Tulsa World's Outlook 2019 in Business

BUSINESS IN TULSA

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2019

OUTLOOK2019

Reaching new heights

JOHN CLANTON/Tulsa World

Record-setting business growth sets Tulsa up for success

INSIDE Gov. Kevin Stitt: Oklahoma can be a Top 10 state. 2

Great stories are unfolding everywhere. 4

Manufacturing sees positive signs for 2019. 5

State’s Indian Nations continue to flourish. 17

Oil prices lower, but Permian still driving profits. 21

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outlook 2019

Oklahoma can be a Top 10 state I

n my first State of the State address, I defined the term “Oklahoma’s Turnaround” as a threestep process where our state stops moving in the direction of decline and begins moving in the direction we want it to go: to be Top 10 in the nation.

This process requires a movement of people, a measurable plan and a defined Kevin Stitt purpose. It requires us to Governor of Oklahoma reimagine the possibilities and hold ourselves responsible for delivering results. I’ve said it before, Oklahoma’s challenges are no different than any other state — and Oklahoma’s opportunities, I believe, are the best in the nation.

Being Top 10 isn’t just a campaign slogan. We know this by looking at Oklahomans who are already achieving these results due to the turnaround they began in their own classroom, community and industry.

Consider Donna Gradel, an environmental teacher in Broken Arrow Public Schools.

Last month, she was named one of the Top Four teachers in the nation. Donna reimagined the classroom. She moved beyond the textbook by taking her classroom outside to partner with the city of Broken Arrow to clean public water and by taking the classroom to the world in developing a system to provide sustainable food sources to orphans in Kenya.

Consider the University of Tulsa (TU) where leadership is taking lessons learned from creating the No. 1 petroleum engineering program in the U.S. to now capitalize on another boom — cybersecurity.

TU is reimagining their success in developing programs that fulfill workforce demands and leveraging their national reputation for cybersecurity research to develop the “Cyber District” in downtown Tulsa.

The U.S. needs more than 350,000 jobs in cybersecurity, and TU is putting Oklahoma on the map as the top place to recruit the best talent, innovate and discover opportunities of tomorrow.

Consider the Gathering Place. USA Today named it the No. 1 place in America to

An aerial photo shows of the Gathering Place, which raised Tulsa’s profile in 2018 and earned the city national acclaim this year. TOM GILBERT/Tulsa World file

Gov. Kevin Stitt (left) tours an outdoor classroom with 2018 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year Donna Gradel at Broken Arrow High School. Stitt used Gradel as an example of Oklahoma excellence. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World

visit in 2019. It is an example of public-private partnership.

Where 55 acres stretched across the Tulsa riverfront, the George Kaiser Family Foundation reimagined a free park that is bringing together all ages, races, and categories of people to enjoy Tulsa.

Consider NoneSuch in Oklahoma City — rated America’s Best New Restaurant — No. 1 in the nation! They reimagined what it means to eat at a large table, with friends and strangers, and to celebrate local Oklahoma flavors and seasonal

produce that, at times, is even farmed by the chefs themselves.

Consider Dr. Tyson Ochsner from Oklahoma State University’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. He is leveraging advancement in technology to reimagine farming in Oklahoma. Tyson’s research, conducted with OSU students, is transforming the interaction between water and soil and allowing farmers to monitor drought, streamflow forecasting and wildfire dangers. Our agriculture industry is already

Professor John Hale explains details of an electrical grid attack simulation in a classroom at the University of Tulsa. TU is capitalizing on its cybersecurity reputation for a new Cyber District. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World

Top 5 in many areas, but this advancement is expected to take Oklahoma’s farmers to new heights.

Consider the Oklahoma Youth Expo community. In the early 2000s, this youth livestock show was struggling to survive, but donors, Oklahoma families and the Legislature came together, assessed their resources and reimagined the program. Today, OYE is not just the top Junior Livestock Show in America — it is the largest in the world. Today, OYE garners young par-

ticipants from all 77 counties, awards hundreds of thousands of dollars in education scholarships each year and has shown a $22 million economic impact on Oklahoma City.

As your governor, my vision is to make Oklahoma a Top 10 state, but I need you to join me in seizing opportunities to bring together teams, set measurable goals, reimagine the possibilities and execute on our shared vision. Working together, we can deliver a better future for all 4 million Oklahomans.

A native Oklahoman comes home to a new state, new attitude

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s the Tulsa World again publishes its annual Outlook sections, it is an honor for me to take a look at where this city is going. And from my perspective as a native Oklahoman, a business person and a newcomer to Tulsa, I can tell you I like what I see!

Progress, Gloria whether it’s Fletcher physical or World metaphorical, Publisher seems to be everywhere in gloria.fletcher @tulsaworld.com this amazing place we get to call home.

Yes, it’s evident in every orange cone and flashing orange light.

The three lanes of traffic that converge down to one on the Broken Arrow Expressway is

also progress! We may gritch and groan about it adding a few more minutes to our drive time, but it is a sign that we are not only taking care of today’s needs but also the needs of Tulsa’s future generations.

And nowhere is progress more evident than at the Gathering Place, the 64 acre, $450 million park that opened a few months ago. USA Today has called it the best new entertainment site in America. Of course we all knew that before they told us. During those years when Riverside Drive was closed to traffic and we could only catch a few glimpses of the construction, we had no idea of the joy we would experience as we climbed up and down, laughing and squealing and simply enjoying life together.

If you haven’t been down the slides, I highly recommend it … just makes you happy.

Tulsa has so many positives

that I see, given that I’ve only been back in the state for a few months. What about the Mother Road Market? And don’t forget about Utica Square, Brookside and Cherry Street.

And don’t take the amazing architecture downtown for granted. Downtown is certainly going through its own metamorphosis. A tremendous amount of building and investment is happening seemingly on every corner. Downtown is vibrant during office hours and it continues to be a bigger draw during the evenings. Progress just takes time.

One of the most important conversations going on citywide is one of inclusivity and diversity. As a female, I have grown up and made my living in a very male-dominated business.

I’ve become quite comfortable as the only female, or one of just a few women, in business meetings. But as interested

and involved Tulsans, it is up to each of us to encourage and work toward more diverse boards in our corporate offices, more diverse leadership teams in our community efforts, and a more diverse pool of talent that better mirrors every aspect of the Tulsa community.

We have a new governor at the state Capitol, who also happens to be a Tulsan. Gov. Kevin Stitt has proposed change and the reimagining of our state’s future. His plan is laced with accountability measures that will lead to long-term growth potential. We will all watch and gauge his success, or rather our success as a state, but let’s not forget all the positives surrounding us as we work to overcome our challenges. As Gov. Stitt has said, there is a tremendous amount of opportunity when we all work together.

In business, just like in

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relationships, progress and change can be challenging and messy. But if we choose to take the high road, work together and have a positive mindset, change can also be inspiring. Does that sound a bit “Pollyanna-ish?” Maybe.

But Oklahomans are resilient, bright, energetic and brutally honest, all traits that can help build our economy.

So Tulsa, as a native Okie who also just happens to still have a newcomer’s perspective, I believe in where we’re going and I’m backing you 100 percent.

Gloria Fletcher moved to Tulsa from Seattle, where she was president of Sound Publishing. She started her career at her hometown newspaper, the Woodward News, and became publisher of the paper at 26. She was named publisher of the Enid News and Eagle a few years later.

Fletcher is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma.

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outlook 2019 Tulsa’s great stories are unfolding everywhere

By Tim Stanley Tulsa World

It’s hard to turn anywhere in Tulsa and not run into a story.

With more than 120 years of history from which to draw, they are literally standing on every corner.

Some are familiar, of course.

But those — the ones that have been told and re-told — often represent a single perspective.

Still more stories are waiting to be told for the first time.

Whatever the case, a consensus is growing in Tulsa that all of these stories are valuable and should be heard and preserved.

Promising to further that goal, a number of notable projects have either finished recently or are coming soon.

Black history Among the ways the stories of north Tulsa and the city’s African-American community are being told is through public art, which has a long tradition in Tulsa.

One of the most recent additions, the new “Black Wall St.” mural, was unveiled a few months ago and adorns a northWoods facing wall of Interstate 244 in the Greenwood District. Like other local murals, it tells its story — the triumphs and tragedies of black Tulsans — in bold colors and imagery.

And it soon will be joined by more public art reflecting that theme.

Recently, Tulsa was one of five cities nationwide named a winner in the 2018 Public Art Challenge, sponsored by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Bloomberg Philanthropies Foundation. As a winner, the city received $1 million, which will go toward the planned Greenwood Art Project.

That project will commemorate the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, which destroyed the AfricanAmerican Greenwood District, while also celebrating the district’s resilience and future.

One public art project that is slated to finish this year, further helping document black history in Tulsa, is the Ellis Walker

A mural commemorating Black Wall Street is painted on the side of the Inner Dispersal Loop and can be seen from the Greenwood Cultural Center. With help from a $1 million grant, artists will create a project that celebrates the Black Wall Street neighborhood and helps visitors understand its rich history.

MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World file

A Route 66 sign hangs on the bridge at the Cyrus Avery Plaza on Southwest Boulevard.

STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World file

the original school site in north Tulsa, the $150,000 project has been in the works for nearly 20 years, a labor of love for some of Woods’ former students and other BTW alumni.

Their efforts have demonstrated a persistence that Woods himself would have appreciated: A son of freed slaves, he famously walked 500 miles from Memphis to the Tulsa area seeking a teaching job.

The monument, featuring a bust of Woods and a ring of tall granite obelisks, promises to be both impressive and inspiring.

Incidentally, Tulsa’s active promotion of public art dates back to at least 1969. That was the year that Tulsa began requiring — one of the first cities to do so — that a percentage of the cost of public building projects be used to purchase public art.

Woods Memorial.

Woods, who arguably had as far-reaching an influence as any educator in the city’s history, became the founding principal of Booker T. Washington High Tales from the Mother Road School in 1913, and continued in that role until his death in 1948.

Iconic roadway Route 66 is Currently under construcan endless source of stories, tion on the Oklahoma State and already brings in visitors University-Tulsa campus near from around the world. But

Tulsa’s reputation as a Route 66 destination is only going to grow, as plans motor ahead to take advantage of related local history and landmarks.

Another key piece in Tulsa’s Route 66 renaissance debuted a few months ago. The Mother Road Market, a food hall with small retail shops is now open in a renovated building on Lewis Avenue just off Route 66 (11th Street).

An even bigger piece could be open by the fall of 2020: The Route 66 Experience is a planned $26 million facility targeted for a site where the road crosses the Arkansas River (intersection of Riverside Drive and Southwest Boulevard).

It will not only tell the story of Route 66 but also serve as a guide to the thousands of possible attractions along the entire route, including restaurants, museums, shops and historical stops.

Backers have not been shy in declaring what the project means for Tulsa, which they say is poised to become no less than the “Route 66 Capital.”

Gilcrease Whether expressed on canvas, in bronze, or through other media, stories about Oklahoma and the American West have long found a loving home at Gilcrease Museum.

The museum will be able to do the job more effectively than ever once a planned $75 million renovation and expansion ($65 million through the Vision Tulsa sales tax renewal, plus a $10 million dollar private donation) is complete.

The hope is that by making Gilcrease more visitor friendly, with new and better use of space, it will become Tulsa’s answer to northwest Arkansas’ Crystal Bridges.

A redesign of the building — which calls for three core galleries, each with its own focus gallery — will be part of a fundamental change in how the museum tells its stories and displays its collection.

Tim Stanley 918-581-8385 tim.stanley@tulsaworld.com Twitter: @timstanleyTW

Economic development

Tulsa looking to exceed state, national growth numbers in 2019

By Kevin Canfield Tulsa World

Last year was a big year for Tulsa’s economy.

The city landed an Amazon distribution center. Greenheck Group continued to expand its campus, and with it will come hundreds of new jobs over the next few years.

Tulsa residents also played a role in the city’s success. The Vision Tulsa capital improvements package approved in 2016 was used to fund millions of dollars of improvements for the city’s airport facilities. Two beneficiaries of that funding, American Airlines and Spirit AeroSystems, used the money last year to improve their facilities and retain jobs.

“From a job growth and a job opportunity standpoint, I think we’re really, really positive,” said Kian Kamas, the city’s chief of economic development.

“When you look at the national numbers, I think that really plays out — Tulsa’s job growth exceeding that of the state and exceeding that of the nation.”

Other, lesser-known city ef-

Tulsa had an amazing growth year in 2018, and officials are optimistic about 2019. JOHN CLANTON/Tulsa World

forts also made a difference in 2018.

The city supported the developer of the Adams Hotel, Fourth Street and Cheyenne Avenue, in his use of historic tax credits to turn the structure into a 65room apartment building.

Kamas worked closely with developers to educate them on the benefits of Tax Increment

Financing.

She expects the use of that funding tool to take off in 2019, especially downtown and along the 11th Street and Lewis Avenue corridor, where the city has created TIF districts to incentivize development.

“This year I think we’ll only see that accelerating,” Kamas said.

After a year of big projects and big job numbers, Kamas said she’s excited about working on smaller, yet equally significant projects.

One of those is a downtown and near-downtown housing study that will be conducted to gather data to guide the city’s efforts to sustain and increase downtown residential develop-

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ment.

“We really see that as a opportunity to take that data and then target the incentives or support programs the city has that help support residential development to make sure that we are really helping to drive the construction of products (where) there is the greatest demand,” Kamas said.

Tulsans may look back at 2019 as a landmark year for economic activity, not necessarily because of overall growth, but for the city’s effort to ensure that more residents participate in and benefit from local business activity.

One example of those efforts, Kamas said, is her office’s increasing role in implementing the New Tulsans initiative and the Resilient Tulsa strategy.

“We put together a Doing Business In Tulsa guide this past year and are just wrapping up translation of that document into Spanish,” she said.

Kevin Canfield 918-645-5452 kevin.canfield @tulsaworld.com Twitter: @aWorldofKC

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outlook 2019 manufacturing

Manufacturing sees positive signs for 2019 Major economic development projects include Amazon, Sofidel and Spirit AeroSystems

GE in places such as Brazil, Malaysia and Strother, Kansas.

Moreover, the University of Tulsa in January announced a desire to help create the Tulsa Enterprise for Cyber Innovation, Talent and Entrepreneurship, which will allow industry,

By Rhett Morgan federal agencies and TU to Tulsa World work together to defend information systems.

Encouraged by the invest“There are so many things ment in jobs, the region’s manin manufacturing that are so ufacturing sector has reasons to exciting, so cutting-edge,” Tilly be optimistic in 2019. said. “You’re talking about data “From what I can see, everyanalytics, robotics, additive thing seems to be extremely manufacturing, cybersecurity. strong, both in energy and in As our new governor (Kevin aerospace,” said Kinnee Tilly, Stitt) and his new team work vice president of the Oklahoma toward making us a top 10 Manufacturing Alliance. “We’ve state, we have so many opporseen a significant amount of tunities to really enhance that growth in manufacturers in top 10 state in what we do in expansions and hiring. manufacturing.”

“Everybody seems to be With those opportunities, running on all cylinders. I’m however, come the challenge of talking to manufacturers who lawmakers to help employers are looking at expanding their confront an aging workforce. facilities, adding more square In the United States, the footage, bringing on new prod- An order is boxed at an Amazon Fulfillment Center in Coppell, Texas. Tulsa’s new facility will bring an estimated 1,500 65-and-older population will uct lines, doing some R (rejobs to the city. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World file nearly double over the next search) and D (development), that industry. That’s why you’re three decades, reaching 88 milwhich will enhance and grow seeing a significant amount of lion by 2050, according to the those product lines.” growth in this area.”

U.S. Census Bureau. By 2024, Through a statewide netThe region’s aerospace indus- one in four U.S. workers will work, the Oklahoma Manufactry has received a pair of boosts be 55 or older, according to turing Alliance (OMA) provides in the past few months. the U.S. Department of Labor, technical assistance and busiIn January, city leaders more than double the rate in ness advice to companies. 2018 celebrated the opening of a 1994 when 55-plus workers showed that those opportuninew tail slot for hangar doors accounted for just 12 percent of ties will continue to grow in at the American Airlines Tulsa the workforce. northeastern Oklahoma.

Maintenance Base, also known Tilly calls it the “Silver TsuMajor economic developas Tech Ops-Tulsa. nami.” ment projects announced last The $2.7 million infrastruc“We have a lot of good talent year included Sofidel Group’s ture project to the World War that is going to be retiring out $360 million facility in Inola, II-era facility was realized in the next 5-10 years,” she said. with 300 jobs; Amazon’s $130 through Vision Tulsa, a sales tax “We’re doing some things to million fulfillment center near renewal package approved by help companies with succession the Tulsa International Airport, voters in 2016. It will allow for planning to help them transfer with 1,500 jobs; Whirlpool’s $55 A rendering shows the buildings included in phase one and phase two at the maintenance on bulkier aircraft that historical knowledge from million expansion, which will Greenheck campus in Tulsa. Courtesy/Cytergy such as the Boeing 737 and the people who have worked add 150 jobs; Spirit AeroSysAirbus A319, which served as a there and supported and done tems’ planned $80 million backdrop for a news conference great things with that company Oklahoma between 2016 and expansion to Peoria-Mohawk expansion, which will create attended by several hundred 2020. for decades to people who Business Park, the first tenant 250 new jobs; and phase two American Airlines workers.

“While we have thousands are younger and coming into to the 120-acre area. of Greenheck Group’s $100 That news came following of wonderful manufacturers manufacturing so there is a In addition, the Tulsa Remillion Tulsa manufacturing AA’s bringing maintenance of across the state, both in rural smooth transition.” gional Chamber-led economic campus, which will add more an engine fleet, the CFM56-5B, and urban areas, Tulsa has a development plan recently than 600 new jobs. new to the Tulsa base in Nopreponderance of them,” Tilly surpassed its goal of generatIn February, Muncie Power Rhett Morgan 918-581-8395 vember. Previously, that work said. “Northeastern Oklahoma ing $1.1 billion of new capital Products Inc. announced that rhett.morgan@tulsaworld.com had been outsourced to partner has so many people vested in investment in northeastern it was bringing a $50 million Twitter: @RhettMorganTW

Workforce development will be key to growth in 2019 Each January, Tom Donohue, the president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, delivers a “State of American Business” address. From his vantage point as head of the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million companies, chambers and industry associations, David Donohue identiStratton fied tackling the Chairman, U.S. economy’s Tulsa workforce chalRegional lenges as a key Chamber priority for 2019.

“We must have a steady supply of talented and hard-working people to do the work of a modern economy so our nation can compete and lead,” said Donohue. “And we need the right policies, systems, and opportunities in place to prepare those people so that they can compete and succeed.”

From my vantage point as chair of the Tulsa Regional Chamber, I agree wholeheartedly. As I stressed in my recent inaugural address at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting, when it comes to recruiting new employers to the Tulsa region or helping existing companies expand, there is perhaps no greater role the chamber can play than

Armed with this data, we continued that work in 2018 to help better align the certificates and degrees granted by our educational and training institutions with the needs of employers in several key industries, including advanced manufacturing and IT. The chamber can play a primary role to improve the coordination among the many workforce training stakeholders in Tulsa, and to present clear messaging and opportunities to existing industry, prospects, the workforce and the community at large.

Also in 2018, the chamber began piloting industry-specific, employer-led collaboratives.

These collaboratives are publicprivate partnerships of business, workforce and technical training “The Tulsa region is blessed to have arguably one of the best community systems, and post-secondary colleges in the country in Tulsa Community College,” Chamber chair David education. They are designed to Stratton said. “We also have an incredible infrastructure with Tulsa Tech and improve the skills of workers in our regional technical colleges.” MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World file strategic industry sectors vital technical colleges. We must take to Tulsa’s regional economic workforce development. prosperity. advantage of these by developIn today’s incredibly tight In 2019, we will renew and ing a plan and a vision, and then labor market, this need only convening, talking and listening expand this collaborative effort. gets exacerbated. We must do We will facilitate discussions this better in 2019 than we have between these aforementioned with business leaders and groups, the chamber and busidone it in the past. Greater coleducational providers who are laboration between educational ness people.

In 2017, the chamber worked investors in Tulsa’s Future, the institutions and employers chamber-led regional economic with a nationally recognized will be key. The Tulsa region is development program. These site selection consultant, SSG, blessed to have arguably one to understand the opportunities discussions will ensure that all of the best community colleges around our existing workforce, constituents are on the same in the country in Tulsa Compage about the jobs needed in munity College. We also have an including assessments of commute times, underemployment, the future, and that investors incredible infrastructure with see the return on investment and the workforce pipeline.

Tulsa Tech and our regional

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that we all demand in this area.

Our efforts around workforce will also be centered on homegrown resources. Perhaps no city or university in the country is better positioned to take advantage of graduating people for cyber-related jobs than Tulsa thanks to the efforts of the University of Tulsa and its world-class cyber program.

As one of the top programs of its kind in the country, TU helps make Tulsa an attraction for the estimated 350,000 jobs in this country that are open today in that area. These kinds of jobs are also the jobs of tomorrow; it is expected that more than 3 million cyber defense jobs will be needed in this country in just the next three years.

So in 2019, workforce development will be a big key to our region’s success, and I’m excited about the potential for what can be done.

David Stratton is the 2019 chair of the Tulsa Regional Chamber. He is the executive vice president of Tulsa corporate banking for BOK Financial Corp., one of the largest bank holding companies in the United States. A Claremore native, he earned his BA in finance from the University of Oklahoma and his MBA from the University of Tulsa. In addition to his board service with the Chamber, he serves on the boards for the Foundation for Tulsa Schools and the Tulsa Community College Foundation.

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outlook 2019

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outlook 2019 small business

Poll reflects Tulsa’s entrepreneurial spirit Survey finds that the majority polled say the city is good place to start a business

“Tulsans most familiar with the reality of running a business are more likely to agree that Tulsa is a good environment for entrepreneurs,” the survey’s report states.

Byers successfully grew

By Corey Jones her advertising agency — Tulsa World Byers Creative — into 14 full-time employees here, After being swept away with presences in Oklaby a round of energy industry corporate layoffs, homa City and Bartlesville, too. She also is chairwomAngela Byers launched an of the Chamber Small her own marketing firm in a small bedroom of her Business Connection and serves as a mentor to othhouse as she raised two ers similarly positioned to daughters.

There were no resources her a decade or more ago.

She said the Tulsa chamnor guidance to access 15 ber emphasizes listening to years ago in Tulsa, which small businesses owners, left Byers feeling isolated who comprise 85 percent on an island. Rather than of its membership, and be put in a swim or sink situation as an individual, developing tailored solushe says the city and Tulsa tions for them. She called Tulsa’s program for small Regional Chamber now offer boats brimming with businesses “world-class,” with its successes serving supplies to quickly and as benchmarks for other smartly grow businesses. cities.

“Unless you have a Professional developflawed business model, you shouldn’t fail (here),” Byers ment, mentoring services and funding access are key said. supports available, Byers The 2018 Gallup-Tulsa said.

CitiVoice Index offers “For the past three years, statistical evidence of a I feel like the chamber has nurturing climate, with taken a concentrated effort indications that “the city has a robust entrepreneur- into finding things that really, truly meet the needs ial environment.”

The survey found that 58 of members to help them percent of residents agree with real-life challenges and real-life issues,” Byers or strongly agree that said.

Tulsa is a good place to She said a survey start a business, compared to 16 percent who disagree of chamber members revealed the top two or strongly disagree. The poll noted that 64 percent programs it offers: CEO of self-employed residents Roundtables and C-Suite say Tulsa is a good place to Connections.

The No. 1 rated CEO start a business.

Angela Byers is the owner of Byers Creative. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World

Roundtables is a free program offered to members.

Separate groups of eight noncompeting business owners meet monthly on a confidential basis to discuss critical topics of mutual interest, seek advice and forge relationships.

Byers said there are several of these groups, which are great for leaders, particularly those who feel isolated, to help navigate the challenges of operating a company.

“We call it the orchids and onions — the beautiful things that are happening in your business and the things that are not smelling so great and you’re struggling with,” Byers said. “We all collectively help each other; we’re each other’s advocates.”

The C-Suite Connections is a free mentoring program for members. Up to four times a year, a small business owner can get a one-time interaction with a highly regarded business owner for guidance on an immediate issue.

“Tulsa has opened the gates to small businesses and said, ‘We want you here. We want to develop you and help you grow and be successful here,’” Byers said. “’We’re going to give you all the tools and resources you could possibly need.’”

Corey Jones 918-581-8359 corey.jones @tulsaworld.com Twitter: @JonesingToWrite

banking

Banking industry eyeing growth, albeit slowing, for 2019

By Mike Averill Tulsa World

There are two things local banking leaders tend to agree on: there is a downturn ahead and that there is still room for growth in the current cycle.

Several factors, including a strong local economy, are pointing to a positive 2019 for the banking industry with continued, albeit slowed, growth throughout the sector.

“Tulsa’s unemployment rate is extremely low at 3 percent as of yearend 2018 and there is a feeling of optimism in Oklahoma with exciting things happening in Tulsa, Oklahoma City and at the state level,” said Sean Kouplen, chairman and CEO of Regent Bank and the state’s newly appointed secretary of commerce and workforce development.

“I don’t think the banking industry will see as much growth in 2019 as we saw in 2018 because of the continued increase in interest rates and the general uncertainty felt in the market right now. Energy prices dropped recently, future interest rates predictions are mixed, and there is so much uncertainly at the federal government

“Banks that can produce a combination of high tech and high touch will continue to stay relevant and thrive in this increasingly digital world,” said Sean Kouplen, chairman and CEO of Regent Bank and the state’s newly appointed secretary of commerce and workforce development. J. MICHAEL SHORT/ Business Wire

During the last five years, there has been a decrease of 1,120 commercial banks, or about ing year such as how the 56 per quarter, because of costumer preference, Federal Reserve handles regulatory pressures and interest rates and pending geopolitical decisions. nontraditional competitors.

“People at all levels Therefore, it will be are watching the trade critical for banks to work negotiations with China and I think that will have to retain relevance with a big effect going forward their clients, said Brad Scrivner, president and depending on what kind CEO of Vast Bank. of deal is made, or not “It will be increasingly made,” said Matt Ferimportant for customers ris, market executive for wealth management with to identify those banks that are staying hyperCommerce Bank. relevant to changing The next year should also show a continuation customer expectations,” he said. “The banking of bank consolidations.

Sean Kouplen, chairman and CEO of Regent Bank and Oklahoma’s secretary of commerce and workforce development, says banking growth may slow for 2019 but there is cause for optimism. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World file

level and throughout the world. Uncertainty tends to slow growth.”

Continued growth in aerospace, medical and industrial manufacturing should help bolster success in the local banking industry.

“From my vantage point in my second job as secretary of commerce for Oklahoma, there are some very exciting things happening in Oklahoma aerospace right now and we are becoming a national leader in this

industry,” Kouplen said.

“We also have some exciting things happening in high tech and with the tremendous investments being made in the Gathering Place and downtown.”

Local factors that could hamper growth include a softening in the residential and retail real estate market and lower commodity prices in the oil and gas sector.

Several national and global factors could also come into play this com-

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industry will continue to be challenged to stay relevant to a new generation of customers that now expect increased control over their digital banking experience.

“Banks will not be immune from these pressures and those banks that can produce a combination of high tech and high touch will continue to stay relevant and thrive in this increasingly digital world.”

Mike Averill 918-581-8489 mike.averill @tulsaworld.com Twitter: @Mike_Averill

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Bill John Baker, principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, speaks in Tahlequah recently. The Cherokee Nation now has 360,000 members. MIKE BROWN/For the Tulsa World

James Floyd, principal chief of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, said the Creek Nation has gone from 7,000 enrolled citizens to more than 86,000 since 1979. Tulsa World file

During Geoffrey Standing Bear’s time as chief, the Osage Nation, with about 20,800 citizens, has increased its land ownership by more than 50,000 acres. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World file

State’s Indian Nations continue to flourish summer, will partner the tribe with Oklahoma State University to train primary care physicians. The 469,000-square-foot The Cherokee, Muscogee facility, scheduled for comple(Creek) and Osage Nations, all tion in the fall, will create about with a large footprint in Tulsa, 850 new jobs in Tahlequah. are among the state’s largest Plus, the decision by the economic engines.

The three northeastern Okla- Oklahoma Veteran’s Commission to locate an Oklahoma homa tribes combined have veterans center in Sallisaw will more than 450,000 citizens and an economic impact in our be aided by the pledge of at region measured in the billions. least $300,000 from the Cherokee Nation. “This is a real game The Cherokee Nation, with 360,000 members, is the largest changer for Sequoyah County and we’re very happy about it,” Native American tribe.

Baker said.

Cherokee Nation Principal Over the last decade, the Chief Bill John Baker estimated last year that the Cherokee Na- Cherokees have gifted nearly tion and Cherokee Nation Busi- $50 million to education in northeastern Oklahoma. nesses combined have a direct Tahlequah city officials economic impact of $2.2 billion estimate the tribe has invested in northeastern Oklahoma. more than $250 million in the “We have a great history in the Cherokee Nation but I really town of 17,000. Eventually, the projects, including a new believe the best days of our nation are ahead of us,” Baker said. gaming facility and the health The Cherokees are building a center, will bring about 1,000 health care center and medical jobs to Tahlequah.

The Cherokees returned school in Tahlequah that will to self-governance in 1968. be the nation’s largest Indian That first year the budget was health center. “This is a huge $1,118,367. In 2017, the budget project, the largest ever in Infor the Cherokee Nation (seperdian country,” Baker said.

The new health center, which ate from the Cherokee Nation Businesses) was $915 million. could partially open by this

By John Klein Tulsa World

The Cherokee Nation and Cherokee Nation Businesses have about 14,000 employees.

“In the last eight years, we’ve doubled our business,” Baker said. “There’s no reason why we won’t double again in the next eight years.”

James R. Floyd, principal chief of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, recently outlined many of his tribe’s accomplishments in a state of the nation address.

According to Floyd’s speech on Jan. 26, he said the Creek Nation has gone from 7,000 enrolled citizens to more than 86,000 since 1979.

In addition, the Creeks had just 100 employees in 1978 when Floyd first went to work for the tribe. Now, the Creek Nation employs more than 5,000 people and has an annual payroll in excess of $169 million.

Floyd said a recent economic impact study found that the total economic impact on the state is more than 8,000 jobs and $874 million.

The permanent fund of the Creeks has grown to over $372 million.

The Creek Nation has been a leader in many initiatives.

It was the first Indian tribe to

operate a community hospital.

It has been two years since the Creeks developed a master plan for expansion to the tribal headquarters and other facilities in the Okmulgee area. Many of the 40-year-old facilities will be replaced or upgraded. There are also plans for a museum, cultural center, archive and golf course. The Omniplex is being upgraded and the Dome has hosted both college and high school basketball games.

Floyd said he is hopeful the tribe will break ground on the first buildings in 2020, including the museum and cultural center.

“Many of you know that we started with few resources, but we have always had our great resource — our people,” said Floyd in the address. “It is your strength that flows through us and your struggles to overcome that assure us today. It is our people that have always kept us moving forward.”

Osage Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear won re-election last year.

During his time as chief, the Osage Nation, with about 20,800 citizens, has increased

its land ownership by more than 50,000 acres. It includes the 43,000-acre Bluestem Ranch from Ted Turner.

The Osage have also used more than $8 million in federal money for additional land purchases.

Standing Bear, in his campaign, touted preservation of culture and language as a priority by working on projects to preserve maps and books of tribal history.

He’s also worked on language, education and health projects.

“We have strengthened our language and culture programs including the establishment of a language immersion school for pre-school and kindergarten students,” Standing Bear said. “Our higher education scholarship fund and our health benefits program are stronger than ever.”

The tribe also opened the $160 million Osage Casino in Tulsa last summer, bringing the total number of casino/resort hotel rooms in the Tulsa metropolitan area to over 1,000.

John Klein 918-581-8368 john.klein@tulsaworld.com Twitter: @JohnKleinTW

EDUCATION

Study shows local economies get boost from colleges, universities

By Mike Coppock World Correspondent

The state’s colleges are economic engines for small town Oklahoma, a new study shows.

The State Chamber Research Foundation has released a study showing the economic effect on local economies sparked by the annual state appropriations to Oklahoma’s 29 universities and colleges.

The study shows a multiplier effect on average of $9.40 in economic impact for every dollar budgeted to the higher education system. Some of the larger universities and colleges saw an even higher multiplier effect.

When it came to two-year colleges, Tulsa Community College led the pack — impacting the city by more than $251 million or a ratio of $7.80 in economic output for every state dollar budgeted. The fourcampus college has some 3,300 employees.

Oklahoma City Community College was second with $145.3 million in economic output — $6.60 for every dollar appropriated. The average for two-year colleges was $7.10.

The state appropriated $12.3 million to Rogers State University in Claremore, and RSU’s economic impact within that community was the equivalent of $93.4 million, $7.60 for every dollar the state appropriated to the university.

Students get help at the administrative offices of Tulsa Community College in downtown Tulsa. TCC leads the state in gross economic output among two-year colleges, generating $251.1 million for the Tulsa area. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World file

“We have long known that RSU is an economic development engine for the communities we serve,” RSU President Larry Rice said.

He pointed out that his university brings thousands of commuter students into the communities served by RSU and that nearly 800 students live on the Claremore campus.

Those students make local purchases at mom-and-pop

stores and eat in area restaurants, buy gas locally and participate in a number of activities that support the Claremore­ economy. Rogers State is Claremore’s third-largest employer, after Baker Hughes and Claremore Public Schools.

Of the 11 regional universities, Rogers State came in eighth in economic impact upon the local community. But Rice is quick to point out that

Rogers State is fourth overall in the ratio of economic impact per appropriated dollar among the state’s regional universities.

The University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond topped the list with a $685 million impact on the community and a ratio of $14.80 for every $1 appropriated.

Northeastern State University in Tahlequah was second, with a $197.5 million impact on

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its host community, breaking down to a multiplier of $6 for every dollar budgeted by the state.

“It’s due to a lot of things adding up,” said Ben Hardcastle­, vice president for university relations at NSU. “Almost all of our staff and faculty live here, and we have a lot of events that bring more money to the local economy.”

Oklahoma State University’s Tulsa campus had an annual economic impact on the city of $42 million, while the University of Oklahoma’s Tulsa campus had an annual impact on the city of $28 million.

OSU Institute of Technology at Okmulgee has had an $88 million annual economic impact on that community, while Stillwater has enjoyed the benefits of an annual $1.75 billion impact by having Oklahoma State located in the town of 45,000. The University of Oklahoma’s economic impact on Norman is roughly $1.83 billion a year.

One of the highlights of the study is the University of Oklahoma’s Health Science Center in Oklahoma City, which topped all institutions of higher education, with a $1.85 billion economic impact and direct or indirect support of 10,700 jobs.

Of the state’s 226,000 students, some 65,000 are enrolled in the state’s regional universities and 95,000 are enrolled in the state’s two-year colleges.

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outlook 2019 energy

Oil still lower; Permian still driving profits Companies have shown resilience to remain profitable in $50 range

A Magellan Midstream Partners tank farm is located in Cushing. The oil business is still volatile, but the industry is expected to grow in 2019.

By Mike Averill Tulsa World

Volatility is often the norm in the energy sector and the last several years have done little to change that.

Just as things appeared to stabilize after oil prices crashed in 2014, prices twice eclipsed the $70 a barrel mark in 2018, then things turned downward at the end of the year.

Despite lowered commodity prices, there are expectations for growth in the industry for the next year as companies have shown the resilience to remain profitable in the $50 a barrel price range.

And, of course, there is the Permian, located in west Texas and southeast New Mexico.

It looks to remain the largest domestic player and a driver of profit for those extracting and transporting the resources.

“We expect the domestic production of oil to continue to increase thereby providing opportunities for Magellan to build new pipelines and storage facilities to transport the oil from where it is produced to where it is processed and consumed,” said Bruce Heine, spokesman for Magellan Midstream Partners.

The Tulsa-based midstream company’s Longhorn pipeline currently transports up to 275,000 barrels of west Texas oil per day into the Houston area.

Magellan owns a portion of the BridgeTex pipeline system, which has the capacity to trans-

STEPHEN PINGRY/ Tulsa World file

port 440,000 barrels per day of west Texas oil into the Houston area and is also a partner in the Permian Gulf Coast (PGC) pipeline project with three other partners. This large diameter pipeline will transport west Texas crude oil into the Houston Gulf Coast area.

“During the past 10 years Magellan has invested $5.8 billion in organic growth projects and acquisitions in order to grow our

asset base and expand services to our customers,” Heine said.

“We expect to spend $1.7 billion in 2019 and 2020 on projects already under construction; twothirds of that spending is related to the transportation and storage of refined petroleum products, such as gasoline and diesel fuel.”

Laredo Petroleum, a petroleum and natural gas exploration and production company with headquarters in Tulsa, is one of

the companies that is active in the Permian.

Randy Foutch, chairman and CEO of Laredo, said he expects that in the next year companies will see slower growth as they shift focus to drilling and operating within cash flows and away from a focus on production and reserve growth.

“Historically, you were graded by production growth and reserve growth you had and

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what kind of inventory you had,” Foutch said. “Very rapidly, shareholders have changed to let’s grow at a more subdued” rate.

Part of that change stems from a new emphasis on maximizing the value of what has been found and a move away from exploration activities.

Mike Averill 918-581-8489 mike.averill@tulsaworld.com Twitter: @Mike_Averill

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outlook 2019 health

Medical schools look to expand programs They undertook major projects in 2018 and plan to expand those and others this year

country,” Murphy said.

Last year, OU-Tulsa also incorporated culinary medicine into its curriculum.

“Culinary medicine literally uses food to achieve the same results as medication, using nutrition to help patients achieve and maintain optimal health,” Murphy said.

“This curriculum educates medical practitioners about the role of nutrition to maintain a healthy lifestyle as well as treatment of disease.”

Cooking classes as part of the program help the medical professionals “not only keep themselves healthy while they finish Med/PA school, but also gain the knowledge to help keep their future patients healthy.”

will focus on educating primary care physicians who have an interest in providing care to Native and rural populations in Oklahoma, two populations that officials say are underserved.

By Michael Dekker In addition, Stover said Tulsa World another program that will be a focus of OSU Tulsa’s two major Medicine is a new addicuniversity-affiliated medition medicine clinic that cal programs are looking opened in September to build on services for at 6333 E. Skelly Drive the area ranging from (northwest of 41st Street using culinary medicine and Sheridan Road). to technology to address It will address mental “primary care deserts” in health, substance abuse rural parts of the state. and opioid addiction in University of Oklahomanortheast Oklahoma with Tulsa and Oklahoma the state’s first certified State University Medicine academic addiction physiundertook major projects cians. in 2018 and are looking to Another longer-term expand those and others Bethany Knight, a physician assistant student from OU-Tulsa, looks at a recipe card at the Tandy program for OSU Medithis year.

Family YMCA in Tulsa. She is part of a culinary medicine course taught by Valarie Carter. cine is a clinical telemedi“OU-Tulsa has a strong MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World cine program for rural focus on training stuparts of the state, Stover dents to work in caring OSU Medical programs in a wide range. to have an even wider said. fields, from medicine and we continue to kind of network of specialists who For example, we now ofbe in that last bottom “We know that those nursing to social work, Over the last 12 months, are on the cutting-edge fer a bachelor’s degree in quartile in states when it rural areas often resemble counseling, and governOSU Medicine has had of new research since our 205,000-plus patient visits primary care deserts and relates to health outcomes. social work in Tulsa, and ment/public service. We physicians are training the across its clinical network access is a real challenge,” that’s only the beginning.

We really need to rally are proud to serve the next generation of health- of 24 locations, spokes“OU-Tulsa’s programs around each other’s cause he said.

Tulsa area and our state “Part of what we’re doin improving the health of to help turn that around.” affect not only the medical care providers.” woman Melani Hamilton Also, this May, the community, but programs “Since education has ing as a medical school …

Oklahomans,” President said. inaugural class of fourlike social work, human a direct link to health, is incredibly laser-focused.

John Schumann said.

That number is set to year medical students will increase significantly, as relations, and public adTelemedicine will allow us “I think the selling point we are thrilled to expand ministration make a large graduate from the OU-TU OSU Medicine recently education opportunities to focus specialties with for the Tulsa community, School of Community impact in Tulsa region in northeast Oklahoma,” primary care across the particularly in (student announced the nation’s Medicine. nonprofits and social OU-Tulsa spokeswoman state.” and new employee) first tribally affiliated “It used to be just third medical school to be loservice agencies, which recruiting, is the renewed Amanda Murphy said.

“We’ve previously been a are impacting health out- and fourth year, but it is a cated in Tahlequah on the sense of energy and viMichael Dekker very big deal that we now Cherokee Nation’s W.W. brancy that the communi- graduate college, with the comes all over the state.”

918-581-8469 have a full four-year medi- Hastings campus.

This year, she said, OU ty has,” said OSU Medicine majority of our students michael.dekker earning master’s and doc- Medicine will finish a full cal school in Tulsa, and CEO Rhett Stover.

The new OSU College @tulsaworld.com the only School of Comstatewide integration, torate degrees, and we’re “I think the other part of Osteopathic Medicine Twitter: “which will allow Tulsans munity Medicine in the expanding our bachelor’s of it is that in Oklahoma, at the Cherokee Nation @michaeldekkerTW

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Hispanic Chamber promotes community It seeks to be a valuable and trusted resource to members and partners

T

he Tulsa Hispanic Chamber’s mission is to promote the success of Hispanic-owned businesses by facilitating business relationships, economic development and sharing knowledge for the benefit of the Tulsa business community and the growth and success of the members of our chamber.

In a 2017 Geoscape study Ivan measuring busiAlvarez ness activity, Hispanics in Chairman, Hispanic the U.S. were Chamber 1.5 times more likely than the general population to start a business. Sales from Hispanicowned businesses contributed more than $700 billion to the U.S. economy in 2017 — a 32 percent increase since 2012.

We also aim to help nonHispanic businesses by helping them understand the Hispanic market.

Consider this: In 2016, immigrants were 6.7 percent of Tulsa’s population and accounted for 27.9 percent of overall population growth in the Tulsa area. With an estimated spending power of $1.1 billion dollars, it only makes sense to start thinking about the Hispanic community.

According to the American Immigration Council, the Hispanic Community accounts for approximately 50 percent of

A customer checks out at a Supermercados Morelos in Tulsa. The company is expanding and has eight locations in Oklahoma. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World file

the immigrants in Tulsa. There is a real potential to tap into an exciting and dynamic marketplace, and that’s what the Tulsa Hispanic Chamber aims to do.

It goes beyond simply translating written material to Spanish but further helping to understand spending trends and nuances of customer and brand loyalty.

Ultimately as we pave the way for the future of this community, our vision is for the Tulsa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to be a valuable and trusted resource to our members, corporate and strategic partners. This will benefit not only Hispanic-owned businesses, but also non-Hispanic owned businesses by establishing the Tulsa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as the premier ad-

vocate for a thriving and diverse business community in Tulsa.

In case you missed it, we had a tremendous 2018, here are some of our 2018 milestones: We saw a 36 percent membership increase, partnered with Dolores Huerta Elementary School, graduated the second Hispanic Leadership Institute, sold out Tango Nights and hosted more than 15 events.

At the Hispanic Chamber, we are confident that 2019 will be our best year yet. It’s an exciting time for us; we have a mayor who is reaching out to our gente (people) and new leadership at the state level that understands the Tulsa immigrant business community. Just as exciting, we are re-energized and looking forward to exciting new programs and events.

A few add-ons to watch for: We are planning an educational workshop series, an ambassador program, health awareness events, luncheons, a 2019 gala and more.

At THCC we believe 2019 will be a great year for the Hispanic businesses. We have companies such as Coast to Coast Motors that have expanded to six locations in Oklahoma and will continue to grow in 2019 with new locations for both Tulsa and OKC. Supermercados Morelos now has eight locations in Oklahoma — four in Tulsa and four in Oklahoma City. According to owner Francisco Ibarra, Supermercados Morelos will continue to grow as demand permits. This is bound to happen because of the tremendous

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growth of the Hispanic population in both metropolitan areas.

Mr. Ibarra is working with city of Tulsa to make sure all needs are covered.

And both of these companies and many others are working together with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to address the needs of the Hispanic community.

It’s an exciting time to be in Tulsa. So many people are moving into the city because of the construction boom/expansion and the new initiatives of Mayor G.T. Bynum’s office. The New Tulsans Initiatives in conjunction with The Gateways For Growth Challenge that allowed the city to develop a multisector welcoming plan to remove barriers and assist Tulsa with immigrant integration were key ingredients.

But people are also finding Tulsa because of its geographic location, right in the heart of America making it a central metropolis and very accessible.

Tulsa is a very friendly, warm and diverse city.

The Tulsa Hispanic Chamber is a partner, advocate and the biggest cheerleader a business has. We welcome and encourage people to engage with us in one of our many committees, events and activities. Please be sure to check out our new website at tulsahcc.com.

Ivan Alvarez was born in 1961 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Nicaraguan parents. Alvarez has spent 25 years working in business development, marketing and sales. Alvarez has helped the community as a volunteer disaster relief manager for the Red Cross, as a leader in his church program Love Thy Neighbor and as an executive board member for the Hispanic Chamber for six years. He became president and CEO in January 2018.

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Built on the banks of the Arkansas River and gifted to Tulsa by the George Kaiser Family Foundation, Gathering Place features a surprise around every corner. Playgrounds are full of suspension bridges, towers and fast slides. There are playhouses, a water park, a lodge, restaurants and a boathouse. John Clanton/Tulsa World file

More improvements on the way in 2019

B

efore I provide my 2019 outlook for Tulsa, it’s important that we reflect on what Tulsans have recently achieved.

Gathering Place … where do I begin? Let’s start with it being named America’s Best New Attraction in the USA Today readers’ choice poll.

Tulsa is back on the map, so they say. But it’s much more to Tulsa than the accolades it has and will receive.

Weldon The Gathering Bowman Place is exactly Owner of what its name W. Deisgn means, and what one of the world’s greatest philanthropists, George Kaiser, envisioned it to be. It has become a place for everyone to enjoy, experience, congregate and occasionally play pick-up basketball games when you’re 41 years old against teenagers who overtly “take it easy” on you because they see the struggle is real.

On my weekly jogs through the park, I gleam with pride seeing our diverse community coming together. Competitive basketball games being played — music pumping — with the utmost respect for one another, fathers and sons riding their

scooters on the pump tracks, children losing their minds on playgrounds that only the world’s brightest of designers could create, and the amateur photographers taking pictures of some of the most iconic architecture Tulsa has seen in recent years.

It is truly “A Park for Everyone.” And it’s just the beginning.

We have yet to see the future development phases of the Gathering Place come to life.

The city of Tulsa recently adopted a riverside zoning overlay district that will enhance the Riverside Drive experience with denser developments, aesthetically appealing facades along the Arkansas River, and much more.

I can’t link a tangible cause and effect, but surely it has spurred new interests in outdoor activities. I’ve seen a staggering increase in Oklahomans experiencing Turkey Mountain.

The more parking that is provided, the more parking that’s being used. Crowds of people are enjoying their fair-weather evenings and weekends hiking, biking and trail running.

Turkey Mountain is a wilderness within a city and is an amenity that we have barely tapped into. You’ll often hear me say, “West side’s where it’s at!” Tulsa Hills has boomed

beyond anyone’s wildest imaginations and has relieved pressure on the 71st and Memorial crowds. Not to mention, it’s only a 15-minute drive to downtown Tulsa.

As an architect and owner of W Design, we’re exposed to the very beginning discussions of land development and planning. I’m fortunate to work with local and out-of-state developers, startup businesses and national franchises looking to expand to our market, all of whom believe in Tulsa and our culture.

The diverse climate that Tulsa is creating and developing will positively impact new businesses and families. We are seeing trends from developers and City Planning to develop more affordable housing, especially surrounding Tulsa’s downtown core. This development trend allows for young families, employees and our workforce to live closer to their employment, while revitalizing our dilapidated neighborhoods.

As our downtown activities increase with weekend festivals, concerts, baseball games, parades, nightlife and restaurants, so will our housing options and everyday amenities. This downtown development trend is not slowing down anytime soon, and it’s just the tip of the iceberg for what’s about to come.

Every issue that is presented to Tulsa has an organization or individual that is trying solve that problem. Our residents and city employees have a common goal of making Tulsa not only a great and safe place to raise a family, but to start and sustain a successful business.

Our mayor’s vision of bridging the gap between the Mayor’s Office and development services has been impactful and encouraging. Among other things, it is expediting the permit process by implementing an online system and looking at the options of third party plan and inspection reviews.

The riverside overlay zoning has promoted healthy development, and we are starting to see these developments break ground around one of our greatest natural amenities — the Arkansas River.

The elephant in the room is medical marijuana. It’s here, it’s legal and it’s not the dirty word it once was. I’m having marijuana conversations with individuals I would never have dreamed of having, and Tulsa is ready for this new age we are living in.

Bus rapid transit is coming and will bridge the gap for some of these Tulsa food deserts and make public transportation something people of Tulsa are not afraid to use.

Newer midtown development nodes have started to emerge, such as the East Village and Third Street developments, 11th Street and Route 66 developments, Sixth Street infill developments, and Whittier Square redevelopments, just to name the few.

New and exciting masterplanned mixed-use developments are being planned for our rural city developments.

These mixed-use developments are competing on a national level and will be bringing some amazing publicity once they are completed.

So this is an exciting time to be a Tulsan! I’m proud to be working in this environment and to watch the culture and environment we have worked so hard for become the legacy for our children and future generations.

Weldon Bowman is owner of W Design, a Tulsa architecture and interior design firm, which he founded in 2010. He is involved with the Tulsa Arts Commission, Tulsa Chamber Small Business Connection Advisory Board, American Institute of Architects Eastern Oklahoma Chapter, Home Builders Association of Greater Tulsa, Oklahoma State Home Builders Association, Monte Cassino Board and University of Oklahoma’s College of Architecture Professional Advisory Board.

He received his bachelor’s and master’s from the University of Oklahoma.

PSO sees powerful transformation coming in the future

I

t’s only been about six months since I moved to Tulsa. But even in the short amount of time I’ve been here, it’s easy to see that Tulsa is in the midst of change. The kind of change that is transformative and setting us on a course for a bright future.

The Gathering Place, continued Peggy Simmons development in downtown’s President, Arts, East VilPSO lage and Blue Dome districts, and the revitalization of neighborhoods across the city are a few clear indicators of the transformation that is taking

place.

At PSO we know all about transformation … every day we transform resources like natural gas and wind into energy for our customers. When we look at the future of energy we see another type of transformation … a transformation to new technologies and new ways of operating to continue meeting our customers’ needs for reliable, affordable, safe and secure energy.

And we’re working to make that transformation a reality.

Distributed generation — power produced by individuals —will require transformation of the electricity grid.

Historically, power has flowed just one way … from the PSO power plant to our customers.

Our electric system is designed

and built for just that. To meet the expected growth in distributed generation we are planning modifications to our electric system to accommodate two-way power flows.

Another major transformation we will undergo relates to the steady growth of electric vehicles in private and commercial use and the tremendous electrical demands EV batterycharging needs will place on the grid. The grid’s infrastructure must not only have the capability to support the increasing number of EVs in a convenient manner, it must also be able to charge EV batteries quickly and efficiently to meet owners’ needs.

These are just a couple of examples of the transformation we’re planning for Tulsa’s

future. This transformation to new and cleaner technologies is part of what will help keep Tulsa attractive to individuals, families and business and industry.

PSO has been serving customers and our state for over 106 years. Our reasonable prices and reliable service have been key when it comes to attracting new business and industry.

Transforming our electric grid to make it cleaner, smarter and even more reliable will help ensure Tulsa continues to be an attractive location for anyone looking to start or expand a business or raise a family.

These are exciting times driven by new technology that provides new ways for us to improve the service we provide.

But in the midst of the trans-

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formation underway in Tulsa and in the way our energy is produced and delivered, what won’t change is our commitment to you. At PSO, we remain committed to delivering safe, reliable electricity in sustainable ways at a reasonable cost and supporting growth and development in Tulsa and the other 231 communities we serve.

Peggy Simmons, 41, is the president and chief operating officer of Public Service Company of Oklahoma. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from The Ohio State University and a master’s degree in public policy and administration from Central Michigan University.

She is a graduate of The Executive Program — Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia and is a member of the G100 Next Generation Leadership program.

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