater in hopes of growing future audiences, McGilbra says. Each show in the series holds three performances. e

two daytime shows are designed for public, private and homeschooled students and come with a study guide. For the evening performance, families can opt-in for a special Family Fun Night pre-show that includes snacks and show-themed STEM activities.

“Combining STEM concepts with theater makes learning fun,” McGilbra says. “And it can help make di cult concepts in science, technology, engineering and math more digestible to young minds.”

McGilbra notes “Cenicienta” supports the Tulsa PAC’s mission and touches on the topics of bravery, resilience, imagination, believing in yourself and helping others.

“ e message I hope the audiences receive is to embrace the power of one’s own imagination in conveying a story and to enjoy the shared magic of live theater,” she says.

All three “Cenicienta” performances will be March 10 in the Williams eatre. For more information or to purchase tickets go to tulsapac.com or call 918-596-7111. e next season of the Imagination Series will be announced later this spring. TP

MEMORY-CARE RESIDENTS SING ALONG WITH TULSA OPERA

According to the Alzheimer’s Association Oklahoma Chapter, more than 67,000 Oklahomans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. It’s a staggering number with profound implications for those individuals and the people who care for them. With Songs by Heart, an interactive singing program, Tulsa Opera harnesses the power of music as therapy for residents in local memory-care communities with age-related memory problems.

The new outreach program is put on in partnership with the Songs by Heart Foundation and utilizes Tulsa Opera performers who have received specialized training with a licensed music therapist. The singers and a pianist visit memory-care facilities for 45-minute sessions, ideally once a week or more, where they engage participants in group singing, clapping, dancing and conversation using familiar songs like “Oklahoma!” and “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”

“These are the songs they sang as kids and that their parents sang to them,” says Dani Keil, Tulsa Opera’s director of outreach. “So it’s a really special time in their lives that we’re tapping back into.”

The program’s therapeutic benefits include stress reduction and improved self-confidence and social interaction.

“The Songs by Heart program was a wonderful experience in our memory care community,” says Melissa Jonas, resident experience specialist at Covenant Living at Inverness. “We experienced a time with emotions of joyous nostalgia. We witnessed residents dancing, tears of happiness and confidence to sing and participate. There were expressions and actions from our residents we have not seen before.”

For more information on scheduling the program, or to support it, visit tulsaopera.com/ songs-by-heart. —

JULIE WENGER WATSON

Actress Madison Palomo of Austin-based Glass Half Full Theatre performs the role of Belinda in “Cenicienta: A Bilingual Cinderella Story.” The play comes to town this month as part of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center’s Imagination Series. Inset, Terri McGilbra, director of programming for the PAC.

Sam Briggs, artistic administrator for Tulsa Opera interacts with a resident of Legend at Mingo Road assisted living and memory-care facility during a Songs by Heart session.

COMPASSION-LED

TEEN GIRLS IN OKLAHOMA FOSTER CARE FIND SHELTER, HOPE AND HEALING AT TULSA GIRLS’ HOME.

BY JULIE WENGER WATSON

As president and co-founder of the nonpro t Project Orphans, Tulsan and Oral Roberts University alumna Brittany Stokes spent 12 years working to provide foster care, social services, food, education, shelter and support to children in countries like Guatemala, Brazil and Uganda. Nearly two years ago, Stokes and co-founder Christina Yarid expanded their mission of helping at-risk youth abroad to also include those closer to Green Country, launching the Tulsa Girls’ Home on a 5-acre ranch in Sapulpa to provide a home and services for teen girls in Oklahoma’s foster care system.

“I wanted to help build a therapeutic, compassion-led home that supported the orphaned, neglected and abused girls in Oklahoma,” Stokes says. “I believed we could do better for teen girls in our state’s custody. ese children are the ‘modern orphan’ of our community, and they need the love of a family.”

While TGH is a separate entity from the Tulsa Boys’ Home, the two collaborate on many e orts and work to lead the state in residential care quality, Stokes says.

Stokes and her husband Kyron fostered kids for years and adopted their daughter, Miracle who spent close to a decade in the system — when she was 16. According to Stokes, teenage girls in foster care are often overlooked and misunderstood. “I’ve seen the obstacles, the stigmatism and the lack of resources for these girls,” she says.

TGH currently houses eight young women between the ages of 14 and 18 who are in custody of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, but the need for this kind of service far exceeds availability.

“We get phone calls every single month, asking if we have an open bed. Whether a girl ages out or is reunited with her family, or if a girl gets adopted, that bed gets lled,” Stokes says. “I think what’s even sadder is we’ve had girls who message us, and they say, ‘I’m in foster care. I want to come to the Girls' Home.’ at really breaks your heart. A group home was never meant to replace family, and I truly believe that every one of our girls right now deserves a family.”

e role TGH plays goes far beyond counseling and teaching the girls basic life skills. e TGH team ful lls many parental roles, includ-

ing transporting girls to health care and hair appointments, and even getting them ready for prom and graduation.

“It’s parenting the parentless and loving them just as your own child,” Stokes says. “You teach them like you would your own child. You give them the same opportunities you would want for your own child. at’s a very di erent way of thinking when it comes to providing services to youth in foster care.”

TGH plans to extend some of its activities to girls who are not residents, like a birthday bash this spring for over 100 girls who are in foster care. ey also have an equine therapy program that will be open to more girls this summer.

“It’s so important to go that extra length to show them, ‘You can’t push me away. I’m not going to give up on you. Your brokenness is not a barrier to my love,’” Stokes says of TGH’s philosophy. “It can’t just be a program. It has to be a family. It has to be intentional every single day.”

TGH is currently fundraising to begin building a second location in 2024. For more information on how to support the organization and its residents, visit tulsagirlshome.org. TP

AND GIRLS WITH HORSE: ASHLEY MCKINNEY; STOKES: DUSTIN SCHMIDT WITH SAXUM

Left, Tulsa Girls’ Home, idyllically situated on peaceful Sapulpa acreage, houses and cares for Oklahoma teen girls in foster care. Above, former TGH residents interact with horse, Mia; TGH utilizes equine therapy as part of the girls’ healing journeys. Below, TGH Co-Founder Brittany Stokes.

BY JOHN TRANCHINA

FC Tulsa kicks o the 2023 season with a new head coach, a returning star goalkeeper and some exciting new twists on the game-day experience.

Blair Gavin coaches his rst game with FC Tulsa on the road at Miami FC on March 11, joining the team after two seasons as an assistant coach with MLS Columbus Crew and three years as an assistant for the USL Championship’s Phoe-

nix Rising (2018-20), which reached the league nal twice during that span.

“We’re hoping to have a very proactive team, to be the ones with the ball, playing in the opponent’s end, creating opportunities, looking to excite the fans with attack-minded football,” says Gavin, 34, who played mid elder for Chivas FC, New England Revolution and Phoenix Rising until stepping into the assistant coaching role.

He moved to Tulsa from Columbus, Ohio, in November with his wife and kids.

“I’m very excited … to implement all the ideas I’ve had for a long time,” he adds. “Working as an assistant, you get to help other people, and now overseeing the entire project is exciting because I’ve picked up a lot of information and ideas along the way.”

ere is fresh optimism FC Tulsa can bounce back from last year’s disappointing 12-16-6 record, which resulted in the squad missing the USL Championship playo s for the rst time since 2019. New promising names on the roster include mid elder Blaine Ferri and dynamic young forwards Moses Dyer, Watz Leazard and Milo Yosef

Returning players include the club’s all-time leading scorer, Rodrigo Da Costa, as well as mid elder Eric Bird, forward Darío Suárez and defenders Jorge Corrales, Bradley Bourgeois and Adrián Diz Pe

Goalkeeper Austin Wormell, a Tulsa native, also returns this season, hopeful to be named the team’s starting keeper. “I am a competitor, so hopefully I’m the one for the job,” says Wormell, 24, who was voted the team’s Most Valuable Player last year. He began the 2022 season as backup keeper but stepped into the starter role after Sean Lewis was injured and traded mid-season.

Even as the team encountered di culties in 2022, Wormell appeared in 21 games, made 76 saves, recorded ve shutouts and posted a stellar save percentage of 73.8, which ranked fth in the USL Championship.

Wormell hopes his experience can help newer players gain their footing. “I think we’re going to have a bit younger core this year, so that’s going to be more important for me to be a leader to them. But I think it’s also important that the older guys look at me and say, ‘Hey, we can count on this guy and we trust in him,’ as well.”

Wormell signed with the team in 2021, after attending an open tryout. A former star at Bishop Kelley High School, he helped the Comets win the 5A state championship in 2017. His close Tulsa ties can sometimes mean he feels additional responsibility for the team’s fortune in his hometown.

“I do feel a little more pride — also pressure and responsibility — but I love it,” he says. “I’ve coached a lot of kids around town and they all come out to games, so I do feel like I’m very well looked up to and I like that responsibility to be a good example for the younger generation.”

For more information on FC Tulsa tickets and the new seating options — which includes a section of luxury padded eld seats — visit fctulsa.com. TP

LED BY NEW COACH AND LOCAL GOALKEEPER, REVAMPED FC TULSA IS READY FOR A BIG SEASON.

BIG GOALS

Austin Wormell, returning goalkeeper for FC Tulsa, and new coach Blair Gavin. The team’s first home game is at ONEOK Field on March 25.

Dancing with the Tulsa Stars

San Miguel Middle School Tulsa held its eighth annual Dancing with the Tulsa Stars fundraising event Nov. 5 at the Cox Business Convention Center. In addition to a sit-down dinner, guests enjoyed dancing, a cartoon artist, a DJ and photo booth. But the main event was the dancing competition between six couples — each one made up of a professional local dancer paired with an individual representing San Miguel — who practiced for six weeks prior to the event. The 500 guests in attendance raised over $500,000 to benefit San Miguel.

1. Event Chairs Mark and Allison Lauinger

2. Ana Berry, star and San Miguel ambassador, with professional dancer Ryan McDaniel

3. Isabel Perozo, San Miguel media ambassador, with guest Jeanette Quezada and emcee Gitzel Puente

4. Holland Hall senior Jake Craft, the youngest to ever compete in the event, won the Judges Award and the People’s Award — the night’s top fundraising accolade.

5. Weldon Bowman, star and San Miguel ambassador, with professional dancer Rachel Morris

6. Guests enjoy the event’s photo booth.

World Class Winter Gala

On Dec. 17, 400 guests attended the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce’s second annual World Class Winter Gala. Held at the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Tulsa, the event began with a cocktail hour and was followed by a silent auction, dinner and speaking presentations. An awards ceremony also recognized seven individuals — Clifton L. Taulbert, Marcous Friday, Brenda El Hassan, Pleas A. Thompson, Michaela “Mia” Walter, Emonica “Nekki” Reagan-Neeley and Wendell Franklin — who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the north Tulsa community. The gala raised a total of $15,000 for the restoration and preservation of the Black Wall Street historic buildings on Greenwood Avenue and to assist women- and minority-owned businesses in Tulsa.

1. Freeman Culver, event chair and president of Greenwood Chamber of Commerce

of 30

2. Guests Billy Estes and Angela Busby Estes

3. Donna Jackson, program director for the Greenwood Women’s Business Center, spoke on the development

new businesses in north Tulsa since March 2022.

4. R&B legends SILK kicked off a live evening concert.

5. Gala attendee Honour Rose Fisher with Co-Chair Angela Chambers

6. Attendees at the gala, themed “Greenwood Forever”

TULSA STARS: JONATHAN MARTINEZ; WINTER GALA: KEVIN C. PRINCE

MARCH CHARITABLE EVENTS

COMPILED BY AMANDA HALL

Did

you know?

24

Dream Home Tickets on Sale

Benefits St. Jude Children’s Hospital. STJUDE.ORG/GIVE/DREAM-HOME/TULSA.HTML

Pinnacle Awards

Benefits YWCA Tulsa. YWCATULSA.ORG

Street Party

Benefits Street School. STREETPARTYTULSA.COM

25

Carnivale

Benefits Mental Health Association Oklahoma.

BESTPARTYINTOWN ORG

Oklahoma Shows! Design Specialty Flower Show

Benefits Tulsa Garden Club. TULSAGARDENCLUB.ORG/FLOWER-SHOW

Tiptoe through the Tulips

Benefits Tulsa Botanic Garden. TULSABOTANIC.ORG

Waffles for Wishes — A Celebration Brunch + Silent Auction

Benefits Make-a-Wish Oklahoma. WISH ORG/OKLAHOMA

25, 26

Classics of Rodgers & Hammerstein Live Benefit Concert

Benefits students and programs at Will Rogers High School.

WILLROGERSSTAGE COM

30

Founders Dinner Benefits Iron Gate.

IRONGATETULSA ORG

Mentorship Matters

Benefits Junior League of Tulsa. JLTULSA ORG

31

Monarch Ball Benefits DVIS. THEMONARCHBALL COM

Rhapsody Gala

Benefits Tulsa Youth Symphony. TULSAYOUTHSYMPHONY.ORG

EDITOR’S NOTE: HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS SPONSORED BY TULSAPEOPLE

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Daton Fix of Oklahoma State University, pictured here at the 2022 Big 12 Tournament against Northern Iowa’s Kyle Biscoglia, will be one to watch at this year’s NCAA Wrestling Championships, happening March 16-18 at BOK Center.

GRAPPLING FOR GLORY

BOK CENTER HOSTS BIG 12, NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS THIS MONTH

BY TIM LANDES

If college basketball considers March madness, what do we call the amount of wrestling occurring in downtown Tulsa this month?

For the sixth consecutive year BOK Center hosts the Big 12 Wrestling Championship and the Cox Business Convention Center hosts the World of Wrestling National Youth Duals on March 4-5.

“There is no doubt Tulsa will be the center of the wrestling universe this March,” says Joel Koester, director of sports sales for the Tulsa Sports Commission. “These side-by-side events attract thousands of wrestlers from around the country and provide a unique opportunity for the young athletes competing at World of Wrestling to see what the sport is like at the collegiate level.”

Two weeks later, on March 16-18, 330 of the nation’s top collegiate wrestlers take over BOK Center for three days to grapple through the NCAA Wrestling Championships brackets in pursuit of individual and team glory as 18,000 fans cheer on their favorites each day.

It’s the first time Tulsa has hosted the NCAA Wrestling Championships, and it’s the first time since 2006 it’s happened in Oklahoma, when the event was held in Oklahoma City.

“With thousands of fans expected to take over downtown, this is a chance for Tulsa to showcase why we’ve been receiving so much national attention,” Koester says. “A lot of people heading into town for this tournament don’t know what to expect — and we can’t wait for them to discover what our city is all about. From our world-class chefs, bars and restaurants, to our constantly growing collection of state-of-the-art attractions like the Bob Dylan Center and

Aaru Entertainment’s VRcade, Tulsa always has a way of leaving people wanting to come back for more.”

To help provide additional amenities for the surge of fans in downtown for the NCAAs, ASM-Tulsa (who manages Cox Business Convention Center and BOK Center) is working with Tulsa Sports Commission and Downtown Tulsa Partnership along with the NCAA to host a fan fest at the Cox Business Convention Center that will include food and beverage, vendors and live demonstrations. It will be open between and after every session.

Additionally, Tulsa Sports Commission and Downtown Tulsa Partnership are working together to help prepare nearby businesses for the increased traffic, along with planning further downtown activities to keep fans entertained between sessions.

According to Tulsa Regional Tourism, the combined economic impact for the Big 12 Wrestling Championship and the NCAA Wrestling Championships is nearly $22 million.

ON THE MATS

Oklahoma State University is hosting this year’s event. It has been 17 years since the Cowboys last won the team title, then capping a four-year championship run that concluded in Oklahoma City. Currently, the Pokes are ranked No. 7 (NCWA Coaches Poll) and No. 16 (InterMat) in the country. They are coached by legend John Smith, who has been in charge since 1992. The Del City native and twotime Olympic gold medalist has led five teams to championships and coached wrestlers to 33 individual titles.

OSU should qualify most of the starting lineup, and

all eyes will be on junior Daton Fix of Sand Springs. Fix is currently ranked No. 2 in the country at 133 pounds with a 20-0 record at press time. He has finished as a national runner-up three times, including two straight finals losses to Penn State’s Roman Bravo-Young. The No. 1 ranked graduate student hasn’t lost a match since his sophomore season in 2019-2020. At press time, he’s 12-0 with a current win streak of 48.

As for the University of Oklahoma, the unranked Sooners have a handful of wrestlers who should qualify for the NCAAs. They are led by junior Mosha Schwartz, who is ranked No. 9 at 141 pounds.

In the team battle, it hasn’t been much of one for over a decade. The defending champion Penn State enters Tulsa as the top-ranked team in the country. The Nittany Lions, coached by legend Cael Sanderson, have been the most dominant force in the sport for over a decade, winning nine of the last 11 championships. There was no tournament in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. TP

March 16-18

Oklahoma State University Fan Fest

Between and after every session until 11:30 p.m. Pepsi Exhibit Hall C, Cox Business Convention Center, 100 Civic Center. Find inflatables, food trucks, TVs, cash bar, merchandise and more. Free admission.

Don Thompson

PHOTOGRAPHER, FORMER INDUSTRIAL ENGINEER, EDUCATOR AND GREENWOOD DOCUMENTARIAN.

STORY AND PHOTO BY TIM LANDES

Don ompson has never stopped learning. It started when he was child in Los Angeles, and it continued after his family relocated to Tulsa in the mid-1950s. Whether it’s education in a classroom or learning a life-changing hobby, ompson enjoys it.

“You’ll always get an education as long as you live. You learn something new every day,” says ompson, who earned a master’s degree in 2022.

Six decades ago, he was required to take a picture while in the Army, and that moment changed his life. Since then, ompson has been documenting what he’s seen. e results have been on display at Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, Philbrook Museum of Art, Greenwood Rising, Oklahoma State University-Tulsa and his books “Hush, Somebody’s Callin’ My Name” and “And My Spirit Said, Yes!”

For much of his life, photography was a hobby, but today he considers his work title “social justice documentary photographer.” ompson spent 24 years at Rockwell International and McDonnell Douglas prior to becoming a photography teacher for nearly a decade at Booker T. Washington High School before retiring in 2003.

“It was one of the greatest opportunities I ever had. I really enjoyed that responsibility,” ompson says. “It taught me a lot. I gained a lot of respect for those students who were in my class and also for the teachers at Booker T. Washington, who had spent most of their lives teaching. I became a great advocate for education because I saw the dedication those teachers had to teach their students, and I saw the respect the students had for their teachers, and consequently, the teachers had respect for their students. It was a great experience.”

WHERE DID YOU GO TO SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY? WHY?

I graduated from Booker T. Washington in the late ’50s. en I joined the Army. I went to the University of Tulsa a few years after I got out

Don Thompson has been documenting life with his camera since he was a 21-year-old Army public information specialist. On Dec. 9, 2022, he was honored for his photojournalism by the Tulsa Chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists at the Tulsa Community College Center for Creativity.

VISIT TULSAPEOPLE.COM FOR MORE OF THIS CONVERSATION.

of the Army. Unfortunately, my GI Bill ended before I was able to complete college at Tulsa, so I transitioned over to Northeastern State University and in 1987 got a degree in industrial technology. I recently went to Phillips eological Seminary and received a master’s degree in social justice in 2022. Social justice is something I had been involved with most of my life. I call myself a social justice documentary photographer, and that’s what I’ve been doing all these years, documenting what I saw: the inequality, injustice and so forth. So it t right into my career path.

WHAT WAS ONE OF YOUR MOST DEFINING MOMENTS IN LIFE?

When I got married to my rst wife, Joyce. at was a de ning moment.

Another one was during the 1960s, when I was a public information specialist in the Army stationed in Würzburg, Germany. e commanding o cer asked me to write a story about the Army Chief of Sta coming to inspect our unit. He said, “also we need you to take photographs.” I looked at him and said, “I don’t have a camera. I’ve never had a camera in my life. I don’t know how to take photographs.” He said, “ is is the moment that you’re going to learn how to take photographs.” I was really nervous at the moment. Here I was a 21-year-old kid. Never had a camera in my life, never took photographs, never was interested in taking photographs. So I went to Würzburg and I talked to the camera store operator. He gave me a Yashica twin lens camera, a couple of rolls of lm and the instruction booklet. I came back to the barracks, and I got the instruction booklet. I pored over it all day and all night. at next day I got up, I loaded the camera, and I went to the appointed area where he was going to be inspecting the unit. I started taking photographs of him. I took the 12 exposures, had the lm developed, and I looked at the lm, and I was trying to nd photographs. ere was only one image on that lm that came out, and I had to print it. e print showed Gen. (Earle) Wheeler coming down the stairs, and it was perfect. I showed the picture to the commanding o cer and he said, “ is is great. is will do.” So I wrote the story and got the picture printed. at’s how I got into photography. at was my de ning moment as a photographer. I still have that picture.

WHAT AGE DO YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW AND WHY? I feel like I’m 40-45, although I’m twice that amount right now. I still feel that I have a lot of work to do. I feel energetic. I play golf. I exercise when I want to. I still feel youthful.

WHAT WAS A “WORST TIME” AND HOW DID YOU PULL THROUGH IT?  e worst time was my rst wife passing away. e grief I felt and the sadness I felt has lasted all these years, and it still a ects me. She passed away in 2005 from terminal cancer. It was a devastating moment in my life, and it was a grieving moment in my life. It really a ected me. I have remarried, and some of those moments are not as prevailing as much as they used to be because I really enjoy my second wife, Barbara

HOW WOULD YOUR FRIENDS DESCRIBE YOU?  Friendly. I haven’t met anyone who I come away with any ill feelings towards. I don’t have any hate in my body.

HOW DO YOU MEASURE SUCCESS?  I don’t measure success by money, or anything like that. I’ve measured success by people looking up on one who’s contributing to society in some way or some fashion, helping one another, being humane to one another. Loving your fellow man as you should, being conscious of one another and not being so concerned about yourself, but being concerned about your fellow man. at’s what I feel.

WHAT IS A FAVORITE TULSA MEMORY?  One is being present for the dedication service for the Pathway to Hope (in 2021), where some of those photographs I have taken in the ’60s and ’70s were on the wall along the pathway. at’s another de ning moment for me. It was a very inspirational moment to see those photographs. It brought a lot of emotional response from me. I was very happy to see that.

WHAT PLACE IN TULSA DO YOU MISS MOST?  e Greenwood District as I was photographing to try to capture some of the things that I experienced in the ’60s. I do miss some of those areas that I photographed. I miss Stan’s Pool Hall. I used to go in there and shoot pool. Yeah, Greenwood District as it was back in the ’60s and ’70s. I miss that. at excitement, that entrepreneurial spirit that people had in those areas. People walking up and down the street. People who were happy and joyful. People who had smiles on their faces as they greeted one another. I didn’t realize how much I missed the excitement I saw in Greenwood back in the ’60s before urban renewal and before the Crosstown expressway came in and how these businessmen and women would be outside greeting people as people walked up and down the street. I mean it was a joyful time during that period through the ’60s and so forth. I miss that.

YOUR WORK HAS BEEN SHARED IN THE SMITHSONIAN’S NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE, PHILBROOK MUSEUM OF ART, GREENWOOD RISING, OSU-TULSA AND MORE PLACES. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SEE YOUR PHOTOS HAVE A LEGACY IN THAT WAY?  It means something major. I think it’s important to me because it gives me great joy to see the photographs being recognized for what they were. I was trying to document what I was seeing. I just dedicated myself back in those days to try to save what I saw on lm before the businesses were destroyed and the people were displaced. at was my dedication to document what I was seeing being destroyed. I guess I will always regret not being able to come into the area of the Greenwood District to photograph as much as I could have. By the time I got into the area, the area I wanted to photograph was gone. e bulldozers, the destruction was faster than I was. I got a few images. I could have gotten a lot more if I was quick enough, but I wasn’t. at will probably be my deepest regret in my career as a photographer.

I’m proud of the fact I got a letter from President Barack Obama . He got a copy of my book “Hush Somebody’s Callin’ My Name.” I got a large envelope, and it said, “Washington, D.C., O ce of the President.” I called my wife and said, “I don’t know what this is. I’m afraid to open it.” I opened the brown envelope, and it was a letter from President Barack Obama. He said, “ ank you for the book. I enjoyed it,” and a few other words and he signed it. So that was a de ning moment for me also. I have that letter on my wall in my in my house.

As a photographer, you want to get some recognition for what you do. You want to be recognized and whether you get recognition or not, sometimes it’s important. Sometimes it’s not, but still yet, you got some recognition for it. I’m very happy I got those recognitions with Pathway to Hope. Very excited about that. And in Washington, D.C., and also the “Black Settlers in Tulsa” exhibit at OSU-Tulsa. ose things are really exciting. I’m really fortunate to be at this stage of my life, to have those images being recognized. I’d like to thank James Watts, a writer for Tulsa World, who has been a tremendous supporter for over 35 years in getting images and stories of my works to the Tulsa community.

HOW DID YOUR WORK WITH EDDIE FAYE GATES COME TO BE WITH THE “BLACK SETTLERS IN TULSA” EXHIBIT? I had an idea back in the ’90s. I began to see newspaper articles highlighting crime in north Tulsa. e only time you’d see a Black person on the front page would be some criminal, someone getting murdered or some drug dealer or something of that nature. And I got to saying there’s more to our people than that. All these images being shown, this is not who we are.

I contacted Eddie Faye Gates, and I asked her if she would be willing to photograph some of the successful Black men and women, businessmen, educators, lawyers, doctors, people who were contributing to our society, not only here in Tulsa, but around the world. She said she would be interested.

At that time Eddie Faye was teaching at Edison and had recently retired. She said, “I would be happy to be involved with it.” So, I contacted the Tulsa Humanities Association and asked if they would fund this and they were happy to do it. I wanted to show from our point of view, our narratives about who we are, who we are de ned as. at’s the reason why I chose Eddie Faye Gates. She was a writer. She knew a lot of people here in Tulsa. So we got together, and we started making a list of who we wanted to talk to. We started taking photographs. We not only talked to businessmen and women in Tulsa, and artists and educators and so forth, but we also talked to survivors of the 1921 massacre. And some of the images that are at OSU are survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. What we were trying to do was to show our side of the story, to give young men and women of future generations an idea of who and what they were doing and how they did it and how they were able to overcome some of the obstacles and circumstances they face in this world. TP

For

BY KRISTI EATON

When Angel Slape was 15, she became a mother, potentially dashing her chances to earn a high school diploma.

Like some other young women who are pregnant or mothers, she attended a specialized local school. But she began having some behavioral issues there, she says, and started looking for other alternatives. She learned about Street School, a nonprofi t alternative education and therapeutic counseling program that serves students in grades 9-12.

“I wanted to go to Street School because I heard it was similar but had smaller class sizes. And I just heard a lot of good things about it,” says Slape, who graduated in December 2016 from the school.

For Slape, now 24, Street School offered what she had been missing at other schools: primarily regular counseling and feeling like she was treated as an adult. She was, in fact, raising a child and felt like an adult.

“I feel like all the teachers and counselors and even the office staff and literally everyone, the cafeteria workers — everybody — treated you like an adult and were there for you,” she says.

When she felt overwhelmed or needed to talk to someone, she was able to see her counselor, no questions

asked, which, she said, was immensely helpful.

“If you were having a bad day or distracted, you could just say, ‘Hey, I need to see my counselor,’ and go wait for them to be available to talk,” Slape says.

It’s that therapeutic component that really sets Street School apart, says President and CEO Lori McGinnisMadland

THE HISTORY OF STREET SCHOOL

Street School is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month, and while the mission and vision have remained predominantly the same over the years, the school has changed and evolved.

In the 1970s, there was a group of volunteers working with the Church of the Advent free store at the corner of South Elgin Avenue and East Third Street, where Juniper Restaurant is now located, says McGinnis-Madland.

“Across the street was a park at that time, and they noticed there were some teens kind of hanging around,” she says. “They approached these young people and asked them why they weren’t in school. There were a variety of reasons that they weren’t in school, but they all had in common that they weren’t able to return for one reason or another.”

STREET SCHOOL CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF STUDENT SUCCESS.

Angel Slape, left, graduated from Street School in December 2016. She earned an associate degree from Tulsa Community College and now works as a registered cardiovascular invasive specialist at a local hospital.

the past 50 years, Street School has offered a unique learning experience that allows students to earn their credits at an accelerated rate and in an environment that provides oneon-one instruction. Over the course of a year, Street School will serve more than 200 students, many of whom the traditional school model doesn’t work or they’re behind on their credits due to factors beyond their control, such as changes in living situations and family issues.

The group came together and decided to start a “drop-in” center and Street School was born. It would eventually become Oklahoma’s longest serving alternative education program.

“They literally pulled these kids off the street,” she says. “And that’s how Street School got its name and how we began. That was a real grassroots effort, lots of those things that were able to start in the ’70s that might be a little more difficult to achieve today.”

Later the school moved to South Yale Avenue and East 11th Street, and in 2018, it opened a second, expanded location on the same campus.

The school offers opportunities for enrichment in a variety of ways. Slape, for example, was part of a parenting group that met every Friday. They would go to the fair or the pumpkin patch and receive quilts for the children in addition to the regular group sessions. The hours of Street School also helped Slape, she adds. Because it finished earlier in the afternoon, she was able to work at Braum’s while attending the school, bringing in income for her and her family.

From day one, McGinnis-Madland says, “Our mission has stayed the same … we are really true to what those founders wanted to see — where we are really a student-centered program with a therapeutic approach.”

THERAPY AT THE CENTER

McGinnis-Madland says it’s important for any school to offer counseling, but for Street School, it’s even more imperative for the students, many of whom are dealing with past, and current, trauma.

“They are dealing with, many times, adult responsibilities as adolescents,” she says. “They have a lot on their plate, and they’re dealing with a lot of complications that are brought from issues of poverty … We know our students often don’t have the opportunity or haven’t had the opportunity to really start addressing some of those issues, so they can’t be successful until they start meeting with a therapist.”

Street School has 10 licensed therapists and a clinical director on staff — a critical piece to the school, she says.

“We’re a school obviously. We offer a full high school curriculum. We prepare students for the future, get them college ready and career ready,” McGinnis-Madland says. “But were it not for that therapeutic component, we would not have the successes that we have. It’s just crucial to our program for that. And these therapists are available to students. It’s not that they’re meeting with someone once a week for 45 minutes. They have access to these individuals every single day.”

Another unique component is the student store, which offers food, clothing and other necessities to students, free of charge.

“We have students who really use that store, in particular, for the food,” McGinnis-Madland says. “And that’s a need we have right now far more than the clothing needs.”

Some students are experiencing homelessness, adding an extra layer of trauma to the mix. Access to food from the student store is one way they can worry less.

“It’s a basic need,” she says. “And if your basic needs aren’t met, it really doesn’t matter if you know how to solve for X. So, we want to make sure our students are well-fed and are nourished from the inside out so they can be successful and realize their potential while they’re here.”

For Slape, Street School allowed her to graduate and go on to attend Tulsa Community College, where she recently graduated with an associate degree. She is now a registered cardiovascular invasive specialist at a local hospital. She’s continuing her studies at Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology.

“It opens more doors for me in the future,” she says of continuing her education. TP

Lori McGinnis-Madland, right, is the president and CEO of Street School, a nonprofit alternative education and therapeutic counseling program that serves students in grades 9-12. After 20 years, McGinnis-Madland will retire in June.

Below, each year at Thanksgiving Street School hosts a celebration for students, families, staff and community leaders. The school’s student store, left, gives access to clothes, food and other necessities.

Build in Tulsa hosted a female founders pitch competition in December 2022.

TULSA’S ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM HELPS LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS GROW AND SUCCEED.

STORY BY LAURA DENNIS • PHOTOS BY MICHELLE POLLARD

The landscape of Tulsa’s entrepreneurial industry is evolving at a rapid rate. Along with resource rich centers, incubators and accelerators are popping up all over the city, with many aimed at traditionally underserved populations that include Black, minority, women and industryspecific business owners.

A business incubator provides very early-stage startups access to mentorship, investors and various resources to help get them organized, while accelerators are fixed-term, cohortbased programs that offer mentorship, capital and connections to investors and business partners. They are designed for select startups, sometimes industry specific, as a way to rapidly scale growth. Although they provide different services, incubators and accelerators have the same goal in mind: to help businesses grow and succeed, no matter the stage of the startup.

BUILD IN TULSA

Ashli

Stationed at 302 E. Reconciliation Way, Build in Tulsa is accomplishing this through its network of partnerships with other business accelerator programs that share the same mission: to close the racial gap in America by catalyzing the creation of multigenerational Black wealth through tech and entrepreneurship. While minorities make up 32% of the U.S. population, they represent only 18% of entrepreneurs, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

ACT Tulsa, Lightship Foundation and Techstars Tulsa work with Build in Tulsa to pair skills development, networking and funding to meet underrepresented Black and Brown entrepreneurs wherever they are in their business development journey. The accelerators in the Build in Tulsa network range from 12 weeks to six months, with a focus on early-stage, high growth startups, particularly those in the technology field. They provide a suite of services, including training and workshops to get founders accelerator-ready, mentoring and networking events to introduce entrepreneurs to one another, while connecting entrepreneurs to potential sources of capital.

Build in Tulsa was conceptualized in late 2020, on the eve of the centennial commemoration of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Build in Tulsa is rooted in the legacy of Black Wall Street and is committed to providing opportunity for minority entrepreneurs who have historically been denied resources and funding. Since its launch, the platform has grown to a network of more than 217 business owners.

One of those business owners is Tara Payne, founder of Mavens Meet, a training program for virtual assistants who are developed and matched with executives. “I love how I saw myself represented in the team,” Payne says. “Knowing that Black women are the fastest growing demographic of people who are starting businesses, and there was that support, that was what made me want to be involved.” Along with critical programming that helped her launch Mavens Meet, Payne has utilized Build in Tulsa’s mentoring program.

Sims says she can’t speak to if programs like these have always been around in Tulsa, but knows that the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce and the Black Wall Street Chamber of Commerce, as well as myriad other civic leaders, have long advocated for Black businesses, as well as newer organizations like Black Tech Street.

“I don’t think any one organization has all of the solutions,” Sims says. “That’s why Build in Tulsa is proud to partner with many organizations in and outside of Tulsa to bring more attention and resources to Black entrepreneurs who struggle to raise money to build their businesses.”

For more information on Build in Tulsa’s accelerators, visit buildintulsa.com.

Tara Payne is the founder of Mavens Meet, a training program for virtual assistants. Payne participated in Lightship’s Bootcamp, which is part of the Build in Tulsa accelerator network. Bootcamps are free two-day workshops that help companies re-evaluate their product, marketing, sales and investment pitches. In Tulsa, the Lightship accelerator is a three-month program that includes an equity investment.

Sims , the managing director at Build in Tulsa, says its network of accelerator programs are unique in that they focus on human capital, social capital and financial capital. “We’re not just trying to impact one area,” Sims says. “We’re taking a holistic approach to building more robust, resilient businesses and more well-rounded, wellconnected founders.”

DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY

Local peer groups help members with education and support

Many local organizations are working to bring a sense of community to the workplace and are finding ways to support and connect members on a professional and personal level. Emily Harden, executive director of the Techlahoma Foundation, says these peer groups can be life changing for people. “Many people say (we) are why they were able to figure out what they want to do, find their next job and even find business partners,” she shares.

Organizations like Techlahoma are geared toward developing community, providing industry-specifi c education and creating networking opportunities for their members, as opposed to growing the business or entrepreneur individually. There are many groups and nonprofi ts in the area catering to a range of professions and demographics, including mothers, Black women, tech-industry professionals and more:

BLACK WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS OF AMERICA

Group type: Community development group

Caters to: Black women entrepreneurs

Address: Online/virtual

Website: bwboamerica.com

Contact: Aszurdee Sade, bwbotulsa@gmail.com, 918-312-7349

MOTHERBOARD SOCIETY

Group type: Social networking group

Caters to: Working mothers

Address: Online/virtual

Website: motherboardsociety.com

Contact: Danielle Melton, danielle@motherboardsociety.com, 918-810-5769

Number of members: 13,000+ nationwide

OKWIT

Group type: Nonprofit tech and STEM group

Caters to: Women in tech

Address: Online/virtual

Website: okwomenintech.org

Contact: info@okwomenintech.org

TECHLAHOMA

Group type: Tech networking and education group

Caters to: Technology professionals

Address: Online/virtual

Website: techlahoma.org

Contact: Emily Harden, info@techlahoma.org

Number of members: 5,000+

URBAN CODER’S GUILD

Group type: Computer science education group

Caters to: Underrepresented student communities/minorities

Address: 302 E. Reconciliation Way

Website: urbancodersguild.org

Contact: info@urbancodersguild.org, 918-947-9823

Number of members: 56

WHOW: WOMEN HELPING OTHER WOMEN

Group type: Community development group

Caters to: Women in education, employment and entrepreneurship

Address: 9810 E. 42nd St., Suite 224

Website: whownetwork.org

Contact: Crystal Ifekoya, info@whownetwork.org, 918-401-0771

Number of members: 1,500+

Donna Jackson, director of the Greenwood Women’s Business Center, and Chantelle Lott, CEO of Bounceless, meet at the center’s headquarters. Lott was introduced to the center through a pitch night competition, which she won, and plans to stay connected with the center to leverage the resources they provide as she continues to grow her business. Bounceless, an activewear brand for fuller bust women, now has a storefront at 427 S. Boston Ave.

GREENWOOD WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER

Though not an accelerator, the Greenwood Women’s Business Center aims to address the inequity facing Black- and women-owned firms. Donna Jackson, GWBC director, says, “there are other programs supporting women entrepreneurship (in Tulsa), but this is the only women’s business center and only organization of its kind located in the Historic Greenwood District.”

Located at 102 N. Greenwood Ave., GWBC opened in March 2022 in the historic business district, where today 80% of business owners are women.

The GWBC is passionate about advancing the expansion of Black- and womenowned businesses. The nonprofi t creates its collaborative programming, tools and resources with partners like the U.S. Small Business Administration, Tulsa’s own TEDC Creative Capital, the Small Business Development Centers and other government agencies that look to expand the growth of minority and women business enterprises.

Programs and courses include continuously updated training, counseling and connections to financial resources, no matter the startup’s stage. Coaching, business planning, certification, financing, business development, marketing techniques, operational management, procurement matchmaking, contracting services and networking opportunities are at the center of the GWBC’s program.

The center has counseled over 200 women in an 11-month period, providing direct technical assistance or referrals to partners.

“We believe our program is keenly unique in serving diverse women entrepreneurs in the city of Tulsa,” Jackson says. “(We) focus and concentrate on their business needs, work/life balance and exposure to available resources and programs to increase their knowledge, expertise and long-term sustainability.”

GWBC has hosted women’s pitch competitions. Activewear brand Bounceless CEO Chantelle Lott won the organization’s first competition, which introduced her to the center and its contacts and networking opportunities. GWBC will host its second pitch competition at its 2023 Women’s Summit on March 29.

The Greenwood center is one of 140 women business centers across the nation and is partially funded through a cooperative grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Business owners can learn more about GWBC, its partners, furture events and workshops at greenwoodwbc.org.

TULSA CREATIVE ENGINE

A few blocks west of the Greenwood Women’s Business Center is Tulsa Creative Engine, a nonprofi t accelerator that aims to support Tulsa’s creative community by championing artists and musicians as entrepreneurs.

“The music business is tough,” says Krisheena Suarez , one half of Suarez !nspired Republic, a hip-hop, R&B soul duo with husband Davonte Suarez . “However it’s run like any other business. As musicians, artists and especially as independent artists, we do everything. Musically we feel like we know what we’re doing, but when it comes to marketing, merchandise, marketing your album, learning about partnerships — I feel like the accelerator gave us a blueprint.”

Located at 629 W. First St., the Tulsa Creative Engine developed in 2020 and launched in 2022 with the core values of community, artistic expression, diversity and wellness.

“We want Tulsa to be a city where creative talent is nurtured, where artists thrive as full-time entrepreneurs and where creatives are invested in for the economic and cultural value they bring,” Bianca Caampued, TCE’s interim executive director says.

The TCE accelerator program is currently six weeks long, though Caampued shares that’s subject to change as assessments are being made to extend the timeframe. The curriculum provides artists with professional development as well as opportunities to perform and highlight their work. TCE also offers space for community, collaboration and access to a connected network of industry leaders. “Hip-hop is naturally a competitive field,” Davonte says. “The accelerator put us all on a level playing field.”

A cohort of selected artists receives business and entrepreneurial training, works with mentors, develops industry connections and builds group support for their art. At the end of the program, each artist receives a grant to invest in their next project and continued support from company mentors. Last year’s program supported nine artists who received a $5,000 grant to invest in their next project.

With an entrepreneurial focus, TCE concentrates on sharpening business skills, like how to build a business model canvas, financial literacy, marketing, etc., in addition to developing and honing artistic talent. Caampued says the program is a first-of-its-kind in Tulsa. “We’ve seen many accelerators centered (on) entrepreneurship and tech but none for the creative artist community previously,” she says.

Now a graduate of the accelerator, Davonte is grateful for the “life nuggets” it gave him as well as how it challenged the duo personally and professionally.

When the 2023 program launches, Tulsa artists can apply at tulsacreativeengine.org.

Husband-and-wife team Davonte Suarez and Krisheena Suarez are partners in Suarez !nspired Republic, a hip-hop, R&B soul duo. The Suarezes participated in 2022’s Tulsa Creative Engine accelerator program, which focuses on the city’s music and art entrepreneurs. Spark Studios, where this photo was taken, is a community recording studio operated by Tulsa Creative Engine.

36 DEGREES NORTH INCUBATOR

Abbey Marino Briggs, director of programs and partnerships for 36 Degrees North, says it “not only provides space for growing tech startups, but also houses some of Tulsa’s most prominent capital and entrepreneurship resource providers.” The ability to grow a business, just steps away from resources like venture capital firms, accelerators and global entrepreneurship networks, makes the incubator one-of-a-kind.

Amber Buker was introduced to the incubator through venture capitalist Tracy Poole, a managing partner at FortySix Venture Capital, which is one of three capital providers at the incubator. Buker (Choctaw) is the founder and CEO of Totem, the only digital bank by and for Indigenous people. As a tech-based service, Buker’s startup was a perfect fit for the incubator.

The 36 Degrees North Incubator program was established in 2021 and has worked with 48 startups so far. The organization transformed the previously vacant fifth floor of City Hall into a 50,000-square-foot, state-certified incubation space for tech-enabled companies. Partnered with the City of Tulsa, the company has far exceeded the industry average for first-year incubation platforms, reaching 90% capacity in its first year and validating the need for a larger, more consolidated space for its entrepreneurial services.

The incubator program takes three to five years to complete, varying for each individual company. It’s anticipating graduation for its first round of startups in the next couple of years. “(We’ve) seen great value in the colocation of startups that are in different phases of their journey,” Marino Briggs says. “With companies in the idea phase (working) next to startups closing millions of dollars in funding rounds, there is so much opportunity for founder-to-founder mentorship and problem solving.”

For Buker, being part of the incubator increases Totem’s visibility for venture capital firms who don’t already know the startup. “36 Degrees North is raising the profile of Tulsa as a city, which in turns raises us up with it,” she says. “It’s bringing so many people here who would not think to look for tech startups in a market like Oklahoma. We’re not in Silicon Valley, so it can be easy to overlook us because of where we’re located. But having 36 here lends a different level of legitimacy and professionalism to the Tulsa ecosystem so that we can get the attention of VCs that are outside of our walls.”

The 36 Degrees North Incubator serves high-growth, tech-enabled startups with access to in-house programming, venture capital partners, one-on-one mentorship and tax benefits upon completion of the scheduled courses. Throughout, startup founders have access to founder-to-founder sessions, are mentored by Tulsa’s tech ecosystem leaders, are held accountable to company goals and meet regularly with the incubator program director to determine their path to growth. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. To review membership options and program requirements, visit 36n.co/ memberships/incubator. TP

On the fifth floor of One Technology Center sits the 36 Degrees North Incubator, a nurturing environment for driven, high-growth tech startups, mentors and funding partners. Abbey Marino Briggs, standing, oversees programs and partnerships for the incubator while Tracy Poole, left, is one of three capital providers on-site. Poole introduced Amber Buker, right, to the incubator. As founder and CEO of Totem, the only digital bank by and for Indigenous people, Buker says the incubator has provided her and her team invaluable resources, as well as visibility.

ADDITIONAL ACCELERATORS AND INCUBATORS

ACT HOUSE TULSA

Focus: Business accelerator (six-month course, online and in-person)

Address: N/A, provides office space at 100 S. Cincinnati Ave., fifth floor

Website: act.house

Contact: info@act.house

Engagement: Coaching and in-person programming, guidance through business implementation and execution and $70,000 in funding

Caters to: Black and Latino-led startups

Cost: Free

Since its launch in 2021, ACT House Tulsa has activated 26 startups and provided $1.75 million in startup funding. The six-month program is designed to help Black and Latino innovators craft the best version of themselves, build their ideal team and execute their dream by leveraging innovation with cross-cultural collaboration.

HISPANIC SMALL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION INC.

Focus: Business accelerator (nine-week course, offered biannually)

Address: 2160 S. Garnett Road, Suite F, Plaza Santa Cecilia

Website: hispanicsba.com

Contact: Olivia Landrum, olivia@umatulsa.org, 918-609-3092

Engagement: Cohort-based business accelerator program, free classes, technical assistance, mentoring and networking opportunities all in Spanish

Caters to: Spanish speaking business owners and entrepreneurs

Cost: $350 for the business accelerator program (i.e. Hispanic Entrepreneurs Academy)

Established in 2021, the Hispanic Small Business Association has graduated 40 entrepreneurs from its business accelerator and has served more than 200 small business owners. The program is offered biannually and is a nine-week, cohort-based program. The business accelerator group meets weekly and with optional, free business classes offered once a month.

I2E, E3

Focus: Micro-accelerator (six-week intensive)

Address: 100 S. Cincinnati Ave., Suite 514

Website : i2e.org

Contact: Marla O’Fallon, mofallon@i2e.org, 918-877-0450

Engagement: One-on-one coaching/mentoring, content videos, live workshops and weekly, one-on-one phone calls, final findings report

Caters to: Oklahoma small businesses and entrepreneurs

Cost: $375

i2e’s program, E3, has graduated more than 200 companies from its six-week intensive since 2015. The program helps small businesses and entrepreneurs explore the product/market fit for new business concepts and helps existing businesses scale and find new customers.

KITCHEN 66

Focus: Business incubator (12-week intensive)

Address: 1124 S. Lewis Ave.

Website: kitchen66tulsa.com

Contact: Carly Fussell, carly@lobecktaylor.org, 918-845-7623

Engagement: Weekly start-up courses, access to Kitchen 66’s commercial kitchen, access to member-only sales opportunities, support from a community of food entrepreneurs and free promotion on Kitchen 66’s social media platforms, news features and websites

Caters to: Food entrepreneurs

Cost: $500

Kitchen 66 is a nonprofit program supported by the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation. It offers support to Tulsa’s food entrepreneurs by decreasing barriers to success through providing affordable commercial kitchen space, business training programs and access to sales and distribution channels.

NEST COLLECTIVE

Focus: Business accelerator (nine-week course)

Address: 1800 S. Baltimore Ave., Suite 815

Website: nestcollectivetulsa.com

Contact: Joshua Bowers, joshua@bwschamber.com, 254-913-5316

Engagement: Business development classes with an emphasis in coaching and mentorship, business planning, financial literacy and marketing

Caters to: BIPOC small business owners and entrepreneurs, from startups to mature

Cost: Free

Nest Collective was founded in 2021 and is offered through the Black Wall Street Chamber of Commerce. In its first year, 76 members graduated from the nine-week, cohort-based program. The entrepreneurial course concentrates on nurturing, developing, advising and educating BIPOC business owners who need support in taking their business to the next level.

OKLAHOMA ISTART

Focus: Business accelerator (four months)

Address: 5314 S. Yale Ave., Suite 424

Website: okistart.org

Contact: management@okistart.org, 918-863-8770, ext. 3

Engagement: Guidance through start-up roadblocks, personalized mentorships and access to core curriculum

Caters to: Early-stage startups

Cost: No cost, iStart owns a percentage of equity stake in the company

A nonprofit 501(c)(3), iStart serves as a launch pad for small businesses and startups. It provides rapid business acceleration with its core curriculum, workshops, fundraising opportunities and personalized mentorships with leaders who have grown companies to the Inc. 500 list.

TECHSTARS TULSA

Focus: Business accelerator (three-month course)

Address: 302 E. Reconciliation Way

Website: techstars.com

Contact: help@techstars.com

Engagement: Access to group founders, investors, mentors and industry leaders and $120,000 investment

Caters to: Underrepresented communities of Tulsa

Cost: Free upon application acceptance

Partnered with Build in Tulsa, Techstars Tulsa was opened in February 2022. Its mission is to enable innovation through creative, powerful relationships by bringing together ambitious founders and corporations. Techstars was founded in 2006 in Boulder, Colorado, and since has contributed $23.7 billion in funding and has graduated 3,178 companies. Together with Build in Tulsa, Techstars Tulsa looks to build the infrastructure for Black multi-generational wealth created through tech and entrepreneurship.

Parchita is owned by Laura Mandini, center, a Kitchen 66 cohort graduate seen here at a 2021 Meet the Makers event.

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METHODOLOGY FOR THE BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA® AND BEST LAWYERS: ONES TO WATCH® IN AMERICA

This list is excerpted from the 2023 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America, the pre-eminent referral guides to the legal profession in the United States. Published since 1983, Best Lawyers® lists attorneys in 148 specialties, representing all 50 states, who have been chosen through an exhaustive survey in which thousands of the nation’s top lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. The 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America is based on more than 13 million evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers.

The method used to compile Best Lawyers remains unchanged since the first edition was compiled more than 40 years ago. Lawyers are chosen for inclusion based solely on the vote of their peers. Listings cannot be bought, and no purchase is required to be included. In this regard, Best Lawyers remains the gold standard of reliability and integrity in lawyer ratings.

The nomination pool for the 2023 edition consisted of all lawyers whose names appeared in the previous edition of Best Lawyers, lawyers who were nominated since the previous survey and new nominees solicited from listed attorneys. In general, lawyers were asked to vote only on nominees in their own specialty in their own jurisdiction. Lawyers in closely related specialties were asked to vote across specialties, as were lawyers in smaller jurisdictions. Where specialties are national or international in nature, lawyers were asked to vote nationally as well as locally. Voting lawyers were also given an opportunity to offer more detailed comments on nominees. Each year, half of the voting pool receives fax or email ballots; the other half is polled by phone.

Voting lawyers were provided this general guideline for determining if a nominee should be listed among “the best”: “If you had a close friend or relative who needed a real estate lawyer (for example), and you could not handle the case yourself, to whom would you refer them?” All votes and comments were solicited with a guarantee of confidentiality — a critical factor in the viability and validity of Best Lawyers’ surveys. To ensure the rigor of the selection process, lawyers were urged to use only their highest standards when voting and to evaluate each nominee based only on his or her individual merits. The additional comments were used to make more accurate comparisons between voting patterns and weight votes accordingly. Best Lawyers uses various methodological tools to identify and correct for anomalies in both the nomination and voting process.

Recognition in the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America is based entirely on peer review and employs the same methodology that has made Best Lawyers the gold standard for legal rankings worldwide. These awards are recognitions given to attorneys who are earlier in their careers for outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States. Our “Ones to Watch” recipients typically have been in practice for fi ve to nine years. Ultimately, of course, a lawyer’s inclusion is based on the subjective judgments of his or her fellow attorneys. While it is true that the lists may at times disproportionately reward visibility or popularity, the breadth of the survey, the candor of the respondents and the sophistication of the polling methodology largely correct for any biases.

For all these reasons, Best Lawyers lists continue to represent the most reliable, accurate and useful guide to the best lawyers in the United States available anywhere.

THE FOLLOWING FIRM NAMES HAVE BEEN ABBREVIATED:

Atkinson, Brittingham, Gladd, Fiasco & Edmonds

— Atkinson, Brittingham, et. al

Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson — Doerner, Saunders, et. al

Franden, Farris, Quillin, Goodnight & Roberts — Franden, Farris, et. al

Latham, Steele, Lehman, Keele, Ratcliff, Freije & Carter — Latham, Steele, et. al

Norman Wohlgemuth Chandler Jeter Barnett & Ray

— Norman Wohlgemuth, et. al

Riggs, Abney, Neal, Turpen, Orbison & Lewis  — Riggs, Abney, et. al

Robinett, King, Elias, Buhlinger, Brown & Kane

— Robinett, King, et. al

ADMINISTRATIVE/REGULATORY LAW

Teresa Meinders Burkett Conner & Winters

Thomas P. Schroedter Hall Estill

ANTITRUST LAW

Terry D. Ragsdale GableGotwals

Joel L. Wohlgemuth

Norman Wohlgemuth, et. al

APPELLATE PRACTICE

Tammy D. Barrett GableGotwals

Jon E. Brightmire

Doerner, Saunders, et. al

Amelia A. Fogleman GableGotwals

Allison E. Lee Mullican & Hart

J. Michael Medina

Frederic Dorwart, Lawyers

Deborah C. Shallcross

GableGotwals

Leslie C. Weeks* Rodolf & Todd

Bradley W. Welsh

GableGotwals

ARBITRATION

David L. Bryant GableGotwals

Deborah C. Shallcross GableGotwals

ART LAW

Katherine G. Coyle Conner & Winters

BANKING AND FINANCE LAW

John R. Barker GableGotwals

Michael D. Cooke Hall Estill

Frederic Dorwart Frederic Dorwart, Lawyers

Phillip J. Eller Eller & Detrich

Jeffrey D. Hassell GableGotwals

Steven G. Heinen GableGotwals

Betsy G. Jackson Hall Estill

Victor E. Morgan* Crowe & Dunlevy

Barry G. Reynolds Titus Hillis Reynolds Love

John Henry Rule GableGotwals

Gentra Abbey Sorem Conner & Winters

BANKRUPTCY AND CREDITOR DEBTOR RIGHTS/INSOLVENCY AND REORGANIZATION LAW

Mark A. Craige Crowe & Dunlevy

Thomas A. Creekmore III Hall Estill

John D. Dale* GableGotwals

Pamela H. Goldberg Hall Estill

Charles Greenough McAfee & Taft

Jeffrey D. Hassell GableGotwals

Brian Huckabee Huckabee Law

Gary M. McDonald McDonald & Kindelt

Patrick D. O’Connor Moyers Martin

Steven W. Soulé Hall Estill

Sidney K. Swinson GableGotwals

Neal Tomlins Tomlins Law

Timothy T. Trump Conner & Winters

Andrew R. Turner Conner & Winters

BET-THE-COMPANY LITIGATION

William C. Anderson Doerner, Saunders, et. al

David L. Bryant GableGotwals

Mary Quinn Cooper McAfee & Taft

James E. Green Jr. Conner & Winters

J. Kevin Hayes Hall Estill

R. Richard Love III Conner & Winters

Charles D. Neal Jr. Steidley & Neal

Richard B. Noulles* GableGotwals

Phil R. Richards Richards & Connor

John D. Russell GableGotwals

Sidney K. Swinson GableGotwals

John H. Tucker Rhodes Hieronymus

BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS (INCLUDING LLCS AND PARTNERSHIPS)

Mark D. Berman Conner & Winters

R. Jay Chandler Norman Wohlgemuth, et. al

C. Bretton Crane* Pray Walker

Sarah E. Hansel Hall Estill

Stephen M. Hetrick McAfee & Taft

Christopher R. Wilson Conner & Winters

CIVIL RIGHTS LAW

Jason C. Messenger Richardson Richardson Boudreaux

CLOSELY HELD COMPANIES AND FAMILY BUSINESSES LAW

Robert A. Curry Conner & Winters

Adam K. Marshall Barrow & Grimm

Randy R. Shorb Johnson & Jones

COLLABORATIVE LAW: FAMILY LAW

Moura A. J. Robertson Doerner, Saunders, et. al

David A. Tracy Tulsa Family Law Center

COMMERCIAL FINANCE LAW

W. Deke Canada Hall Estill

Frederic Dorwart Frederic Dorwart, Lawyers

Steven A. Stecher Moyers Martin

COMMERCIAL LITIGATION

Steven J. Adams GableGotwals

Elliot P. Anderson Crowe & Dunlevy

William C. Anderson Doerner, Saunders, et. al

Jacob W. Aycock Aycock Aussenberg

Mark Banner Hall Estill

Christopher A. Barrow Barrow & Grimm

Jeff Baum Baum Glass Jayne Carwile & Peters

Brandon C. Bickle GableGotwals

Mark K. Blongewicz Hall Estill

Jon E. Brightmire Doerner, Saunders, et. al

David L. Bryant GableGotwals

J. Craig Buchan McAfee & Taft

John A. Burkhardt Jr. Schaffer Herring

Lewis N. Carter Doerner, Saunders, et. al

John J. Carwile

Baum Glass Jayne Carwile & Peters Casey Cooper GableGotwals

Mary Quinn Cooper McAfee & Taft

David R. Cordell Conner & Winters

Mark A. Craige Crowe & Dunlevy

Gary C. Crapster Steidley & Neal

Renee DeMoss GableGotwals

Jessica L. Dickerson McAfee & Taft

Roger K. Eldredge Ladner & Eldredge

Isaac R. Ellis Conner & Winters

Kristen Pence Evans Hall Estill

Tom Q. Ferguson Doerner, Saunders, et. al

Craig A. Fitzgerald GableGotwals

Amelia A. Fogleman GableGotwals

Melodie Freeman-Burney Conner & Winters

Michael J. Gibbens Crowe & Dunlevy

James E. Green Jr. Conner & Winters

Charles Greenough McAfee & Taft

William R. Grimm Barrow & Grimm

James C. T. Hardwick Hall Estill

J. Kevin Hayes Hall Estill

Tony W. Haynie Conner & Winters

Philip D. Hixon GableGotwals

Andrew J. Hofl and GableGotwals

Craig W. Hoster Crowe & Dunlevy

Brian T. Inbody Hall Estill

Robert J. Joyce McAfee & Taft

Michael T. Keester Hall Estill

Alexander F. King KingWoods

Thomas M. Ladner Ladner & Eldredge

Stephen W. Lake GableGotwals

Bobby L. Latham Jr. Latham, Steele, et. al

William S. Leach McAfee & Taft

Michael S. Linscott Doerner, Saunders, et. al

Larry B. Lipe Conner & Winters

R. Richard Love III Conner & Winters

Graydon Dean Luthey Jr. GableGotwals

James P. McCann Aston Mathis Campbell

Bruce A. McKenna McKenna & McKenna

James C. Milton Hall Estill

Victor E. Morgan Crowe & Dunlevy

Charles D. Neal Jr. Steidley & Neal

Kathy R. Neal McAfee & Taft

Richard B. Noulles GableGotwals

Patrick D. O’Connor Moyers Martin

William W. O’Connor Hall Estill

Michael R. Pacewicz Crowe & Dunlevy

Terry D. Ragsdale GableGotwals

James M. Reed Hall Estill

Phil R. Richards Richards & Connor

Andrew L. Richardson McAfee & Taft

Bruce E. Roach Jr. Barrow & Grimm

Tracy W. Robinett Robinett, Swartz & Aycock

Timothy L. Rogers Barrow & Grimm

John Henry Rule GableGotwals

James W. Rusher Albright, Rusher & Hardcastle

John D. Russell GableGotwals

Robert B. Sartin Barrow & Grimm

R. Scott Savage Moyers Martin

Paige N. Shelton Conner & Winters

Michael F. Smith McAfee & Taft

David A. Sturdivant Barrow & Grimm

Timothy J. Sullivan Jr. GableGotwals

Jason S. Taylor Conner & Winters

John H. Tucker Rhodes Hieronymus

Mia Vahlberg GableGotwals

Randall G. Vaughan Pray Walker

James E. Weger Jones Gotcher & Bogan

Bradley W. Welsh GableGotwals

Danny C. Williams Sr. Frederic Dorwart, Lawyers

Robert J. Winter Pray Walker

Joel L. Wohlgemuth Norman Wohlgemuth, et. al

Harold C. Zuckerman McAfee & Taft

COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS/ UCC LAW

William L. Eagleton IV Pray Walker

Timothy T. Trump Conner & Winters

COMMUNICATIONS LAW

Michael D. Cooke Hall Estill

James J. Proszek Hall Estill

CONSTRUCTION LAW

John E. Harper Jr.* Barrow & Grimm

P. Scott Hathaway Conner & Winters

Steven K. Metcalf Metcalf & Spitler

Tracy W. Robinett Robinett, Swartz & Aycock

Malcolm E. Rosser IV Crowe & Dunlevy

William H. Spitler Metcalf & Spitler

COPYRIGHT LAW

Rachel Blue McAfee & Taft

Dennis D. Brown* Brown Patent Law

Frank J. Catalano GableGotwals

Shawn M. Dellegar Crowe & Dunlevy

James F. Lea III GableGotwals

Todd A. Nelson GableGotwals

Robert E. Spoo McAfee & Taft

Scott R. Zingerman GableGotwals

CORPORATE COMPLIANCE LAW

Graydon Dean Luthey Jr.* GableGotwals

Robert J. Melgaard Conner & Winters

Stephen W. Ray Hall Estill

R. Kevin Redwine Conner & Winters

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE LAW

Pamela H. Goldberg Hall Estill

Betsy G. Jackson Hall Estill

Graydon Dean Luthey Jr. GableGotwals

Stephen W. Ray* Hall Estill

CORPORATE LAW John R. Barker GableGotwals

Mark D. Berman Conner & Winters

W. Deke Canada Hall Estill

Lawrence T. Chambers Jr. Doerner, Saunders, et. al

Michael D. Cooke Hall Estill

H. Wayne Cooper Doerner, Saunders, et. al

Jason B. Coutant* GableGotwals

C. Bretton Crane Pray Walker

Robert A. Curry Conner & Winters

Frederic Dorwart Frederic Dorwart, Lawyers

Robert F. Dougherty Hall Estill

William L. Eagleton IV Pray Walker

James H. Ferris Moyers Martin

Pamela H. Goldberg Hall Estill

William R. Grimm Barrow & Grimm

Del L. Gustafson Hall Estill

Sarah E. Hansel Hall Estill

Jeffrey D. Hassell GableGotwals

Steven G. Heinen GableGotwals

Jeffrey T. Hills Crowe & Dunlevy

Betsy G. Jackson Hall Estill

Stephen W. Lake GableGotwals

Graydon Dean Luthey Jr. GableGotwals

Robert J. Melgaard Conner & Winters

Lynnwood R. Moore Jr. Conner & Winters

Victor E. Morgan Crowe & Dunlevy

P. David Newsome Jr. Hall Estill

Stephen W. Ray Hall Estill

R. Kevin Redwine Conner & Winters

William F. Riggs Doerner, Saunders, et. al

J. Ryan Sacra Conner & Winters

Stuart E. Van De Wiele Hall Estill

CRIMINAL DEFENSE: GENERAL PRACTICE Clark O. Brewster Brewster & De Angelis

Paul D. Brunton Bond Gill

Jack E. Gordon Jr. Gordon & Gordon

P. Warren Gotcher Gotcher & Beaver

Trevor Riddle* Riddle Law

Allen M. Smallwood Allen Smallwood

Family Law; Family Law Mediation

Brad Cunningham Family Law; Family Law Mediation

Robert Curry

Robert Curry

Closely Held Company & Family Business Law; Corporate Law; Securities & Capital Markets Law; Securities Regulation

Closely Held Company & Family Business Law; Corporate Law; & Law; Securities Regulation

Steven McGrath Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

Steven McGrath Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

Robert Melgaard Corporate Compliance Law; Corporate Law; Securities & Capital Markets Law; Securities Regulation

Robert Melgaard Corporate Compliance Law; Corporate Law; Securities & Capital Markets Law; Securities Regulation

Jason Taylor Commercial Litigation

Jason Taylor Commercial Litigation

Timothy Trump Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights; Commercial Transactions / UCC Law; Insolvency & Reorganization Law

Timothy Trump Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights; Commercial Transactions Reorganization Law

Austin Birnie Banking & Finance Law; Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights; Insolvency & Reorganization Law; Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Bankruptcy; Litigation - Trusts & Estates

Austin Birnie Banking & Finance Law; Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights; Insolvency & Reorganization Law; Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Bankruptcy; Litigation - Trusts & Estates

Litigation - Real Estate; Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants

Litigation - Real Estate; Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants

cwlaw.com

David Cordell Energy Law Brad Cunningham Family Law Mediation Tony Haynie Litigation – ERISA Ryan Sacra Securities & Capital Markets Law

Gentra Sorem Real Estate Law

CRIMINAL DEFENSE: WHITE-COLLAR

Clark O. Brewster*

Brewster & De Angelis

Paul D. Brunton

Bond Gill

Jack E. Gordon Jr. Gordon & Gordon

P. Warren Gotcher Gotcher & Beaver

Trevor Riddle Riddle Law

Allen M. Smallwood Allen Smallwood

DUI/DWI DEFENSE

Bruce Edge Edge Law Firm

EDUCATION LAW

J. Douglas Mann

J. Douglas Mann

John G. Moyer Jr.

Rosenstein, Fist & Ringold

Eric P. Nelson Rosenstein, Fist & Ringold

ELDER LAW

Jack L. Brown Jones Gotcher & Bogan

EMINENT DOMAIN AND CONDEMNATION LAW

Roger K. Eldredge Ladner & Eldredge

Malcolm E. Rosser IV Crowe & Dunlevy

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS (ERISA) LAW

Bill G. Freudenrich* McAfee & Taft

Steven W. McGrath Conner & Winters

David B. McKinney GableGotwals

Sheppard F. Miers Jr. GableGotwals

Eric S. Smith Conner & Winters

Anne B. Sublett Conner & Winters

Martin R. Wing Conner & Winters

EMPLOYMENT LAW — INDIVIDUALS

Donald M. Bingham Riggs, Abney, et. al

Larry D. Henry Rhodes Hieronymus

Kevin Kelley Kevin Kelley

Charles Vaught Armstrong & Vaught

EMPLOYMENT LAW — MANAGEMENT

Steven A. Broussard Hall Estill

Courtney Bru* McAfee & Taft

N. Lance Bryan Doerner, Saunders, et. al

David R. Cordell Conner & Winters

Kevin P. Doyle Pray Walker

R. Tom Hillis Titus Hillis Reynolds Love

Mary L. Lohrke Titus Hillis Reynolds Love

Kimberly Lambert Love Titus Hillis Reynolds Love

Samanthia Sierakowski Marshall Rosenstein, Fist & Ringold

Kathy R. Neal McAfee & Taft

Michael R. Pacewicz Crowe & Dunlevy

Charles S. Plumb McAfee & Taft

Thomas D. Robertson Barrow & Grimm

Randall J. Snapp Crowe & Dunlevy

Mark Solano R. Mark Solano

W. Kirk Turner McAfee & Taft

Nancy E. Vaughn Conner & Winters

Keith A. Wilkes Hall Estill

Madalene A. B. Witterholt Crowe & Dunlevy

ENERGY LAW

Elliot P. Anderson Crowe & Dunlevy

Mark Banner Hall Estill

Tammy D. Barrett GableGotwals

Shelton L. Benedict Shelton L. Benedict Law Office

Steve Butterfi eld Pray Walker

David R. Cordell* Conner & Winters

Kyle D. Freeman Hall Estill

John A. Gaberino Jr. GableGotwals

Michael J. Gibbens Crowe & Dunlevy

J. Kevin Hayes Hall Estill

Thomas M. Ladner Ladner & Eldredge

Stephen W. Lake GableGotwals

Terry D. Ragsdale GableGotwals

James D. Satrom Hall Estill

Thomas P. Schroedter Hall Estill

Stephen A. Schuller GableGotwals

Lisa T. Silvestri GableGotwals

Donald S. Smith Pray Walker

Timothy J. Sullivan Jr. GableGotwals

John T. Williams

John T. Williams Law

ENERGY REGULATORY LAW

Garry L. Keele II McAfee & Taft

Thomas P. Schroedter Hall Estill

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

Michael D. Graves Hall Estill

Robert J. Joyce McAfee & Taft

Garry L. Keele II* McAfee & Taft

Linda Crook Martin Doerner, Saunders, et. al

Ronald N. Ricketts GableGotwals

Randall J. Snapp Crowe & Dunlevy

ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY LAW

Joseph R. Farris Franden, Farris, et. al

FAMILY LAW

Benjamin D. Aycock Henry & Dow Law

Jacob W. Aycock Aycock Aussenberg

Christian D. Barnard Doerner, Saunders, et. al

Megan M. Beck

Megan M. Beck

Paul E. Blevins Blevins Law Office

James R. Bullard Doerner, Saunders, et. al

Aaron D. Bundy Bundy Law

Brita Haugland Cantrell McAfee & Taft

Tamera A. Childers Tamera A. Childers

Brad K. Cunningham Conner & Winters

Richard J. Eagleton Law Offices of Richard J. Eagleton

Heather Flynn Earnhart Hall Estill

Joseph R. Farris Franden, Farris, et. al

Robert G. Fry Jr. Fry & Elder

P. Warren Gotcher Gotcher & Beaver

James R. Gotwals

James R. Gotwals & Associates

Bradley A. Grundy Conner & Winters

M. Shane Henry Henry & Dow Law

N. Scott Johnson N. Scott Johnson & Associates

Keith A. Jones

Keith A. Jones

Ronald W. Little McAfee & Taft

Patrick McCord

N. Scott Johnson & Associates

Justin B. Munn Smakal Munn

Moura A. J. Robertson* Doerner, Saunders, et. al

Deborah C. Shallcross GableGotwals

Angela L. Smoot Oklahoma Family Law Firm

David A. Sturdivant Barrow & Grimm

David A. Tracy Tulsa Family Law Center

Richard A. Wagner II Hall Estill

FAMILY LAW MEDIATION

Jacob W. Aycock Aycock Aussenberg

Brad K. Cunningham* Conner & Winters

James R. Gotwals James R. Gotwals & Associates

Bradley A. Grundy Conner & Winters

M. Shane Henry Henry & Dow Law

Ronald W. Little McAfee & Taft

Moura A. J. Robertson Doerner, Saunders, et. al

FIRST AMENDMENT LAW

S. Douglas Dodd Doerner, Saunders, et. al

FRANCHISE LAW

Michael J. Gibbens Crowe & Dunlevy

GAMING LAW

Graydon Dean Luthey Jr. GableGotwals

D. Michael McBride III Crowe & Dunlevy

Stephen R. Ward Conner & Winters

HEALTH CARE LAW

Elise Dunitz Brennan Conner & Winters

Teresa Meinders Burkett Conner & Winters

David J. Hyman

David J. Hyman, attorney and arbitrator

David B. McKinney * GableGotwals

Robert B. Sartin Barrow & Grimm

IMMIGRATION LAW

Mark Solano R. Mark Solano

INSURANCE LAW

Mark K. Blongewicz Hall Estill

Galen L. Brittingham Atkinson, Brittingham, et. al

Renee DeMoss GableGotwals

James N. Edmonds Atkinson, Brittingham, et. al

Craig A. Fitzgerald

GableGotwals

James E. Green Jr. Conner & Winters

William S. Leach McAfee & Taft

Kerry R. Lewis* Rhodes Hieronymus

Phil R. Richards Richards & Connor

Lisa T. Silvestri

GableGotwals

A. Mark Smiling Smiling, Smiling & Burgess

John H. Tucker

Rhodes Hieronymus

Mia Vahlberg

GableGotwals

LABOR LAW — MANAGEMENT

Steven A. Broussard Hall Estill

David R. Cordell Conner & Winters

Kevin P. Doyle Pray Walker

Kimberly Lambert Love* Titus Hillis Reynolds Love

Samanthia Sierakowski Marshall Rosenstein, Fist & Ringold

Kathy R. Neal McAfee & Taft

Charles S. Plumb McAfee & Taft

Randall J. Snapp Crowe & Dunlevy

Christopher S. Thrutchley GableGotwals

W. Kirk Turner McAfee & Taft

LAND USE AND ZONING LAW

Nathan S. Cross Doerner, Saunders, et. al

Malcolm E. Rosser IV Crowe & Dunlevy

Stephen A. Schuller GableGotwals

LEGAL MALPRACTICE LAW — DEFENDANTS

Joseph R. Farris Franden, Farris, et. al

LITIGATION — ANTITRUST

Craig A. Fitzgerald GableGotwals

Amelia A. Fogleman GableGotwals

LITIGATION — BANKING AND FINANCE

Mark A. Craige Crowe & Dunlevy

Charles Greenough McAfee & Taft

Jeffrey D. Hassell* GableGotwals

Gary M. McDonald McDonald & Kindelt

Victor E. Morgan Crowe & Dunlevy

John Henry Rule GableGotwals

James W. Rusher Albright, Rusher & Hardcastle

Christopher B. Woods KingWoods

LITIGATION — BANKRUPTCY

Mark A. Craige Crowe & Dunlevy

Thomas A. Creekmore III Hall Estill

Charles Greenough McAfee & Taft

Jeffrey D. Hassell GableGotwals

Brian Huckabee Huckabee Law

Kayci B. Hughes Crowe & Dunlevy

Chad J. Kutmas Norman Wohlgemuth, et. al

Gary M. McDonald McDonald & Kindelt

Michael R. Pacewicz Crowe & Dunlevy

James M. Reed* Hall Estill

Steven W. Soulé Hall Estill

Sidney K. Swinson GableGotwals

Andrew R. Turner Conner & Winters

LITIGATION — CONSTRUCTION

N. Lance Bryan Doerner, Saunders, et. al

Dylan Duren Robinett, Swartz & Aycock

Roger K. Eldredge Ladner & Eldredge

P. Scott Hathaway Conner & Winters

Theresa N. Hill* Rhodes Hieronymus

Michael T. Keester Hall Estill

Steven K. Metcalf Metcalf & Spitler

William H. Spitler Metcalf & Spitler

LITIGATION — ENVIRONMENTAL

Michael D. Graves Hall Estill

Robert J. Joyce McAfee & Taft

Lloyd W. Landreth GableGotwals

Linda Crook Martin Doerner, Saunders, et. al

Ronald N. Ricketts* GableGotwals

D. K. Williams Jr. Hall Estill

LITIGATION — ERISA

Jon E. Brightmire Doerner, Saunders, et. al

Renee DeMoss GableGotwals

Tony W. Haynie* Conner & Winters

David B. McKinney GableGotwals

LITIGATION — FIRST AMENDMENT

S. Douglas Dodd Doerner, Saunders, et. al

John Henry Rule GableGotwals

J. Schaad Titus Titus Hillis Reynolds Love

LITIGATION — HEALTH CARE

Susan I. Jordan GableGotwals

LITIGATION — INSURANCE

Mary Quinn Cooper McAfee & Taft

William S. Leach McAfee & Taft

LITIGATION — INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Rachel Blue McAfee & Taft

Dennis D. Brown Brown Patent Law

Shawn M. Dellegar* Crowe & Dunlevy

Craig A. Fitzgerald GableGotwals

Robert E. Spoo McAfee & Taft

LITIGATION — LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT

Molly A. Aspan Practus

Tammy D. Barrett GableGotwals

Jon E. Brightmire Doerner, Saunders, et. al

Steven A. Broussard Hall Estill

Courtney Bru McAfee & Taft

Kevin P. Doyle Pray Walker

Larry D. Henry Rhodes Hieronymus

Mary L. Lohrke Titus Hillis Reynolds Love

Kathy R. Neal McAfee & Taft

Charles S. Plumb McAfee & Taft

Denelda L. Richardson Rhodes Hieronymus

Randall J. Snapp Crowe & Dunlevy

Mark Solano R. Mark Solano

W. Kirk Turner McAfee & Taft

Robert J. Winter Pray Walker

Madalene A. B. Witterholt* Crowe & Dunlevy

LITIGATION — LAND USE AND ZONING

Malcolm E. Rosser IV Crowe & Dunlevy

LITIGATION — MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

Michael J. Gibbens Crowe & Dunlevy

Bradley W. Welsh GableGotwals

LITIGATION — MUNICIPAL Michael T. Keester Hall Estill

James C. Milton Hall Estill

LITIGATION — PATENT

Dennis D. Brown Brown Patent Law

Margaret Millikin Millikin IP Law

Todd A. Nelson GableGotwals

David G. Woodral

GableGotwals

LITIGATION — REAL ESTATE

Robert J. Getchell* GableGotwals

Heath E. Hardcastle Albright, Rusher & Hardcastle

Victor E. Morgan Crowe & Dunlevy

Stephen A. Schuller GableGotwals

Steven A. Stecher Moyers Martin

Thomas L. Vogt Jones Gotcher & Bogan

Robert J. Winter Pray Walker

Christopher B. Woods KingWoods

LITIGATION — SECURITIES

Michael J. Gibbens Crowe & Dunlevy

P. David Newsome Jr. Hall Estill

James M. Reed Hall Estill

LITIGATION — TRUSTS AND ESTATES

Mark W. Curnutte* Logan & Lowry

LeAnn Drummond Ellis GableGotwals

Jeffrey D. Hassell GableGotwals

Tony W. Haynie Conner & Winters

James C. Milton Hall Estill

Robert J. Winter Pray Walker

LITIGATION AND CONTROVERSY — TAX

William E. Farrior Barrow & Grimm

Sheppard F. Miers Jr. GableGotwals

MASS TORT LITIGATION/CLASS ACTIONS — DEFENDANTS

Steven J. Adams*

GableGotwals

J. Craig Buchan McAfee & Taft

William S. Leach McAfee & Taft

Charles D. Neal Jr. Steidley & Neal

John H. Tucker

Rhodes Hieronymus

MASS TORT LITIGATION/CLASS ACTIONS — PLAINTIFFS

Guy A. Fortney Brewster & De Angelis

M. David Riggs Riggs, Abney, et. al

MEDIATION David L. Bryant GableGotwals

James P. McCann Aston Mathis Campbell

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LAW — DEFENDANTS

Michael P. Atkinson Atkinson, Brittingham, et. al

Timothy G. Best Best & Sharp

Clark O. Brewster Brewster & De Angelis

Karen L. Callahan Rodolf & Todd

James W. Connor Jr. Richards & Connor

Phil R. Richards* Richards & Connor

Stephen J. Rodolf Rodolf & Todd

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LAW — PLAINTIFFS

Jennifer L. De Angelis Brewster & De Angelis

Montgomery L. Lair Brewster & De Angelis

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS LAW

Mark D. Berman Conner & Winters

Michael D. Cooke Hall Estill

H. Wayne Cooper Doerner, Saunders, et. al

C. Bretton Crane* Pray Walker

Stephen W. Lake GableGotwals

Stephen W. Ray Hall Estill

R. Kevin Redwine Conner & Winters

Randy R. Shorb Johnson & Jones

Christopher R. Wilson Conner & Winters

MINING LAW

Robert J. Joyce McAfee & Taft

MORTGAGE BANKING FORECLOSURE LAW

Mark A. Craige Crowe & Dunlevy

Steven A. Stecher Moyers Martin

NATIVE AMERICAN LAW

Graydon Dean Luthey Jr. GableGotwals

D. Michael McBride III* Crowe & Dunlevy

Timothy S. Posey Hall Estill

Stacy A. Schauvliege Crowe & Dunlevy

Stephen R. Ward Conner & Winters

John T. Williams

John T. Williams Law

NATURAL RESOURCES LAW

James C. T. Hardwick Hall Estill

Lloyd W. Landreth* GableGotwals

Richard B. Noulles GableGotwals

Donald S. Smith Pray Walker

W. Bland Williamson Jr. Pray Walker

NONPROFIT/CHARITIES LAW

Katherine G. Coyle Conner & Winters

Samantha Weyrauch Davis Hall Estill

OIL AND GAS LAW

Kenneth F. Albright Albright, Rusher & Hardcastle

Elliot P. Anderson Crowe & Dunlevy

Pamela S. Anderson Hall Estill

James C. T. Hardwick Hall Estill

Brian T. Inbody Hall Estill

Stephen W. Lake GableGotwals

Richard B. Noulles GableGotwals

R. Kevin Redwine Conner & Winters

James D. Satrom Hall Estill

Thomas P. Schroedter Hall Estill

Donald S. Smith* Pray Walker

W. Bland Williamson Jr. Pray Walker

PATENT LAW

Dennis D. Brown Brown Patent Law

Frank J. Catalano GableGotwals

Alicia J. Edwards* GableGotwals

James F. Lea III GableGotwals

Margaret Millikin Millikin IP Law

Paul E. Rossler GableGotwals

David G. Woodral GableGotwals

Scott R. Zingerman GableGotwals

PERSONAL INJURY LITIGATION — DEFENDANTS

Michael P. Atkinson Atkinson, Brittingham, et. al

Timothy G. Best Best & Sharp

Clark O. Brewster Brewster & De Angelis

James W. Connor Jr. Richards & Connor

Mary Quinn Cooper McAfee & Taft

Dan S. Folluo* Rhodes Hieronymus

Walter D. Haskins Walter D. Haskins

William S. Leach McAfee & Taft

Charles D. Neal Jr. Steidley & Neal

Phil R. Richards Richards & Connor

Stephen J. Rodolf Rodolf & Todd

R. Scott Savage Moyers Martin

James K. Secrest II Secrest Hill Butler & Secrest

A. Mark Smiling Smiling, Smiling & Burgess

John H. Tucker Rhodes Hieronymus

John R. Woodard III Coffey, Senger & Woodard

PERSONAL INJURY LITIGATION — PLAINTIFFS

E. Terrill Corley Corley Allen Trial Lawyers

Guy A. Fortney* Brewster & De Angelis

James E. Frasier Frasier, Frasier & Hickman

Walter D. Haskins Walter D. Haskins

Charles D. Neal Jr. Steidley & Neal

Gary L. Richardson Richardson Richardson Boudreaux

M. David Riggs Riggs, Abney, et. al

Ted C. Sherwood Sherwood, McCormick & Robert

PRIVACY AND DATA SECURITY LAW

Teresa Meinders Burkett Conner & Winters

CONGRATULATIONS

2023 Ones to Watch® in America

Recognition for outstanding professional excellence in private practice given to attorneys who typically have been in practice for five to nine years

ADDITIONAL AWARD HONOREES:

Adam Doverspike , Administrative/Regulatory Law, GableGotwals ; Russell C. Ramzel, Administrative/Regulatory Law, Conner & Winters ; Adam Doverspike , Appellate Practice, GableGotwals ; Chris M. Warzecha , Appellate Practice, Conner & Winters ; C. Austin Birnie, Banking and Finance Law Conner & Winters ; Meagen Burrows , Banking and Finance Law, GableGotwals ; Mary P. Huckabee Banking and Finance Law, Conner & Winters ; Dillon Langley, Banking and Finance Law, Conner & Winters ; Eric L. Sardella , Banking and Finance Law, Conner & Winters

Danya Bundy Bundy Law

CRIMINAL DEFENSE: GENERAL PRACTICE FAMILY LAW

Congratulates

Patrick Colvin Jones Gotcher & Bogan P.C. COMMERCIAL LITIGATION, LITIGATION - CONSTRUCTION JAMES WEGER , President of the firm, is recognized by BEST LAWYERS® in Commercial Litigation.

C. Austin Birnie, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Conner & Winters ; Gavin Fouts , Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Brown Law Firm ; Meagen Burrows , Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), GableGotwals ; Eric L. Sardella , Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Conner & Winters ; Will Silvia , Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), McAfee & Taft; Colton L. Richardson, Civil Rights Law, Richardson Richardson Boudreaux ; C. Austin Birnie, Commercial Litigation, Conner & Winters ; Patrick Colvin , Commercial Litigation, Jones Gotcher & Bogan Adam Doverspike Commercial Litigation, GableGotwals ; Emalie L. Foster, Commercial Litigation, McAfee & Taft; Alexandra Gage, Commercial Litigation, Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson ; William J. Holland , Commercial Litigation, McAfee & Taft; Jason A. McVicker, Commercial Litigation, Baum Glass Jayne Carwile & Peters ; Hayley Blair Myers , Commercial Litigation, McAfee & Taft; Margo E. Shipley, Commercial Litigation, Hall Estill ; Hayley N. Stephens , Commercial Litigation, Conner & Winters ; Chris M. Warzecha , Commercial Litigation, Conner & Winters ; Anna E. Wolfe, Commercial Litigation, McAfee & Taft Rhiannon K. Baker, Construction Law, McAnany, Van Cleave & Phillips ; Mary P. Huckabee , Corporate Governance and Compliance Law, Conner & Winters ; Dillon Langley, Corporate Governance and Compliance Law, Conner & Winters ; Russell C. Ramzel, Corporate Governance and Compliance Law, Conner & Winters ; Eric L. Sardella , Corporate Governance and Compliance Law, Conner & Winters ; C. Bretton Crane Jr. , Corporate Law, Pray Walker; Isaac B. Helmerich , Corporate Law, Hall Estill ; Danielle Hood , Corporate Law, Crowe & Dunlevy ; Mary P. Huckabee, Corporate Law, Conner & Winters ; Dillon Langley, Corporate Law, Conner & Winters ; Eric L. Sardella , Corporate Law, Conner & Winters Will Silvia Corporate Law, McAfee & Taft; Danya Bundy, Criminal Defense: General Practice, Bundy Law ; Judy Burdg , Employee Benefi ts (ERISA) Law, McAfee & Taft; Danya Bundy, Family Law, Bundy Law ; Rodger V. Curlik Family Law, Moyers Martin ; Meagen Burrows , Health Care Law, GableGotwals ; Hayley Blair Myers , Health Care Law, McAfee & Taft; Russell C. Ramzel, Health Care Law, Conner & Winters ; Alexandra Gage, Insurance Law, Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson ; William J. Holland , Insurance Law, McAfee & Taft; Lauren Marciano, Insurance Law, Hall Estill ; Hayley N. Stephens Insurance Law, Conner & Winters ; Anna E. Wolfe, Insurance Law, McAfee & Taft; Hayley N. Stephens , Labor and Employment Law — Employee, Conner & Winters ; Jacob S. Crawford , Labor and Employment Law — Management, McAfee & Taft; Harrison M. Kosmider Labor and Employment Law — Management, McAfee & Taft; Hayley N. Stephens , Labor and Employment Law — Management, Conner & Winters ; Mary P. Huckabee, Land Use and Zoning Law, Conner & Winters ; C. Austin Birnie, Litigation — Bankruptcy, Conner & Winters ; Patrick Colvin , Litigation — Construction, Jones Gotcher & Bogan ; Matthew Crook Litigation — Construction, Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson ; Adam Doverspike , Litigation — Construction, GableGotwals ; Emalie L. Foster, Litigation — Construction, McAfee & Taft; Brian Keester, Litigation — Construction, Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson ; Chris M. Warzecha , Litigation — Construction, Conner & Winters ; Rhiannon K. Baker, Litigation — Labor and Employment, McAnany, Van Cleave & Phillips ; Jacob S. Crawford , Litigation — Labor and Employment, McAfee & Taft; Alexandra Gage Litigation — Labor and Employment, Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson Harrison M. Kosmider, Litigation — Labor and Employment, McAfee & Taft; Hayley N. Stephens , Litigation — Labor and Employment, Conner & Winters ; Ryan Scharnell , Litigation — Real Estate, Conner & Winters ; Hayley N. Stephens Litigation — Real Estate, Conner & Winters ; C. Austin Birnie Litigation — Trusts and Estates, Conner & Winters Dru Prosser, Medical Malpractice Law — Defendants, McAfee & Taft; Trey Purdom , Medical Malpractice Law — Defendants, Atkinson, Brittingham, et. al ; C. Bretton Crane Jr. Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Pray Walker; Will Silvia , Mergers and Acquisitions Law, McAfee & Taft; Adam Doverspike , Municipal Law, GableGotwals ; R. Daniel Carter, Native American Law, Conner & Winters ; Joe Keene, Native American Law, Pipestem Law ; Dawson A. Brotemarkle, Oil and Gas Law, Hall Estill ; Brian Keester, Personal Injury Litigation — Defendants, Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson ; Tim Spencer, Personal Injury Litigation — Defendants, McAfee & Taft; Hayley N. Stephens , Personal Injury Litigation — Defendants, Conner & Winters ; Dru Prosser, Personal Injury Litigation — Plaintiffs, McAfee & Taft Colton L. Richardson Personal Injury Litigation — Plaintiffs, Richardson Richardson Boudreaux ; William J. Holland , Privacy and Data Security, McAfee & Taft; Emalie L. Foster, Product Liability Litigation — Defendants, McAfee & Taft; Lauren Marciano, Product Liability Litigation — Defendants, Hall Estill Jason A. McVicker, Product Liability Litigation — Defendants, Baum Glass Jayne Carwile & Peters ; Dru Prosser, Product Liability Litigation — Defendants, McAfee & Taft; Anna E. Wolfe, Product Liability Litigation — Defendants, McAfee & Taft; Colton L. Richardson, Product Liability Litigation — Plaintiffs, Richardson Richardson Boudreaux ; Mary P. Huckabee, Real Estate Law, Conner & Winters ; Will Silvia , Real Estate Law, McAfee & Taft; Eric L. Sardella , Securities Regulation, Conner & Winters ; C. Bretton Crane Jr. , Tax Law, Pray Walker

JACK BROWN, Director of the firm, is recognized by BEST LAWYERS® in Elder Law.

PRODUCT LIABILITY LITIGATION — DEFENDANTS

James W. Connor Jr.* Richards & Connor

Mary Quinn Cooper McAfee & Taft

William S. Leach McAfee & Taft

Robert J. Winter Pray Walker

John R. Woodard III Coffey, Senger & Woodard

PROFESSIONAL MALPRACTICE LAW — DEFENDANTS

Mary Quinn Cooper McAfee & Taft

PUBLIC FINANCE LAW

Randy R. Shorb Johnson & Jones

REAL ESTATE LAW

Gregory W. Alberty Hall Estill

Kenneth F. Albright Albright, Rusher & Hardcastle

Vaden F. Bales Hall Estill

Robert F. Dougherty Hall Estill

William L. Eagleton IV Pray Walker

Roger K. Eldredge Ladner & Eldredge

Thomas J. Hutchison GableGotwals

Victor E. Morgan Crowe & Dunlevy

Eric P. Nelson Rosenstein, Fist & Ringold

Malcolm E. Rosser IV Crowe & Dunlevy

Stephen A. Schuller GableGotwals

Rebecca Sherwood Bluestem Escrow & Title

Beverly K. Smith Conner & Winters

Gentra Abbey Sorem* Conner & Winters

Steven A. Stecher Moyers Martin

SECURITIES/CAPITAL MARKETS LAW John R. Barker GableGotwals

C. Bretton Crane Pray Walker

Robert A. Curry Conner & Winters

Del L. Gustafson Hall Estill

Jeffrey T. Haughey GableGotwals

Stephen W. Lake GableGotwals

Robert J. Melgaard Conner & Winters

Lynnwood R. Moore Jr. Conner & Winters

P. David Newsome Jr. Hall Estill

Stephen W. Ray Hall Estill

J. Ryan Sacra* Conner & Winters

SECURITIES REGULATION

Robert A. Curry Conner & Winters

Del L. Gustafson Hall Estill

Jeffrey T. Haughey GableGotwals

Stephen W. Lake GableGotwals

Robert J. Melgaard Conner & Winters

Amy Newsome* Frederic Dorwart, Lawyers

P. David Newsome Jr. Hall Estill

Stephen W. Ray Hall Estill

J. Ryan Sacra Conner & Winters

TAX LAW

Kenneth F. Albright* Albright, Rusher & Hardcastle

William E. Farrior Barrow & Grimm

Sheppard F. Miers Jr. GableGotwals

Randy R. Shorb Johnson & Jones

Varley H. Taylor Jr. Doerner, Saunders, et. al

Martin R. Wing Conner & Winters

Andrew M. Wolov Hall Estill

TECHNOLOGY LAW

Sarah E. Hansel Hall Estill

Paul E. Rossler GableGotwals

TRADE SECRETS LAW

Scott R. Zingerman GableGotwals

TRADEMARK LAW

Rachel Blue McAfee & Taft

Dennis D. Brown Brown Patent Law

Frank J. Catalano GableGotwals

Shawn M. Dellegar* Crowe & Dunlevy

Jessica John Bowman McAfee & Taft

Margaret Millikin Millikin IP Law

Paul E. Rossler GableGotwals

TRUSTS AND ESTATES

Katherine G. Coyle Conner & Winters

Mark W. Curnutte Logan & Lowry

Samantha Weyrauch Davis Hall Estill

Erin Donovan Erin Donovan & Associates

Philip R. Feist GableGotwals

John W. Ingraham Conner & Winters

Daniel R. Ketchum II Hall Estill

David B. McKinney GableGotwals

Bruce W. Robinett Robinett, King, et. al

Harry V. Rouse Doerner, Saunders, et. al

Curtis J. Shacklett Barber & Bartz

Beverly K. Smith Conner & Winters

Andrew M. Wolov Hall Estill

Jerry L. Zimmerman* Rosenstein, Fist & Ringold

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION LAW — EMPLOYERS

Madalene A. B. Witterholt Crowe & Dunlevy

BEST LAWYERS OPERATES ON A PURELY PEER-REVIEW METHODOLOGY. FIND THE TOP LEGAL TALENT NEAR YOU.

bestlawyers.com/find-a-lawyer

INDIAN HEALTH CARE RESOURCE CENTER OF TULSA INC.

S ince 1976, Indian Health Care Resource Center of Tulsa Inc. (IHCRC) has served more than 300,000 Tulsa-area Native Americans with comprehensive health, wellness and behavioral health care. All services are offered in a single building for ease of care, accessibility and integration. Several special programs and events are available to enhance well-being and reconnect the community to their culture.

“Some of our earliest patients have grandchildren, great grandchildren and even great-great grandchildren who are now receiving care at IHCRC,” says CEO Carmelita Skeeter, who has been with the organization since its founding. What started with one part-time physician is now a staff of 180.

IHCRC is the only culturally sensitive Native American clinic in the Tulsa metro area. All services are free to any individual with a CDIB or tribal membership card. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a community board and is not tribally affiliated. Individuals from more than 110 tribes were served last year.

More than 11,000 individuals receive care annually. Another 2,000 participate in cultural events and family activities. IHCRC continues to add services and programs to promote an approach to care that strengthens physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness within the Indian community.

Legacy Businesses

that have made their mark in Tulsa for 25 or more years.

These locally owned institutions provide a vital economic foundation for our city and are known for their overall excellence, which creates loyal customers, business success and longevity.

Enjoy learning about these valued businesses who succeed by keeping Tulsans coming back year after year.

THE BROS. HOULIGAN

Since 1987, Tulsans have been coming in droves to The Bros. Houligan for their hearty, freshly prepared dishes and menu mainstays like their award-winning chicken fried steak. You can still find it — and all the comfort food classics — at 4848 S. Yale Ave.

“We began as a small bar seating 28 in 1987, slowly morphing into a family friendly restaurant known for its entrees like deep fried catfish, fried gulf shrimp, grilled steaks, burgers and, of course, our legendary chicken fried steak,” says owner Patrick McMurchy. “Our longevity is thanks to our customers, as well as

a staff that does its best to provide quality food and personable service at a reasonable price.”

The Bros. Houligan became famous beyond Tulsa’s city limits when its chicken fried steak recipe was featured in Southern Living Magazine’s cookbook “Off the Eaten Path.” First-timers and veteran “Houligans” rave about the restaurant’s special recipe green beans. Its cottage fries, waffle-cut fries served with a side of gravy, are the stuff of legend. The motto at The Bros. Houligan is “Eat More Gravy” and once you get your first taste you’ll know why.

Open for lunch and dinner, the restaurant boasts a full bar, their own locally brewed Bros. Houligan Red Ale on tap courtesy of High Gravity Brewing Co. and plenty of seating to catch the big game with a side of comfort food.

4848 S. Yale Ave. 918.254.1086 | BrosHouligan.com

MOORE FUNERAL HOMES AND FITZGERALD FUNERAL SERVICE

When James Herbert Moore opened his funeral home in 1932, he had no idea his company would become the largest funeral provider in Oklahoma. More than 90 years later, Moore has grown with Tulsa, both in the number of locations — six in total — and in the scope of services.

What have not changed are Moore’s core values — as well as the family at the helm. “Our mission is to provide excellent care to the deceased and their families and to help create tributes that remember, honor and celebrate the lives of those very special people,” says Joseph P. Moore, owner and grandson of the company’s founder. “We give our families the highest level of personal and professional care during one of the most difficult times of their lives.” Unique services offered include an onsite crematory,

to ensure that all aspects of cremation are performed properly and with dignity.

Additionally, Moore offers special veterans’ services and an extensive aftercare program — including online resources and weekly grief support groups. Moore’s pre-planning services lock in today’s prices and provide peace of mind. These offerings, plus a commitment to service, have resulted in excellent reviews on family satisfaction surveys. Moore Funeral Homes and Fitzgerald Funeral Service’s motto is to provide extraordinary service at a fair and affordable price.

Moore/Fitzgerald maintains strong community involvement, both individually and corporately. The company takes special pride in its 40 full-time, dedicated and professional staff members, many of whom have been with Moore/Fitzgerald for more than 10 years

and have experience working with families of all faiths. “Our families have come to know that we’ll be here when they need us,” Moore says.

Recently Moore further expanded services by opening a 2nd family center. In addition to the family center at the Fitzgerald Southwood Colonial Chapel, there is now a lovely 1700 square foot family center at Moore’s Southlawn Chapel, 9350 E. 51st St. At these family centers, families and friends can continue to share memories and celebrate the lives of their loved one and share a meal at a reception or other gathering following the memorial service.

Jeff Tutt, LaFonda Ehlers, Koby Creason, John Wilson, Chris Penn, Lynne Moore, Terry Hamm, Joseph Moore.

MOYERS MARTIN

Moyers Martin has been engaged in the practice of law since its founding in Muskogee by George Ramsey prior to 1910. The firm has called Tulsa home for more than 80 years.

The firm has been a continual, uninterrupted partnership of lawyers in Oklahoma since 1910. Every generation of partners at the firm has practiced with members of the prior generation. Today partners include Steven A. Stecher, James H. Ferris, Terry M. Kollmorgen, Michael E. Esmond and Scott V. Morgan. Fellow lawyers include Patrick D. O’Connor, R. Scott Savage, Randy Lewin, Rodger V. Curlick and Travis Williams.

“Moyers Martin is proud of its long history serving private and corporate citizens from across the nation and looks forward to continually providing unparalleled

legal representation for many years to come,” says Michael E. Esmond, a partner and practicing lawyer for more than 18 years and 2023 President-Elect of the Tulsa County Bar Association. “Over our 113-year history, we have maintained the same underlying philosophy and approach to the practice of law that was established by the founding partners: providing clients with exceptional legal counsel in a personal, timely and cost-efficient manner.”

Moyers Martin’s practice primarily focuses on the representation of business entities and individuals throughout nearly every domestic industry, both regionally and nationally, in civil litigation, administrative proceedings and transactions. The firm’s focus on this specific client base and experience in representing corporations and other business entities uniquely positions it to offer an

“outside” in-house counsel form of representation. Moyers Martin’s unique representation model provides clients with access to some of the region’s highestquality, creative legal professionals with experience in nearly every type of legal arena confronting today’s business owners.

Moyers Martin remains committed to serving the Tulsa community and carrying the firm successfully into its next decade of legal service.

401 S. Boston Ave., Suite 1100 918-582-5281 | moyersmartin.com

Back row, left to right: M. Travis Williams, Rodger V. Curlik, Terry M. Kollmorgen, Michael E. Esmond, Scott V. Morgan; Front row, left to right: Patrick D. O’Connor, James H. Ferris, Randy J. Lewin; Inset: Steven A. Stecher and R. Scott Savage

RENAISSANCE HARDWOOD

Renaissance Hardwood Floors is a family-owned company that has been headquartered in the Tulsa region for more than four decades. They pride themselves on being a family-owned company with long-standing community relationships in the greater Tulsa and Oklahoma City areas. Renaissance’s expert craftsmen have the ability to make your dream floor a reality, while also providing care for your floors for many years to come. Elegance and quality are the signature marks of a Renaissance floor. Renaissance Hardwood Floors specializes in custom designs that are handcrafted using only the highest quality materials. From the

very intricate to the more minimalistic, a Renaissance hardwood floor is always exquisite. Renaissance’s designs provide signature accents to every room in your home. Renaissance Hardwood Floors prides itself on superior customer service that gives each customer peace of mind with every purchase.

Dedication to innovative excellence and a commitment to customer satisfaction make Renaissance Hardwood Floors a leader in hardwood flooring industry. Allow the Renaissance craftsmen to design the hardwood floor of your dreams. You experience the difference when you walk across a Renaissance Hardwood

Floor. Custom designed and handcrafted, Renaissance floors are known for their quality, beauty and originality. The difference is more than just the installation. It is the design and attention to detail that distinguishes a Renaissance Hardwood Floor from its competitors. It’s your masterpiece. Allow the experts at Renaissance to bring the Renaissance to your home or office.

550 W. 125th PI S #300, Glenpool, OK 74033 918-298-4477 | RenHardwood.com

GREEN COUNTRY APPRAISAL SERVICE

Green Country Appraisal Service is celebrating 42 years of appraisal and consultation work for various banks, government entities, lawyers, and individuals. Commercial properties appraised include retail, restaurants, offices, churches, industrial, multi-family, mixed-use, vacant land, cattle ranches and conservation easements throughout northeast Oklahoma.

Timothy M. Glass, MAI,SRA is the company president and a licensed appraiser in the state of Oklahoma. In 2000, he was the president of

the Green Country of Oklahoma Chapter of the Appraisal Institute. Nationally, he has served on the Regional Ethics and Counseling Panel of the Appraisal Institute.

The company’s executive secretary, Megan LePhew, handles word processing, research on local market trends, and report publishing. Past employment with the real estate appraisal industry involved report publication, populating a comparable sales database, researching specific comparable sales

and understanding lender requirements/documentation guidelines. She maintains an expanding database of over 21,000 comparable sales and rentals.

Together, Green Country Appraisal’s team provides comprehensive appraisal reports for lenders, buyers, sellers, and estate settlement.

1703 E. Skelly Drive, Suite 101 918-744-5744

The Green Country Appraisal Service team includes President Timothy M. Glass and Executive Secretary Megan LePhew.

MONTE CASSINO SCHOOL

Founded in 1926 by the sisters of St. Joseph Monastery, Monte Cassino continues to educate Tulsa children with a commitment to Benedictine values and Catholic education in a student-centered atmosphere.

Having served the Tulsa community as a high school, a junior college and as its current pre-K-eighth grade configuration, Monte Cassino continues to look ahead and modify its curriculum to best serve its students and families. “We welcome students of all faiths and offer an excellent education rooted in faith and strong academics in a supportive environment,” says Sister Marie Therese Long, school president. “Along with the classic curriculum, we offer extensive enrichment, athletics and opportunities for unique learners.”

There are 26 after-school programs to choose from including art studio, robotics, music, STEM, athletics and more. Middle school students can take high school-level math and foreign language, including Latin, Spanish and French. Small class sizes meet the needs of diverse learners in a faith-filled, student- and family-focused environment. The school has attracted high-performing teachers who are given the opportunity, freedom and support to make classrooms challenging, but also interesting and fun. Professional development allows for faculty and staff to learn new practices to ensure students excel.

For nearly 100 years, Tulsa leaders across many industries have attended Monte Cassino. From aerospace, finance and energy to construction, philanthropy, real estate and tourism, Monte Cassino alumni have shaped Tulsa for generations and is poised to continue this legacy for many years to come.

Monte Cassino students, leadership and staff are dedicated to serving the greater Tulsa community through days of volunteerism, service projects, and food and diaper drives.

Monte Cassino will welcome Chris Burke as head of school this summer. Burke is only the third layperson to lead the school in its near century of education.

2206 S. Ave, Tulsa, OK 74114 918-742-3364 | MonteCassino.org

Incoming Head of School Chris Burke.

Sister Marie Therese Long, Prioress of Saint Joseph Monastery and President of Monte Cassino School.

FINAL TOUCH COMMERCIAL CLEANING

Since FTCC’s inception in 1985, we have had one mission: to serve. We love serving our clients, our staff members, and our community. We are passionate about Tulsa and all our community partners. We consider our clients to be family and have long lasting partnerships with each of them.

‘We are a team of professionals with a proven track record in this region that performs our work with integrity to successfully exceed our clients’ expectations,’ says Sandra Mullins, founder and owner of the

business that cleans more than 10 million square feet each night. ‘Our team is comprised of more than 280 experienced staff members who have worked together for many years, including veterans with 30+ years of experience. Their expertise and hard work have provided us with many successful partnerships.’

Final Touch employees use sustainable products and practices to clean for health and safety, and produce long-term benefits. They were the first cleaning service organization headquartered in Oklahoma

to achieve the Cleaning Industry Management Standard Green Building (CIMS-GB) certification with honors. The certification, based on an accredited assessment, demonstrates a commitment to the delivery of environmentally preferable services.

Chelsea Hanoch, Lindsay Henderson, Jackie Vu, Brooke Taylor, Madi Ambrose

Sandra Mullins

In 2004, Joan Davis lost a hard fought battle with breast cancer. Her legacy of faith and determination are honored by the company with the pink van designed in her memory.

ACCENT MOVING & STORAGE

One of Oklahoma’s oldest moving and storage companies was started in Tulsa and is now under same family ownership in its 83rd year of business.

Accent Moving & Storage & Logistics was established in 1939 at 9 North Detroit as Tulsa Terminal Warehouse as an agent for Mayflower Transit. Lelia and Seth Davis opened the business to provide local, intra-state and inter-state moving services for household goods.

Today, the diversified company is owned by Joann “Jody” Davis, the granddaughter of the founders. Her parents, Joan and Jack Davis, followed the founders in ownership of the growing company in 1976. They changed the name to Accent Moving & Storage, Inc., and significantly diversified the company’s offerings to include moving high value electronics, plus tradeshow and commercial goods.

Since 1999, Jody Davis, as the third generation owner, has lead further expansion and diversification to the company’s offerings. “We expanded into the home delivery and other logistics lines of business,” she noted. “Accent also offers the local, intra-state, inter-state and international moving of household and commercial goods for relocation, storage of goods and records, warehouse distribution, home delivery, interior designers’ storage, delivery and set-up, and hospitality FFE.

GARBE’S LIGHTING AND HOME ACCESSORIES

For over 50 years, Garbe’s has been helping light up Tulsans’ lives with its huge selection of fine lighting fixtures. Traditional and contemporary chandeliers, Tiffanies, table and desk lamps, outdoor fixtures, and track and recessed lighting can be found. Fine crystal chandeliers give the “Crystal Room” its name.

Vern and Martha Garbe established the store in 1970, but much has changed over the years. Throughout the store, there are other amenities such as handprinted oil paintings, imported pots and vases, and perhaps one of Tulsa’s best selections of mirrors and home decor. Bathroom accessories and vanities also are featured. Garbe’s has one of the largest hardware departments in town.

In 2022, Scott Kordis purchased the business and took over operations. His goal is to continue building and maintaining long-standing relationships with customers, employees, builders and remodelers, which has been the key to its overall success.

“My family is thrilled to continue the legacy of quality and distinction the Garbes started 53 years ago when they opened this store,” Kordis says. Visit garbes.com to browse thousands of indoor and outdoor lighting fixtures, ceiling fans and more.

4137 S. 72nd E. Ave, Tulsa, OK 74145 918-627-0284 | Garbes.com

400 N. Poplar Ave., Broken Arrow 918-251-5594 | accentmoving.com

Owner Jody Davis Accent Moving, Storage & Logistics An Agent for Mayflower Transit

EMPIRE FENCE COMPANY

Empire Fence Company has become the “familiar face to turn to” for all of your fencing needs. All great things have small beginnings. When owner Bob Richison began the business in 1955, it was just a small backyard enterprise. With a lot of hard work, a love for helping others, and a big dream, Richison turned Empire Fence into a successful small business. When grandson Nathan Nelson joined the team in 1998, the two businessmen formed a dynamic duo. Together, they teamed to lead Empire Fence to becoming the leading “face” for residential fencing.

Although Richison has officially passed the business leadership to grandson Nathan, who serves as President/CEO of the company, Bob’s face, name, and legacy will always remain at Empire Fence Company. Under Nelson’s leadership, the company has expanded into the commercial industry and continues to grow and thrive.

“We have always done business the old-fashioned way since my grandfather first began Empire Fence,” said Nelson, “and we remain committed to a foundation of integrity by offering customers quality products and excellent service at a fair price. Bob Richison had a heart to serve others and that trait is in the DNA of Empire Fence Company. It’s an honor to carry on what my grandfather began over 60 years ago and continue meeting the residential and commercial fencing needs of northeast Oklahoma,” says Nelson.

22 N. Garnett Rd, Tulsa, OK 74116 918-437-1671 | EmpireFence.net

AFFORDABLE ASPHALT

Just like the name implies, installing new asphalt is a specialty at Affordable Asphalt. “Asphalt is our bread and butter, from new installations to patching,” said Jim Eardley, president of the 30-year-old company located in Sand Springs.

“Over time, natural elements will wear out, damage or destroy asphalt driveways, roadways, parking lots and even walkways,” he said. “Fortunately, there’s a solution for every situation, and our team of experts is skilled at giving surfaces a fresh new look.”

Affordable Asphalt offers these surface solutions:

Patching: A relatively quick fix that can provide an immediate solution.

Sealcoating: Covering existing asphalt with a coal tar pitch emulsion. Sealcoating looks fantastic and extends the life of existing asphalt.

Crack Filling. Cracks are filled with specially blended sand, then capped with rubberized crack filler.

Asphalt Overlay: Laying two inches of new asphalt over a parking lot or driveway. Can last up to 20 years.

Concrete: Providing surface repairs to sidewalks, driveway and parking lots. For asphalt or concrete work, call—918-245-0927—to schedule a time for a professional at Affordable Asphalt to come look at your needs.

610 W. 41st Street in Sand Springs

918-245-0927 | office@affasphalt.com

Josh Eardley

Jim Eardley

Empire Fence President and General Manager Nathan Nelson with founder Bob Richison, his grandfather

RICH AND CARTMILL INC.

Rich and Cartmill Insurance and Bonds is one of the largest, privately held Trusted Choice® independent insurance agencies in the country. Established by John R. Cartmill and Irwin D. Rich, Rich and Cartmill has been a leading provider since 1922. The company is committed to assisting individuals and commercial organizations find insurance options that protect their most precious assets.

Rich and Cartmill’s 24 shareholders work hard to foster customer relationships and stand ready to grow with you and your organization, assisting with construction insurance, energy business insurance, manufacturing insurance, professional liability or any other insurance need.

Over the decades, the shareholders and staff have committed themselves to making Tulsa a better place to work, live and play. Last year Rich and Cartmill started the program R&C Cares, which distributes funds to local organizations, such as Harvest House and Youth Services of Creek County. Employees have donated food to John 3:16 Mission, participated in the annual United Way Day of Caring, and sponsored Marshall Elementary in the form of hat and glove drives and holiday presents. The company has sponsored the Little Light House and Happy Hands Christmas programs for many years.

“Our rich history and commitment to superior customer service have enabled us to stand the test of time. And, we’re still going strong today,” President Travis Brown says. Several of the firm’s staff are second-generation employees, continuing a tradition of service and expertise.

2738 E. 51st St, Suite 400 918-743-8811 | RCINS.com

PROSOURCE WHOLESALE OF TULSA

ProSource of Tulsa: Redefining the industry, one home improvement project at a time

ProSource® of Tulsa is the industry leader when it comes to understanding and meeting the unique needs of trade professionals and their clients — providing builders, contractors, remodelers, installers, interior designers, architects, real estate professionals exceptional offerings not found elsewhere in the industry.

“ProSource Tulsa is a locally and family-owned small business so we have a unique understanding of our trade pro member’s needs and we go all out to ensure that we help our trade pro member and their customer complete a successful project,” said Todd Adams. “We have a staggering mix of name-brand home improvement products, available at low wholesale price thanks to our extraordinary buying power.”

At ProSource of Tulsa, trade pros and their clients will get an up-close look at an impressive floorcovering selection, featuring carpet, hardwood, laminate, stone, and luxury vinyl tile, as well as a vast array of kitchen and bath offerings, including cabinets, countertops, faucets, sinks, and so much more.

Upon signing up for a ProSource membership, each trade pro is assigned a dedicated account manager, who provides personalized service that’s tailored to the member’s needs. Pair that with their in-house kitchen and bath designers who use the latest technology to produce exceptional designs.

With a team of product and project experts who provide personalized service tailored to their members’ needs, ProSource is the source for project success.

9811 East 59th Street, Tulsa, OK 74146

918-252-7711 | ProSourceWholesale.com/tulsa

Left to right: Marni Arguelles, Todd Adams, Kevin Parker, Kita Waterdown, Karri Dawson, Wilmarie Talbot, Olivia Jacobs, Jerri Rogers, Lauren Carter, Anna Holdridge-Fletcher, Mark Smith, Kellie Robinson, Maggie (dog); Not pictured: Carrie Smith, Janina Johnson, Alyssa Myers.

ABCO PARTY RENTALS

ABCO Party Rentals is proud to be “the original event pros” in Tulsa by providing full-service party and event rentals since 1975.

The company has built its reputation by offering an expansive inventory collection — including specialty linens, fine china, flatware, tables, chairs, catering equipment, bars, lounge furniture and extensive tenting options — in a one-stop-shop for all types of event needs like weddings, corporate and private events, graduations, and upscale galas.

Whether ABCO’s clients need a few rentals or consultation for an entire event, our experienced professionals are available to guide them with full-service event planning and quality rental solutions on every level.

2033 E. 11th St, Tulsa, OK 74104 918-583-6557 | AbcoParty.com

CELEBRITY ATTRACTIONS

Founded by Larry and Kay Payton in 1983, Celebrity Attractions is an independent Broadway presenter bringing nationally touring productions to Tulsa and other regional markets.

Kay remains committed to the family-run business as co-owner with son Drew Payton and CEO Kristin Dotson.

For 40 years, Celebrity Attractions has contributed to both the artistic and economic vitality of Tulsa. “We have had an estimated economic impact of over $25 million in Tulsa since returning from COVID,” Dotson says. “A robust arts scene contributes to the quality of life and attracts businesses and talent to the area.”

Since the industry was brought to a standstill with the pandemic, Celebrity Attractions has taken the opportunity to build its audiences back up and deliver world-class entertainment.

At the heart of the organization resides the relationships built over four decades in Tulsa. “We prioritize relationships — with patrons and subscribers, our corporate partners, the venues and labor forces that work behind the scenes, the media and the companies in New York,” Dotson says. “Cultivating and maintaining strong relationships are the key to our success.”

This year’s season continues this month with the blockbuster “Hamilton,” followed by “Ain’t Too Proud” and “Legally Blonde: The Musical.”

7506 E. 91st St, Tulsa, OK 74133 918-477-7469 | CelebrityAttractions.com

General Manager DeAndre Simmons

SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS TO DISTINGUISHED PR PROFESSIONALS

The Public Relations Society of America Tulsa Chapter recognizes a special group of leaders in the field of public relations. All share the distinction and honor of being named an APR-credentialed member or a College of Fellows inductee. Each has achieved significant milestones throughout his or her career. Above all, each adheres to the PRSA Code of Ethics as the keystone for which they perform the profession. These professionals work across the region and directly influence how businesses, nonprofits and government entities communicate to the world — building and protecting the reputations of the organizations they represent.

The Tulsa Chapter of PRSA is recognizing its newest members of the College of Fellows, Ellen Averill, Jeremy Burton and Sam Sims.

❖  COLLEGE OF FELLOWS  ❖

The Tulsa Chapter has 39 accredited members, one of the largest percentages of accredited members in the county. The Accreditation in Public Relations is the only national postgraduate certification program for the public relations profession.

Ellen Averill Fellow 2022

Jeremy Burton Fellow 2022

Lauren Brookey Fellow 2015

Dana Birkes Fellow 2011

Melissa Clark Fellow 2016 Chris Payne Fellow 2014

Charles Schnake APR 1990

Sam Sims Fellow 2022

Graham Sudbury APR 1991

Steve Turnbo APR 2002

Ed Wheeler APR 2002

Ellen Averill APR 2014

Lauren Brookey APR 1990

Amanda Murphy APR 2013

Kari Shults APR 2013

Bonnie Rucker APR, 2013

Dana Birkes APR 2001

Julie Claggett APR 2011

Nicole Morgan APR 2010

Ashley Antle APR 2010

Ginny Hensley APR 2012

Nicole Nascenzi APR 2017

Jeremy Burton APR 2003

Carissa Hon APR 2016

Joy McGill APR 2009

Barrett Waller APR 2000

Kristen Turley APR 2005

Kristin Ware APR 2007

Nicole Burgin APR 2017

Leah Harper APR 2012

Adam Paluka APR 2018

Melissa Clark APR 1998

Rachel James APR 2012

Chris Payne APR 1996

Michelle Brooks APR 2015

Tracy Kennedy APR 1998

Carson Colvin APR 2022

Sam Sims APR 2005

Rachel Weaver Smith APR 2015

Abigail Singrey APR 2020

Amber Remke APR 2007 Rainey Talbot APR 2017

VINTAGE VIBES

In stitches

A LOVE OF SEWING AND VINTAGE STYLE BUILD A BUSINESS.

BY ANNE BROCKMAN

Colorful patterns, thoughtful design and handmade touches are the elements that bind Houston Conner ’s business, Houston and Scott custom pillows and home decor.

Conner’s love of sewing started early, around age 8, learning the craft from his mom and grandmother on an early 1960s Singer Fashion Mate machine and a high school home economics class. Frustrations with a modern machine turned Conner away, but as soon as the pandemic hit, he returned to the craft he loves with a purchase of a 1961 Dressmaker machine.

Friend Derek Bennett of home interiors store Fifteenth and Home provided Conner with a bag of scrap fabric, which helped the entrepreneur start a business focused on custom throw pillows using upcycled or vintage fabrics all made on vintage machines.

While anyone can go online and purchase fabric, Conner says, “I really try and keep a selection of vintage fabrics because it’s a trend. I just sent eight pillows to HGTV Magazine for a photoshoot they were doing. ey had staged a whole living room about sustainability and upcycling and fashion. ( e editor) chose all vintage fabric pillows.”

He ships a lot of pillows to the coasts — New York, New Jersey and California — but is starting to see more interest here in the heartland.

Conner sources fabric from everywhere — Etsy, Ebay, Facebook Marketplace and in-person vintage store shopping trips. And when inspiration strikes, he runs with it.

“I get an idea for a new technique or a new way to use my machine and I’m just like a dog with a bone. I want to explore that until I have something I can produce with that,” he says, mentioning a collaboration with local manufacturer Silver Silk, which knits jewelry chain. Conner has experimented sewing the soft, knit metal chain onto panels and into seams. “ is really motivates me because it’s something di erent and new.”

Conner’s pillows have custom touches, like interesting backs, 3-D shapes and incorporating quilting techniques to enhance what might otherwise be a subdued pattern. He also does repair jobs and other home interiors projects such as drapes.

He runs the company with husband Scott Black — the accounting and marketing side of the business — from his backyard studio. “I lived with the idea for close to a year,” says Conner, whose day job is managing a law rm’s records department. “ e rst day I walked in the door and my desk was in place, it just felt like I had always been here.”

Learn more about Houston and Scott at houstonandscott.com. TP

Houston Conner, seated, is the creative side of custom pillow and home decor company Houston and Scott, which he runs out of his home with husband Scott Black, the other half of the company.

A natural fit

When he’s scrolling on Instagram, Johnny Kelsey isn’t likely to be looking at cute dog videos. Instead, he’s admiring different types of wood. Kelsey — the owner of Septimber Roots, a custom carpentry and furniture business — is a self-affirmed wood geek.

He got his start in carpentry on construction sites, where he spent years learning the business from men who’d been doing it their whole lives. After he moved on to work as an office manager, woodworking became his hobby. Then, three years ago, the Tulsa native surprised his wife with a custom bench as a Christmas gift, and she insisted he needed to be creating furniture for a living. Thus, Septimber Roots was born.

“Large projects are my passion,” Kelsey says. “I make heirloom furniture. I don’t use screws. Instead, I hand-cut joints and fi t the pieces together like a puzzle.”

Kelsey’s signature is abstract, using the wood’s natural shape filled in with colorful or neutral epoxy.

“My style is symmetrical but chaotic and natural-looking, with continuous motion,” Kelsey says. “I do this as an expression of my art.”

Kelsey makes everything from charcuterie boards to coasters to conference room tables. A recent favorite project was a custom hood vent for a kitchen. He imported olive wood root pieces, then filled the space in-between with black epoxy, installing the final creation in his client’s kitchen.

He sources the wood for Septimber Roots from Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, California, and even as far as Turkey. Sometimes, when he’s at a sawmill, he’ll see a piece of wood that would be perfect for a client and text them a picture. Kelsey loves working collaboratively with his clients, allowing them to see the wood and grain patterns before the final placement in the piece.

“I’ve met some beautiful people with beautiful artistic visions,” Kelsey says. “My favorite part is building something that people will pass down to their children.”

Find Kelsey on Facebook and Instagram @septimberroots for more information.

Johnny Kelsey, sitting at a table he made, is the founder of Septimber Roots, a custom carpentry and furniture business. Find Kelsey’s work online or at seasonal art festivals and special events.

Succulent success

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR THE POPULAR, LOW-MAINTENANCE PLANTS.

BY ALLEN ROBINSON

Many people wonder, “are cacti and succulents the same?”

Well, all cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti. Cacti, as part of the Cactaceae family, are a subcategory within a group of plants that are collectively known as succulents, or water-storing plants.

Succulents come in many shapes, sizes, colors and textures and they take little maintenance to survive and thrive. Conversely, sometimes they struggle because we tend to over-maintain them.

So, what is the secret to thriving succulents?

It starts with light. Look for the brightest area in your home, which is generally a south-facing window. ey need at least four to six hours of sunlight but prefer eight or more. If that is not achievable, consider a grow light. If you nd they are losing their compactness by stretching out and getting leggy, they need more light.

Next, use a well-draining soil. While succulents do need watering, they do not like to sit in water. Look for a cactus-type soil mix, then add a good amount of perlite or pumice, up to a 1-to-1 ratio. ese amendments retain little moisture and help the soil drain. Perlite or pumice can usually be found at a garden center or hardware store.

Overwatering might be the biggest challenge succulents face. Keep succulents on the dry side. A good rule of thumb is to water succulents thoroughly once a week in the summer, twice a month in the spring and fall, and only once a month during their winter dormancy. But do not under

water either. If the soil dries completely for too long, roots may desiccate, ceasing growth. Do not use a spray bottle. Instead, water deeply by completely soaking the soil and letting it drain out quickly, which will promote deep root growth.

Apply a balanced liquid fertilizer, diluted to half strength, once or twice in the spring (or autumn for summer-dormant varieties such as senecios and aeoniums).

Finally, prevent infestations by giving succulents excellent air circulation. If pests appear, spray with 70% rubbing alcohol diluted 50% with water. Scale can be scraped o or treated with horticultural soap (not dish soap) and horticultural oil. Isolate any infested plants immediately to prevent spread and thoroughly clean the area. If pests are winning, take cuttings from una ected growth and establish them in fresh soil. Discard the diseased plant and soil, then clean the pot before reusing.

Succulents are a great starter plant for kids and a terri c addition to any indoor landscape. Here are 10 of the more common succulents that do well both outdoors and indoors:

Aloe Vera • Echeveria • Hens and Chicks

Haworthia Zebra • Jade Plant • Kalanchoe Sempervivum • Snake Plant • String of Pearls

ZZ Plant TP

ank you to Tulsa County Master Gardeners for their expertise in this subject matter. Allen Robinson has been a Master Gardener since 2010.

Lunch and Learns expand to south Tulsa

After audience suggestion, Tulsa Master Gardeners will double its Lunch and Learn educational programs and add sessions at south Tulsa’s Hardesty Library in addition to Central Library.

“We are bringing some really great speakers this spring, plus a few surprises, such as hands-on demonstrations, along with our Oklahoma State University research-based information,” says Master Gardener Diane Hambric

These free presentations begin at noon on March 21 (Central) and at 1 p.m. on March 23 (Hardesty) with the topic of gardening for pollinators. These continue each week through April 27 ranging in subject matter from container gardening to growing tomatoes, herbs and houseplants to saving heirloom seeds.

Aloe vera

ZZ plant

Jade plant

Snake plant

Feels like family

World Down Syndrome Day is recognized on March 21, and the Down Syndrome Association of Tulsa is ready to celebrate. On a mission to enhance the lives of individuals with Down syndrome, DSAT raises awareness with local events and celebrations all year long.

Katy Hough, executive director of DSAT, became involved with the organization in 2014 after receiving a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome with her son, Jonah. While seeking out resources she and her husband found a home within the DSAT community. “We immediately felt like they were family and have been involved ever since,” she says.

According to Hough, DSAT accomplishes its mission by focusing on empowerment, inclusion, education and purposeful connections.

“Most of our community endeavors focus on providing resources and celebrations for individuals with Down syndrome and their families in the Tulsa area,” she says. “We are a small organization with a lot of heart and want to do so many things.”

In addition to hosting quarterly breakfasts for parents of kids who’ve just received a diagnosis, DSAT provides scholarships and hospital stipends for local families. e organization also hosts webinars and workshops on important life topics — from potty training to nancial planning — and publishes a yearly calendar showcasing the beauty of the local Down syndrome community.

e biggest DSAT event of the year is the annual Tulsa Buddy Walk, a nationally recognized event that takes place every fall. “It’s not only a joy- lled event to celebrate our friends with Down syndrome, it’s also our biggest fundraiser of the year,” Hough says.

As a nonpro t organization that reaches more than 330 families, DSAT uses nancial support to grow its medical outreach and provide important resources to the community. ere are many opportunities for Tulsans to help the organization’s mission, including providing nancial donations, buying wish list items and volunteering to help with events.

Plus, Hough says, there’s an even simpler way to get involved.

“Be inclusive in your everyday life! Recognize that our di erences are what make us awesome and get to know an individual with Down syndrome and their family — I promise, you will be blessed.”

For more information, visit dsat.org. — HEATHER KOONTZ

Down Syndrome Association of Tulsa Executive Director Katy Hough and son, Jonah. DSAT, officially organized in 1984, raises awareness with local events and enhances the lives of those with Down syndrome.

MISSOURI OR BUST

SPEND SPRING IN THE OZARKS AT THESE DESTINATIONS.

BY RHYS MARTIN

It’s easy to take the beauty of the Ozarks for granted when you live in northeast Oklahoma. Many families have fond memories of trips to Silver Dollar City or seeing a show in Branson, and the natural beauty of southwest Missouri is something special that makes it easy to slow down, relax and take in the splendor of the great outdoors.

DOGWOOD CANYON NATURE PARK is ideal for those seeking time basking in the nature of the region. e park was founded by Johnny Morris (of Bass Pro Shop fame) and covers 10,000 acres of Ozark beauty. at acreage can be experienced through miles of paved and unpaved hiking, biking and horseback riding trails. Spring-fed streams are popular with trout shermen, and the bountiful wildlife can be seen on its popular open-air tram ride, which also takes visitors past waterfalls and tall, commanding limestone blu s. If you want to learn more, the park also features an interactive conservation center and a working gristmill. e on-site Mill and Canyon Grill Restaurant also is open year-round, so it’s easy to make a whole day out of your visit.

Not far away, PERSIMMON HILL FARM is hard to beat for a fresh taste of local avor. It’s a working berry, fruit and mushroom farm on the south side of Table Rock Lake that is open late May through early August. Not only can you pick blueberries and blackberries when they are in season, but its bakery and restaurant o er many farm-to-fork goods all year. ere’s plenty to love at this 40-yearold, family-owned operation — a local favorite is the Blueberry under Mu n. If you ask for the Cumulobluebus, they’ll ll one of those warm mu ns with ice cream.

Of course, you can enjoy the natural splendor of the TABLE ROCK LAKE area in a more active way, too. Top of the Rock Golf Course in Ridgedale is a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course with a stunning view of the lake in the immaculately maintained surroundings of the Ozark Heritage Preserve. A 150-year-old barn on-site was relocated from Arnold Palmer ’s property in Pennsylvania — history bu s will love exploring the artifacts within to learn more about one of the game’s most legendary players.

TABLE ROCK STATE PARK is a wonderful jumpingo point (pun intended!) for swimming and boating in the summer months; it o ers a scenic drive and hiking/cycling trails any time of the year. Campsites are plentiful and the park even o ers lodging in a premium yurt. It’s also situated very close to BRANSON , so if you need a few shows or indoor activities to balance out your time in nature, there are a host of options within easy reach. TP

Branson Ferris Wheel

Persimmon Hill Farm’s Cumulobluebus, a blueberry muffi n fi lled with ice cream

Dogwood Canyon Nature Park

Giveaway Date: June 25, 2023

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MY BADASS DINNER PARTY

BY CONNIE CRONLEY

Nobody has asked me that ubiquitous interview question, “If you could invite four people — living or dead — to a dinner party, who would they be?”

Looks like nobody is going to ask, so I’m volunteering my answer. March 8 is International Women’s Day, a day to honor women’s achievements and equality. In celebration, I would invite four women activists — all long dead.

In their ery lifetimes, they were some of the most in uential women in American history. Loved by the people but sometimes vili ed by the press, they were fearless trailblazers long before the word badass became popular vernacular. More than a century before a New York Times Opinion headline identi ed Nancy Pelosi as a badass, these women t the description.

ey were of the Victorian era, a time when some women were busting out of stereotypical gender roles, and they all happened to be of Irish descent. ey survived hardship and deprivation and didn’t have the vote, but these activists had a voice and they used it for reform crusades.

e four guests at my buckle-up dinner party would be Mary Harris “Mother” Jones, Mary Elizabeth Lease, Kate Barnard and Margaret Sanger.

Jones (1837-1930), a widow denounced as “the most dangerous woman in America,” was a labor activist, organizing union strikes and advocat-

ing for an eight-hour work day and better wages. Arrested and jailed well into her mid-80s, she wore a long black dress, a tidy bonnet and could outswear any miner. Her motto was, “Pray for the dead and work like hell for the living.”

Lease (1850-1933), known as America’s rst woman politician, was a tall, queenly writer and orator from Kansas. In the crushing poverty of the 1890s, she rallied poor farmers against merciless railroads, gouging banks and corrupt politicians. “Wall Street owns the country,” she raged. With the Farmers’ Alliance she formed a third political party to ght corruption and injustice. Some of the press called her the prairie’s Joan of Arc while critics denounced her as “unwomanly” for her rabble-rousing speeches.

Barnard (1875-1930), petite social reformer praised as the Good Angel of Oklahoma, was the rst elected woman o cial in the state and a spellbinding orator who crusaded for public education, compassionate mental health care, reformed criminal justice, livable wages and safe working conditions for miners. Her failed campaign to restore swindled properties to Native orphans destroyed her state o ce, her health and her life.

Sanger (1879-1966), a visiting nurse working in New York’s squalid Lower East Side in the early 1900s, saw how repeated, unwanted pregnancies devastated the poor. Families with more children than they could a ord su ered starvation and pri-

vation; women died from too many childbirths or abortions, often self-administered. ey begged her for help, and she devoted her life to sex education and birth control (a term she coined), which she promoted as a basic human right. She was maligned, prosecuted and arrested for her e orts.

What to serve at the dinner would be irrelevant because they would be more interested in causes than cuisine. Lease was a fervent prohibitionist, so no alcohol for her, but Jones might not say no to a good bottle of beer.

If I asked them: “What contemporary crusade issue would you tackle? Hunger, refugees, minimum wage, housing, environment, climate change?” eir silent, astonished glares would be the answer: Didn’t I realize their original issues are still pertinent?

I would cringe as they surveyed my cream-pu life. If I were more adventurous — a barrel racer, a jingle-dress dancer, a street busker singing Edith Piaf songs — I might feel worthy of their company. If I picketed and protested and marched and shouted speeches on the corner and was arrested for it, then I might feel quali ed to sit with my four dinner guests.

Sanger’s autobiography is dedicated to “all the pioneers of new and better worlds to come.” at’s why I’d squeeze in one more guest, Greta unberg, representing the young badass activists coming down the pike. TP

LUXURY

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PRESTON WOODS

Beautiful home on a quiet cul-desac in Preston Woods Subdivision in Jenks Southeast School District! True 5 Bedroom home with formal dining, formal living & study. Kitchen opens to den. Master suite with double closets & stunning brand new master spa bath. Large game room + bonus room (could be media or exercise) & 4 spacious bedrooms upstairs with 2 full baths. Extensive hardwoods. Newer paint, carpet & roof. Covered Pergola overlooks a beautiful park-like yard. $547,900

1.65 ACRES - OWASSO

1.65 acre parcel in Owasso. Situated on 106th St North between Sheridan and Memorial. Enjoy country living just 2 miles outside of town. Flat lot ready to build your dream home. Per survey 125’ frontage on 106th St. Zoned AG. Excellent location with easy access to Hwy 75 and just minutes to downtown Tulsa. $145,000

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PRATTWOOD ESTATES

Prattwood Estates spacious executive 1-level brick home on corner lot, offers 3BD, 4 full BA, 2 primary suites w/walk-in closets, split floor plan, soaring ceilings w/ natural light, en-suite baths in each, great views of the indoor pool, lrg great room w/woodburning fireplace combo w/kitchen & island, Sub Zero refrigerator, separate ice maker, double ovens, perfect place to entertain, lrg walk-in pantry, formal dining room w/granite dining table, tile, hardwood & carpet. Indoor pool room has full kitchen & great entertaining space, walk out to double lot parklike setting w/lighted tennis court, fireplace, firepit, patio w/privacy fence surrounding property, circle dr, professionally landscaped & outdoor lighting. Security stays. Roof is brand new!10 min from both Tulsa & Keystone Lake. $625,000

SOUTHRIDGE ESTATES

Large Master suite, a great outdoor deck area, and large rooms. There are several recent updates, new gutters, a new deck. Enjoy your wooded setting in complete privacy! Jenks school district. $379,000

and even a zip line! Truly a Staycation!

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3732 S. Utica Avenue| Midtown shopping, dining and entertainment nearby! Easy highway access. Updated Kitchen with high-end appliances, including subzero

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4824 S. YORKTOWN PLACE | $424,000

Incredibly well maintained & spacious patio home in a gated neighborhood in Midtown, Bolewood Place. This home has 2 bedrooms on the first floor, and en suite bathrooms attached to all 3 bedrooms. Large kitchen and vaulted living room with French doors opening up to a courtyard and patio. 3rd bedroom and game room upstairs with full bathroom and storage. Hardwood floors in the main living area and the open concept makes this home attractive for entertainment. Don’t miss this one!

3142 E. 34TH STREET | $605,000

Beautiful home in Ranch Acres neighborhood on a large corner lot. 3 beds, 2.5 baths & 2 car garage with additional workspace. Gorgeous hardwood floors with newer windows and fresh paint. The backyard and large patio are perfect for entertaining. A fully automated saltwater pool with a waterfall cascading from the hot tub plus a tanning ledge with a bubbler built by Wallace Pools. Pre-wired for electric vehicles.

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2858 E. 67th Place | Southern Hills Contemporary 1.26 acre secluded cul-desac lot. Dramatic architecture by Frank Wallace, ORU architect. Vaulted ceilings/ incredible natural light. Primary suite offers floor to ceiling windows. Designated office. Spacious beds w/ensuite baths & walk in closets. 2 BR suites on 1st floor. Private lush yard/greenbelt & mature trees. Walk out basement/game room. Outdoor kitchen & patio w/entertaining space. Entire home renovated to perfection. Short golf cart ride to back gate of Southern Hills. Pool site plans available. 6 bed, 7.5 bath, 4 car garage, 8,716 Sq. Ft. $2,295,000

2200 S. Utica Place 7C | Exclusive penthouse community with limited number of residences for low maintenance elegant living . Fabulous views and extreme privacy. 24 hour security provides residence comfortable secure living. Dramatic ceiling height and abundant natural light fill the rooms. 2 bedroom, 2 full bath. Secure private garage parking in the residence only garage. Views of Cascia Hall and Utica Square. Large outdoor terrace with outdoor kitchen. Gardening space on balcony. Architecturally the building is stunning. 3,104 Sq. Ft. $1,690,000

2200 S. Utica Place 6C | Rare opportunity to own the last unfinished unit. Architectural plans and detailed design plans are available for the condo space created by the team of John R. Allen (Architect, Dallas) and Barry Williams of Williams Design (Dallas). Italian Valcucine kitchen and Rimadesio closet designed by Scott Pohlenz (Tulsa) in collaboration with John Allen and Barry Williams. Plans and numerous materials (Pohlenz cabinetry, appliances, HVAC units,slabs of marble and ceramic surfaces) convey with purchase. Majestic views and extreme privacy. Large outdoor terrace with room for outdoor kitchen. Gardening space can be created on balcony. Highest level finishes throughout the building. Come experience the Utica Place lifestyle. 3,755 Sq. Ft. $1,500,000

2534 E. 23rd Street| Beautiful midtown home. Two bedrooms, two baths. Freshly painted inside and out. Refinished hardwood floors. New carpet, light fixtures, Kitchen backsplash. New Out door storage. Quarters not included in recorded square footage.

1,582 Sq. Ft. $525,000

8231 S. Kingston Avenue| Beautifully updated home in gated Stonewall Estates; 1.65 acres w/ mature trees & heavy landscaping; 2 large bed down, 3 up, each w/ walk-in closet & private bath. Large game room with bath and mini kitchen, theater, office & a gym. Outdoor living w/ kitchen, FP, pool, spa, tree house

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A spacious living area with double doors leads you to a captivating gunite salt water pool with color changing LED lighting, a tanning ledge, and a beautiful waterfall feature cascading from the in-built hot tub. This home offers an ideal plan with master down as well as a second suite down with private bath. You will also find a vaulted office through double doors off of massive entry way. Upstairs has an additional two bedrooms, bath and a large theatre room with an impressive bar. Home is filled with many upgrades and premium finishes, hand-scraped red oak wood floors, exotic granite, 8' entry door, double oven, 6 burner stove, pot filler, soft close cabinets, barnsiding ceiling, sprinkler system, spray foam insulation, high efficiancy heat and air to name a few. The walk-in attic has a massive amount of storage. Built by Executive Homes, house is located in sought after Shadow Trails in Bixby Schools. Call now to see this stunning property.

Photographed by: Sydney Jumper Photography

International relations

Salt and Lime Social is the newest concept mixing Oklahoma flavor with south-of-the-border style. One of its specialty items, the 918 Taco Burger ($10), fully captures the Mexican/American blend of the restaurant nestled in the heart of the burgeoning Gunboat District. This burger consists of seasoned ground beef, fresh lettuce and tomato, housemade guacamole, Monterey Jack cheddar cheese, crispy bacon and crunchy tortilla slivers all piled atop a buttered burger bun. TP

1121 S. ELGIN AVE. | SALTANDLIMESOCIAL.COM READ

Something TO CHALK ABOUT

REVAMPED SPACE AND MENU AT THE CHALKBOARD WELCOMES DINERS.

BY NATALIE MIKLES

Even when it’s seemingly quiet at e Chalkboard, there’s always something happening. e kitchen itself is a workhorse, open 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m. e Chalkboard equally serves Ambassador Hotel guests and Tulsans stopping in for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s also a popular place for work meetings, baby showers, rehearsal dinners and other private parties.

We met Executive Chef Daniel Gibb on a quiet weekday morning to talk about e Chalkboard’s culinary and aesthetic refresh in 2022.

Gibb came to Tulsa from Scotland in 2017 and a year later started working as sous chef at e Chalkboard, pleased to have found a ne dining restaurant where he could put his classical French training and hotel experience to use. He took on the role of executive chef in 2019. He didn’t expect to call Tulsa home, but he is now the heart of the restaurant.

Part of Gibb’s hand in e Chalkboard has been to shift the restaurant to make it a little more casual. He sees e Chalkboard as both a place for ne dining and quick, comfortable lunches or dinners with friends.

“We used to be thought of mostly for special occasions — but we want people to come every day. You can come for your anniversary dinner, but also for breakfast,” he says.

When we visited, we had a nice lunch of crab cakes and a French dip, sharing the two, plus hand-cut sweet potato fries. e crab cakes ($22) were crisp and light, just as they should be, with kale, Parmesan and a lemon aioli. e French dip ($18) was shaved from a ribeye on toasty bread with horseradish sauce and a cup of au jus. Both were great.

For dinner, Gibb recommends the chicken ballotine ($28), with a sweet potato puree and broccolini. Also great is the eggplant lasagna ($26), with fried eggplant, tomato ratatouille,

Bread pudding with white chocolate ganache and fresh berries

Parmesan crisps and cherry tomatoes. Another customer favorite is the halibut ($38), pan seared and served with a mustard cream, arugula salad and poached egg.

Fried chicken is one of the things Gibb rst encountered after arriving in Tulsa. It was a dish he came to love, perfecting it by creating a breading that rivals that of longtime Oklahoma cooks.

e fried chicken ($26) is fantastic — served with a spicy honey lime sauce and cornbread. It’s how this Scottish chef does Oklahoma fried chicken.

e beef Wellington ($50) is another Chalkboard dinner staple, but Gibb has added an iteration to the menu that customers are loving. His beef Wellington bites ($22), an appetizer, are a great way to sample a taste of the Wellington without ordering the full dish. It’s a great rst course and is served with a creamy peppercorn sauce. ere’s also a mushroom Wellington ($26) for those opting for vegetarian fare.

Brunch at e Chalkboard is another meal not to miss. Choose from eggs Benedict, buttermilk pancakes or three-egg omelet with tomato con t, bell peppers and spinach. Another standout brunch item is the hash stack — a lling plate of hash brown potatoes, avocado, spicy salsa and two eggs ($20).

Recent improvements to e Chalkboard’s interior are subtle, with more open space and a soothing dark blue color palette. Elegant table settings welcome guests for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

e Chalkboard has a few options for private dining — from a 60-seat event space upstairs to smaller private rooms for more intimate dinners. e wine cellar, which was recently remodeled, seats 20-30 people. Smaller, private spaces are also available for special occasions. e day we visited with Gibb, he was preparing dinner for two — a marriage proposal to take place that evening. TP

Executive Chef Daniel Gibb

Beef Wellington with creamy orzo and grilled asparagus

Pecan salad with arcadia greens, goat cheese, apple and dried cranberries

Cranberry mocktail

Three cheers for BACON JAM

When we visited with Executive Chef Daniel Gibb at The Chalkboard (p. 88), he shared with us the recipe for the downtown restaurant’s bacon jam. Gibbs uses the jam as a component in his beef Wellington, one of The Chalkboard’s signature dishes. That dreamy dish — tenderloin rubbed with coarse mustard and bacon jam, coated with duxelles and wrapped in puff pastry — is best left to the experts. But we gladly took the recipe for the jam to share with TulsaPeople readers.

Bacon jam is wonderful on a charcuterie board with crackers, glazed nuts and cheese. It’s also delicious smeared on bread for a grilled cheese sandwich, spooned onto English muffins with poached eggs or used as a spread on avocado toast. Or use it as a hamburger topping for what’s becoming an almost classic combo.

THE CHALKBOARD’S BACON JAM

1/2 cup olive oil

1 red onion, chopped

10 ounces bacon

1 cup molasses

1 cup Marsala cooking wine

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

8 ounces heavy cream

In a pan, heat oil and saute onions until soft. Add bacon and cook for 5 minutes.

Add molasses, Marsala, red wine vinegar and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 15-20 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and pour ingredients into blender. Blend until smooth. Add cream to get desired consistency and color.

It’s all about the toppings for this burger. Fire up the grill for this one.

BACON JAM BURGER Serves 4

1 pound ground beef

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons pepper

4 hamburger buns, toasted

1/2 cup mayonnaise

4 slices sharp cheddar cheese

4 slices Gruyere cheese

Lettuce, tomato and onion, if desired

Bacon jam

Heat grill to medium-high heat. Divide ground beef into four patties, then coat liberally with salt and pepper. Grill burgers to preferred temperature.

Spread toasted buns with mayonnaise. Add hamburger patties, cheese and a generous spoonful of bacon jam.

Add any condiments you like. — NATALIE MIKLES

SMALL BATCH, BIG TASTE

In 2019, Daniel Contreras , pictured, teamed up with his cousin Phillip Stanford to create Fat Candy BBQ Sauce, a smallbatch operation featuring three flavor profiles: Original, Sweet and Spicy, and Oklahoma Heat. The latter is particularly popular with its dose of cayenne and red pepper flakes. Fat Candy sauce is thin, with a sweet stickiness to it from the molasses and brown sugar base. It has hints of a sauce familiar to many Tulsans: Knotty Pine BBQ. “I grew up on Knotty Pine BBQ Sauce. There was always a big bottle of it in the refrigerator,” Contreras says.

Contreras sold loads of his sauce at the 2022 Tulsa State Fair. It also can be found at OkieSpice and Trade Co. in Sand Springs and at Hill Co. in Skiatook. Orders can also be made by phone at 918-520-2681 or by emailing fatcandybbq@gmail.com.

Shop goods rooted in local land

Think of Grassroots Larder, 1325 E. 15th St., Suite 107, as a sort-of indoor farmers’ market. This much-anticipated storefront on Cherry Street is a one-stop shop for locally sourced groceries, grab-and-go meals, in-house made pastries and an espresso bar serving Topeca Coffee.

This neighborhood shop offering sustainable and specialty food products is the only retail location for the market’s sister company, Grassroots Ranch. Grassroots Ranch’s pasture-raised, grass-fed meats and eggs are for sale at Grassroots Larder.

Grassroots Ranch’s philosophy for regenerative and sustainable farming practices is also part of the mission of Grassroots Larder.

“We are thankful to provide shoppers a unique shopping experience in their immediate community and we are excited about the impact we can have on the local economy,” says Pamela Weigle, Grassroots Larder’s general manager.

The Larder — open Tuesday-Sunday — sells many products from artisan and smallbatch local companies, like Ali Made Foods, Roark Acres Honey, Yucca Lane and Amelia Creamery. — NATALIE MIKLES

Fat Candy BBQ Sauce will have a tasting event March 4 at OkieSpice and Trade Co.

TAPPING IN AT MARSHALL

Madison Gillispie was named taproom manager at Marshall Brewing Co., Tulsa’s oldest operating brewery.

Gillispie is a native of Ada, and graduated from Oklahoma State University, where she majored in biochemistry and molecular biology. Proper studies for working at a brewery.

“Throughout college, I was in the service industry, and I really thrived and loved it. I met some of my best friends and some of the greatest people I’ve ever met,” Gillispie says. “Since then, I’ve always been in the service industry. Post-grad I started bartending and my love for craft beer really grew throughout that time.”

Gillispie started learning about craft beers by working at Hideaway Pizza. She also worked at R-Bar. From there, she moved to American Solera, a recent semifinalist for the 2023 James Beard award for Outstanding Bar.

Her education in craft beer began with some college courses, but her experience furthered her career.

To work in the craft beer industry, you must love craft beer, and she does — from IPAs to lagers.

“Marshall is more of a traditional style (brewery). We have our mainstays here that you can drink and always get, but we’re looking to host more fun events where we can take our beer and add certain things to it.”

Events like limited releases, a First Friday Firkin (meaning small cask) and disc golf games and live music

Celebrating "The Queen"!

in the beer garden are just some of what’s to come.

Gillispie is planning more events for the weekends as well. They hope for a more consistent food truck located at the taproom.

“I know that food keeps people in the seats drinking beer, and it’s nice to not have to leave or bring in your own stuff. So it’s definitely something that is in the works here, and I’m super excited to get going,” Gillispie says.

If you go into the taproom and are greeted by Gillispie, her beer recommendation would be their SMASH. That translates into a beer made with a single malt and single hop.

“My favorite Marshall beer is a SMASH Pilsner. The newest iteration will have Hallertau Blanc hops. It’s got nice notes of like a white grape Sauvignon Blanc-type feel. Super crushable and just easy drinking and it’s delicious,” she says.

Gillispie touts Tulsa’s tight-knit brewery industry and community. “We have a lot of really, really strong women who are getting things done and they’re doing a great job and I am lucky to be in a community with such strong women figures,” she says.

Marshall Brewing Co.’s taproom is located at 1742 E. Sixth St. and is open 3-8 p.m., Monday-Wednesday; 3-9 p.m., Thursday; noon-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday; and noon-6 p.m., Sunday. — TOM

GILBERT

Madison Gillispie

TOM GILBERT

Betty "The Queen" Southard, founder and owner of Tulsa's White Lion Pub, was honored with a gala 90th birthday party on February 12th at the home of son John Southard and Dennis Neill. Family members and friends gathered to toast Betty who moved to Tulsa in 1957 from her native Liverpool and started the "authentically British" restaurant and pub in 1999 with son John. Pictured at the party are hosts Dennis Neill and John Southard with the honoree.

Pickle board

FROM JANE’S DELICATESSEN

1401 E. 11TH ST., SUITE D | 918-872-0501 | JANESDELICATESSEN.COM

SHARE WITH FRIENDS

A variety of pickled fruits and vegetables — with slight variations depending on season and availability — makes this appetizer a unique one on a local restaurant menu. $8.

BRINEY GOODNESS

Some of these pickled delights, like pickled green tomato, also make appearances on other menu items, including the Schnitzel BLT ($14), Latke Sammy ($14) and Smoked Tuna Melt ($15).

Friendly VENTURE

Salt and Lime Social, 1121 S. Elgin Ave., may be new to the Gunboat District, but this is not owners Shelby Remy and Spencer Snow ’s first time in the restaurant scene. The two friends opened their first restaurant, Salt and Vinegar, in spring 2020 at Mother Road Market. Salt and Lime Social is their first stand-alone restaurant. Built in repurposed shipping containers, this eclectic space is adding some Oklahoma flair to Mexican food. The menu spans from a Chopped Taco Salad ($13-$18) to a variety of Gunboat Crispy Wings ($10-$21) and Fried Brussels Sprouts ($3.50 or $7). Choose your favorite dip for your chips, grab a taco or two and enjoy the indoor or outdoor dining. This restaurant feels like eating on a neighbor’s patio with an outdoor fire pit, music playing and an adjacent dog park for all furry friends.

The Chicken Club Taco ($6) boasts tequilalime blackened chicken with lettuce, tomato, bacon, Monterey Jack cheddar cheese and a jalapeño ranch dressing. The most popular item is the Elgin Street Taco ($3), with seasoned ground beef and fresh cilantro green apple slaw.

NEW SPOT

Jane’s re-opened in the Meadow Gold District in July 2022. The new spot boasts a patio, with a lunch and dinner menu serving up a mix of Jewish, German and French-Canadian inspired dishes.

And as the name hints at, Salt and Lime Social has a soft spot for tequila. With signature margaritas and local brews, this restaurant is the perfect place to spend happy hour.

Salt and Lime Social’s hours fluctuate, but it’s open for lunch and dinner TuesdaySaturday, as well as on Sunday. Remy and Snow plan to expand the restaurant’s hours when the weather gets warmer. Hours are updated weekly on social media pages @saltandlimesocial.

— ABBY MEDICO

Strawberry basil and classic margaritas

Cheers for beers

LOOKING TO TOAST THE PATRON SAINT OF IRELAND? TRY ONE OF THESE SOUTH TULSA PUBS.

HOP THE GRIFFIN is a microbrewery serving craft beer in a cozy environment. Beer is brewed on-site, which adds to the charm and authenticity of this pub. Graze on a charcuterie board, dig in to Bavarian pretzels dipped in spicy mustard or queso, or try the stone-fired pizza. In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, try the toasty-sweet Irish Ale, the Ambrosia Double IPA with a hint of spice and a tangerine finish, or the Imperial Oatmeal Stout with bourbon-aged vanilla beans and creamy chocolate.

7143 S. YALE AVE. | 918-292-8227 | FACEBOOK.COM/ HOPTHEGRIFFIN

McNellie’s has long been the place to go for your favorite beers on tap, and that includes plenty of Irish beer. But it’s not only Irish beer that’s worth the trip to MCNELLIE’S SOUTH . Check out the great selection of Irish whiskey, which overall has a brighter, lighter flavor than Scotch. McNellie’s South is a fun place to spend a few hours, but if that’s the case, you’re going to want something to eat. Go for the fish and chips — it’s one of the best in town. Or try the patty melt, a burger with Swiss cheese and grilled onions on marbled rye. 7031 S. ZURICH AVE. | 918-933-5250 | MCNELLIES.COM

You can find all the charm of a friendly U.K. pub at the WHITE LION . The setting, with multiple rooms for a homey feel, features intimate tables for two, larger communal tables and plenty of spots at the bar. A full-size cutout of Queen Elizabeth II, flags from soccer teams and framed fox hunting photos add to the charm. You’ll find Irish favorite beers like Guinness, Harp and Smithwick’s. Try the bangers and mash — sausage, mashed potatoes and brown gravy. 6927 S. CANTON AVE. | 918-491-6533

| WHITELIONPUBTULSA.COM — NATALIE MIKLES

FINE DINING

Exceptional service. Luxury aesthetics. Winning wine lists. Uncompromising menu and stand-out ingredients. These are the winners of TulsaPeople’s 2022 A-LIST Readers’ Choice Awards.

Mahogany Prime Steakhouse 4840 E. 61st St. 918-494-4043

mahoganyprimesteakhouse.com

Bull in the Alley

11 E. Reconciliation Way 918-949-9803

bullinthealley.com

Polo Grill 2038 Utica Square 918-744-4280 pologrill.com

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar 1976 Utica Square 918-712-7500

fl emingssteakhouse.com

Amelia’s Wood Fired Cuisine 122 N. Boston Ave. 918-728-2435 amelias.us

McGill’s 6058 S. Yale Ave. 918-388-8080

dinemcgills.com

Polo Grill

Hop the Griffin

McNellie’s South

The Tulsa Regional Chamber has again earned five-star distinction – the highest possible honor – from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Thank you to the members, investors and partners who enable us to shine.

BOOMING BUSINESS

STORY AND COMPOSITE IMAGE BY PATRICK MCNICHOLAS

The oil boom that occurred throughout Oklahoma during the early 1900s brought many people to the area with the idea of striking it rich. Many boomtowns were partially developed in a matter of months but lacked adequate infrastructure and resources for the inhabitants.

Ponca City, like Tulsa and many other cities during this time, was known for its oil interests and those who found success in the boom. In 1918, oilman E.W. Marland started Ponca City Building and Loan in Kay County, with the primary goal to nance home ownership.

e institution grew rapidly and was renamed Ponca City Savings and Loan. By 1934, there were a total of three branches outside of Ponca City (Enid, Oklahoma City and Tulsa). e Tulsa

branch o ce was located on Fourth Street before realizing the possibilities of a new location at 633 S. Boston Ave.

Construction of the new location began in April 1956. Tulsa architect Robert E. Buchner designed the building in the mid-century modern style with unique architectural features, like a layer of Virginia greenstone on the exterior and etched aluminum and terrazzo oors inside.

e building o cially opened to the public in January 1957 and continued as Ponca City Savings and Loan until the late 1970s.

A historic renovation of the building began in 2014. Since 2019, the building has been home to the Tulsa Foundation of Architecture. It also houses the American Institute of Architects Eastern Oklahoma chapter. TP

Ponca City Savings and Loan under construction in 1956 at the northeast corner of East Seventh Street and South Boston Avenue. The inner steel structure of the building can be seen near completion while a Patterson Steel Co. truck is visible in the foreground. Hotel Seneca sits in the background.