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CONSTANZIA NIZZA

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YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

Magazine Editors

The Oklahoma Young Professionals (OKCYP) have released its Most Influential Young Professionals of Oklahoma City list yearly since 2018

OKCYP puts together a list of Oklahoma City's Most Influential Young Professionals each year. The chosen individuals are young leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs, from the CEOs of freshly minted startups to committed employees helping established companies to thrive in an ever-evolving marketplace.

The organization highlights young professionals creating game-changing technologies, business strategies, products, and services that will shape the next generation of business and grow jobs and commerce in Oklahoma City's economy

This year, 469 young professionals were nominated for this year ’ s ballot After a wide public vote, the Top 50 Most Influential Young Professionals were selected

The list is ranked by community leaders in Oklahoma City

The list features OKC Friday's Most Powerful Young Professionals: J D Baker, Terrance Craft, Bailey Perkins, and Sache Primeaux-Shaw

Taelor Connell, Eliud Villarreal, and Donovan Farrow made the 2021 Most Influential Young Professionals of OKC list appear again this year

Other notable young professionals featured on this list include Jason Hackett, Sharina Perry, Erin Engelke, Ashley Warlick, Victor Castillo, and Seth Lewis

Taelor Connell Eliud Villarreal Neil Tate

Bradley Kirouac Tiffany johnson Shanna garrett

arilla broadus rhett schuman corian england

justin smith michele walker ryan miller

Aslan Male Ally Clark Aslan Male Ally Clark

Tonisha Jone aron phillips

constan hris reed constan hris reed

Rob Hoffman Armando Perez Ryan Smith Rob Hoffman Armando Perez Ryan Smith

houston Johnson Ryan Fast cole smith houston Johnson Ryan Fast cole smith

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ryan skeffington danielle campbell ryan skeffington danielle campbell

brett alcorn danielle campbell tyler morris Named amongst greatness. Named amongst greatness. YYoung oung vvisionaries. isionaries. join at OKCYP.com join at OKCYP.com

victor castillo sean rose jordan edwards

Benjamin gottsch Sophie fox trey Lewis

erik richison dalton savage austin carroll

Jacqueline hirlinger Briza Ibanez Jared Goins

Preston Cook Zack Hutson Christian Cody Preston Cook Zack Hutson Christian Cody

Brittany Cook Brett Alcorn Zachary Benedict

Ashley Hurney kaylee vaughn colby parsons

brett alcorn danielle campbell tyler morris

In my first official meeting with Constanzia about joining OJA, I was impressed by her confidence and her clear goals. One thing that stuck with me was she said, “I want to help you!” I called my husband after that meeting and told him what she said, and he immediately said, “Let her!” And Constanzia has helped me immensely since joining OJA. On a professional level, she is my biggest support, sounding board, and task master. She has pushed agency-wide goals forward to the benefit of our staff and youth. On a personal level, I enjoy the time we spend together, and I am inspired by her every day.

I do joke that spending so much time with her means that I have adopted some of her speech patterns like adding, “Sir!” or “Ma’am!” when relaying a story. Unfortunately for her, the extra time with me means she now uses colorful language more often! “Stealing” (with permission) Constanzia from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) will remain one of my biggest accomplishments at OJA.

THE THE UNSUNG UNSUNG HERO HERO

Constanzia Nizza is ranked Oklahoma City's Most Influential Young Professional

Constanzia’s passion for volunteering in the community through the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA), Habitat for Humanity, and Bridges of Norman is inspiring. Her commitment to learning, growing, and networking is evident in her participation with the OKC Young Professionals and her recent graduation from the Oklahoma City Police Department’s Citizens Academy.

On behalf of everyone at OJA, our partners, youth, and Constanzia’s friends, family, and fans, I say it is no surprise that Constanzia was named OKC’s MOST Influential Young Professional. We are so proud and grateful to know her, to learn from her, and to benefit from all that she does to improve herself, the city of Oklahoma City, and the state of Oklahoma. We know that her future is even brighter than today’s accomplishment.

"Truly honored because it provides a unique opportunity to continue to serve and inform my fellow Oklahomans. And perhaps, reach more viewers with the news important to them."

THE MOST INFLUENTIAL YOUNG PROFESSIONALS #2-10

by Arilla Broadus

Sophie Fox makes her first appearance on the Most Influential Young Professionals List Abigail Ogle moves up a spot to #2 on this year's list She was ranked #3 on last year's list, and this is her second appearance on our list

Terrance Craft, J D Baker, Representative Munson, Eliud Villarreal, Jared Goins, Erin Engelke, and Bailey Perkins make their grand return after appearing on our 2021 list Baker was our 2021 Most Influential Young Professional Only four members of OKCYP make this year's Top 10 list - Constanzia Nizza,

Goins, and Eliud Villarreal

Sophie Fox, Jared

Abigail Ogle KOCO TV

Terrance Craft Crafty Communications

#4 Sophie Fox Women In Wheels

#6 Rep. Cyndi Munson OK House of Representatives

Jared Goins Jared Goins Insurance Agency

#8 Eliud Villarreal Exotic Motorsports of OK

Erin Engelke Calm Waters

J.D. Baker Cortado Ventures

#10 Bailey Perkins Oklahoma Regional Food Bank

THE MOST INFLUENTIAL YOUNG

PROFESSIONALS #11-22

#19

Taelor Connell Polston Tax

#21

Corian England First Liberty Bank

#11

Bradley Kirouac Coop Ale Works

#12 Nikki Nice Vice - Mayor, Oklahoma City

#13 Aslan Maleki Cardinal Financial

#15

Donovan Farrow Alias Infosec

#16

Dr Brittany & Preston Cook Native Chiropractic

#17

Arilla Broadus Running Wild Catering

#18

Anthony Hernandez Rivera Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General

#14

William Blake Vesta Foundation Solutions

#20

Allison Parker Infant Crisis

#22

Blake Bullard OSSO Sports & Social

Eliud Villarreal 2022 Chairman

HOR S THE HOR S

HOSTEDBY

TEN YEAR REUNION

T H E S T O R Y B E H I N D T H E T H E M E

Find out how this year's theme was chosen from co-host, Eliud Villarreal.

Our annual event, The Horizons, will take place on October 13th at the Will Rogers Theatre at 7:30 pm. So please mark your calendars and save the date right now!

This year marks ten years of OKCYP So this year's Horizon Awards will celebrate the incredible growth of OKCYP and feature some familiar faces from years past

Who could forget when Lori Harless won YoungProfessional of the Year for the second year in a row and is still the only member to have won the award twice? Or when Terrance Craft finally received his first nomination for a Horizon Award in 2020 and tearfully took home Young Professional of the Year

The Horizons is all about creating memorable moments for deserving young professionals.

The Awards also recognize young professionals in Oklahoma City for their excellence in leadership, development, and community impact. It's no wonder this event has become young professionals' biggest night, as there has been an average of 220 young professionals in attendance for the past four years

The nominees for this year's awards will be announced on July 6th at 10:00 am during a live broadcast on our social media channels

There'll be special appearances from Terrance Craft, Tiffany Johnson, Anderson Harrison III, and many more of your favorite young professionals from this past decade Tickets go on sale on July 6th

THE MOST INFLUENTIAL YOUNG

PROFESSIONALS #23-#30

#23

Chris Reed

First Bethany & Bank Trust

#24

Andrew Lemon Alias Infosec

#25 Mike Hearne This is Oklahoma

#27

Jason Hackett KOCO

#28 Armando Perez Great Plains Bank

#29 Christian Cody Zack's Investments

#30 Victor Castillo Gateway First Bank

#26 Neil Tate Cavett Kids Foundation

THE SERIAL THE SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR ENTREPRENEUR

I have had the privilege to work with the founder/inventor of Utopia Plastix, Sharina Perry for several years “Brilliant” does not begin to explain her approach to business She gets things done She is an out-of-the-box thinker She quickly removes barriers most would consider being problems

Her thoughts are perpetually in solution mode She is kind and considerate, and her tenacious disposition toward her spiritual compass, family, business, and those she calls friends is unwavering

When you hear her speak of her journey, she most always directs her audience back to her core value The God that comforts her, reassures her and empowers her to keep moving forward, despite any preconceived biases that often stifle our communities “I’m watching God” is often the proclamation about her many successes Sharina is always erudite and well-informed She has a vast number of academic, business, and civic accomplishments She strives toward excellence Her sustainable ecosystem business model is proven by credentials earned from one of the most prestigious learning institutions in Europe However, she never leads a conversation with those accomplishments.

Sharina Perry is ranked one of Oklahoma City's Most Influential Young Professionals

Sharina’s realm of influence and her network are extensive and broad. Literally, on a global scale, she conducts business all over the world. If you are her “friend” it is sincere and without strings. She often uses her connections to create equitable opportunities for others with nothing expected in return.

She allows people to use her thoughts and expressions as their own for the greater good. Let me in conclusion be clear about what I have come to know about Sharina. She embodies the adage of “Lead, follow, or get out of the way ” . Her least favorite thing is idle talk. When she gives you a nugget it’s your responsibility to cultivate it. Sharina Perry has tapped into her inner power and knows herself better than most. Her holistic vision of life in balance is a quality of greatness. She is one to watch. It has been a pleasure to work with someone of her caliber I am a better human as a result

This is Sharina's first appearance on our Most Influential list.

THE MOST INFLUENTIAL YOUNG

PROFESSIONALS #31-#38

#31

Aaron Phillips AP Technology

#32 Michele Walker CORE GROUP

#33 Sean Rose Victim's Impact Panel

#35

Tommie Johnson Oklahoma County Sheriff

#36 Justin Smith BancFirst

#37 Mickey Dollens OK House of Representatives

#38

Sharina Perry Utopia Plastix

#34

Casey Tutor Brix Realty Group

#39

Kyle Impson Chickasaw Nation

#40

Shanna Garrett Sold By Shanna

#41 Blake Shelton KW Realty

#42 Ashley Warlick

#44

Adam Soltani CAIR

#45

Sache Primeaux-Shaw Oklahoma Democratic Party #43

Alexxander Pfeiffer Wyatt Poindexter

HORIZONS

HONOREE

OCTOBER13TH|AT7:30PM|WILLROGERSTHEATRE

Triple Crown Winner

HORIZONS

There s Entertainer of the Year at the Country Music Awards, Album of the Year at the Grammys, Best Picture at the Oscars, and Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards At the OKC Young Professionals' Horizon Awards, our most significant award of the night is Young Professional of the Year

This award is given to a member who has become the exemplar of what it means to be an outstanding young professional in all aspects of their lives

L

O R I H A R L E S S 2 0 1 6 - 2 0 1 7

Lori Harless became the first recipient of this award in 2016 She became the first person to win this award twice when she took home the honor again in 2017, and she remains the only person in history to win this award twice.

B R E N T B R O W N 2 0 1 8

Brent won this coveted award in 2018 in a competitive category that included other nominees like Shana Lewis, Alisha Gardner, Bailey Perkins, and Lee Briggs Brent remains the only insurance professional to win this award

T

I F F A N Y J O H N S O N 2 0 1 9

Tiffany Johnson received her first nomination in this category If you ask her, she will tell you that she didn't think she would win Tiffany was the first to win this award, along with another one on the same night Previously, all YP of the Year winners had only won one award during the event.

T E R R A N C E C R A F T 2 0 2 0

Many were surprised to learn that Terrance has never been nominated for the organization's top honor, like ever He eventually just thought he would never have a chance at the award. All that changed in 2020 when he not only received his first nomination but won the award! He also won Young Business Owner of the Year. Terrance made history by winning in every category he was nominated in.

T A E L O R C O N N E L L 2 0 2 1

Taelor won her first Horizon Award in 2020 for Best New Young Professional In one of the night's most significant moments, she took home Young Professional of the Year at the 2021 Horizons. She would win the award over long-time nominees such as Blake Bullard and Eliud Villarreal. Taelor made history as she became the only member to win Best New Young Professional and Young Professional of the Year She is eligible to receive the rare Mayor Holt's Triple Crown Award

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

I closed on a home with Benjamin Tubbs and the VA Home Team OKC, and the whole experience has just been excellent

As a Marine Corps Veteran, I knew I was in good hands when I found out Ben is a Marine Veteran as well Not only is he an expert on the VA Home Buying process from a real estate perspective, but he provided me insight from his experience using the VA Home Loan

Ben is a straight shooter, and you can absolutely trust him He really does care to help veterans, and probably really anybody looking to buy a home This was my first home, and I made sure Ben knew that During the process, several things happened that showed me Ben was really in for helping me find the right home

First and foremost, the housing market is definitely a seller's market I had to repeatedly compete with multiple offers, but Ben kept a positive attitude and never gave up!

The first home I viewed Ben took me through the house and pointed out things like wall cracks, damage, old HVAC systems, roof blisters, etc Things that I didn’t even think about

THE PROUD THE PROUD VETERAN VETERAN

Benjamin Tubbs is ranked one of Oklahoma City's Most Influential Young Professionals

He could have just gone with my natural WANTS, but he showed me what I needed to learn in order to find an ideal home that wasn’t going to give me buyer’s remorse in the future. Ben has a gift to gab in the best way possible to make your offer competitive.

He’s impressionable, and he knows the market well enough to know what to expect from other buyers. Ben will often use this skill to determine the best strategy forward for writing the offer.

Ben is trustworthy, good at what he does, took great care of me, and definitely deserves your business as well. Ben is also making a huge difference with local veteran organizations by donating a portion of his earnings to these charities. Ben’s compassion and dedication is the hallmark of a Professional.

This is Benjamin's first appearance on our Most Influential list.

THE MOST INFLUENTIAL YOUNG

PROFESSIONALS #46-#50

#46

Kaleigh Lopez

OSSO Sports & Social

#47 Benjamin Tubbs VA Home Team

#48 Seth Lewis Arts Council OKC

#49 Ryan Dunn Ryan Dunn Realty

#50

Sam Marshall First United Bank

THE HUMBLE THE HUMBLE LEADER LEADER

I know of no occupation, of no quote, and of no influencer greater than the ethical, profitable entrepreneur who intentionally continually mentors others Will Blake lives this every day with and through VESTA Foundation Solutions

Brainstorm the words/phrases with me that you think might identify a highly successful center of influence: profitable, steady sustained growth, shares what works with others, involved in the betterment of our community and others, continually improving systems, full transparency, interested in the success/the goals/attainments of team members, committed to continual learning for EVERYONE around them, ethical, hardworking, never worries about personally getting credit, caring, dedicated to studying to provide the highest quality service possible, always sharing, always mentoring and encouraging others, knows their numbers in every area of business and willingly explains why it is important.

I have just described Will Blake. Adjectives may appear subjective, but let’s look at the actual endeavors:

Flint – A continual active member of this premier business TIPS club

OSHBA – Taught courses for the Oklahoma Home Builders.

William Blake is ranked one of Oklahoma City's Most Influential Young Professionals

The Guild – Founding member of The Guild, an entrepreneur mastermind group and OKC metro-vetted trade group

Traction – Eight-week shared book review with 8 other businesses

Team Training – Weekly training with specially built pages and open to the public Training/teaching others: OSHBA, A to Z Inspections, The Guild

Writing – Regular column in The City Sentinel sharing his systems and advice

Construction Camp – Will Blake has led the charge for a full year to the OSU-OKC Construction Camp for 7th and 8th graders held May 23 – May 27 this year

The most important quote in my life came from Earl Nightingale Paraphrased it is: Five years from today, you will be like the people that you run with!

There is no one I’d rather run with than Will Blake

This is William's first appearance on our Most Influential list.

THE THE SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR ENTREPRENEUR

When I think about whom I would consider the most influential young professional, Jared Goins is the first to come to mind. In my profession, I work with young professionals every day.

Often young professionals are uneasy about entering their profession and even more afraid of what their success will look like. None of the young professionals I have worked with before Jared are as driven to succeed, organized, or as disciplined as he strives to be. Today it is crucial that young adults have positive and influential role models. Young professionals such as Jared instill that hard work leads to success in young adults.

Jared has shown excellence in his profession by perfecting his industry knowledge and communicating that knowledge in a way clients understand. He gives solutions to problems and offers advice in areas clients are not familiar with. In a world driven by older professionals with certain expectations, this trait alone is extremely impressive.

Often young professionals shy away from and feel uncomfortable around those considered superiors or those with more experience in their profession.

Jared Goins is ranked one of Oklahoma City's Most Influential Young Professionals

Jared instead has embraced the fact that he not only has the knowledge but the skill of excellent communication and he runs with it. I for one feel this is an extremely important professional attribute.

Managing one business as a young professional is extremely difficult. However, Jared never lets fear get in his way. Through all these business ventures and building an impressive professional image, he also maintains marriage and a beautiful home. His family remains at the top of his priorities. This proves he has excellent time management skills and manages to continue to devote his time to areas that need attention.

Not only is Jared an influential young professional to other young professionals, but to all professionals. All professionals could learn immensely from his professional excellence His drive to succeed lacks in no area His will to take his profession to the next level is so profound he will continue to succeed and raise the bar wherever it may take him

This is Jared's second appearance on our Most Influential list.

Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell, in a candid interview, shared with us his thoughts on a growing Oklahoma City

THE NEXT TEN YEARS THE NEXT TEN YEARS

INTERVIEW WITH LT. GOVERNOR MATT PINNELL INTERVIEW WITH LT. GOVERNOR MATT PINNELL

What will Oklahoma City look like in the next ten years?

“Over the next ten years, Oklahoma City is primed to become one of the top fifteen biggest cities in America. The reason for the growth we ’ ve seen and will see is because of the diversification of the economy and Oklahoma City investing in itself. The MAPS program has been one of the most successful incentive programs in the country. It’s a model nationally. And Oklahoma City has worked hard to diversify its economy. Thousands of people will move inside of Oklahoma City in the next ten years because of it.”

What industries in Oklahoma City will emerge in the next ten years?

“Our aerospace industry will probably become the number one industry as it might overcome even our energy industry in the state in the next ten years. It’s number 2 in the state right now. And as secretary of tourism, I am watching the tourism industry very closely, and OKC is a tourism destination. It truly is a ‘choose all of the above kind of tourism town. Oklahoma did a record $9.6 billion in direct spending related to tourism and had 21.5 million visitors in 2018, which was a 7.3 percent growth since 2017. Tourism creates an extremely valuable sales tax revenue for Oklahoma City. It’s an industry that is critical for the success of Oklahoma City.”

What do you think of the current status of workforce development in Oklahoma City?

“Workforce development is always a top priority. When we talk to a company wanting to relocate, they want to know about our workforce development program and our public education systems. Our colleges and Career and Technology Centers play a big part in workforce development. These schools train young Oklahomans to meet the demands of our workforce. We need to be absolutely tenacious about cultivating partnerships between institutions of secondary education and post-secondary education, and we need to be investing a proper amount of dollars into those classrooms and creating a teacher pipeline so that as teachers phase out and retire, we have a good pipeline to replace them. If we don’t do those things, then luring a large company with thousands of employees proves to be more difficult.”

OKCYP is celebrating ten years this year. Do you have anything you'd like to share?

“Oklahoma City Young Professionals has been a catalyst for OKC’s up-and-coming business leaders for a decade. Young professionals are the future of our state, and I am confident that this hardworking and passionate group will make a great impact on Oklahoma.”

A B O U T

O K C Y O U N G P R O F E S S I O N A L S

The Oklahoma City Young Professionals are a group of young professionals who are seeking to gain better insight in connecting with their peers, developing their skills, and most importantly, positively impacting their community around them.