Edmond Life and Leisure - January 16, 2025

From the Publisher

Chamber’s new leadership named

We often get asked what the best thing you can do when starting a new business. In Edmond, the first move should be to join our Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce. When we started this newspaper in 2000, 25 years ago, the first check I wrote was to our chamber. After years of participating and reporting on the activities of the chamber I knew firsthand how important it was to be a member. It is still the best investment we make each year.

The Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce recently announced its 2025 board of directors and officers.

Kenneth Wohl with Regent Bank, will serve as chair of the board of directors. I first met Kenneth through our work with the chamber. He is a terrific guy, a great leader and family man. I think the world of this business leader and you can bet it will be another fantastic year at the chamber with Kenneth as chair so if you are not a member join today and tell them Ray Hibbard recommended it.

Jamey Mullin with Service Master by Eagle Eye, will serve as the chair elect for 2026 and Michelle Keylon with Francis Tuttle, will serve as the immediate past chair. Also serving on the executive committee will be Martha Ball, McDonald’s; Will Blanchard, Oklahoma Christian Academy; Kevin Freeman, UCO; and Brandon Rader, Rader Development.

Elected to new three-year terms on the board are Martha Ball, McDonald’s and Brad Weber, Crest Discount Foods. The following individuals were appointed to serve one-year terms on the board: Valerie Morrison, Morrison Cup Solutions; Josh Dougherty, CEC; and Makailyn Dillon, Oklahoma ER & Hospital.

They will join returning members of the board: Chris Anderson, The Grant Group; Evan Comer, Turn2Payments; Randy Decker, Edmond Public Schools; Jan Moran, AT&T ( queen of all chambers); Jason Perez, Deer Creek Public Schools; Scot Rigby, City of Edmond; Jon Rule, Integris Health Edmond; Rex Shriner, Jetta Corporation; Chad Smith, Mercy; Jim Trent, BancFirst; and Angie Ward, MidFirst Bank.

It was formed in 1907, a 900+-member organization working together to create a strong local economy and to promote the community. The Edmond Chamber provides networking opportunities and business contacts for its members and represents business interests to the government.

By joining the Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce, you are joining a group of more than 1,000 reputable members who are working together to create a strong local economy and to promote our community. Whether you are a small business or a large corporation, the Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce offers specific benefits, resources and support for your business.

Connections

With a wide range of social and professional events, the Edmond Chamber offers more than sixty networking opportunities for our membership each year.

Business After Hours – monthly

Morning Mingle – monthly

Membership Luncheons – bimonthly

Annual Awards Banquet, Auction, Golf, Sporting Clays Tournaments, and Dancing with the Stars – annually

Women Mean Business Breakfast – monthly January – October

Membership Magnified – bimonthly

Member Rewards Program – Members can earn points for attending Chamber events and meetings. Members will be eligible for monthly prize drawings based on their accumulated points.

Marketing

The Edmond Chamber provides numerous channels to promote your business to other Chamber members, local residents, and out-of-town visitors. All members are included in both the printed and online Membership Directory. Other marketing opportunities include:

Semiannual Chamber magazine, The Voice

Annual Edmond Area Map

Weekly E-newsletter and events emails

Ribbon cutting ceremonies

Sponsorship opportunities

Advertising opportunities on this website

Education

The Edmond Chamber provides programs that cater to all levels within an organization. Our many informational events are designed to keep members updated on the latest business news and trends in Edmond.

Business Development Program: Workshops & Luncheons

Leadership Edmond

Small Business Owner’s Alliance

Youth Leadership Edmond

Edmond Young Professionals

Advocacy

The Edmond Chamber is the voice for business in the Edmond Community. It is dedicated to representing business interests to government.

Advocacy on a local, state & federal level

Forums to meet local, state and federal representatives face-to-face

Access to current information on legislation that affects your business

Active Government Relations Council that advocates issues addressed in the Chamber’s Legislative Agenda or relevant to the business community.

Key Chamber leaders participate in the Annual State Chamber Washington Fly-In to visit our nation’s capital to advocate for Edmond.

Community

The Edmond Chamber is working to make Edmond a greater place to live, work and play. Your Chamber membership allows you to help make a difference in the Edmond community.

The Edmond Chamber is a strong supporter of our troops with the Military Affairs Program.

The Edmond Chamber is active in university education, working with UCO, Oklahoma Christian and Francis Tuttle to help grow our work force.

The Small Business Council recognizes local businesses that have made significant growth and contributed to the overall progress of the Edmond area with the Small Business of the Year Award.

Each year, the Edmond Chamber hosts a New

Teacher Reception to welcome all new teachers. Edmond lost two incredible citizens recently For information about the Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce, visit www.edmondchamber.com.

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The end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025 brought some sadness to our community. We lost two of our most treasured citizens. Neal McCaleb and Anita Bryant.

Neal A. McCaleb is a name that rings of greatness here in Edmond, our state and nation. Newer folks to Edmond may not know much about McCaleb or they may know his family more, but Neal was one of those people that made Edmond great, and his leadership is responsible for many of the things we all enjoy about Edmond today. He was a civil engineer and Republican politician. A member of the Chickasaw Nation, McCaleb served in several positions in the Oklahoma state government and then as the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs under President George W. Bush.

He is a member of the Edmond Hall of Fame. Public service was not new to McCaleb. His father served as director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. His family has continued that tradition here in Edmond by serving on committees and locating their businesses here. This community owes a great deal of thanks to this man for his service which has brought us so much.

Neal always had a smile of encouragement for people, and you could just see the calm kindness in his eyes.

National performing artist Anita Bryant who made her home here in Edmond passed away in December. Before she was famous for her tag line promoting Florida orange juice, “A day without orange juice is like a day without sunshine” she had a great career as an entertainer and serving as Miss. Oklahoma. She became known as Anita Bryant Dry after marrying former astronaut Charlie Dry, who preceded her in death.

I did not know she lived in Edmond until we were talking in our office many years ago about who would make a good parade marshal for the LibertyFest parade. A visitor in our office suggested Anita Bryant who lived here. We contacted her and she was able to make it work in her schedule.

Unfortunately, too many folks like to focus on the controversy she had in her career. Ugly people did mean things to her because she spoke her mind. I guess free speech was limited back in the 1980’s. The truth is that she was incredibly gracious and kind to us and everyone I saw her encounter.

At the LibertyFest parade she was mobbed by young girls competing in pageants across the state.

She was so kind and took time to talk with everyone of them. She absolutely defined grace. She was accused of hate, but I can promise you she did not have a hateful bone in her folks. She inspired so many and cared a great deal for her adopted community of Edmond.

(Ray Hibbard, publisher of Edmond Life & Leisure, may be reached at ray@edmondpaper.com)