TulsaPeople March 2025

Stories to tell

5 female Tulsa artists and their diverse mediums

THE WOMEN’S ISSUE

YOUR

MATTER AT MABREY

YOU MATTER AT MABREY

Picture yourself spending more time on what you love. At Mabrey Bank, we focus on the complete panorama of your finances, allowing you to pursue your passions. Because if it matters to you, it matters to us.

Leaders with Heart

TULSA TREASURE.

Whether serving as the former Executive Director of Tulsa City-County Library, co-founding the Tulsa Day Center and the Tulsa Botanic Garden, Pat has been the author of a life welllived and focused on creating solutions.

“My reward is seeing how the results of my efforts have helped others and benefited the community. The relationships I have developed with other community leaders have been very gratifying,” she says. “When I needed help, they were always there to provide their time, money and advice. We all take from our community, and we have an obligation to contribute back to the community.”

Pat’s love of reading began young. Her father started taking her to the public library when she was 4 years old. By age 14, Pat had a summer job in the children’s section of the Parsons Kansas Library. After obtaining a master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma, Pat was hired by Tulsa City-County Library where she worked 32 years, including 20 years as the executive director.

Her library work brought her in contact with all segments of the community. Many people would come to the library because they had no place to go or they needed refuge from bad weather, but this presented a problem for conventional library users, Pat says. She convened a meeting with community officials and leaders, including the late Henry Zarrow and Ray Siegfried, who became instrumental in creating the Tulsa Day Center for the homeless.

Yet another plot began germinating while attending a Master Gardener course through Oklahoma State University where Pat heard instructor Barry Fugatt remark that “Tulsa needed a true world-class botanical garden.” She asked how she could help make that possible. Pat became a co-founder of the Tulsa Botanic Garden and served as its executive director from 1999 to 2010. Her husband Clayton is on the Board of Directors.

“I have learned that I can help begin the process of helping others and if the cause is a good one, there are many

people just waiting for a chance to help,” she says.

Additionally, Pat and her husband have been active in Trinity Episcopal Church for over 40 years. She was the first woman to hold the position of Senior Warden in the history of the church and served in that position for over seven years.

“Pat has been an extraordinary community leader for decades. She demonstrates the ability to see a need, craft a visionary solution, then turn the vision into reality. She is a role model for all of us to follow,” says Tom Bennett Jr., Executive Chairman of the Board for First Oklahoma Bank.

“First Oklahoma Bank is a true community bank. They provide great personal service, and if a problem arises, they are quick to solve it,” she says.

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Care that goes beyond. osumedicine.com

Hanna Fogg, D.O. | Board certified in endocrinology and internal medicine

CITY DESK

Tulsan wins big at Sundance. New season kicks off for FC Tulsa. Cherokee musician’s new work. St. Patrick’s Day event roundup.

TABLE TALK

Afghan dishes bring hope and flavor. Jenks’ new steakhouse.

Spring Break lunch ideas. Lattes on the go. 7

Fashion with a purpose. A grand adventure. Seeing green in Shamrock, Texas. Connie discovers the blue hours.

Brittany Bendabout, May Yang, Rachel Rector, Ebony Iman Dallas and Anne Pollard James at Carson House

Ebony Iman Dallas inside her Nomad Mystique workspace at Edison Studios, 4040 W. Edison St.

EDITOR’S LETTER

Last year Tulsa secured the copyright to call itself “Capital of Route 66.” It’s a well-earned distinction; after all, we have 28 glorious miles of the Mother Road running through our city dotted with some of the best businesses and characters. Just wait until next year when festivities abound for its 100th anniversary.

All of this got me thinking about other branding and icons of this city — many connected to our relationship with gold.

First, there’s the Golden Driller. e iconic statue is a re ection of our oil heritage and now is a must-stop photo op for any tourist or resident. His likeness can be found on T-shirts, mugs, keychains and many tchotchkes that make the perfect T-Town souvenir.

According to e University of Tulsa Athletic Department, the school’s nickname — Golden Hurricane — didn’t come from the city’s black gold roots. Originally called the Yellow Jackets, the football team was “roaring through opponents” and considered a name change to the Golden Tornadoes, but eventually settled on another meteorological term with the color stemming from the hue of their new jerseys. TU’s canine ambassador Goldie is a favorite at school events.

e term “Stay Gold” also has risen to become a cherished phrase used throughout the city. In Tulsan S.E. Hinton’s novel “ e Outsiders,” Johnny Cade tells Ponyboy to “stay gold.” It’s a memorable scene in the screen adaptation and now has a life of its own. Along with the Golden Driller, that

phrase is emblazoned on murals, tees and so much more.

In this issue alone you’ll nd two references to the phrase. On p. 21 Tulsa’s professional soccer team enters its new season with a Stay Gold home jersey. is year’s Mayfest theme is Stay Gold and will salute Hinton, the novel and the Tony Awardwinning musical, according to Festival Chair Julie Carson on p. 16. An East Village business owner has memorialized a location from “Rumble sh,” another Hinton book-to- lm adaptation, in her new storefront (p. 64).

Also this month we’ll introduce you to ve spectacular women artists who are making a big impact in our local arts communities. Features Editor Tim Landes’ pro les start on p. 46.

With the rise of Girl Dinner, we do our due diligence and rate Tulsa’s fry game (p. 52). I love my job.

As we enter March we’ll be teased with spring and all that it brings. I’m giddy as I type this since spring is my most cherished time of the year. It’s de nitely my pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. tp

Anne Brockman EDITOR

CAUSES PASSIONS

City Desk SCORE!

Midfielder Faysal Bettache, seen here at last year’s Sept. 11 match at ONEOK Field, is one of several returning players to FC Tulsa. Tulsa’s professional soccer team begins its new season in Phoenix on March 8 and the regular season continues through Oct. 25. tp

Be a piece of music history

This month marks the deadline to be involved in Chamber Music Tulsa’s new commission by composer and saxophonist Steven Banks, who will premiere the work on April 27.

“We’re very excited to be doing this work, not just this particular piece, but doing the work of commissioning, really supporting the whole network of chamber music across the country, that whole culture of composers and performers as well,” says Bruce Sorrell, executive director of Chamber Music Tulsa. “It puts and makes our series in Tulsa one of the more important series.”

CMT has set up different levels of support for donors to participate. With just $25 you can have

your name listed on the score as a contributor; donate $100 and be listed as a patron on the score and receive an invitation to a reception following the premiere and meet the performers and composer. Learn more details at chambermusictulsa.org.

This will be the sixth work CMT has commissioned since 2019. Sorrell says saxophone quartets and their works have grown in popularity. Along with its ticketed performances on April 25, 26 and 27, Kenari Quartet will play 10 additional outreach performances in various places — including Tulsa Boys’ Home, Street School and at a branch of Tulsa City-County Library — via support from the Vision Arts 5 program grant. — ANNE BROCKMAN

Missouri’s Zach Elam and Oklahoma State’s Konner Doucet compete at the 2024 Big 12 Wrestling Tournament at BOK Center. Tulsa’s arena will again host the 2025 competition, which runs March 8-9. Approximately 140 total wrestlers from the conference’s 14 programs will compete, including defending Big 12 champion Iowa State. Visit Tulsa estimates the tournament to have a $2.08 million total economic impact.

“There’s a tremendous need for certi ed teachers all across Oklahoma, and of course Tulsa Public Schools is no di erent.

Over the years, through a multitude of reasons, certi ed teachers have looked often to other states with higher pay. We’re training them in our universities, and a lot of times they are immediately leaving and going to a sister state. We’ve got to address that. Some are actually just leaving the profession, whether they feel a sense of hopelessness, whether they’ve lost trust, they’re abandoning their passion. They’re abandoning what they went to school for — what they love — because of the realities of their nances and income.”

— Cameron Walker, CEO of Green Country Habitat for Humanity at a Jan. 29 press conference to announce a new initiative in partnership with Tulsa Public Schools, the City of Tulsa, the Tulsa Regional Chamber and Tulsa Area United Way: Education Begins With Home. The new $5 million initiative provides forgivable down payment assistance dedicated to helping certified teachers — either currently working at TPS or prospective — who commit to five years of continuous employment teaching in a TPS classroom. Those eligible can receive up to $50,000 in forgivable down payment assistance to help with the purchase of a Habitat home. Visit greencountryhabitat.org/education to learn more.

On April 27 Kenari Quartet will premiere Chamber Music Tulsa’s commissioned work by Steven Banks, second from right.

Women aren’t immune to addiction. That’s why we work with community partners including physicians, psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, law enforcement and more to give them the help and support they deserve. Together, we’re seeing real results: stronger women with a brighter future.

March

COMPILED BY MADISON WALTERS

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MARCH 1

ARTIST RECEPTION

The Hulett Collection hosts an opening night reception with local photographer Luke Oppenheimer, whose photos from a series on a small village in Kyrgyzstan are on display through May 17.

thehulettcollection.com

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MARCH 1-2

“ALICE IN WONDERLAND” Tulsa Ballet finishes its four-performance run of the production — a first for the company in its 68 years — at Tulsa Performing Arts Center. tulsaballet.org

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MARCH 6-9

GREATER TULSA HOME AND GARDEN SHOW

Oklahoma’s largest home and garden products trade show has more than 400 exhibitors offering everything you could possibly need for your home improvement projects. tulsahba.com

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MARCH 12AUG. 3

SAMURAI

Philbrook Museum of Art’s new exhibition spans almost nine centuries of Samurai armor and includes nearly 80 objects — from full suits and helmets to weaponry and full horse armor. philbrook.org

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MARCH 15

STORM SPOTTER TRAINING

Each winter and spring National Weather Service’s Tulsa office offers free training on spotting techniques for severe weather. Other topics covered include an update on the latest NWS technology and procedures, ideas for organizing/coordinating spotter groups, severe weather reporting and important safety considerations. weather.gov/tsa/spotter_training

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MARCH 17

“SUNRISE ON THE REAPING” MIDNIGHT RELEASE

Return to Panem and the Second Quarter Quell with Magic City Books for a midnight release event of “Sunrise on the Reaping,” the fifth book in the “Hunger Games” series. Event begins at 11 p.m. magiccitybooks.com

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MARCH 20

BRIGHT EYES

Indie rock band Bright Eyes makes its way to the historic Cain’s Ballroom for their spring tour with Hurray for the Riff Raff. cainsballroom.com

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MARCH 20-23

“THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG”

Presented by Theatre Tulsa, “The Play That Goes Wrong” is equal parts Monty Python and Sherlock Holmes as it follows a cast of amateur actors stumbling through a production bound for disaster. theatretulsa.org

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MARCH 22

OKGO MARKET

This one-day event gives 200 local small businesses from around the state an opportunity to showcase their products for a unique shopping experience at Expo Square. okgomarket.com

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MARCH 23

HARLEM

GLOBETROTTERS

The worldfamous Harlem Globetrotters return to BOK Center for an evening of aerodynamic trick shots that test the limits of basketball. bokcenter.com

Samurai armor from the Collection of Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller will be on exhibit at Philbrook Museum of Art starting March 12.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY CALENDAR

Visit TulsaPeople.com for even more St. Patrick’s Day events.

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A MYSTIC ST. PATRICK’S DAY

Mystic Pub, 601 E. Main St., Jenks

5 p.m. | Prices vary | 21+ Come celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at Mystic Pub with live music from Erica James and Mark Gibson themysticpub.com

ADULT CRAFT NIGHT: FELT SHAMROCK PLUSHIES

Zarrow Regional Library, 2224 W. 51st St.

6 p.m. | Free | Adults only

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by creating your own little shamrock pal for good luck. Registration is required. tulsalibrary.org

ARNIE’S BAR ST. PATRICK’S DAY

7-9

TULSA IRISH FEST

DreamKeepers Park, 1875 S. Boulder Park Drive

Times vary | $15 | All ages

Tulsa Irish Fest is a family-friendly way to celebrate Irish culture with authentic music, art, food and more. This year, the festival adds a medieval battle to the lineup! tulsairishfest.org

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SHAMROCK THE ‘VILLE

Downtown Bartlesville

Times vary | $25 | All ages

Dress up in your best St. Patrick’s Day gear and get ready to enjoy an energizing 5K or 1-mile fun run. shamrocktheville.com

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LUCKY’S ST. PATRICK’S DAY

BAR CRAWL

Various locations in Downtown Tulsa

4 p.m. | Prices vary | 21+

Join the luckiest bar crawl of the year which includes two to three drinks, an afterparty and so much more as you head from one downtown bar to another!  crawlwith.us/tulsa/stpattys

SHAMROCK THE ROSE DISTRICT

Downtown Broken Arrow, 416 S. Main St.

5 p.m. | Free | All ages

ShamRock the Rose District is a vibrant and spirited St. Patrick’s Day celebration that features live music, a kids zone, food trucks, street vendors, beer gardens and more. shamrocktherose.com

ST. PATRICK’S DAY AT CAZ’S PUB

Caz’s Pub, 21 E. Reconciliation Way

7 p.m. | Prices vary | 21+

Celebrating its 29th year, this event boasts a host of di erent Irish-themed drinks to celebrate the holiday. instagram.com/cazspub

ST. PATRICK’S DAY RUN

RunnersWorld Tulsa, 3920 S. Peoria Ave.

8:30 a.m. | $40 | All ages

Special Olympics Oklahoma is partnering with the Tulsa Running Club to host a St. Patrick’s Day Run that includes a 5K and 1-mile fun run. sook.org/stpatrun

TIME TO PADDY

Riverside 96th Street Park, 9700 S. Delaware Court

7:50 a.m. | $15-$56 | All ages

Time to Paddy, a St. Patrick’sthemed run for the whole family,

includes races like the kids dash, 1 mile, 5K, 10K and Lucky 13.1 Half Marathon! runsignup.com/race/events/ok/ tulsa/timetopaddy5k10klucky 131tulsa

TOSS ST. PATRICK’S DAY DANCE

The Oklahoma Swing Syndicate, 1123 E. 35th Place

7 p.m. | $7 | All ages

Wear green because it’s time for a St. Patrick’s Day Swing Dance! Don’t worry, lessons are included for beginners and pros alike. theoklahomaswingsyndicate.org

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MCNELLIE’S 21ST ANNUAL ST. PATRICK’S DAY BLOCK PARTY

McNellie’s Pub, 409 E. First St.

2 p.m. | Free | All ages

On Saturday and Sunday enjoy live music, outdoor fun on the patio and more. Gates open at 10 a.m., Monday for live music, Irish fare, the Guinness Gig Rig and a full day of festivities. mcnellies.com

Arnie’s Bar, 318 E. Second St. 11 a.m. | Free | All ages until 8 p.m. Head to the Blue Dome for Arnie’s 69th annual St. Patty’s celebration with live Irish music and performances throughout the day, as well as food trucks and, of course, beer. arniesbar.com/st-patricks-day

KILKENNY’S BLOCK PARTY Cherry Street, 15th Street and Rockford Avenue 11 a.m. | Free | All ages

This annual tradition on Cherry Street is highly anticipated every year. Live music, food, drinks, art vendors, kids zone (with inflatables), face painting, photobooth, entertainment and more abound at this event. tulsairishpub.com

TEEN LOUNGE: ST. PATRICK’S EDITION

Nathan Hale Library, 6038 E. 23rd St. 4 p.m. | Free | Middle and high schoolers

Kick back, chill and can make crochet clover pins for St. Patrick’s Day. tulsalibrary.org

ST. PATRICK'S DAY AT EERIE ABBEY ALES

Eerie Abbey Ales, 507 S. Main St. Times and prices vary | Adults only With various Irish-themed beers, including an Irish red and green beer, live music and a food truck, this brewery is the place to be for St. Patty's Day.

eerieabbeyales.com

— COMPILED BY MADISON WALTERS

St. Patrick’s Day at McNellie’s downtown

Saddle up for a night of high-energy fun! Join Green Country Habitat for Humanity and Event Chairs Mark and Christina Smith for Rock the House: Neon Rodeo on May 3, 2025 , at the Cox Business Convention Center. Don’t miss this electrifying evening of music, dancing, and western flair — all for a great cause!

SCAN TO LINK TO OUR SPONSORSHIP PAGE. For more Rock the House information, please contact Rob Gardenhire at rgardenhire@greencountryhabitat.org or 918.946.5803

Rede ning beauty

Local mom becomes an online sensation normalizing hair loss for women.

BY MARNIE FERNANDEZ

During the pandemic Tulsan Jen Brown was scrolling through her Instagram feed when she saw an ad for wigs. Brown, a married mother of two, has genetic hair loss.

“My hair is super thin and sparse — and as I got older, it kept falling out,” Brown says. “I was always self-conscious about my hair and the way I looked, and nothing I tried seemed to help. When I saw these wigs online, I couldn’t believe how real they looked, it was almost too good to be true.”

Brown talked to her husband, Sean, and decided to order one.

“He was super supportive, and I thought, since we couldn’t go anywhere anyway, this was the perfect time to try it out,” Brown says as she laughs.

Once her wig arrived, something changed, and Brown decided she wanted to post about her hair loss and her decision to wear a wig.

“I was terri ed, but I felt I needed to be open and honest with my friends and family,” Brown says. “I didn’t want to have all these separate conversations with everyone explaining my decision — or explain to everyone why suddenly I had more hair.”

So, she took a sel e with her new hair, wrote a post and went to bed.

e next morning her phone was lled with texts and messages, and her social media platforms were blowing up.

“It was crazy — people kept sharing my post and suddenly I had followers from all over the world. Women were thanking me for my openness, others were asking for advice. I was overwhelmed with the outpour of support.”

Brown now owns a plethora of wigs, so many she’s built a wig wall like Moira Rose’s on the hit TV series “Schitt’s Creek.”

“Moira was my inspiration,” Brown says. “I have wigs for all di erent occasions, and I feel beautiful in all of them.”

e one post has now evolved into a fulltime career creating content for her social platforms with the goal of normalizing hair loss and wig-wearing for women all over the world.

“I love this community of women, they are inspirational to me,” she says. “ is journey has changed my life.”

Learn more about Brown on Instagram and TikTok @being_mrs_brown, or BeingMrsBrown on YouTube. tp

If you are experiencing hair loss and are looking for support or don’t know where to start, here are some tips from Brown:

• Immerse yourself in the online community; follow accounts that address hair loss and join online groups through Facebook. This will help you normalize hair loss and realize you are not alone. Some online support groups even offer yearly retreats for women to gather in person.

• Explore the world of wigs. There are so many types — from hair toppers to synthetic to real hair — and trying out different types will help you decide what you are looking for.

• Find a wig store that has a good return policy. There are several small online boutiques that have outstanding realistic-looking wigs that give you several days to try one out to make sure it is right for you.

• Blush Hair Supply, 8787 N. Owasso Expressway, Unit I, is a great locally-owned store that does custom wigs and hair toppers.

Jen Brown uses social media to empower women experiencing hair loss with wig, makeup and beauty tutorials.

An orphan’s promise

Tulsa-based nonprofit provides opportunities to children in Uganda.

BY LAUREN ROGERS

Founded in 2009 by Oral Roberts University graduate Petra Otee-Mangesho, Petra Kids Ministries is a Tulsa-based nonpro t that serves 920 students across three school campuses in Aduku, Uganda.

Most of the children have lost parents and come from impoverished backgrounds. An orphan herself, Otee-Mangesho founded PKM out of a determination to help Ugandan children growing up in similar circumstances.

“Tulsa o ered a sense of belonging and community that was hard to nd elsewhere,” says Otee-Mangesho, who still makes her home here. “ e Tulsa community warmly embraced my vision.”

PKM aims to combat historically high illiteracy rates in northern Uganda that result from many children being unable to continue learning past primary school. e 2024 Ugandan Census shows the population of Lango, the sub-region in which PKM’s schools operate, has a 74.9% literacy rate. Neighboring Karamoja reports much lower, at 25.4%.

With an early childhood development center, a primary school and a secondary school, PKM o ers an array of educational experiences. Recently, the organization introduced coding as an option to some students through CodeSpark. is kind of access is rare in Uganda, with the 2024 Census showing that only four in every 100 persons (3.9%) age 10 and above had used a computer.

To keep students in school, PKM meets each child’s basic needs from housing to health care. eir schools have dormitories, and they connect students with nearby foster homes when necessary. A student’s extended family is provided aid so children can stay with relatives who live near the schools.

“Partnerships with Tulsa organizations, such as churches, are crucial to PKM’s success,” Otee-Mangesho says. “ ey provide essential resources, funding and volunteers that sustain and expand our programs.”

PKM also has its own farm, which grows fruits and vegetables like cassava, corn and watermelon. Recent projects include a deep water well and the addition of a 30-goat herd, which is projected to grow by 50% by the end of 2025. Otee-Mangesho says this growth will provide more hands-on learning opportunities for students, promoting agricultural education and self-su ciency within the community.

To learn more and keep up with PKM, visit petrakids.org. tp

FINISH

YOUR BACHELOR’S DEGREE

EARN YOUR GRADUATE DEGREE

Tulsan Petra Otee-Mangesho is the founder of Petra Kids Ministries.

‘Heart of Tulsa’

Julie Carson’s passions come together in Mayfest.

BY CONNIE CRONLEY

This will be the second year for Mayfest’s Youth Art Gallery, one of the many facets of the festival’s reimagined Kids World by Julie Carson

As the wife of e University of Tulsa’s President Brad Carson, she shares his com-

STEPPING UP

Ryan Jude Tanner and Jay Krottinger have a lot of passion for Tulsa CARES, a nonprofit founded in 1991 that is now the largest and most comprehensive provider of prevention and care programs serving low-income individuals living with HIV and Hepatitis C in Oklahoma.

The couple has been involved in varying capacities for the organization’s annual Red Ribbon Gala, including serving as chairs four times. This year they will be recognized as Patricia G. Chernicky Luminary Honorees at the event on March 8.

“They’re the biggest cheerleaders,” says Cody Davis, who is chairing this year’s event with Louie Napoleone. Tanner and Krottinger got both Davis and Napoleone involved with the gala five years ago.

“The energy in the room is palpable and speaks for itself,” Napoleone says of the event that last year raised $1.23 million — 25% of CARES’

mitment to strengthening the college’s community involvement. In 2023 TU acquired the 101 Archer building, former home of the Arts and Humanities Council of Tulsa “a signi cant footprint in Tulsa’s Arts District,” she says. Along with the building came TU’s

commitment to manage Mayfest, which involved arranging for exhibits, artists, food vendors and volunteers.

At TU, it was all hands-on deck. Carson stepped up to create a Kids Zone for 2023 Mayfest, which expanded to Kids World a year later.

Now both the experiential children’s activities and the Youth Art Gallery, which displayed over 100 artworks created by Tulsa area K-12 students last year, are inside the 101 Archer building.

Carson, named 2025 Mayfest chair in September, has worked on the behalf of children throughout her career. While living in Claremore in 2000, her husband was the U.S. House Representative for the Second District and she was a court-appointed attorney for children in foster care. Her career shifted to other victims of abuse when they moved to Washington D.C. for Brad’s appointment as the Army’s general counsel and she joined a new Department of Defense advisory committee studying sexual assault in the military.

Now back in her hometown, she is expanding Mayfest by partnering with businesses and other nonpro ts. Mayfest, held this year May 9-11 in the Tulsa Arts District, will include a 5K run, music acts and a “Stay Gold” theme saluting the classic TU alumni S.E. Hinton novel and Tony Award-winning musical “ e Outsiders.”

Combining higher education, the community and arts, Carson says, “I believe e University of Tulsa truly is the heart of Tulsa.” tp

annual budget. “The patrons and supporters have stepped up,” Tanner says.

This year’s theme “Club Red” will be a sophisticated event with nods to Tulsa CARES and historical eras. Tanner says those who can't attend can support Red Ribbon Gala via online donations. “Every $10 matters,” he says. “That buys a tank of gas.”

Later this year Tulsa CARES will open a new medical clinic next door to its headquarters at 3712 E. 11th St. The 4,160-square-foot facility will provide on-site HIV and HCV medical care, basic primary care and an on-site lab and pharmacy, along with telehealth access.

“This clinic represents more than just a space — it embodies a commitment to addressing historic and systemic barriers to health care faced by LGBTQ+ individuals, those living with HIV and HCV, and low-income families who have often been overlooked or excluded from equitable care,” Director of Development Preston Shatwell says. — ANNE BROCKMAN

Ryan Jude Tanner and Jay Krottinger

RED RIBBON GALA: TONY LI; CARSON: COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF TULSA

Panelists from the Women in Banking, Fintech and Finance’s inaugural event included Lauren Fleenor, chief financial officer at WeStreet Credit Union; Amber Buker, executive director of business development at Percapita; moderator Stacy Schauvliege; Jill Castilla, president and CEO of Citizens Bank of Edmond; and Rose WashingtonJones, CEO at TEDC Creative Capital.

INITIATIVE HELPS WOMEN IN FINANCE NETWORK AND GROW

CBixby native named top female roofer in North America.

STORIES BY ABIGAIL SINGREY

limbing the ladder — literally and guratively — has paid o for Bixby native Brooke Laizure, who was recently named the North American Female Roo ng Professional of the Year by Beacon Building Products.

When Laizure rst took a summer job in 2015 at the roo ng company where her dad worked as a sales manager, she had no idea it would lead to her future career. It didn’t take long for her to discover not only a knack for the work, but also a passion for helping customers restore their homes after storm damage and navigating the complexities of insurance claims.

“I fell in love with roo ng,” Laizure says. “Xactimate — the complicated software used by insurance companies to determine the cost to repair a home — came very easily to me.”

Only six months after that summer job Laizure and her father launched Bixby’s Whirlwind Roo ng and Construction Co. in February 2016. Her brother and mother also work at the company. Whether she’s

up on the roof taking pictures to document damage for insurance claims, following up with customers on the progress of their job or working on estimates in Xactimate, she loves every second of it.

Now, part of Laizure’s mission in life is to bring other women along in the construction trades and show them what’s possible. Driven by this passion, she became a founding member of the nonpro t National Women in Roo ng and currently serves as chair of its Oklahoma chapter. is network gives women a chance to learn from peers across the country, getting insight on how to handle situations that arise. Each year Laizure also participates in Build My Future, a hands-on job fair in Tulsa that introduces high school students to the trades. At her booth kids can experience what it’s like to lay shingles or use cap nails while talking to construction professionals about possible career paths in the industry.

“It’s about education,” Laizure says. “And it’s an exciting time to be in construction.” tp

When Stacy Schauvliege, a shareholder and director in the Tulsa office of law firm Crowe and Dunlevy, began searching for a professional association for women in the finance industry, she discovered none existed in the Tulsa area. This realization inspired her firm to create Women in Banking, Fintech and Finance in March 2024. The organization is free and open to any woman in banking, financial technology and finance.

Since its founding the initiative has hosted two forums and plans to hold others in May and November of this year. These events are aimed at empowering women in the areas of banking, fintech and finance, and will feature networking opportunities, talks and panel presentations, but their primary purpose is to help women recognize they are not alone — especially those who may be the only woman in their department or at their level of employment. Schauvliege hopes participants find inspiration to advance their careers and potentially connect with mentors. At one forum a young professional raised a question about imposter syndrome. Not only did the panel address her concern, but other attendees also shared their experiences and perspectives.

“It was a powerful moment,” Schauvliege says. “There was a CEO of a major bank in the room, and everyone was nodding along to the advice. It showed that we’re all in this together, no matter our career stage.”

For more information, email Schauvliege at stacy.schauvliege@crowedunlevy.com. tp

Brooke Laizure co-founded Whilrwind Roofing and Construction Co. in 2016 and was named the 2024 North American Female Roofing Professional of the Year by Beacon Building Products.

Composing history

Cherokee musician debuts pioneering chamber work.

BY JULIE WENGER WATSON

“Oklahoma Woman Quartet is inspired by the idea that I can bring together aspects of my life — my orchestral background, my songwriting and my heritage — in ways I had not thought possible,” musician Anjelica Lindsey says.

On March 1, Anjelica Lindsey (Cherokee Nation) will premiere her original chamber music program, “Oklahoma Woman Quartet,” at a free concert at All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria Ave. It’s a special night for this Indigenous composer, violinist and vocalist. It’s not only an opportunity for her to share her music with the public;

to her knowledge, it also represents the rst time a Cherokee woman has composed and premiered music written for a string quartet. e concert includes 10 of Lindsey’s compositions written over the past 20 years. Lindsey provides the vocals, accompanied by a quartet featuring Tulsa Symphony Orchestra musicians Ronnamarie Jensen (violin), Paulo Eskitch (violin) and Ashley Allison

TAF OPENS APPLICATION PERIOD FOR 3-YEAR AWARD

On Jan. 23 the 2025-2027 Tulsa Artist Fellowship awardees were announced. Ten individuals representing numerous arts disciplines were selected to receive $2.35 million in resources to live and work in Tulsa. They are: writer Lindsay Aveilhé, interdisciplinary artist Franky Cruz, interdisciplinary artist Rehab El Sadek, multimedia artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, nonfiction writer Adrienne Keene (Cherokee Nation), writer Gavin Kroeber, photojournalist Melissa Lukenbaugh, performance artist Alicia Smith, filmmaker Colleen Thurston (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) and composer Micaela Tobin

The open call for applications to the 20262028 award begins April 2 and closes May 28. Awardees each receive $150,000 paid over three years, with numerous other incentives including housing, health and wellness, and studio assistant stipends. The most recent open call received 1,117 submissions from 39 U.S. states and nine countries.

TAF was established in 2015 by George Kaiser Family Foundation.

Those interested in the open call should visit tulsaartistfellowship.org/award. — ANNE BROCKMAN

(cello), along with Ethan Landis (viola) from the Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra. Lindsey’s friend and collaborator, former Tulsan Noam Faingold, will perform two of his own original compositions to open the evening.

Although Lindsey is a classically trained violinist, her interests have long included recording production and even electronics. She recorded her latest album “PERHAPS: Abstractions” with her husband, audio engineer and experimental sound artist Mark Kuykendall, at Wild Mountain Studios — their home music studio located in the Osage Hills.

Lindsey’s diverse passions place her in a singular, and sometimes challenging, category. Women are underrepresented in both the technical and compositional areas of music, and the fact Lindsey is a Native woman uent in both spaces makes her fairly unique.

“It’s extremely rare, and I’ve nally wrapped my mind around the uniqueness of that,” she says. “I didn’t know it was going to be such a trailblazing path. To have the violin and the classics and the orchestra, and then also collecting synthesizers and loving modern music and electronic history, that’s a very rare thing, and also just being a woman in this eld is doubly as rare.”

Lindsey sees her compositions as part of a bigger story of reclaiming her past and learning about her family’s history.

“I was composing all this music and realizing I might be the only Cherokee woman doing what I’m doing at all,” she says. “It explained a lot about the challenges I’ve faced. It makes a lot more sense, and I’m using that to empower myself.”

For more, visit anjelicalindsey.com. tp

Former Tulsa Artist Fellow Kaveh Bassiri, left, at a TAF Open House

From Tulsa to Sundance

Tulsa transplant's documentary made it to the prestigious Sundance Film Festival.

BY MARNIE FERNANDEZ

Loren Waters (Cherokee Nation/ Kiowa) is now a Sundance Film Festival winner for her documentary short about legendary Muscogee Nation artist Dana Tiger

“It’s a true honor for me and my community to be recognized by the Sundance short lm jury for ‘Tiger,’” says Waters, who

was honored with a Short Film Special Jury Award for Directing. “We made this with very little money, and it has a lot of heart and love. We wanted every frame to feel like Dana’s spirit, and I think the jury recognized that.”

It’s a project that came to be through connection and seizing an opportunity within a short window of time.

“ is very high-end Arri Alexa was just sitting there in our house — my partner Robert L. Hunter and I said we needed to use it while we had access to such a camera while he was between jobs,” Waters says, “so we decided to shoot a lm.”

Waters, with an environmental studies

degree from the University of Oklahoma, she saw an opportunity in Tulsa that prompted her to break into the lm industry shortly after graduating.

“Filmmaking fell into my lap. A professor I had my junior year asked if I wanted to produce two short documentaries focused on Tribal environmental professionals,” Waters says. “After I graduated, I was applying for any job I could get with my degree, and I landed an internship at the docu-style TV show that Sterlin Harjo co-created called ‘OsiyoTV.’ I quickly learned that lm was a powerful way to tell stories and change the way people see the world, and I knew it was a tool I wanted to learn how to use.”

She launched Waters Media and worked as a background casting director for “Reservation Dogs” and “Fancy Dance.” She also worked on “Killers of the Flower Moon” as a production assistant.

Harjo asked Waters to hire Muscogee Nation artist Dana Tiger for an appearance in season two of “Rez Dogs” and “we had an immediate connection,” Waters says. “I was fascinated by her. I was so inspired by her art and how she represents Native women. I knew I wanted to tell her story.”

Waters took the top-grade camera and began lming Tiger, with no set agenda.

ey lmed for two days in October 2023 and then returned seven months later for two days of lming.

“We just wanted to see what we could capture,” she says.

What she captured turned out to be a documentary worthy of the esteemed Sundance Film Festival, which screened the lm in late January. It was one of 57 short lms selected from over 11,000 submissions.

“I think it resonated with Sundance because of its humanity,” she says. “It’s not just an Indigenous-made lm about an Indigenous woman; it’s a human story about grief, loss, wealth and success.”

“Tiger” highlights the life and legacy of the artist, whose internationally acclaimed work as a painter has inspired generations. e 13-minute documentary chronicles Tiger’s profound grief of losing both her father and brother to gunshot wounds and her resilience journey while exploring art, survival and the enduring strength of family bonds.

“ is was a passion project for me,” Waters says. “ e fact we were selected for Sundance was just icing on the cake.”

And now she’s a Sundance winner. tp

Film director Loren Kasey Waters with artist Dana Tiger, the subject of Waters’ Sundance award-winning short documentary. “Tiger” will screen in Tulsa later this summer.

Kicking it up

BY STEPHEN HUNT

When Tulsa natives and brothers JW, Ryan and Kyle Craft purchased Tulsa Roughnecks FC in August 2019, they already had a vision for the professional soccer team. Several months later, the club rebranded as FC (football club) Tulsa. Entering year six under their stewardship and year 11 in the USL Championship — the No. 2 American pro soccer league — FC Tulsa has a new head coach, general manager and high expectations.

“We’re excited,” club president Ryan Craft says. “We hired Caleb (Sewell) because he’s been in the league and has a record of success.” Sewell joins as sporting director and general manager, coming from Memphis 901 FC, a top four seed in each of the past three seasons, where he helped acquire and produce four USL Championship All-League players.

Craft is equally elated about the November 2024 announcement that Luke Spencer, who spent last season as an assistant coach, was elevated to head coach. “We know what (Spencer) brings and there’s continuity,” he says. “He has rsthand experience with the team.”

Also new for 2025 will be the Stay Gold home jersey, which gives a nod to both the team’s former black and gold, art deco-themed crest and to the famous line

home and away, also air on ESPN+.

from “ e Outsiders.” Craft adds that “we reached out to (Outsiders House Museum Executive Director) Danny Boy O’Connor and he participated in the jersey release photo shoot. at was cool.”

Last season FC Tulsa nished 10th in the Western Conference with 9 wins, 11 draws and 14 losses, ending the season with 38 total points. And like soccer clubs anywhere in the world, FC Tulsa is only as strong as its fans, who help make gamedays at ONEOK Field unforgettable. “ e fans create a lot of the atmosphere. ey’re chanting, doing smoke bombs, banging the drums,” Craft says. “Our players and coaches appreciate the passion our fans bring, their knowledge and enthusiasm.”

In July 2024 the FC Tulsa Foundation, the club’s charitable arm, was founded. e club partnered with Tulsa Dream Center for Tulsa Dream League, the rst fully funded youth soccer league in north Tulsa, and with the Tulsa Police Department for Project eNGAGE, which builds trust and relationships between o cers and at-risk youth through video games. e club has also collaborated with Gathering Place and Philbrook Museum of Art.

“We’re trying to use this club to shine awareness on the other awesome things that are happening in our city,” Craft says. tp

A TRUE MELTING POT Soccer is the world’s most popular sport and its marquee event — the World Cup, held every four years — is the world’s most viewed sporting event. So, it makes sense FC Tulsa’s roster reflects that same global reach.

“It’s a completely global market,” says FC Tulsa president Ryan Craft. “It’s a very diverse player pool. Around half (our roster) are U.S. players and half international. The pedigree of these guys is high.”

In early January, the club announced the signing of midfielder Stefan Lukic, a Serbian-born talent who was the 2019 NAIA Men’s Player of the Year at Oklahoma Wesleyan in Bartlesville, joining fellow 2025 newcomer defender and Oklahoma City native Lamar Batista. The club also signed league-champion defender Delentz Pierre, former MLS defender Abdoulaye “AB” Cissoko and MLS NEXT Pro Best XI forward Taylor Calheira

Among the returning players are midfielders Arthur Rogers (England), Faysal Bettache (United Kingdom), Andrew Booth (Jamaica), Alex Dalou (U.S.), Edwin Laszo (Colombia) and Stefan Stojanovic (U.S.), and goalkeeper Johan Peñaranda (U.S.).

“Now, our league is also sending guys back to Europe at high levels,” Craft says. “The biggest clubs in Europe are scouting our league and signing players. It’s an exciting time to be in the soccer business.”

FC Tulsa poised for big 2025.

FC Tulsa’s home opener is March 15 against Tampa Bay Rowdies at ONEOK Field, 201 N. Elgin Ave. Fox23 will air select matches, including March 28 versus Sacramento Republic FC and April 12 against Oakland Roots SC. The majority of its matches,

SPEAKING

AHeart and soul

Bama Pies continues as a family business since planting Tulsa roots in 1937.

BY MICHAEL OVERALL

few weeks before anksgiving 1949, a shiny new stainless-steel assembly line with conveyor belts, spinning wheels and robotic arms began cranking out 2,000 freshly baked pies an hour, all of them reportedly as delicious as anything Tulsans could have made in their own kitchens.

A news report described the Bama Pie Co.’s automated bakery as an “atomic-age grandma,” 30 feet of machinery that would render “home pie-making a thing of the past.”

Ironically, Bama had started with home pie-making. After Henry Marshall lost his job as a night watchman in 1926, he made ends meet by selling pies out of a handheld basket. His wife, Cornelia Alabama “Bama” Marshall, baked them from scratch at their house in Texas.

But the pies proved so popular that in six months, Henry bought a used Model A Ford to scale up deliveries, and the family eventually opened one of the nest bakeries in Dallas.

Henry and Alabama’s son Paul left

high school in 1931 to work full-time as a delivery driver for the bakery, but he had his own ideas about how to run the business and occasionally clashed with his father. Henry, after a few years, suggested that he open his own bakery somewhere and run it his own way, and in February 1937, Paul came to Tulsa to open a branch of Bama Pies here.

Paul and his wife, Lilah, moved into a three-room house at 11th Street and Delaware Avenue, where they lived in the back and made pies in the front. But Paul hit the road Monday through Friday with samples packed in dry ice to sell pies to restaurants and grocery stores while Lilah stayed in Tulsa to run the business.

As the company grew, she managed the sta , kept the books and oversaw quality control. When the bakery became automated in 1949, news reports described her as “an equal partner” while still providing “the woman’s touch by watching ingredients and preparations.”

Family members would describe Paul as “the engine” but say Lilah was “the rudder” of the Bama ship.

“ ere would’ve been no Bama Pies without her,” Lilah’s son Roger would say. “In many ways, she was the heart and soul of it.”

In 1968, after a brief period of trial marketing in Joplin and Spring eld, Missouri, McDonald’s began selling Bama Pies nationwide, making the fast-food chain the bakery’s largest customer. By the mid-’80s, when Lilah stepped away from day-to-day duties, the company was cranking out 1 million pies per year with more than 100 truck drivers delivering them to 48 states.

She died Oct. 24, 2012, at age 96, 18 years after Paul’s death. Today, with their daughter Paula serving as CEO, Bama produces 2 million pies per day, as well as 1.5 million biscuits, 1 million hotcakes and 1 million pizza crusts for markets all over the world. Its largest customer continues to be McDonald’s.

“Bama has called Tulsa home for almost 90 years,” Paula says. “Bama may expand, but we will never leave Tulsa. It’s all we’ve ever known. It’s home. Our relationship with our customers is the key to our success.” tp

Paula Marshall is the CEO of Bama Cos.

Bama Pies in 1943 at 11th Street and Delaware Avenue.

Cornelia and Henry Marshall

MARCH CHARITABLE EVENTS

COMPILED BY MADISON WALTERS

1

Brainiac Ball

Benefits Family and Children’s Services. brainiacball.com

Dance of the Two Moons: A Night on the Red Carpet

Benefits Indian Health Care Resource Center. ihcrc2moons.org

Sapphire Celebration

Benefits Riverfield Country Day School. riverfield.org

Splash!

Benefits Oklahoma Aquarium Foundation. splashokaq.com

6-9

Greater Tulsa Home and Garden Show

Benefits Home Builders Association of Greater Tulsa. tulsahba.com

7

15

St. Patrick’s Day 5K

Benefits Special Olympics Oklahoma and Tulsa Running Club. sook.org

18

Live United Awards

Benefits Tulsa Area United Way. awards.tauw.org

25

Bunco for a Cause

Benefits Tulsa County Oklahoma Home and Community Education and Bailey Education Foundation. baileyeducationfoundation.com

26

Tickets on Sale for St. Jude’s Dream Home

Benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. stjude.org

27

Breakthrough T1D Tulsa Party

Benefits Breakthrough T1D. breakthrought1d.org/

“The Best Lawyers in America®” and “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America” are published by BL Rankings LLC, Augusta, GA and can be ordered directly from the publisher. For information call 803-648-0300; write 801 Broad Street Suite 950, Augusta GA 30901; email info@bestlawyers.com; or visit bestlawyers.com. An online subscription to Best Lawyers® is available at bestlawyers.com.

Disclaimer and Copyright BL Rankings LLC has used its best efforts in assembling material for this list but does not warrant that the information contained herein is complete or accurate, and does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions herein whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause. All listed attorneys have been verifi ed as being members in good standing with their respective state bar associations as of July 1, 2024, where that information is publicly available. Consumers should contact their state bar association for verifi cation and additional information prior to securing legal services of any attorney. Copyright 2024 by BL Rankings LLC, Augusta, GA. All rights reserved. This list, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission. No commercial use of this list may be made without permission of BL Rankings LLC. No fees may be charged, directly or indirectly, for the use of this list without permission. “The Best Lawyers in America,” “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch,” “Purely Peer Review” and “Best Lawyers” are registered trademarks of BL Rankings LLC.

Methodology for The Best Lawyers in America ® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch ® in America

This list is excerpted from the 2025 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 150 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 2025 edition of “The Best Lawyers in America” is based on more than 13.7 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 2025 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.

Bradley Bendure Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment

Mark Berman Business Organizations LLCs & Partnerships; Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law

Elise Brennan Health Care Law; LitigationHealth Care; Qui Tam Law

Teresa Burkett Administrative / Regulatory Law; Health Care Law; Litigation - Health Care; Litigation - Labor & Employment; Privacy & Data Security Law

David Cordell Commercial Litigation; Employment LawManagement; Energy Law; Labor LawManagement; Litigation - Labor & Employment

Katherine Coyle Art Law; Nonprofit / Charities Law; Tax Law; Trusts & Estates

Robert Curry Closely Held Companies & Family Businesses Law; Corporate Law; Securities / Capital Markets Law; Securities Regulation

Melodie Freeman-Burney Commercial Litigation

Daniel Gomez Bankruptcy & Creditor-Debtor Rights; Insolvency & Reorganization Law; Litigation - Bankruptcy; Commercial Litigation

Scott Hathaway Commercial Litigation; Construction Law; Litigation - Construction

John Ingraham Trusts & Estates; Tax Law

Jed Isbell Commercial Litigation

Robert James Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law; Litigation - Insurance; Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants

Kathryn Kindell Business Organizations LLCs & Partnerships

Richard Love, III Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Insurance

Steven McGrath Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law; Litigation - ERISA

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

Lynnwood Moore, Jr. Corporate Law; Securities / Capital Markets Law

Redwine

Martin Wing

Administrative/Regulatory Law

Teresa Meinders Burkett Conner & Winters

Thomas P. Schroedter Hall Estill

Advertising Law

Rachel Blue McAfee & Taft

Antitrust Law

Joel L. Wohlgemuth Norman Wohlgemuth Chandler Jeter Barnett & Ray

Appellate Practice

Jon E. Brightmire Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

R. Daniel Carter Foster Garvey

Amelia A. Fogleman GableGotwals

Philip D. Hixon * GableGotwals

Keith A. Jones Keith A. Jones

Allison E. Lee Mullican & Hart

J. Michael Medina Frederic Dorwart, Lawyers

Deborah C. Shallcross GableGotwals

Bradley W. Welsh Crowe & Dunlevy

Randall Yates Crowe & Dunlevy

Arbitration

David L. Bryant GableGotwals

James P. McCann James P. McCann

Deborah C. Shallcross GableGotwals

Art Law

Katherine G. Coyle Conner & Winters

Aviation Law

Jeffrey T. Hills Crowe & Dunlevy

Banking and Finance Law

John R. Barker * GableGotwals

Jason B. Coutant GableGotwals

Frederic Dorwart Frederic Dorwart, Lawyers

Phillip J. Eller Eller & Detrich

Jeffrey D. Hassell GableGotwals

Steven G. Heinen GableGotwals

Thomas J. Hutchison GableGotwals

Betsy G. Jackson Hall Estill

William Jones Pray Walker

Stephen W. Lake GableGotwals

David Limekiller GableGotwals

Victor E. Morgan Crowe & Dunlevy

Amy Newsome Frederic Dorwart, Lawyers

David S. Randolph Nexus Legal

Barry G. Reynolds Titus Hillis Reynolds Love

William F. Riggs Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

John Henry Rule GableGotwals

Gentra Abbey Sorem Conner & Winters

John T. Williams John T. Williams Law

Bankruptcy and Creditor

Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law

Brandon C. Bickle GableGotwals

Mark A. Craige * Crowe & Dunlevy

Thomas A. Creekmore III Hall Estill

John D. Dale GableGotwals

Robert J. Getchell GableGotwals

Pamela H. Goldberg Hall Estill

Daniel E. Gomez Conner & Winters

Jeffrey D. Hassell GableGotwals

Brian Huckabee Huckabee Law

Gary M. McDonald McDonald Law

Patrick D. O’Connor Moyers Martin

John Richer Hall Estill

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, Daniel & Anderson

David L. Bryant GableGotwals

Mary Quinn Cooper McAfee & Taft

William R. Grimm Barrow & Grimm

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

Steven W. Soulé Hall Estill

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

Chandler Jeter Barnett & Ray

C. Bretton Crane Pray Walker

Phillip J. Eller Eller & Detrich

Sarah E. Hansel Hall Estill

Stephen M. Hetrick McAfee & Taft

Kathryn J. Kindell Conner & Winters

Christopher R. Wilson * Conner & Winters

Civil Rights Law

Guy A. Fortney Brewster & De Angelis

Jason C. Messenger Richardson

Richardson Boudreaux

Mbilike Mwafulirwa Brewster & De Angelis

Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law

Nathan S. Cross Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Robert A. Curry * Conner & Winters

Adam K. Marshall Barrow & Grimm

Randy R. Shorb Johnson & Jones

Collaborative Law: Family Law

Melissa Fell Fell Law

Moura A. J. Robertson Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

David A. Tracy Tulsa Family Law Center

Commercial Finance Law

W. Deke Canada Hall Estill

Frederic Dorwart Frederic Dorwart, Lawyers

William L. Eagleton IV Pray Walker

Steven A. Stecher Moyers Martin

Commercial Litigation

Steven J. Adams GableGotwals

William C. Anderson Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

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

Tadd J.P. Bogan Jones Gotcher & Bogan

Jon E. Brightmire Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

David L. Bryant GableGotwals

J. Craig Buchan McAfee & Taft

James R. Bullard Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

John A. Burkhardt Jr. Schaffer Herring

Stuart Campbell Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Lewis N. Carter Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

John J. Carwile Baum Glass Jayne Carwile & Peters

Nathan E. Clark Rhodes Hieronymus

Mary Quinn Cooper McAfee & Taft

David R. Cordell Conner & Winters

Mark A. Craige Crowe & Dunlevy

Katie Crane McAfee & Taft

Gary C. Crapster Steidley & Neal

Renee DeMoss GableGotwals

Jessica L. Dickerson McAfee & Taft

Roger K. Eldredge Ladner & Eldredge

Kristen Pence Evans Hall Estill

Tom Q. Ferguson Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Craig A. Fitzgerald GableGotwals

Amelia A. Fogleman GableGotwals

Melodie Freeman-Burney Conner & Winters

Daniel E. Gomez Conner & Winters

William R. Grimm Barrow & Grimm

James C. T. Hardwick Hall Estill

Michelle Harris Latham, Keele, Lehman, Ratcliff, Carter & Clarke

P. Scott Hathaway Conner & Winters

J. Kevin Hayes Hall Estill

Philip D. Hixon GableGotwals

Andrew J. Hofl and GableGotwals

Craig W. Hoster Crowe & Dunlevy

Kayci B. Hughes Crowe & Dunlevy

Brian T. Inbody Hall Estill

Jed Isbell Conner & Winters

Robert James Conner & Winters

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, Keele, Lehman, Ratcliff, Carter & Clarke

William S. Leach McAfee & Taft

David Limekiller GableGotwals

Michael S. Linscott Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

R. Richard Love III Conner & Winters

Graydon Dean Luthey Jr. GableGotwals

James P. McCann James P. McCann

Bruce A. McKenna McKenna & McKenna

James C. Milton Hall Estill

Pansy Moore-Shrier Moore-Shrier Law

Victor E. Morgan Crowe & Dunlevy

Charles D. Neal Jr. Steidley & Neal

Kathy R. Neal McAfee & Taft

Richard B. Noulles GableGotwals

Bryan Nowlin Hall Estill

Patrick D. O’Connor Moyers Martin

William W. O’Connor Hall Estill

Michael R. Pacewicz Crowe & Dunlevy

Alison A. Parker Rosenstein, Fist & Ringold

Stephen Q. Peters Baum Glass Jayne Carwile & Peters

Terry D. Ragsdale GableGotwals

James M. Reed Hall Estill

Barry G. Reynolds Titus Hillis Reynolds Love

Phil R. Richards Richards & Connor

Andrew L. Richardson McAfee & Taft

Bruce E. Roach Jr. Barrow & Grimm

Tracy W. Robinett Robinett, Swartz & Duren

Timothy L. Rogers Barrow & Grimm

Sherry Rozell McAfee & Taft

John Henry Rule GableGotwals

James W. Rusher Albright, Rusher & Hardcastle

Robert B. Sartin Barrow & Grimm

R. Scott Savage Moyers Martin

Paige N. Shelton Conner & Winters

Trent Shores GableGotwals

Michael F. Smith Smolen Law

David A. Sturdivant Barrow & Grimm

Timothy J. Sullivan Jr. GableGotwals

Jason S. Taylor Conner & Winters

Colin Tucker Rhodes Hieronymus

John H. Tucker Rhodes Hieronymus

Mia Vahlberg GableGotwals

Randall G. Vaughan Pray Walker

James E. Weger Jones Gotcher & Bogan

Bradley W. Welsh Crowe & Dunlevy

Danny C. Williams Sr. Frederic Dorwart, Lawyers

Robert J. Winter Pray Walker

Joel L. Wohlgemuth Norman Wohlgemuth Chandler Jeter Barnett & Ray

Harold C. Zuckerman McAfee & Taft

Commercial Transactions/ UCC Law

William L. Eagleton IV Pray Walker

Timothy T. Trump Conner & Winters

Communications Law

James J. Proszek Hall Estill

Construction Law

John E. Harper Jr. * Barrow & Grimm

P. Scott Hathaway Conner & Winters

Steven K. Metcalf Metcalf & Spitler

Scott V. Morgan Moyers Martin

Tracy W. Robinett Robinett, Swartz & Duren

Timothy L. Rogers Barrow & Grimm

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

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

Molly A. Aspan Practus

John R. Barker GableGotwals

Christopher A. Barrow Barrow & Grimm

Mark D. Berman Conner & Winters

W. Deke Canada Hall Estill

Lawrence T. Chambers Jr. Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

H. Wayne Cooper Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Jason B. Coutant GableGotwals

C. Bretton Crane Pray Walker

Nathan S. Cross Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

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

Stephen M. Hetrick McAfee & Taft

Jeffrey T. Hills Crowe & Dunlevy

Thomas J. Hutchison GableGotwals

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

Stephen W. Ray Hall Estill

R. Kevin Redwine Conner & Winters

William F. Riggs Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Bruce E. Roach Jr. Barrow & Grimm

J. Ryan Sacra Conner & Winters

Stacy A. Schauvliege Crowe & Dunlevy

Mia Vahlberg GableGotwals

Christopher R. Wilson Conner & Winters

Criminal Defense: General Practice

Clark O. Brewster * Brewster &

De Angelis

Paul D. Brunton Bond Gill

Jason Edge Edge Law Firm

Jack E. Gordon Jr. Gordon & Gordon

P. Warren Gotcher Gotcher & Beaver

Stan Monroe Stanley D. Monroe

Trevor Riddle Triad Legal

Allen M. Smallwood Allen Smallwood

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

Stan Monroe Stanley D. Monroe

Trevor Riddle Triad Legal

Allen M. Smallwood Allen Smallwood

Danny C. Williams Sr. Frederic Dorwart, Lawyers

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

Danny C. Williams Sr. Frederic Dorwart, Lawyers

Employee Benefi ts (ERISA) Law

Steven W. McGrath Conner & Winters

David B. McKinney GableGotwals

Eric S. Smith * Conner & Winters

Martin R. Wing Conner & Winters

Employment Law — Individuals

Donald M. Bingham Riggs, Abney, Neal, Turpen, Orbison & Lewis

Larry D. Henry Rhodes Hieronymus

Kevin Kelley Kevin Kelley

Employment Law — Management

Molly A. Aspan Practus

P. Bradley Bendure Conner & Winters

Steven A. Broussard Hall Estill

Courtney Bru McAfee & Taft

N. Lance Bryan Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

David R. Cordell Conner & Winters

Jacob S. Crawford McAfee & Taft

Kevin P. Doyle Pray Walker

R. Tom Hillis 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

Randall J. Snapp Crowe & Dunlevy

Christopher S. Thrutchley GableGotwals

W. Kirk Turner McAfee & Taft

Nancy E. Vaughn Conner & Winters

Keith A. Wilkes Hall Estill

Madalene A. B. Witterholt Crowe & Dunlevy

Energy Law

Mark Banner Hall Estill

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

J. Kevin Hayes Hall Estill

Thomas M. Ladner Ladner & Eldredge

Stephen W. Lake * GableGotwals

Terry D. Ragsdale GableGotwals

R. Kevin Redwine Conner & Winters

J. Ryan Sacra Conner & Winters

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

Mia Vahlberg GableGotwals

Stephen R. Ward Conner & Winters

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, Daniel & Anderson

Randall J. Snapp Crowe & Dunlevy

Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law

Joseph R. Farris Franden, Farris, Quillin, Goodnight & Roberts

Family Law

Benjamin D. Aycock Henry & Dow Law

Jacob W. Aycock Aycock Aussenberg

Christian D. Barnard Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Megan M. Beck Megan M. Beck

Paul E. Blevins Blevins Law Office

James R. Bullard Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Aaron D. Bundy Bundy Law

Brita Haugland Cantrell McAfee & Taft

Adam Carroll APC Law

Melissa F. Cornell Cornell Law Firm

Brad K. Cunningham Conner & Winters

Jordan Dalgleish Murphy Francy

Richard J. Eagleton Law Offices of Richard J. Eagleton

Heather Flynn Earnhart Hall Estill

Kathleen M. Egan Bundy Law

Joseph R. Farris Franden, Farris, Quillin, Goodnight & Roberts

Melissa Fell Fell Law

Ciera N. Freeman Boeheim Freeman

Robert G. Fry Jr. Fry & Elder

P. Warren Gotcher Gotcher & Beaver

James R. Gotwals James R. Gotwals & Associates

Bradley A. Grundy * Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Kimberly K. Hays Kimberly K. Hays

M. Shane Henry Henry & Dow Law

N. Scott Johnson Johnson & McCord

Keith A. Jones Keith A. Jones

Ann E. Keele Hall Estill

Ronald W. Little McAfee & Taft

Maren Minnaert Lively Jones Gotcher & Bogan

Carrie M. Luelling The Law Firm of Carrie Luelling

Alexandra Masters Henry & Dow Law

Patrick McCord Johnson & McCord

Justin B. Munn Smakal Munn

Bryan Nowlin Hall Estill

Moura A. J. Robertson Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Deborah C. Shallcross GableGotwals

David A. Sturdivant Barrow & Grimm

David A. Tracy Tulsa Family Law Center

Richard A. Wagner II Hall Estill

Family Law Arbitration

Melissa Fell Fell Law

Family Law Mediation

Jacob W. Aycock Aycock Aussenberg

James R. Bullard Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Adam Carroll APC Law

Brad K. Cunningham Conner & Winters

Kathleen M. Egan Bundy Law

Melissa Fell Fell Law

James R. Gotwals * James R. Gotwals & Associates

Bradley A. Grundy Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

M. Shane Henry Henry & Dow Law

Ann E. Keele Hall Estill

Ronald W. Little McAfee & Taft

Moura A. J. Robertson Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

FinTech Practice

Tom C. Vincent II GableGotwals

First Amendment Law

S. Douglas Dodd Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

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

Susan I. Jordan GableGotwals

David B. McKinney GableGotwals

Russell C. Ramzel Conner & Winters

Robert B. Sartin Barrow & Grimm

Insurance Law

Mark K. Blongewicz Hall Estill

Galen L. Brittingham Atkinson, Brittingham, Gladd, Fiasco & Edmonds

J. Christopher Davis Crowe & Dunlevy

Renee DeMoss GableGotwals

Jessica L. Dickerson McAfee & Taft

James N. Edmonds Atkinson, Brittingham, Gladd, Fiasco & Edmonds

Kristen Pence Evans Hall Estill

Craig A. Fitzgerald GableGotwals

Dan S. Folluo * Rhodes Hieronymus

Robert James Conner & Winters

William S. Leach McAfee & Taft

Kerry R. Lewis Rhodes Hieronymus

Jon M. Payne Hall Estill

Phil R. Richards Richards & Connor

Lisa T. Silvestri GableGotwals

A. Mark Smiling Smiling, Smiling & Burgess

Kelsie Sullivan Richards & Connor

Robert Taylor Steidley & Neal

John H. Tucker Rhodes Hieronymus

Mia Vahlberg GableGotwals

Labor Law — Management

Molly A. Aspan Practus

Steven A. Broussard Hall Estill

David R. Cordell Conner & Winters

Jacob S. Crawford McAfee & Taft

Kevin P. Doyle Pray Walker

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

Randall J. Snapp * Crowe & Dunlevy

Christopher S. Thrutchley GableGotwals

W. Kirk Turner McAfee & Taft

Land Use and Zoning Law

Nathan S. Cross Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Malcolm E. Rosser IV Crowe & Dunlevy

Stephen A. Schuller GableGotwals

Legal Malpractice Law — Defendants

Joseph R. Farris Franden, Farris, Quillin, Goodnight & Roberts

Litigation — Antitrust

Craig A. Fitzgerald GableGotwals

Amelia A. Fogleman GableGotwals

Litigation — Banking and Finance

Mark A. Craige * Crowe & Dunlevy

Gary M. McDonald McDonald Law

Victor E. Morgan Crowe & Dunlevy

John Henry Rule GableGotwals

James W. Rusher Albright, Rusher & Hardcastle

J. Schaad Titus Titus Hillis Reynolds Love

Christopher B. Woods KingWoods

Litigation — Bankruptcy

Mark A. Craige Crowe & Dunlevy

Thomas A. Creekmore III Hall Estill

Daniel E. Gomez Conner & Winters

Brian Huckabee Huckabee Law

Kayci B. Hughes Crowe & Dunlevy

Chad J. Kutmas Norman Wohlgemuth

Chandler Jeter Barnett & Ray

Gary M. McDonald McDonald Law

Patrick D. O’Connor Moyers Martin

Michael R. Pacewicz Crowe & Dunlevy

James M. Reed Hall Estill

John Richer Hall Estill

Steven W. Soulé * Hall Estill

Sidney K. Swinson GableGotwals

Andrew R. Turner Conner & Winters

Litigation — Construction

N. Lance Bryan Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Dylan Duren Robinett, Swartz & Duren

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

Stephen Q. Peters Baum Glass Jayne Carwile & Peters

William H. Spitler Metcalf & Spitler

Litigation — Environmental

R. Daniel Carter Foster Garvey

Michael D. Graves Hall Estill

Robert J. Joyce McAfee & Taft

Garry L. Keele II McAfee & Taft

Lloyd W. Landreth GableGotwals

Linda Crook Martin * Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

D. K. Williams Jr. Hall Estill

Litigation — ERISA

Jon E. Brightmire Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Renee DeMoss GableGotwals

Steven W. McGrath Conner & Winters

David B. McKinney * GableGotwals

Litigation — First Amendment

S. Douglas Dodd Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

John Henry Rule GableGotwals

J. Schaad Titus Titus Hillis Reynolds Love

Litigation — Health Care

Jennifer R. Annis GableGotwals

Elise Dunitz Brennan Conner & Winters

Teresa Meinders Burkett Conner & Winters

Susan I. Jordan GableGotwals

Litigation — Insurance

Jennifer R. Annis GableGotwals

Jeff Baum Baum Glass Jayne Carwile & Peters

Mary Quinn Cooper McAfee & Taft

J. Christopher Davis Crowe & Dunlevy

Grant Fitz GableGotwals

Robert James Conner & Winters

William S. Leach McAfee & Taft

Randy Long Rhodes Hieronymus

R. Richard Love III Conner & Winters

Kelsie Sullivan Richards & Connor

Litigation — Intellectual Property

Rachel Blue * McAfee & Taft

Dennis D. Brown Brown Patent Law

Shawn M. Dellegar Crowe & Dunlevy

Craig A. Fitzgerald GableGotwals

Litigation — Labor and Employment

Molly A. Aspan Practus

P. Bradley Bendure Conner & Winters

Jon E. Brightmire Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Steven A. Broussard * Hall Estill

Courtney Bru McAfee & Taft

Teresa Meinders Burkett Conner & Winters

David R. Cordell Conner & Winters

Jacob S. Crawford McAfee & Taft

Kevin P. Doyle Pray Walker

Larry D. Henry Rhodes Hieronymus

Samanthia Sierakowski Marshall Rosenstein, Fist & Ringold

Kathy R. Neal McAfee & Taft

Charles S. Plumb McAfee & Taft

Denelda L. Richardson Rhodes Hieronymus

Randall J. Snapp Crowe & Dunlevy

Christopher S. Thrutchley GableGotwals

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

Bradley W. Welsh Crowe & Dunlevy

Litigation — Municipal

Michael T. Keester Hall Estill

James C. Milton Hall Estill

Litigation — Patent

Dennis D. Brown Brown Patent Law

Todd A. Nelson GableGotwals

Litigation — Real Estate

Robert J. Getchell GableGotwals

Heath E. Hardcastle Albright, Rusher & Hardcastle

Victor E. Morgan Crowe & Dunlevy

K. Ellis Ritchie Ritchie, Rock & Atwood Law Firm

Stephen A. Schuller GableGotwals

Gentra Abbey Sorem Conner & Winters

Steven A. Stecher Moyers Martin

Thomas L. Vogt * Jones Gotcher & Bogan

Robert J. Winter Pray Walker

Christopher B. Woods KingWoods

Litigation — Securities

James M. Reed Hall Estill

Litigation — Trusts and Estates

Austin Bond Bond Gill

Jack L. Brown Jones Gotcher & Bogan

David A. Carpenter Carpenter Law Firm

Mark W. Curnutte Logan & Lowry

LeAnn Drummond Ellis GableGotwals

James C. Milton * Hall Estill

Bryan Nowlin Hall Estill

Beverly K. Smith Conner & Winters

Robert J. Winter Pray Walker

Litigation and Controversy — Tax

William E. Farrior Barrow & Grimm

Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions — Defendants

Steven J. Adams GableGotwals

J. Craig Buchan McAfee & Taft

Mary Quinn Cooper McAfee & Taft

William S. Leach * McAfee & Taft

Charles D. Neal Jr. Steidley & Neal

Michael F. Smith Smolen Law

John H. Tucker Rhodes Hieronymus

Robert J. Winter Pray Walker

Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions — Plaintiff s

Clark O. Brewster Brewster & De Angelis

Guy A. Fortney Brewster & De Angelis

Charles L. Richardson Richardson Richardson Boudreaux

Gary L. Richardson Richardson Richardson Boudreaux

M. David Riggs Riggs, Abney, Neal, Turpen, Orbison & Lewis

Media Law

Rachel Blue McAfee & Taft

S. Douglas Dodd Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Mediation

Jacob W. Aycock Aycock Aussenberg

David L. Bryant GableGotwals

Medical Malpractice Law — Defendants

Jennifer R. Annis GableGotwals

Michael P. Atkinson * Atkinson, Brittingham, Gladd, Fiasco & Edmonds

Timothy G. Best Best & Sharp

Clark O. Brewster Brewster & De Angelis

Karen L. Callahan Rodolf & Todd

Nathan E. Clark Rhodes Hieronymus

James W. Connor Jr. Richards & Connor

Phil R. Richards Richards & Connor

Medical Malpractice Law —

Plaintiff s

Clark O. Brewster Brewster & De Angelis

Jennifer L. De Angelis Brewster & De Angelis

Montgomery L. Lair Brewster & De Angelis

Gary L. Richardson Richardson Richardson Boudreaux

Mergers and Acquisitions Law

Mark D. Berman Conner & Winters

H. Wayne Cooper Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

C. Bretton Crane Pray Walker

William L. Eagleton IV Pray Walker

Sarah E. Hansel Hall Estill

Stephen M. Hetrick McAfee & Taft

Stephen W. Lake GableGotwals

Stephen W. Ray Hall Estill

R. Kevin Redwine Conner & Winters

William F. Riggs Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

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

Deborah Reed Sterling Oaks Law Firm

Stacy A. Schauvliege Crowe & Dunlevy

Trent Shores GableGotwals

Stephen R. Ward Conner & Winters

John T. Williams * John T. Williams Law

Natural Resources Law

James C. T. Hardwick * Hall Estill

Garry L. Keele II McAfee & Taft

Lloyd W. Landreth GableGotwals

Richard B. Noulles GableGotwals

Donald S. Smith Pray Walker

W. Bland Williamson Jr. Pray Walker

Nonprofi t/Charities Law

Katherine G. Coyle Conner & Winters

Samantha Weyrauch Davis Hall Estill

Oil and Gas Law

Kenneth F. Albright Albright, Rusher & Hardcastle

Pamela S. Anderson Hall Estill

James C. T. Hardwick * Hall Estill

Brian T. Inbody Hall Estill

Stephen W. Lake GableGotwals

Scott V. Morgan Moyers Martin

Richard B. Noulles GableGotwals

R. Kevin Redwine Conner & Winters

James D. Satrom Hall Estill

Thomas P. Schroedter Hall Estill

Donald S. Smith Pray Walker

Mia Vahlberg GableGotwals

W. Bland Williamson Jr. Pray Walker

Patent Law

Dennis D. Brown Brown Patent Law

Frank J. Catalano GableGotwals

Shawn M. Dellegar Crowe & Dunlevy

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, Gladd, Fiasco & Edmonds

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

Robert James Conner & Winters

William S. Leach McAfee & Taft

Randy Long Rhodes Hieronymus

Charles D. Neal Jr. Steidley & Neal

Phil R. Richards Richards & Connor

Andrew L. Richardson McAfee & Taft

R. Scott Savage Moyers Martin

James K. Secrest II Secrest Hill Butler & Secrest

Paige N. Shelton Conner & Winters

A. Mark Smiling Smiling, Smiling & Burgess

Kelsie Sullivan Richards & Connor

John H. Tucker Rhodes Hieronymus

John R. Woodard III Coffey, Senger & Woodard

Harold C. Zuckerman McAfee & Taft

Personal Injury Litigation —

Plaintiff s

Thomas Askew Riggs, Abney, Neal, Turpen, Orbison & Lewis

Clark O. Brewster Brewster & De Angelis

Jennifer L. De Angelis Brewster & De Angelis

Guy A. Fortney Brewster & De Angelis

James E. Frasier Frasier, Frasier & Hickman

Walter D. Haskins Walter D. Haskins

Jason C. Messenger Richardson

Richardson Boudreaux

Charles D. Neal Jr. Steidley & Neal

Charles L. Richardson Richardson Richardson Boudreaux

Gary L. Richardson Richardson Richardson Boudreaux

M. David Riggs Riggs, Abney, Neal, Turpen, Orbison & Lewis

Ted C. Sherwood * Sherwood, McCormick & Robert

Privacy and Data Security Law

Teresa Meinders Burkett Conner & Winters

Tom C. Vincent II GableGotwals

Product Liability Litigation — Defendants

James W. Connor Jr. Richards & Connor

Mary Quinn Cooper McAfee & Taft

William S. Leach * McAfee & Taft

Michael F. Smith Smolen Law

Robert J. Winter Pray Walker

John R. Woodard III Coffey, Senger & Woodard

Product Liability Litigation — Plaintiff s

Montgomery L. Lair Brewster & De Angelis

Professional Malpractice Law — Defendants

J. Craig Buchan McAfee & Taft

Mary Quinn Cooper McAfee & Taft

Public Finance Law

Randy R. Shorb Johnson & Jones

Qui Tam Law

Elise Dunitz Brennan Conner & Winters

Real Estate Law

Gregory W. Alberty Hall Estill

Kenneth F. Albright Albright, Rusher & Hardcastle

Vaden F. Bales Hall Estill

Christopher Carter Hall Estill

Nathan S. Cross Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Robert F. Dougherty Hall Estill

William L. Eagleton IV Pray Walker

Roger K. Eldredge Ladner & Eldredge

Stephen M. Hetrick McAfee & Taft

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

Stephen W. Ray Hall Estill

R. Kevin Redwine Conner & Winters

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

Stephen W. Ray Hall Estill

J. Ryan Sacra Conner & Winters

Tax Law

Kenneth F. Albright Albright, Rusher & Hardcastle

Katherine G. Coyle Conner & Winters

William E. Farrior Barrow & Grimm

John W. Ingraham Conner & Winters

Douglas M. Rather Conner & Winters

Randy R. Shorb Johnson & Jones

Varley H. Taylor Jr. Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

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

James F. Lea III * GableGotwals

Margaret Millikin Millikin IP Law

Paul E. Rossler GableGotwals

David G. Woodral GableGotwals

Trusts and Estates

Jack L. Brown Jones Gotcher & Bogan

David A. Carpenter Carpenter Law Firm

Gary C. Clark * Crowe & Dunlevy

Katherine G. Coyle Conner & Winters

Mark W. Curnutte Logan & Lowry

Samantha Weyrauch Davis Hall Estill

Erin Donovan Erin Donovan & Associates

John W. Ingraham Conner & Winters

Daniel R. Ketchum II Hall Estill

David B. McKinney GableGotwals

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

Leah Keele Latham, Keele, Lehman, Ratcliff, Carter & Clarke

Madalene A. B. Witterholt Crowe & Dunlevy

Congratulates our Attorneys recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for 2025

Steve Butterfield Best Lawyers® Energy Law

C. Bretton Crane Best Lawyers® Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) Corporate Law Mergers and Acquisitions Law Securities/Capital Markets Law

C. Bretton Crane, Jr. Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America Tax Law

Kevin P. Doyle Best Lawyers® Employment Law – Management Labor Law – Management Litigation – Labor and Employment

William L. Eagleton, IV Best Lawyers® Commercial Finance Law Commercial Transactions/UCC Law Corporate Law Mergers and Acquisitions law Real Estate Law

William Jones Best Lawyers® Banking and Finance Law

Donald S. Smith Best Lawyers® Energy Law Natural Resources Law Oil and Gas Law

Randall G. Vaughan Best Lawyers® Commercial Litigation

Founded in Tulsa, Oklahoma in

Pray Walker has provided outstanding legal services for over

years. We are a full service business, energy and litigation law firm working with local, regional, national and international clients from many industries in a wide variety of practice areas.

W. Bland Williamson, Jr. Best Lawyers® Natural Resources Law Oil and Gas Law

Robert J. Winter Best Lawyers® Commercial Litigation Litigation – Labor and Employment Litigation – Real Estate Litigation – Trusts and Estates Product Liability LitigationDefendants

RECOGNITION FOR OUTSTANDING

PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE IN PRIVATE PRACTICE GIVEN TO ATTORNEYS WHO TYPICALLY HAVE BEEN IN PRACTICE FOR FIVE TO NINE YEARS

Administrative/Regulatory Law

Adam Doverspike GableGotwals

Appellate Practice

Adam Doverspike GableGotwals

Justin A. Lollman GableGotwals

Banking and Finance Law

C. Austin Birnie Frederic Dorwart, Lawyers

C. Bretton Crane Jr. Pray Walker

Dillon Langley Nexus Legal

Eric L. Sardella Conner & Winters

Bankruptcy and Creditor

Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law

C. Austin Birnie Frederic Dorwart, Lawyers

Gavin Fouts Brown Law Firm

Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)

Robert Clougherty McAfee & Taft

Spencer Pittman Winters & King

Eric L. Sardella Conner & Winters

Will Silvia McAfee & Taft

Civil Rights Law

Colton L. Richardson Richardson Richardson Boudreaux

Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law

C. Bretton Crane Jr. Pray Walker

Commercial Litigation

C. Austin Birnie Frederic Dorwart, Lawyers

Patrick Colvin Jones Gotcher & Bogan

Rodger V. Curlik Moyers Martin

Adam Doverspike GableGotwals

Emalie L. Foster McAfee & Taft

Alexandra Gage Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

McKayla Hendrix Conner & Winters

William J. Holland McAfee & Taft

Justin A. Lollman GableGotwals

Deric McClellan Crowe & Dunlevy

Jason A. McVicker Baum Glass Jayne

Carwile & Peters

Micah Petersen McAfee & Taft

Barrett Powers GableGotwals

Dru Prosser McAfee & Taft

Margo E. Shipley Hall Estill

Alexander Sokolosky Crowe & Dunlevy

Tim Spencer McAfee & Taft

Hayley N. Stephens Conner & Winters

Anna E. Wolfe McAfee & Taft

Corporate Governance and Compliance Law

Dillon Langley Nexus Legal

Eric L. Sardella Conner & Winters

Corporate Law

Robert Clougherty McAfee & Taft

C. Bretton Crane Jr. Pray Walker

Isaac B. Helmerich Hall Estill

Dillon Langley Nexus Legal

Eric L. Sardella Conner & Winters

Will Silvia McAfee & Taft

Hayley N. Stephens Conner & Winters

Criminal Defense: General Practice

Danya Bundy Bundy Law

Criminal Defense: White-Collar

Justin A. Lollman GableGotwals

Employee Benefi ts (ERISA) Law

Judy Burdg McAfee & Taft

Energy Law

Dawson A. Brotemarkle Hall Estill

Family Law

Danya Bundy Bundy Law

Rodger V. Curlik Moyers Martin

Emalie L. Foster McAfee & Taft

Insurance Law

Nick Foster Rhodes Hieronymus

Alexandra Gage Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

William J. Holland McAfee & Taft

Brian Keester Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Lauren Marciano Hall Estill

Jason A. McVicker Baum Glass Jayne

Carwile & Peters

Barrett Powers GableGotwals

Hayley N. Stephens Conner & Winters

Anna E. Wolfe McAfee & Taft

Labor and Employment Law — Employee

Hayley N. Stephens Conner & Winters

Labor and Employment Law — Management

Harrison M. Kosmider McAfee & Taft

Justin A. Lollman GableGotwals

Hayley N. Stephens Conner & Winters

Litigation — Bankruptcy

C. Austin Birnie Frederic Dorwart, Lawyers

Litigation — Construction

Patrick Colvin Jones Gotcher & Bogan

Matthew T. Crook Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Adam Doverspike GableGotwals

Emalie L. Foster McAfee & Taft

Nick Foster Rhodes Hieronymus

McKayla Hendrix Conner & Winters

Brian Keester Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Spencer Pittman Winters & King

Litigation — Intellectual Property

Madeline M. Cook GableGotwals

Spencer Pittman Winters & King

Litigation — Labor and Employment

Alexandra Gage Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

McKayla Hendrix Conner & Winters

Harrison M. Kosmider McAfee & Taft

Hayley N. Stephens Conner & Winters

Litigation — Real Estate

Ryan Scharnell Conner & Winters

Hayley N. Stephens Conner & Winters

Litigation — Trusts and Estates

C. Austin Birnie Frederic Dorwart, Lawyers

Emily Collins GableGotwals

Logan James Hall Estill

Lauren Marciano Hall Estill

Medical Malpractice Law — Defendants

Dru Prosser McAfee & Taft

Trey Purdom Atkinson, Brittingham, Gladd, Fiasco & Edmonds

Mergers and Acquisitions Law

C. Bretton Crane Jr. Pray Walker

Eric L. Sardella Conner & Winters

Will Silvia McAfee & Taft

Municipal Law

Adam Doverspike GableGotwals

Native American Law

Joe Keene Pipestem Law

Nonprofi t/Charities Law

Spencer Pittman Winters & King

Oil and Gas Law

Dawson A. Brotemarkle Hall Estill

Rodger V. Curlik Moyers Martin

Ryan Scharnell Conner & Winters

M. Travis Williams Moyers Martin

Personal Injury Litigation — Defendants

Nick Foster Rhodes Hieronymus

Brian Keester Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Micah Petersen McAfee & Taft

Dru Prosser McAfee & Taft

Tim Spencer McAfee & Taft

Hayley N. Stephens Conner & Winters

Personal Injury Litigation — Plaintiff s

Matthew J. Primm Haven Law Group

Dru Prosser McAfee & Taft

Colton L. Richardson Richardson Richardson Boudreaux

Privacy and Data Security Law

William J. Holland McAfee & Taft

Product Liability Litigation — Defendants

Emalie L. Foster McAfee & Taft

Nick Foster Rhodes Hieronymus

Brian Keester Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Lauren Marciano Hall Estill

Jason A. McVicker Baum Glass Jayne Carwile & Peters

Micah Petersen McAfee & Taft

Dru Prosser McAfee & Taft

Tim Spencer McAfee & Taft

Anna E. Wolfe McAfee & Taft

Product Liability Litigation — Plaintiff s

Colton L. Richardson Richardson Richardson Boudreaux

Real Estate Law

Will Silvia McAfee & Taft

Securities Regulation

Eric L. Sardella Conner & Winters

Tax Law

C. Bretton Crane Jr. Pray Walker

Transportation Law

Nick Foster Rhodes Hieronymus

Trusts and Estates

Emily Collins GableGotwals

Our methodology remains unchanged since 2010. See who ranked:

TULSA IN BUSINESS WOMEN

We B Trees

The experts at We B Trees have been caring for Tulsa’s trees for 30 years. Owned by Barbara and Tim Nall, the family-owned business provides tree trimming, tree removal, stump grinding, pest management and arborist consultations to the Tulsa area. The company’s plant health care service is a significant part of the business and has been led by Kierstyn RamsayKunce for the past three years. The Nalls are proud to announce Rachel Cox will begin leading the department this season.

“We treat our employees like our own family,” Barbara says. “We are honest and trusting and therefore have dedicated employees who provide

quality work.” Over the past three decades We B Trees has developed strong relationships with iconic local attractions such as Gathering Place, River Parks and Philbrook Museum of Art.

“Although this is a predominately male industry, it is rewarding to be a woman in this field knowing we are capable of the work,” Ramsay-Kunce says.

PHC Manager/Lead Tech Kierstyn Ramsay-Kunce, new Tech Rachel Cox, Co-owner Barbara Nall and Office Assistant Shawntel Lunn

Final Touch Commerical Cleaning

Jackie Vu, Vice President of Final Touch Cleaning, is fifty and fabulous! Vu’s life is all about investing in people and relationships. When she was three, her parents relocated their six kids from Laos to the United States. Her parents worked tirelessly to make a better life for their children. By helping her mother with office cleaning at Final Touch, little did she know it, Vu had opened the door to a rewarding career. After graduating from high school and working in the restaurant business with her husband for seven years, Vu became reacquainted with Final Touch founder and CEO Sandra Mullins, who asked Vu to join the team.

Vu played a key role in Final Touch’s expansion into five states, while emphasizing the importance of faith, family, and supporting employees; all values she shares with Mullins. She believes in extending opportunities to others, teaching management to help employees achieve their goals. Vu attributes her success to the company’s focus on investing in people and relationships.

10404 E. 55th Pl. I 918-663-1919 I finaltouchcleaning.com

Funktified is a store that celebrates creativity, individualism and fun. Opened by Sarah Lopp in 2024, the one-of-a-kind shop is where funky meets retro in a vibrant celebration of style and nostalgia. Shoppers can find everything from home décor and gift items to nostalgic accessories and a European-style hat room. Lopp has loved getting to know her customers personally at her Rose District storefront. “My No. 1 piece of advice for other women entrepreneurs is to listen to yourself, tune out those around you and follow your own heart,” Lopp says. “It took 20 years for me to do this, but when I finally did, it was magical.”

102 N. Main St., Broken Arrow | 918-505-0873 | funktified.com

Kirkendall Design

Kirkendall Design is committed to creating livable style through luxury interior design services. Led by owner Julia Kirkendall, who brings 32 years of experience, the team offers full-service design for both residential and commercial projects, including new construction, renovations, furniture selection, and styling. For smaller-scale projects, they also provide personalized design concierge services tailored to each client’s needs.

Kirkendall is passionate about preserving Tulsa’s architectural history while enhancing clients’ lives with thoughtful design and renovations.

To fellow women entrepreneurs, she says, “Realize the vision you have for your business and don’t stop. Surround yourself with the right people who see and can join that vision.”

kirkendalldesign.com | 918-250-1650

Sarah Lopp

Julia Kirkendall

Annie Brady Design and Magpie

Annie Brady makes magic. As the owner of Annie Brady Design, she is the mastermind and magician behind many of Tulsa’s most stylish, sophisticated and thoughtful events. It wasn’t until 2016, when Brady was 57, that she started the business after two of her best friends asked her to plan their daughters’ weddings. “Little did I know that those weddings would start me on this path of celebrations, which now include corporate events, private parties, showers — and of course — more weddings.”

The event planning business specializes in one-of-a-kind design expertly managed. As an extension of this business, Brady opened Magpie in 2020. The store, which sits in downtown’s Gunboat Park district, carries everything one needs to host a soiree, including tabletop designs exclusive to Tulsa. A handpicked selection of china, glassware, cutlery and more is available to rent — perfect for customizing to match an intended theme.

Along with holiday and themed party goods, Magpie’s shelves and tables are full of curated gifts, home goods, linens and so much more. The store is home to an extensive wedding and gift registry for customers.

As a lifelong Tulsan, Brady considers doing business in her hometown a dream. “I think the best advice for any entrepreneur, besides needing to absolutely believe in and really like what you do, is to just keep going,” she says.

“It takes quite a while to get your footing and to make inroads into a market. If you can, be patient and know that it will take longer than you imagine to make your mark.”

Annie Brady

Security Bank

The Tulsa community is rich with women leaders shaping the business landscape, and Dawne Stafford, CEO of Security Bank, is an outstanding example of that leadership in community banking.

Stafford is committed to creating a workplace where people feel valued and supported. She encourages collaboration and invites diverse perspectives to drive new ideas and growth, proving teamwork is the best recipe for success.

“There is a real sense of loyalty and commitment at Security Bank,” Stafford says. “We all share in each other’s successes, which makes for a better bank, work environment and customer service — ultimately creating better opportunities for everyone.”

Security Bank proudly invests in Tulsa’s businesses and is committed to preserving the community bank culture. Under Stafford’s leadership, Security Bank is embracing technological advancements while staying true to the personal touch that distinguishes the bank from others. “People want convenience, but they also want the assurance of being able to speak with someone they trust.”

As Security Bank celebrates 25 years of local, reliable, relationship banking, Stafford reflects on the journey with gratitude. “Tulsa is a wonderful place to live and work, and we look forward to continuing to serve with the highest level of care.”

Experience the difference at Security Bank. 918-664-6100 | sbtulsa.bank | Member FDIC

J Potter Collective

J Potter Collective offers a variety of unique event venues in Tulsa. These historic sites have all been restored and reflect their own unique vibe and feel. “What sets us apart is our ability to offer a variety of venues to our clients and really tailor to their needs,” says owner Jackie Potter. “We can host large wedding ceremonies and receptions, graduation parties and birthday celebrations, as well as private dinner parties.”

Two sites — Station 13 and the Union Building — are set in urban settings, while Pecan Valley provides a quiet, country-like atmosphere.

“Tulsa people love supporting local,” she says. “I take a lot of pride in being a small part of Tulsa’s special moments and events.”

jpottercollective.com

Chick-fil-A Midtown Tulsa

David Chen, Owner/Operator of Chick-fil-A’s midtown Tulsa location at Southroads Shopping Center, is pleased to introduce the women who will open and operate the company’s newest location at 13th and Utica beginning in April. The team features Vanessa de Leon, Executive Director of Operations; Junith Carrasco leading Kitchen Operations; and Maricruz Quinones heading Hospitality Operations.

“These exceptional leaders played key roles in the opening of our Southroads location,” noted Chen, “and bring over 30 years of combined Chick-fil-A experience. Their dedication and expertise will ensure our new location delivers the craveable food, exceptional service, and genuine hospitality that customers love.”

“The team can’t wait to welcome customers to Chick-fil-A Midtown Tulsa’s second location,” added Chen.

Junith Carrasco, Vanessa de Leon and Maricruz Quinones at the groundbreaking for Chick-fil-A’s location at 13th Street and Utica Avenue, which will open in April.

Jackie Potter

J. David Jewelry

In many instances, people buy jewelry as an expression of their love for one another. At J. David Jewelry, owner Kendra Wiland makes sure her team never loses sight of what they sell — love, not just jewelry.

Kendra and her husband Joel opened their first J. David Jewelry location in 1994 and have since grown to three full-service Tulsa-area locations, providing an extensive selection of diamond and gemstone jewelry. Surrounded by an incredible team of seasoned designers and goldsmiths, J. David Jewelry’s services include everything from custom design and jewelry repair to appraisals and buying people’s unwanted jewelry.

“Our people really set us apart,” she says. “We feel we have the best of the best. Not only is our team talented and knowledgeable about our jewelry, but they also have hearts of service and truly live up to our motto to show unconditional love. It is what makes us special — that genuine care and love we show that guests can feel when they walk through our doors. We like to call it the J. David difference, and it’s our people who make that difference.”

While diamond and bridal jewelry is a significant portion of the business, J. David also offers several fashion and couture brands for men and women.

Gabriel and Co. is their No. 1 fashion line and its offerings can be found at all three locations.

As a husband-and-wife duo, Wiland’s advice to fellow married business partners is sound. “If you’re in a business partnership with your spouse, be sure to agree to protect the home front and to create that work-life balance,” she says. “Also, stay focused on your goals and be patient as you walk through seasons of growth.”

The Wilands are honored to serve generations of Tulsans and be part of their story. “There’s no place like Tulsa,” she says.

3646 S. Peoria Ave. | 918-969-6300 8200 E. 101st St., Suite B. | 918-364-6300 613 N. Aspen Ave., Broken Arrow | 918-251-6300 jdavidjewelry.com

Kendra Wiland

Jill Croka Designs

Interior designer Jill Croka understands that the beauty of a space lies in its details. From the precise placement of furnishings to the interplay of light, color and texture, every element contributes to an environment that feels both sophisticated and deeply personal. Drawing inspiration from the natural world, Croka’s design philosophy balances creativity with intention, crafting spaces that evoke emotion and elevate everyday living.

With a background in mental health, she founded Jill Croka Designs 13 years ago, seamlessly blending her belief in the healing power of environments with her passion for thoughtful, functional design. She specializes in creating spaces that not only reflect the individuality of her clients but also support the evolving needs of multigenerational families.

“My goal is to design spaces that align with both the lifestyle and aesthetic of the end user,” she explains. “By integrating personal style with architectural integrity and function, we create something truly one-of-a-kind.”

A proud native Oklahoman, Croka is honored to build her business along historic Route 66, collaborating with the city’s thriving creative community. “Tulsa is home to incredibly skilled artisans and talented craftsman professionals who make pushing creative boundaries a rewarding and dynamic process,” she notes.

Jenkins and Co.

Lisa Wakefield loves items that tell a story. In her Meadow Gold District storefront, Wakefield curates a collection of artisan-made home goods, jewelry, apothecary and paper products.

For the past nine years Jenkins and Co. has been a place for Tulsans to find quality goods in a peaceful, welcoming atmosphere. “Tulsans are so supportive and invested in the success of small business,” she says.

As a female entrepreneur, she encourages others like her to “lean into their strengths and trust their intuition.” Wakefield feels supported in her neighborhood of fellow successful women-owned businesses. “I’m so proud to be a part of this community,” she says.

1335 E. 11th St. | 918-794-7844 | jenkinsandcotulsa.com

Lisa Wakefield

Keller Williams

Kacy Bell, Susan Beach and Terrie FosterNowland began their journey with Keller Williams more than 25 years ago. All three held leadership positions in different local KW franchise operations.

Inspired by the Keller Williams Realty International foundation of “a company made by agents, for agents,” the three knew the trajectory for success was a given.

Although 10 years ago they each had opportunities that took them different directions within the company, the three women always hoped the opportunity to work together again would present itself.

This past January it did. Each is now the Operating Principal for the three different franchise operations locally. Kacy Bell leads the Preferred group of offices, Susan Beach leads the Advantage group of offices, and Terrie Foster-Nowland leads the Premier group of offices.

Collectively they direct 16 locations across the state.

“To return together and reimagine our operations with new opportunities is such a thrill,” Beach says. “We hold the No. 1 real estate franchise position in our areas and are positioned to continue to provide excellence in service and expertise in residential and commercial sales and leasing, as well as luxury home sales, relocation services, land and ranch transactions.”

Keller Williams Preferred 4745 E. 91st St. | 918-496-2252

2438 W. New Orleans St., Broken Arrow | 918-251-2252

Keller Williams Advantage 2651 E. 21st St. | 918-712-2252

12133 S. Yukon Ave., Glenpool | 918-291-2425

11 E. Broadway St., Sand Springs | 918-241-7653

Keller Williams Premier

13315 E. 112th St. N., Owasso | 918-272-0809

2002 S. Highway 66, Claremore | 918-283-2252 kw.com

Kacy Bell

Susan Beach

Terrie Foster-Nowland

Miss Helen’s Private School

It was in 1954 that “Miss Helen” Wingo realized many of the children entering Kindergarten had difficulty adjusting socially, emotionally and academically. She believed there was a better way for the young students of Tulsa to be prepared for their academic futures.

Today, executive director Lynda Wingo — the founder’s daughter-in-law who is beginning her 50th year at Miss Helen’s — believes in the philosophy of the founder: to provide a great learning institution where children can develop their reading, math and social talents as well as improve communication skills and learning habits.

Leadership at the state-accredited school is a Wingo family affair. Lynda’s daughter Jayme Wingo-Baker has served the school for 30 years. Lynda’s husband, Gary Wingo, the son of the founder, is a favorite with families and staff.

Miss Helen’s heritage lives on in the school’s facility at 48th Street and Mingo Road. The school offers programs in three areas: Preschool, Kindergarten, and Elementary Grades first through fifth. The school employs degreed professionals and encourages ongoing teacher training throughout the school year. Each pod is supported by a lead teacher with experience and expertise in their grade level.

918-622-2327 | misshelens.com

KKT Architects Inc.

Sarah Gould, CEO of KKT Architects, leads Oklahoma’s largest woman-led architecture and interior design firm with a 36-year legacy of shaping communities. KKT’s work spans healthcare, education, nonprofit, and commercial sectors, including the new 200,000 SF Bixby High School Academic Building—one of the state’s most progressive learning environments. Committed to the region’s future, Gould and her team launched the Education Foundation for Architecture, Engineering, and Design (thinkarchitecture.org) to inspire K-12 students. Beyond design, KKT proudly supports over 135 nonprofits annually, reinforcing their dedication to Oklahoma’s growth and community impact.

2200 S. Utica Place, Suite 200 | 918-744-4270 | kktarchitects.com

Dog Dish

“The human — and often canine — touch of a local business is priceless when it comes to serving our guests. The vast world of pet products is confusing and sometimes intimidating. People like to have a place they trust that can give them advice and offer only a specialized curation of products,” says Emily Bollinger, store owner.

“Our new store has a fenced backyard that is a dream come true for us. You can usually find pet adoptions taking place every Saturday, dog water play on the weekends, workshops with other businesses here and there, and we’ve also started renting out the yard for pet birthday parties—or any kind of pet get-together”.

Plus, does that big box store or website have a Dennis? Our shop dogs are models, product testers, and testimonials to what we carry in store. Come in to ask questions, give a pup a pet or belly rub, and let us help you.

2803 South Harvard | 918-624-2600 | dogdishtulsa.com

Emily Bollinger and Dennis

Sarah Gould

Executive Director Lynda Wingo with Director Jayme Wingo-Baker, her daughter

IN CONVERSATION WITH

LAURA MOCK

Fox23 meteorologist who is winning the fight against breast cancer.

BY TIM LANDES

Clockwise from top: Emmy-winning meteorologist Laura Mock inside the Fox23 weather center in January.

Due to her treatments, Mock lost all her hair and has been growing it back. In November, she celebrated the end of chemotherapy with a weekend trip to New Mexico, where she was able to enjoy nature and go on short hikes. Mock with coworker Mikayla Smith from TulsaPeople’s March 2024 feature on female meteorologists.

Fox23 meteorologist Laura Mock is sitting in the studio’s weather center following the morning news show and a couple hours before the next show. She’s thrilled to be at work.

Last winter Mock took part in a TulsaPeople feature on Tulsa’s female weathercasters. The Broken Arrow native talked about her lifelong love of meteorology and how much she enjoys working for a hometown station since 2017.

It was around that time when she discovered what felt to her like a golf ball in her right breast while showering. Weeks later as the article was hitting newsstands, Mock, 33 at the time, was making an appointment to get it checked out because it wasn’t a cyst that went away. It was still there and it felt bigger.

“I had my first doctor’s appointment at the end of April, and by the middle of May I had my diagnosis and a biopsy done and a couple more tests,” Mock says. “I think I held off until June to announce it.”

Her diagnosis was Stage 3 triple negative breast cancer, meaning it lacked estrogen, progesterone and HER2 receptors, which makes hormone treatment impossible. It’s more aggressive because it grows and spreads quickly, according to American Cancer Society.

Mock informed Fox23 viewers she was battling breast cancer, and it was her goal to keep working throughout the duration of the treatment. She helped keep Oklahomans safe during one of the worst tornado years on record. She prepared viewers for the extremes of Oklahoma weather through the seasons as her fight against cancer continued. She lost all her hair and now, on this morning as she recounts the past year, her hair is growing back.

Now she’s cancer free.

There’s one more radiation therapy then followups years away. Her long-term forecast looks very favorable.

Mock discussed her cancer journey and the response she has received from viewers, plus how she connected with News On 6 anchor LeAnne Taylor, who publicly battled breast cancer, and more.

MOCK USED TO JOKE WITH HER FAMILY SHE WAS A LIKELY CANDIDATE FOR SKIN CANCER BECAUSE OF HER YEARS WORKING AS A LIFEGUARD GROWING UP ... Obviously it was nerve-racking going through getting diagnosed with cancer. You know, I’m in my low 30s. It’s not something I expected to happen in my life. It was in May I got the diagnosis, and at that point, my world just kind of felt like the brakes were hit. I had trips planned over the summer. I had things I wanted to do. I had goals I wanted to go after, and I just had to pause everything and refocus on what I had to do to get through my cancer diagnosis.

SHE HAD BIG PLANS FOR HER 10TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY ON JUNE 14, BUT THEY HAD TO BE

SCRAPPED ... That week I got my port in and then I started chemotherapy. It was like, “well, all right that’s how this is gonna go.”

AFTER STARTING CHEMOTHERAPY, MOCK CHOSE TO TELL VIEWERS ABOUT IT ... As much as I would have loved to go through it privately, I knew there were going to be physical changes that were going to be obvious, so I figured why not just come out with it? I wasn’t ashamed of my diagnosis at all. It was just a matter of being vulnerable to the entire population of eastern Oklahoma and letting them into a part of my life that I don’t normally do.

FOLLOWING THE DIAGNOSIS, ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE SHE REACHED OUT TO WAS NEWS ON 6’S LEANNE TAYLOR, WHO WORKED THROUGHOUT HER BREAST CANCER FIGHT NEARLY 20 YEARS AGO ... We didn’t really know each other, but we see each other on our TVs every morning, so I sent her an email and said, “Hey, would you have a minute to talk?”... We talked on the phone, and I said, “I grew up in Tulsa. I watched you go through this. Now I’m going through it. What advice do you have of doing it in the public eye? I have a ton of other people that I know of that I can reach out to on how to get through breast cancer, but you’re the only person I know to talk on how to get through breast cancer publicly.” We’ve actually been closer since then … she asks how I’m doing and says she saw me on TV. She got me involved a little bit with Susan G. Komen. I did the walk and spoke at that with her right there as well. So yeah, we’ve gotten closer because of it.

THAT SUMMER THE PHYSICAL CHANGES BEGAN

... My hair started falling out, and it was Fourth of July weekend when I decided to go ahead and shave it off and just not have to deal with anything. I came on air with my wig, no warning, and most of the comments I got were very positive because a lot of people knew what I was going through. I had one negative comment or an email asking what was going on, and I responded to it and posted it on Facebook and that went viral. I haven’t gotten any negative comments since.

SHE HAS HEARD FROM HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE THROUGHOUT HER FIGHT ... Every little step that I have had I have more and more people reach out, some of them just wishing me luck and telling the stories of their experience or their loved one’s experience. Coming back on air with my hair trying to grow back I had tons of comments from people and emails from people saying “we cheered so much,” and “I cried at my TV when I saw you come back on without your wig.” “You’re doing so good. We love to see you.” So people are following along with the journey and cheering me on, but also, I guess I’m giving them hope as well on being able to get to the other side of treatment as they see me get to this point and still have a smile on my face.

CHEMOTHERAPY WENT FROM JUNE TO OCTOBER

WITH HER SWITCHING TO A HARDER CHEMO TREATMENT AROUND HER 34TH BIRTHDAY ON SEPT. 11 ... It was several months, and I stayed working the entire time except for a couple days here and there taking off to just rest because the biggest thing for me was fatigue, and I had a little bit of brain fog. I wanted to keep working because it kept my spirits up. It gave me something to do that wasn’t just, “oh, I’m a cancer patient.” It just kept a piece of me that I’m used to.

BEYOND WORK SHE READ BOOKS AND WENT ON WALKS TO HELP HER MENTAL HEALTH ... I love being outdoors, and so sometimes just going for a walk around the neighborhood, getting fresh air was the best thing in the world for me and to get me moving and to get my mind kind of clear.

BY THE END OF OCTOBER SHE WAS THE BALDEST SHE’S EVER BEEN ... I had no eyebrows. I had no eyelashes. I had no hair on my head, no arm hair, no leg hair, like all of it gone. I didn’t have to shave at least. (she laughs)

THE CHEMOTHERAPY ROUTINE SHRUNK EVERYTHING DOWN, AND SHE HAD NOTHING VISIBLE ON ANY OF HER SCANS ... I was able to have the option of doing a lumpectomy instead, which is also known as a partial mastectomy, which is where they just remove a portion of where the tumor was. I was able to de-escalate things quite a bit. I know some people would probably opt to just go ahead and do the mastectomy anyway. It’s a very personal choice, but I was just happy to at least have the option. I had to have three lymph nodes removed as well because I had lymph node involvement in my armpit. That surgery happened the week of Thanksgiving.

SHE SPENT TWO WEEKS RECOVERING THEN WAS BACK AT WORK ... my motion was limited with that, but again, routine and just keeping me mentally engaged was important to me. Now at this point I am waiting on insurance approval to start radiation, and that should be about six weeks of radiation, so I will probably still be in the middle of that when this article comes out.

HER CANCER JOURNEY HAS INCLUDED MANY EVENTS SURROUNDING HOLIDAYS, SO SHE’S READY TO FLIP THE SCRIPT COME MEMORIAL DAY ... I’m throwing a party on Memorial Day because I have to do immunotherapy for a full year, and right now it’s every six weeks and my last one is going to be on May 22, which is right before Memorial Day weekend. Once that’s over I’m getting my port out, and I’m literally throwing a party.

HER DOCTOR CALLS HER CANCER FREE NOW ... I think the time they really monitor my type of cancer is five years. So I’m gonna be watched like a hawk through those five years, and then once I get to that point, then things will start to ease up a little bit. tp

Stories to tell

STORY AND PHOTOS BY TIM LANDES

Carson House is a place where women come together to talk about various topics, take part in weekly life drawing classes or to see an exhibition of artwork by a local female creative.

Founded by artist Anne Pollard James, Carson House, she says, is “not only for, but mostly for, women. Men are welcome, but it’s a woman’s space.”

On this day, five local female artists are hanging out in the front room. Some know each other well. Others are meeting for the first time. Each of the artists share commonalities, yet their work di ers. From oil paintings on canvas to acrylics on woodcut pieces to photography that captures history or utilizes ancient methods to depict the natural world, each woman has their own stories to tell and their own unique methods to do so.

These five artists invited TulsaPeople into their workspaces to show how and why they create the art they do as they discuss how they got where they are today.

PIECING THE PUZZLE TOGETHER

Ebony Iman Dallas arrives at her workspace inside Edison Studios most mornings by 8 a.m. She works alone till around 2 p.m., when she is then joined by her toddler daughter for the rest of the afternoon.

She views all her artwork as puzzles being put together. Dallas is in the early stages of a commissioned fine art piece — her first in a few years.

“It’s basically going to be a big puzzle that some pieces will have acrylic paint, some pieces will have gold leaf and some will have Kenyan textiles,” she says. “All of those will come into the piece that I’m working on.”

She’s recently been focusing more on mural work and creating affordable commercial art pieces, like a small woodcut bird that comes with paint.

“It’s still my art, but you can paint it yourself. You can engage with it in your own way, and it’s relaxing and fun,” Dallas says. “I’m just trying to find ways to make my artwork available to more people.”

Both a fifth-generation Oklahoman and secondgeneration Somali American born and raised in Oklahoma City, she started out with crayons like most kids and never stopped drawing. By 11 she was taking it seriously, locked in the safe confines of her bedroom drawing Disney characters while dreaming of someday being an animator. It was all cartoons until a high school art teacher told her it was time to do something different. Then it was recreating photos as realistic drawings, which led to painting with acrylics on canvas. Dallas was raised being told her father died by suicide when her mom was three months pregnant. It was in 2004 through a chance encounter in an Oakland, California, night club when the 23-year-old Dallas was reconnected with her late father’s family still living in Somalia. Conversations with one of her father’s friends led her to investigate his death, and she learned that her dad had been killed by police. Reconnecting with

her dad’s side of the family changed her life as her artwork became more and more influenced by African history and culture. Around 2007, her artwork evolved as she started using shapes and colors to create portraits.

Long-inspired by a wood carved mask that was the lone gift from her father to her mother, Dallas’ artwork started incorporating wood cuttings in 2019 after a friend gifted her a scroll saw, then she started using a laser cutter as well. She’s learning how to use a CNC machine, which involves computer programming, for her newest piece.

Dallas’ work has been seen in her joint exhibition with Guggenheim Fellow Ron Tarver at Oklahoma Contemporary, The Romare Bearden Centennial Celebration in New York City and her solo exhibition “Through Abahay’s Eyes” at Oklahoma City’s Literari Press before it was shown at Joyce Gordon Gallery in Oakland. She was a participating artist in The City of Tulsa’s Greenwood Art Project and moved to Tulsa in 2022 after a brief stint here in 2019. In 2023 she was named Paseo Artist of the Year and became a founding fellow of the Oklahoma City Thunder Artist Group.

Fifteen years ago Dallas founded Afrikanation Artists Organization in Hargeisa, Somaliland — which provides art classes and art supplies for kids and art supplies for professionals — and for a year operated a gallery there as well that she credits with sparking more interest in creating art.

Dallas made annual trips to deliver art supplies and visit with the artists until the COVID-19 pandemic halted global travel. She returned in 2024 with her then-6-month-old daughter, who had the opportunity to cuddle with her great grandmother.

Hanging on her studio walls are her paintings along with some created by Somali artists that are for sale. The artists decided one half of sale proceeds go to the artist, while the other half goes to art supplies that are shipped over since they are much more difficult to obtain in the post-war region.

“They’re beautiful pieces, and they need to be shared with the world,” she says.

More information at ebonyimandallas.com.

Ebony Iman Dallas inside her Nomad Mystique workspace at Edison Studios, 4040 W. Edison St., where every second Saturday of the month the resident artists host an open studio with presentations and art available, like Dallas’ gold leaf paintings or works from Somalian artists.

‘LIKE A BLUEPRINT’

Rachel Rector is sitting on her home’s dining room floor as she assembles a collage of different materials that will soon become a cyanotype print on fabric, which she says “combines a historical process from 1842 to contemporary modern processes to make it less traditional and more contemporary.”

For more than a decade, the lifelong photographer has been doing what she calls her “prairie project” based on her infatuation with the natural world that’s surrounded her while growing up in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. She spends time in nature making images on a toy camera and collecting blades of grass to incorporate into her work.

This 25-inch-by-25-inch tapestry collage includes pickings of native plants like prairie grasses sideoats grama, little blue stem and big blue stem. There’s also some poetry she’s written and a large film negative of a prairie scene she captured.

“It’s like a blueprint, where whatever I’m putting on top of the image, once I sandwich it in with either glass or, in this case, acrylic, it

will then be put into the sun and developed. It essentially paints the image,” Rector says. “What I then remove — the negative — will be turned into a positive. So each little plant I put down, once it’s removed will become white after its contact with the sunlight. Then once you rinse it in water it becomes a new image and archival.”

She loves this style of art known as an alternative process and often teaches it in workshops for kids, like one she will host this summer in the Kendall Whittier District at Mixed-Use Space Tulsa.

“What that means is basically a lot of the early historical photography practices (used) the sunlight to develop (an image) or plant matter,” she says. “It’s just timeless, and I never tire of it.”

Rector creates cyanotype shirts, necklaces and art pieces, including various sized tapestries that she sells at local markets.

“It is fun to have people own something that’s one of a kind. It could be the same photo, but none of these will ever be exactly the same, and that’s special to me,” says the 34-year-old.

She has spent the past 10 years experimenting

in various ways, and after creating a 20-foot tree, she has started contemplating bigger projects.

“I want to do more large-scale fabric cyanotypes of native trees in Oklahoma,” Rector says. “I want to do living trees in the summer. I see just a whole room full of these floating on front and back portions.”

Having been raised with a camera in hand and access to a dark room, Rector continues to experiment with film. She is continuing to print photographs on native stones like limestone and sandstone, and she’s been working a lot with moss. She’s also experimenting with printing in the dark room with a projector using a liquid emulsion to print on canvas and then using one of her film photos to project on to the image. A new obsession is making stop-motion animation with 8-millimeter and 16-millimeter film.

“I have some other projects in mind, but I don’t want to share them yet because I haven’t started them,” Rector says. “I feel like that would stop my motivation.”

More information at rachelrector.com.

Clockwise from left, one of Rachel Rector’s cyanotype prints hangs in her home. Rector in her dining room as she creates a collage that includes prairie grasses. A cyanotype print she created that is affi xed to a mirror. She sells her prints in various modes at art markets and through her website.

‘WORD PLAY’

It’s mid-January and May Yang is inside her home studio painting what she believes will be the final pieces for her artwork that will be exhibited at Liggett Studios in February as part of her show “Word Play.”

The pieces are what she calls three-dimensional relief paintings comprised of layers of wood that create a collage. There are vibrant colors swirling around and soon “little pieces of letters will get shrunk in or blown up or cut up and reassembled, and that’s kind of how the basis of these come together,” she says.

Growing up as a first-generation Asian American in Tulsa, Yang says she encountered cultural contrasts and communication barriers within her own family, further amplified by language differences — her dad immigrated to the U.S. from Taiwan and her mom from Cambodia.

“Mandarin was kind of like the language that they commonly spoke, and they weren’t really fluent in English. So (the pieces were) born from miscommunication. And I think that’s kind of where this tie to these words that aren’t really words, or like English that isn’t really English, kind of comes from.”

Yang grew up an artist and by the time she was a teenager, she tried out screen printing for the first time.

“I got a screen-printing kit from Hobby Lobby and kind of destroyed my parents’ bathroom trying to figure out how that worked on my own,” she says. “I never really quite got to the point where I was making great screens until I had the correct equipment and the correct materials.

“Screen printing is always going to be my first love, but I really gravitated toward lithography too, which is a completely different beast, like a much more complex printmaking method and a little bit more masochistic.”

Yang graduated from Holland Hall in 2004 and thought she would become a graphic designer, so she attended Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, where she fell more in love with printmaking. Then there was a stint at Tamarind Institute at the University of New Mexico before she returned home in 2010. Two years later the then-25-year-old started Flash Flood Print Studios, a screen-printing and design company located in the Kendall Whittier neighborhood.

About a decade ago she dabbled with making collages, but mostly her artistic pursuits took a back seat to business dealings until the COVID-19 pandemic gave her free time and a need to mentally check out.

“I was making little daily sketches in my sketchbook, and like something clicked, and then that’s kind of where I fell back into a more regular art practice,” she says.

Her current project started as sketches using ProCreate on her iPad. From there they became paintings. Then came the idea to layer them with wood-cut pieces.

“This project that is supported by Artists Creative Fund is essentially a way for me to learn machine-assisted construction using materials and equipment from Fab Lab, which is a great place, and then also a way for me to kind of think more dimensionally about the pieces I create,” Yang says. “So the work in itself, like compositionally and the colors, is very indicative of my previous work, but more dimensional. I call them relief paintings.”

Working in her home studio when she can get away from Flash Flood, Yang devotes about two days a week to her art, but as she gets closer to the exhibition opening, she spends more hours in her studio space creating her “bold and colorful abstract art.”

“I know deep down I love process,” Yang says. “I don’t think I would ever have been so drawn to print making if that wasn’t a core part of why I make art. There’s something in my brain that just is really excited about doing all of that and learning all of this stuff.”

More information at mayyang.com.

Artwork by May Yang, below, hangs on her home studio walls.

LEARNING WHILE WORKING

It started with a Polaroid camera that her great-grandmother owned. The problem was the film was too expensive. Then on her 15th birthday Brittany Bendabout (Cherokee Nation/Otoe) received a Kodak point-and-shoot digital camera from her mom and grandmother.

Growing up in Claremore near its lake, she says her backyard backed up to an open, giant field.

“Me and my friends, we would just hop the fence, and I would take my camera, and we would do photo shoots of each other in this empty field,” Bendabout says. “That’s just really where it started.”

Nobody in the household was artsy, she says. She was shy and quiet growing up, yet she found comfort in capturing candid moments of strangers and became a Claremore street photographer.

“I could just watch people and observe them and take photos. I would just walk around and probably be a little creepy,” she says as she

laughs. “I would just take photos of people at Claremore Lake and whatnot.”

There was a phase where she liked to peruse Claremore’s antique shops and snap pictures of creepy dolls and other antiques that she posted to her Myspace page. It was all just for fun.

She was two years into attending Rogers State University as a business major when Bendabout befriended photography artist Anh-Thuy Nguyen, who was then teaching art at the school. She admired and looked up to the artist, which inspired her to move forward with her photography work and take it more seriously. She graduated with a business degree that was partially funded through her work doing senior portraits and other commissions. About five years ago Bendabout moved to Tulsa and one of her new first friends was filmmaker Sterlin Harjo, who gave her an opportunity to work in the camera department for “Reservation Dogs.”

On set she befriended more creative Natives, which fueled her passion to do more Native photography.

Having always been told she was easy to work with and good at getting people to loosen up during photo shoots, Bendabout decided she would make portraits of elders and try to learn from them while doing it.

“I was always just kind of searching for an elder or somebody to like pour into me, someone I could look up to,” she says.

Two years ago, while on assignment for NPR documenting former students of Riverside Indian School in Anadarko, Oklahoma, Bendabout had one of those moments she had been manifesting.

“There’s this older woman that I took photos of and she just opened up about her time,” she says. “It’s just really cool to sit in somebody’s house and get to do this for work, but also getting something I missed out on as a child, like getting to have conversations and sit down with your elders and learn from them.”

Then came more freelance photojournalism assignments and the opportunity to make portraits for Cherokee Nation citizen Rebecca Nagle’s critically acclaimed 2024 book “By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land.”

Bendabout’s current photojournalism series, “The Matriarchs That Made Us,” examines “matrilineal societies in Native America by focusing on matriarchal kinship and its centrality to indigenous beings.” Historically, Cherokees lived in a matrilineal society, so it’s something that runs deep in Cherokee culture. For Bendabout it’s work that has become even more personal as she nears an upcoming due date to welcome her first child.

“I’m stepping into that whole matriarch role, and I think I was kind of waiting on that for this project, which is, like, all right, what does it mean to be a matriarch?” she says. “Now I have to take this a lot more serious. This is a lot more impactful now in my life.”

She’s ready to learn.

More information at brittanybendabout.com.

Above, Cherokee photographer Brittany Bendabout at home. Right, “Sarah (Chita) Lonewolf, Kiowa,” a portrait she made for her ongoing “The Matriarchs that Made Us” series.

‘COMING UP FOR AIR’

Anne Pollard James likes to paint early in the morning when the natural light has just started illuminating her workspace for the day. Typically, her paintings don’t get a name until she’s finished, but the one she’s working on now is known as “Sun Drunk.” It’s inspired by a model in a vintage magazine advertisement from the 1960s and is her first attempt to do a larger-than-life woman.

“I started working big in 2024. I got my first commission (to do a peony) of a size that I had never done before, and it propelled me to do something that I probably would not have considered on my own then. It changed everything,” says the 52-year-old, who had never picked up a paint brush until 2018, when she was looking for a new creative outlet after taking a drawing class. “(‘Sun Drunk’) is on a 48-by-60, and I’ve had it and two other canvases ready to paint, but for whatever reason, I wasn’t jumping in. Then the moment I finished that giant commission (of the flower), I was like, ‘Oh, I can do this!’”

Working out of her studio just south of downtown, Pollard James continues her ongoing “Coming Up For Air” series, which was the focus of her debut exhibition at Positive Space Tulsa in September 2022.

Her non-commission oil paintings are always about female empowerment. A print of her painting “Boy Tears” hanging in the women’s restroom at bistro Bird and Bottle is a popular backdrop for selfies that are shared on social media.

“I have things that I want to say,” Pollard James says. “There is something about aging and feeling like I give no shits about anyone else’s opinion about what I’m doing in terms of my art, and what I’m thinking and how I want to show my feminist art. That’s something I don’t know that I could have done as a 25-year-old that hadn’t found my voice … At 50 really is when I feel like I started finding it. I didn’t have anything to prove. It was what I wanted to show. I think I aged into it, frankly, and I listened to it.”

Many of her paintings feature scenes of women floating under water, their head unseen above the surface. She says there’s something unexplainable about the way the blue and green phthalo colors she uses for her water depictions hits her psyche. These paintings started when she was transitioning from being a full-time real estate broker to a full-time artist.

“They’re all part of coming up for air, because it felt like I knew immediately that I just had made this right decision, that there was no question, that there was before and there was after, and this is it, and I’m going,” she says. “I felt like I could breathe for the first f**king time in my life.”

Her artwork is featured on the label of Tulsa-based spirit producer Beach Ball, and her painting “Pretty Mouth” is the cover art for the book “This Strange Garment” by New York-based author Nicole Callihan. Her painting “The Delight Project/No. 5” is included in a National Association of Women Artists group show at Vanda Gallery in New Rochelle, New York.

She hosts weekly life drawing sessions, workshops and exhibitions at Carson House, a workspace she owns that has a focus on supporting women and fostering creativity. She also teaches art at Bishop Kelley High School, where she says “I get to see kids who maybe don’t always feel seen and show them, by kind of my example, that you never have to be finished. You can start over at any moment.”

More information at annepollardjames.com. tp

Above, Anne Pollard James works on “Sun Drunk” in her studio. Below, her paint palette for a commision job she’s also working on.

FRY DAYS ARE HERE

BY STAFF

Sometimes you just want to order a basket of fries and a Coke. Or maybe it’s fries with a chocolate milkshake.

Eating a burger without fries can feel criminal, and it recently became trendy to order a salad with a side of fries (aka Girl Dinner).

Then there are the over-the-top loaded fries with all sorts of layered goodness. What’s better than sharing a mountain of cheese fries with bacon and jalapenos?

Of course everyone has opinions about the style of fry — Wedge? Curly? Seasoned? Crinkle cut? Sweet potato? And we won’t even get into preferred dipping sauces.

Then there’s the alternative sidekick: the tater tot. Whether served salted and crispy, covered in melty cheese or slathered in brown gravy, tots always hit the spot.

Our staff loves fries of all kinds. We took an office pool and put together this list of our favorite French fries, sweet potato fries and tater tot dishes in Tulsa.

SANS SAUCE

These are the French fries that are great served as is. That said, we won’t be o ended if you dip them in ketchup, mustard or mayonnaise.

Tina’s matchstick fries

At Tina’s, 1732 S. Boston Ave., these are what classic fries should be: salty, thin and cooked to perfection. Paired with the smashburger and a Tina’s Cold Beer, the classic side rounds out a hot meal from a cool bar.

Weber’s hand-cut fries

A midtown go-to when you’re craving burgers and fries is Weber’s, 3817 S. Peoria Ave. Grab your burger buddy and split an order of fries, which are handcut and fried crisp. Fries arrive unsalted, which allows for the diner to administer their desired amount.

Bird and Bottle’s garlic tru e fries

Bird and Bottle, 3324-A E. 31st St., is known for its fun atmosphere and $4 martinis. But ask any regular diner about the fries and they’ll tell you how they’re a must have — whether it’s as an appetizer and/or a side to a salad or sandwich. They are served with Parmesan, rosemary and ancho aioli.

Mack’s Wings dry rub fries

These fries are so fl y, they have a wingman. Typically served alongside Mack’s famous chicken wings, the seasoned fries also soar on their own. These are coated with a dry rub spice blend that is savory and just a touch sweet. Find Mack’s for lunch or dinner at 782 E. Pine St.

Tina’s matchstick fries

Bird and Bottle’s garlic truffle fries

Weber’s hand-cut fries

Mack’s Wings dry rub fries

LOADED

The more toppings the better, but there has to be a ton of melted cheese.

Curds and Whey’s Cali Girl fries

This Mother Road Market retailer is known for its selection of loaded fries options. Our favorite is the Cali Girl fries, and they are easily a meal in itself. Sturdy, crispy fries are topped with grilled chicken, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses, avocado and diced tomatoes. Each bite gets a dose of smoky sweetness from the applewood smoked bacon and creaminess from the baja ranch sauce.

Lone Wolf’s kimchi fries

It started as a must-have at their food truck and its popularity helped fuel the brick-and-mortar location downtown at 203 E. Archer St. that replaced the mobile kitchen. The fries are loaded with jack and cheddar cheeses, onion, jalapeno, cabbage kimchi, cucumber kimchi, a choice of aioli and cilantro. There’s also a wide variety of additional toppings, including the popular candied bacon.

The Brook’s cheddar fries

When you’re at any of the Brook’s three locations — downtown, Brookside and 91st Street — enjoying a game on the big screen, there is likely to be an order of cheddar fries for the table.

It’s a big pile of fresh-cut seasoned fries with melted cheddar cheese that is double layered and served with a side of homemade ranch dressing. Add bacon bits, chives and jalapeno for an additional charge. It can be ordered as a full or half portion.

Curds and Whey’s Cali Girl fries

Lone Wolf’s kimchi fries

The Brook’s cheddar fries

CURDS, LONE WOLF, THE BROOK, MCNELLIE’S, RUBY’S: TIM LANDES; ALBERT G’S: MICHELLE POLLARD

The

SWEET POTATO FRIES

The alternative to the standard Idaho potato fries.

McNellie’s sweet potato fries

For many Tulsans over the past two decades, McNellie’s Wednesday burger night special is only made complete with a side of sweet potato fries. The downtown pub, 409 E. First St., was known for them before it became a national craze, and they continue to be a hot seller anytime of the week, but especially on hump days. This spring have your fries with a side of sunshine on the patio at McNellie’s south Tulsa location, 7031 S. Zurich Ave.

Albert G’s sweet potato wa e fries

This Tulsa barbecue legend is known for its ample sides menu, and the sweet potato waffle fries are a standout. Crispy and well-seasoned, the fries are giant and plentiful.  With three Tulsa locations — Tulsa Hills, downtown and midtown — find these whenever you get a craving for ‘cue and fries.

Ruby’s sweet potato fries

There are no sweeter sweet potato fries in Tulsa than what can be found at Ruby’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers, 6577 E. 71st St. When ordered as a side there’s an option of adding brown sugar and cinnamon, which shouldn’t even be a question. They are delicious and go great with the signature quarter-pound burger and a homemade root beer.

Ruby’s sweet potato fries

Albert G’s sweet potato waffle fries

McNellie’s sweet potato fries

TOTS

Forget the fries, give us spuds cut, shaped and deep fried, then topped with lots of good stu .

Society’s jalapeno cheddar tots

Potatoes are served up four ways at Society: fries, sweet potato fries, loaded mashed potatoes, and then our favorite, jalapeno cheddar tots. Tots are made in house at each of Society’s three area locations. Hot tip: get your sides 50/50 by choosing two styles.

The Tavern’s tater tot poutine

It’s all gravy, baby! Three oversized tots are piled high with juicy, shredded beef tenderloin, blanketed in rich brown gravy and topped with cheese curds. This starter is hearty enough to be a meal. The Tavern, 201 N. Main St., has other modern pub favorites like the deviled egg trifecta and its namesake burger.

The Pump’s Boujee tots

While Girl Dinner is on the menu at The Pump, 602 S. Lewis Ave., you might want to try an amped up potato party with this Kendall Whittier district restaurant’s loaded tots. There are four options: Buffalo Chicken Ranch Totchos, Okie Poutine Totchos, Trashy Tots and, our favorite, Boujee Tots. These tots are dusted with herbed Parmesan, drizzled with garlic aioli and dolloped with the sweet, smoky bacon jam. tp

The Tavern’s tater tot poutine

The Pump’s Boujee tots

Society’s jalapeno cheddar tots TAVERN, PUMP:

LIGHT PARTY DAY

MARCH 15TH - 17TH

FOOD, DRINKS, AND IRISH CHEER INSIDE THE PUB AND PATIO

SUNDAY, MARCH 16TH

• FREE TO ATTEND •

BLOCK PARTY KICKOFF

LIVE MUSIC, BEER TRUCKS, AND OUTDOOR FUN

SATURDAY, MARCH 15TH | 2 PM

• FREE TO ATTEND •

THE BIG DAY!

ST. PATRICK’S DAY BLOCK PARTY

MORE LIVE MUSIC, BEER, IRISH FARE, AND A FULL DAY OF FESTIVITIES

MONDAY, MARCH 17TH | 10 AM

• FREE TO ATTEND •

Bank on swank

City Hall Steakhouse gives big city vibes along Jenks’ Main Street.

BY JUDY ALLEN

Play and approachability meet glam and sophistication at the new City Hall Steakhouse in Jenks, where whimsy is served atop white table cloths. Golden saucières and triple-tiered seafood towers may make it feel like Gatsby’s house, but dishes like strawberry ice cream cake and caviar paired with Pringles make it feel more like home.

e restaurant’s location on Main Street in Jenks — where once the real city hall and a bank were housed — plays to the neighborhood vibe intended by McNellie’s Vice President of Culinary Operations, Ben Alexander.

“We wanted a community restaurant with less pressure and more of a hometown feel,” Alexander says.

Some friends and I popped in just after New Year’s, and the charming atmosphere still had an air of festivity, noticed when walking by a table of diners celebrating with a sparkler-topped dessert. When we were seated, I felt memories of attending high school in Jenks in the 1980s come ooding back, as the walls adorned with framed photographs of many familiar faces from Jenks sports teams such as wrestling, football and cheer revealed many friends I haven’t seen for decades.

The 44-ounce tomahawk ribeye is hand-branded at the table.

O ering dishes like a showstopping 44-ounce tomahawk ribeye hand-branded at the table, City Hall is de nitely a spot for celebrating over upscale fare. Alexander tapped former Tavern chef Audrey Plumlee as McNellie’s Group Executive Chef to help develop the menu, which includes classic steakhouse choices such as prime steaks, surf and turf, and hearty sides. But the menu also consists of a comforting selection of more casual dining options dressed up with tantalizing twists, like a sour cream and caviar beurre blanc brick chicken, a burger with bone-marrow-braised onions, and a mushroom and tru e gemelli pasta dish with lemon cream sauce and optional addition of fresh tru e. e ribeye we ordered was served a perfect medium-rare with Béarnaise sauce for dipping, the fries were crisp and salty, and the giant asparagus spears cooked just enough to remain crisp.

e kid’s menu options are served with cheese and crackers or a salad, followed by berries and cream or two scoops of ice cream. “ e kid’s menu is coursed out so that they feel special too,” Alexander says. “It’s not just an afterthought.”

ere is a Vegas aspect to the desserts, Alexander hinted when asked about the giant sparkler we had seen earlier. e dessert menu consists of chocolate cake, strawberry ice cream cake and cheesecake — but carrot cake was the special the night we dined. e head-turning serving sizes are pulled from the success of large desserts at McNellie’s Group’s popular Bull in the Alley.

To further enhance the celebratory vibe of an evening at City Hall, guests can even choose to mark milestones and raise toasts in an old bank vault, which was preserved from the site’s renovation.

In other McNellie’s Group news, they’ve teamed up with restaurateur Sheamus Feeley (who opened Noche Wood red Grill to instant acclaim) and has opened Mal , a coastal Italian restaurant in Brookside. tp

Crudo of hamachi, smoked trout roe, spicy ponzu, aguachile avocado and microgreens

Strawberry ice cream cake

COOKING

LET THEM EAT PIE

It was 13 years ago that childhood friends Molly Martin and Andrea Mohn took a chance on entrepreneurship, opening Antoinette Baking Co. They’re still going strong with third partner Kamryn Andrews at their Tulsa Arts District bakery and cafe, 207 N. Main St., where rows of colorful macarons, flaky pastries, pies and layered cakes greet customers every day. We checked in with Martin about Antoinette’s early days and to find out what’s new.

SO MUCH HAS CHANGED SINCE YOU OPENED ANTOINETTE. WHEN DID YOU OPEN? We opened in the fall of 2012 in a tiny spot on Brookside with questionable air conditioning and a galley kitchen

lined with windows so everyone coming in could see us working (and sweating).

THINKING BACK TO THOSE EARLY DAYS, DID YOUR DREAM OF WHAT ANTOINETTE COULD BE MATCH WHERE YOU ARE TODAY? Back in 2012 we never imagined having a space like we do now. Our current kitchen on Main Street is larger than the entire space in Brookside. We also had no idea how we’d be welcomed. It was just the two of us when we started, working crazy hours and ending many days in tears. But slowly we built an audience of regulars and amazingly many followed us downtown. There’s no guarantee of that when relocating.

LATTES TO GO

WHAT’S NEW AT ANTOINETTE THESE DAYS?

About 18 months ago we did a major renovation of the entire front of house and overall branding. We moved to this space in 2015 and that’s a lot of wear and tear. The refreshed space is beautiful and just adds to the overall experience. Food-wise we have many of the “classics” our folks have come to love while still playing around all the time with new flavors and concepts.

WHAT’S THE MOST POPULAR MENU ITEM? Chocolate chip cookies and our brown butter rice crispy.

TULSANS REALLY ROOTED FOR YOU IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE BAKERY. CAN YOU TELL US HOW HAVING COMMUNITY SUPPORT HELPED YOU GET GOING? There was some magic to those early days on Brookside. A lot of that was the introduction of weekend Pie Nights a couple of months after we opened. That really changed everything and started the ball rolling. That was also the heyday of food trucks in Tulsa, and we often teamed up on those nights with friends like Lone Wolf (we made their baguettes back then) so people could really make a night of it. Seeing those lines down the block, sometimes stretching past In the Raw, was unexpected and amazing. These days we certainly have more competition in the area and you can only be the hot new thing for so long, but we also appreciate that we’ve become a place that people know, love and have come to depend on.

MOST POPULAR PIE OF PIE NIGHT? Forever and ever key lime and mile-high chocolate.

WHAT BUSINESS-RELATED ACCOMPLISHMENT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? The easy answer is to say that we’re still here. Restaurant years are like dog years in a certain kind of way. The real answer is getting to hire amazing folks and know that this little idea we had over a dozen years ago helps people feed their families, not just the public. Many of our bakers have gone on to do their own outstanding concepts as well. And it feels good to be a chapter in their stories. — NATALIE MIKLES

We are loving the canned lattes from Foolish Things Coffee Co. Made with oat milk, these lattes are just as good as the lattes from their Cathedral District coffee shop but are great for convenience or when you don’t have time for a coffee run.

Katie Carpenter, who owns Foolish Things with husband Justin Carpenter, says she is always thinking of options for scaling the business in meaningful ways. The same day they opened a new second location in the Root Coworking space, the Carpenters launched the new line of pre-canned lattes.

“People started trying them and the response was pretty overwhelming. People loved them,” Carpenter says. “We use clean ingredients, from local businesses, to make a ready-to-drink latte that we are proud of.”

Foolish Things’ canned lattes are co-packed by Andrew Whitney, owner of Tulsa-based Good Cause Brewing. But the cans aren’t just selling locally; customers can purchase at foolishthings.coffee with shipping available across the country.

Find them in regular, vanilla, mocha or seasonal flavors like peppermint mocha and lavender matcha at Foolish Things, Reeder’s, Market 31, The Pump and Connor’s. — NATALIE MIKLES

Antoinette Baking Co. owners Molly Martin, Kamryn Andrews and Andrea Mohn

Spring Break snacks

STORIES BY NATALIE MIKLES

Even when there’s not a concert or event happening on the Guthrie Green stage, it’s a great spot for milling around and getting out of the house. While there, check out EN FUEGO. Everyone will want to devour the Bob Marley dip, a layered dish of refried beans, taco meat, queso blanco and avocado cilantro crema. Or check out the masa tempura-fried chicken taco, an En Fuego special. Kids will also love the crisp and cheesy quesadilla. 224 M.L.K. Jr. Blvd. • 918-230-2342 • enfuegotulsa.com

Parents all over Tulsa cheered when they heard about ELOTE ’s new satellite location inside Discovery Lab. The children’s museum is the most popular hangout in town for kids. And while fun for kids, adults now have a little corner of their own. After checking out the exhibits and crawling through the tape tunnel, families can now take a load off at Elote cafe, where you can dig in to cream cheese-based queso and puffy tacos. At the museum early during spring break? Check out the cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting! 3123 Riverside Drive • 918-600-2088 • discoverylab.org/elote

If it’s been awhile since you’ve been to the Tulsa Zoo, you may not know there’s more to eat there than popcorn and hot dogs. At MACAW LANDING GRILLE adults will be pleasantly surprised with a grain bowl that includes couscous and quinoa, toasted almonds, pickled onions, tomato, black olives and banana pepper topped with a lemon-mustard vinaigrette. The Zoo knows what kids want, too, and it shows in the kids meals that come in cute little boxes and include either a honey-battered turkey corndog or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with applesauce, Goldfish crackers and juice. 6421 E. 36th St. N. • 918-669-6600 • tulsazoo.org tp

NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Three years ago, Omid Mobarezpoor ’s life was completely uprooted. Through an emergency evacuation program, he left his homeland of Afghanistan for a dot on a map in a place he had never heard of.

He couldn’t have imagined that in just a few year’s time he would start a catering company, making biryani, chicken kabobs and samosas for new friends in Tulsa.

“Leaving everything behind, I realized that this drastic change in my life presented an opportunity to start again and rebuild my life from zero, as long as I did not give up,” Mobarezpoor says.

As an interpreter and translator for other refugees, Mobarezpoor encountered many people struggling to rebuild. He found that Afghan women refugees in Tulsa had particular challenges and employment barriers and often felt trapped with limited prospects for growth.

“After working for a year as an interpreter, I felt inspired to help Afghan women who are in distress and confined within their homes, grappling with trauma, culture shock and unfamiliar customs. Many suffer from the oppressive nature of our cultural practices, which limit their ability to get an education or work, let alone have personal freedoms. I was determined to do something to support these women, uplift their capacity, and help them regain their voices and individuality,” he says.

Mobarezpoor’s catering company, Afghan Cuisine, became both an outlet for work for him and a means to employ female Afghan refugees. He and Ayesha Karimi, his fiancée who manages the catering business, created a menu of their favorite Afghan foods. The Afghan women working for Afghan Cuisine have many years of cooking experience between them and bring their own ideas, passed-down family recipes and secret ingredients to their work.

Visit afghancuisine.org or call 918-4092252 to learn more.

Bob Marley Dip at En Fuego

Omid Mobarezpoor and Ayesha Karimi

c e l e b r a t e t h e ann i v e r sa r y o f an am e r ican in s t i t u t i o n

S t e i n w a y & S o n s 172 Y E A RS O F P E RF

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STEINWAY PIANO GALLERY

3402 S. Peoria Ave. Tulsa, Ok 75105

T E L (918) 516-1853

Lifestyle

HOME HEALTH TRENDS

DESIGNER DEAL

Finding a deal and supporting a cause? The two go hand-in-hand at Dress for Success’ quarterly public sales where shoppers can find brand-name jewelry, purses, designer items, denim, evening gowns and boutique fashions.

For example, a Burberry trench coat paired with a Michael Kors belt, Echo silk scarf, Ann Taylor trousers and a Lauren by Ralph Lauren blouse. Your next gala dress: a Joseph Ribkoff classic. Or a Croft and Barrow lambskin vest atop a Banana Republic blouse and pants, embellished with a Steve Madden scarf.

Shop the sale at Dress for Success, 3103 S. Harvard Ave., from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., March 27; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., March 28; and 9 a.m.-2 p.m., March 29. tp

LEARN MORE ABOUT DRESS FOR SUCCESS’ MISSION ON TULSAPEOPLE.COM.

Comfort and convenience

Functionality meets fun at a new downtown bodega.

BY ALLY LIGHTLE

The sunny corner of east downtown lovingly known as East Village has seen its share of hardships. After a devastating re destroyed cornerstone businesses, the neighborhood was in need of a renaissance. at’s when one entrepreneur and artist decided to start a new chapter of her career with the cutest little corner store.

“People needed somewhere to grab a cup of co ee, and meet a friend,” says Kristin Robert, owner of e Bend Mercantile. “But I also love curating retail and wanted to experiment with bodega culture in Tulsa.”

Open since November, e Bend Mercantile has a bit of everything. e shelves are fully stocked with items ranging from locally sourced food to eco-friendly pantry staples and even gift items made by artisans across the globe.

“Have you ever traveled and happened upon a quirky little store?” Robert says. “I want to be that quirky store.”

e Bend Mercantile fosters community, slower living and basic necessities.

“ ere are little surprises around every corner,” she says. “Not only can I buy a gift for my mother-in-law, but I can also have a latte or glass of wine and hang out.”

e bodega’s lattes are made with an espresso machine Robert nicknamed Susie — a subtle nod to S.E. Hinton, author of “ e Outsiders” and “Rumble sh.” In fact, parts of both movie adaptations were shot near the shop’s location.

Walls rich with history, a beautiful oral installation around the door, and a chic Dutch-inspired checkerboard oor hand-painted by Robert makes this space culturally inspired yet distinctly Tulsa. tp

SHOP FAVORITES

The

is

thebendmercantile.com 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday-Wednesday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Thursday-Saturday; noon-6 p.m., Sunday

Bend Mercantile

the exclusive Oklahoma retailer of Malin + Goetz products ranging from lotion to soap, skincare and haircare. $18-$60.

Local Tulsa artist Shannon Wheeler has a variety of prints available featuring vibrant florals. $18-$240.

Lassalle’s French Market prepared soups. Prices vary.

Kristin Robert

High call

Kidney donor challenges herself and spreads awareness with hiking treks.

BY KIRSTEN LANG

Through what she can only describe as a “calling from God,” Ashley Conklin took a leap of faith several years ago when she made one epic decision to help save a life.

Conklin is a living kidney donor residing in Oklahoma City. In 2023 she was one of 20 living donors at Ascension St. John Transplant Center in Tulsa.

Now she is making it her mission to show others that your body can do it all — you can give this gift of life to someone yet still go on to accomplish physical goals and live a normal, healthy life.

“I wanted to highlight that our bodies are this amazing design,” Conklin says. “ e fact that you can give a piece of yourself to someone and still function is something to be celebrated.”

Her decision started back in fall 2022 when a family member shared the story of a woman in need of a transplant.

“What is funny is that it was just a quick Facebook clip, nothing too in-depth,” she says.

But she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

“I was at a low point in my life at that time,” she says. “I had trouble seeing the good around me.”

But there was a phrase that continued to play in her mind from a friend: “When you can’t see the good, you need to be the good.”

So that is just what she did. e initial call to the transplant center was in October 2022. After multiple rounds of extensive lab work to test compatibility, physicality and emotional health, it was six months later that the surgery took place.

During this preparatory process Conklin met Holly Wall, the living donor transplant coordinator with Ascension St. John.

“Holly is your companion through the whole thing,” Conklin says. “She communicated with me and became a friend.”

So, it was no surprise that after the surgery was completed, Conklin called on Wall to join her in celebrating her decision by completing a goal: hiking the Grand Canyon from rim to rim.

“One big decision on whether or not to donate for Conklin was what her life would look like post-surgery,” Wall says. “So, when she asked me to join her in completing the 24-mile hike along the Grand Canyon — I jumped on it.”

For Conklin physical health has always been important, and she says she was inspired by the Kidney Donor Athletes group for her next big physical feat: the ree Volcano Challenge, which she completed Jan. 24-Feb. 1. e multi-day hike took place in Guatemala, and she used it as another opportunity with KDA to inspire those around her and spread awareness of this need.

While many will look at Conklin and see a hero, she maintains a more humble attitude about it.

“I am just a regular person who saw a need and lled it,” she says.

For more information on the living donor transplant program, email holly.wall@ascension.org. tp

Above (from left), Holly Wall, Lillie Conklin, Ashley Conklin, Brandon Conklin and Matthew Conklin on Sept. 26, 2024, when the group hiked the Grand Canyon rim to rim in support of Ashley’s recent living kidney donation. The hike took 15 hours and 45 minutes.

Right, Ashley Conklin on her Three Volcano Challenge in Guatemala earlier this year.

BEYOND CITY LIMITS

Luck o’ the traveler

A March roadtrip can lead to a regional pot of gold.

BY RHYS MARTIN

March can be a ckle month. Some years, the signs of spring arrive with budded owers, chirping birds and the warmth of longer days. And yet, sometimes the month clings to winter and the chill seems like it will never go away. Regardless of the weather we get in 2025, a day or weekend road trip is just the thing to add some new experiences to your year!

St. Patrick’s Day is usually a big deal in a town of any considerable size, but some small towns go all-out for the holiday, too. Just over the border in the Texas panhandle, the town of Shamrock really does it up right. eir annual festival started in 1937; just over a decade ago, it was designated as the o cial St. Patrick’s Day Celebration for the entire state of Texas. e festival is spread over three days (this year on March 14-16) and includes a parade, beard contest, pageants, regional vendors and more. ere’s always a great number of classic cars out, too, considering the town’s Route 66 heritage.

If you have time to scoot a little further west, Amarillo always has a wealth of things to see and do. Keeping with the Route 66 theme, Cadillac Ranch is an iconic roadside attraction that brings people from all over the world to leave their mark on a set of half-buried automobiles. A newer addition is the Slug Bug Ranch, inspired by its decades-old Cadillac cousin. It not only features a set of Volkswagen Beetles, but several monumental limousines also tagged with layers of spray paint. Bring your own cans and be creative … but be sure to keep the paint to the designated areas. is installation is not far from the Big Texan Steak Ranch, which has to be experienced at least once. And who knows — maybe you can nish the 72-ounce steak challenge in an hour and get it for free.

On the way back to Green Country, there are a lot of small towns and interesting attractions that are sure to make memories for those who love the landscape of the American prairie. e Metcalfe Museum in Durham is quite a bit north of the Interstate 40 corridor, but it’s a great spot that celebrates the pioneer spirit through the story of Oklahoma’s “original” pioneer woman, Augusta Corson Metcalfe. She and her family moved to the area in 1893. Metcalfe became an artist amidst a harsh environment where she was responsible for the entire homestead. e museum and the Break O’ Day Farm is a window to the past, not just of frontier living but of creativity in the face of adversity. Call ahead and make the detour to experience a bit of pure Oklahoma.

Finally, leave some room in your stomach for an onion burger as you pass through El Reno. Whether you stop at Sid’s Diner, Johnnie’s Hamburgers or Robert’s Grill, a meal here will educate you on why an onion burger anywhere else just isn’t the same! tp

Above, Shamrock, Texas, is home to the state’s official St. Patrick’s Day Celebration. Middle, Cadillac Ranch outside of Amarillo, Texas. Left, Sid’s Diner in El Reno.

The blue hours

BY CONNIE CRONLEY

How in the world did I get to be this age without knowing about the blue hour?

e blue hour has occurred every day, twice a day in fact, every year that I’ve been alive. Maybe not in inclement weather when the sky is dark, but every other day. at’s tens of thousands of blue hours I’ve missed.

I don’t know how I came across the term blue hour, but it instantly intrigued me. Here was another opportunity to spend hours of internet research. Gimme it! Otherwise I might use the time in frivolous tasks like cleaning oors or decluttering drawers. No, I chose the quest of learning about the blue hour.

e blue hour is the brief period immediately after sunset and before sunrise when the sky is predominantly blue. It’s caused by the sun’s position to the horizon and

involves more longitude/latitude detail than I can grasp.

e twilight blue hour is so famous, painters and photographers revere it. Poets write poems trying to capture the moment’s sensations of happiness, danger and illusion. e French perfumery Guerlain created a legendary fragrance named L’Heure Bleue to evoke the romantic, sensual, suspended hour when “the night has not found its star yet.”

All of this and I’ve been missing it? I once sat next to a woman on a plane who was reading a tell-all biography of a famous person. She looked up at me, a stranger, and said, “I had no idea! I’ve been walking about with my head in a bucket.” She went back to her book without another word. at’s me and the blue hour. Head in a bucket.

e blue hour is so popular with photographers, a website lists the exact start and

end times for speci c places: bluehoursite. com. at’s how I know that March 15 in Tulsa the blue hours will be 6:46-7:20 a.m. and 7:47-8:19 p.m. Don’t even think about calling me at those times. I’ll either be outside in the morning with a cup of co ee or in the twilight with a glass of something, just reveling in blue. Marveling at the light show. Making up for lost time.

And, bemoaning all the other mysteries I have missed. William Wordsworth wrote a poem titled “Peter Bell” that includes a couple of lines I have pondered for years:

“A primrose by a river’s brim

A yellow primrose was to him,

And it was nothing more.”

is poem evoked an uproar in its day. Much has been written about the meaning of this poem. Is it about guilt? Is it about being oblivious to beauty and nature. Is it about focus?

My blue hour research took me down many rabbit holes.

• Who knew there are three parts of twilight? Civil, nautical and astronomical.

• e Biblical hours of the day begin with the rst hour at sunrise and end with the 12th hour at sunset. Speci c hours cited in the Gospels are reckoned on Jewish, not Roman, time.

• Some Hindu rituals are performed only at twilight. Obligatory Islamic prayers are performed at both morning twilight and evening twilight.

• e Torah requires a thread of blue in the Jewish prayer shawl.

• Ancient Egypt synthesized this pigment 5,000 years ago from the mineral lapis lazuli.

• e western world invented blue laws, prohibiting some business and recreational activities on Sundays. Go gure.

• e color blue touches all classes, from blue-collar workers to blue-blood aristocrats. Bluestocking was a derogatory term for an educated woman.

It’s all so much more than I, head in a bucket, imagined. e universe keeps giving me tantalizing glimpses of its wonders and mysteries like primroses and blue hours.

Meanwhile, social media keeps blasting messages to me of wisdom and advice. Here’s a current favorite:

“You’re alive.

Act like it.” tp

LUXURY PROPERTY GROUP

Call any of the Luxury Property Group Realtors about one of these homes, or any property that you have an interest in. We will provide you with superior personal service with the highest integrity.

JENKS WEST

Unbelievable opportunity to own 5 acres near Jenks West Schools with a gated, hilltop home offering stunning views and a peaceful country feel. This spacious property features a formal living/dining area, a large master suite with a private study, and a walk-out basement game room leading to an inground pool. With multiple balconies, a new roof, fresh exterior paint, and convenient access to shopping and highways, this home is the perfect blend of tranquility and convenience. 833 W 91st Street S, Tulsa, OK 74132. $995,000

TIM HAYES

918 -231-5637 thayes@mcgrawok.com

GORDON SHELTON 918- 697-2742 gshelton@mcgrawok.com

SHERRI SANDERS 918- 724-5008 ssanders@mcgrawok.com

DIANA RILEY PATTERSON 918- 629-3717 dpatterson@mcgrawok.com

GRAND LAKE

MOUNDS

78 acres - Vacant Land on SE corner of 201st & Harvard Ave. Tulsa County. 3 ponds, some trees, flat pastures and great location.

$1,700,000

This like-new, cheerful 2bedroom, 2-bath lake house at South Shore on Grand Lake is move-in ready with recent updates, including a 2024 HVAC, smart thermostat, kitchen cabinets, bathrooms, stainless steel appliances, hot water tank, washer/dryer, and new wrought iron fencing. Enjoy the amenities of the South Shore neighborhood, including a pool, clubhouse, ponds and waterfalls. Located less then 1 mile from Reasor's and just an hour from Tulsa, this home is also short-term rental friendly. $359,000

SOUTH TULSA

Single story with 3 bed 2.5 bath located in Jenks East school district. This open floor plan has a great kitchen that opens to family room. Combo living/dining looks out to back deck that is partially covered. Corner lot, fresh interior paint, elegant onyx entry flooring, and newer hardwoods. 9640 S. 67th E. Ave. $425,000

OWASSO

Approximately 2 acres for sale in Owasso. Situated on 106th St North between Memorial & Sheridan. Zoned AG and in Tulsa County. Excellent location with easy access to Highway 75 South and just minutes to Downtown Tulsa. 4 Miles west of Highway 169 North and downtown Owasso Redbud District. $199,000

RUSTIC HILLS

Built in 1958 with 4 bedrooms 2 1/2 bathrooms, 2 living areas. A good one level home that needs some updating. Sold at time of listing. 3742 E 59th Place. $249,000

MINSHALL PARK

A one owner home built in 1998. Newer roof only 2-3 years old, new HVAC in 2023. Good floor plan with a 4th bedroom behind kitchen could be used as a home office. Excellent condition with a large unfinished room above the garage. 7626 S Maplewood Avenue. $275,000

Beacon on Boulder

Evangelist Oral Roberts moved from Enid to Tulsa in 1947 and established his ministry. Two years later after the growth of his ministry, Roberts opened his rst o ce building along South Boulder Avenue at 16th Street with 13 employees.

In the summer of 1957, work began on the new and improved headquarters of Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association near 17th Street and Boulder. It was called the Abundant Life Building and was designed by Tulsa modernist architect Cecil E. Stan eld e seven-story windowless structure featured an exterior adorned with diamondshaped Vermont white marble tiles. A series

of large oodlights illuminated the building at night, making it a beacon amid the Tulsa skyline.

Inside there were television and recording studios with broadcast and editing booths, editorial o ces for two magazines, conference rooms, o ces for the 24/7 telephone prayer line, and a large sanctuary on the top two oors that hosted Roberts and guest speakers.

By 1960 weekly programs were broadcast to 138 TV stations and 376 radio stations around the world. More than 500 employees worked in the building, some answering the 200,000 personal letters Roberts received every month.

As Roberts’ notoriety grew, he announced plans to create a “school for missionaries” which would become Oral Roberts University. e opening of ORU in 1965 moved many of the Abundant Life Building’s operations to the campus near 81st Street and Lewis Avenue.

e Abundant Life Building was sold to a group of Texas investors in 1967 and renamed the Diamond Tower. It was utilized as an o ce building until the 1980s but has remained vacant since. In 2019, the building’s diamond facets were removed and saved for future redevelopment. Today it is owned by Sharp Boulder Enterprises, according to Tulsa County property records. tp

STORY AND COMPOSITE IMAGE BY PATRICK MCNICHOLAS

An image of the Abundant Life Building located at 1720 S. Boulder Ave., seen here in 1971 when it was known as the Diamond Tower. The building was once the headquarters of the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association from 1959-1967 before it moved to Oral Roberts University.

NAVARRA