TulsaPeople July 2018

TULSA PODCASTS // FACES OF THE 918 // CIRCLE CINEMA AT 90 July 2018

THE BUSINESS ISSUE

BIZ PROS & THEIR EXTREME HOBBIES COOKING FOR A CROWD BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE COX BUSINESS CENTER KITCHEN

DATA DRIVEN NEW OSU CENTER REVOLUTIONIZES HEALTH CARE ANALYSIS

Specialized care for complex cases.

When she was a high school student, Tulsa native Dr. Hilary Kneale shadowed a neurosurgeon at Saint Francis Hospital and set the wheels of her career in motion. “I just fell in love with neuroscience,” she said. “The brain is fascinating, yet still such a mystery.” After medical school, she completed a fellowship in neurocritical care that included specialized training in the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI). She then returned home as the first neurocritical care specialist in northeast Oklahoma. Today, as a physician with Warren Clinic Neurology, Dr. Kneale is part of a multidisciplinary team at Saint Francis Hospital caring for patients with TBI as well as those recovering from stroke, severe seizures or other serious neurological conditions. “I love that Saint Francis is locally owned and committed to providing high-level care,” she said. “It allows us to make a real difference for patients and their families.”

Healthcare for life.

Hilary Kneale, D.O. NEUROCRITICAL CARE

warrenclinic.com

SAINT FRANCIS HOSPITAL | THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL AT SAINT FRANCIS | WARREN CLINIC | HEART HOSPITAL AT SAINT FRANCIS | SAINT FRANCIS HOSPITAL SOUTH | LAUREATE PSYCHIATRIC CLINIC AND HOSPITAL SAINT FRANCIS HOSPITAL MUSKOGEE | SAINT FRANCIS HOSPITAL VINITA | SAINT FRANCIS BROKEN ARROW | SAINT FRANCIS CANCER CENTER | SAINT FRANCIS HOME CARE COMPANIES

CAPTU RE , SHARE # UTICASQUARE

|

UTICASQUARE .COM

BRUNCH Ediblend Superfood Cafe | Fleming’s Steakhouse | Glacier Confection Olive Garden | P.F. Changs | Pepper’s Grill | Polo Grill | Queenie’s Starbucks | Stonehorse Cafe | The Wild Fork

Get your shot back!

Orthopedic Care from Head to Toe

Utica Park Clinic orthopedic providers offer comprehensive surgical, rehabilitative and therapy services ranging from spine care and joint replacement, to sports medicine and other orthopedic issues. State-of-theart care offers you more treatment options, less pain and faster recovery time.

CLINIC LOCATIONS: 12th & Utica, Tulsa Owasso 88th & Mingo, Tulsa Pryor Claremore Sapulpa Cushing

918-579-DOCS (3627) • UTICAPARKCLINIC.COM

JULY 2018 | VOLUME 32 ISSUE 9 Chef Devin Levine in the Cox Business Center kitchen

FEATURED

34 Emergent industry One Tulsa center is poised to take health data analysis — and this city — into a new frontier.

BY SCOTT WIGTON

36 Now playing A roundup of Tulsa-based podcasts

BY ANNE BROCKMAN

39 Adrenaline junkies Four polished pros with hard-core hobbies

BY TIM LANDES

11 CITY DESK

Where to improve your business. Jean Kelley dresses like a million. The Black Wall Street Chamber takes shape. One Tulsan has formed a global foundation.

50 TABLE TALK

Teen chef Remmi Smith’s new cookbook.

Recipes for an adaptable pesto salad.

The Tavern’s Ben Alexander is known for his culinary skills and generosity.

TULSA PODCASTS // FACES OF THE 918 // CIRCLE CINEMA AT 90 July 2018

TULSAPEOPLE

Teamwork, timing and expertise are behind every meal at the Cox Business Center.

BY NATALIE MIKLES 4

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

Strut your stuff in sandals. Inside an architect’s home office. Boxworks to the rescue since 1991. Connie Cronley reflects on a day well spent.

SPECIAL SECTION 54

Faces of the 918

THE BUSINESS ISSUE

Cooking for a crowd

109 LIFESTYLE

JULY 2018

44

THE BUSINESS ISSUE

BIZ PROS & THEIR EXTREME HOBBIES COOKING FOR A CROWD BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE COX BUSINESS CENTER KITCHEN

DATA DRIVEN NEW OSU CENTER REVOLUTIONIZES HEALTH CARE ANALYSIS

ON THE COVER Meet Mel Shaw, aka Mother Mayhem, a roller derby diva. See p. 39 for more.

Your schedule. Our care.

It all fits.

Schedule online with Ascension care teams at St. John Clinic

Why wait to schedule an appointment to get the care you need?

With online scheduling, you can quickly make an appointment no matter where you are, what time it is, or what you’re up to. Online scheduling with Ascension care teams at St. John Clinic– the simplest way to get the care you need when and where you need it at GetStJohnCare.com.

WHAT’S ONLINE TULSAPEOPLE.COM Follow us on Twitter @TULSAPEOPLE

Find us on Facebook FACEBOOK.COM/TULSAPEOPLEMAG

Follow us on Instagram @TULSAPEOPLE

Follow us.

Use #MyTulsaPeople to tag your Instagram photos of the people who make this city great.

WE’LL FEATURE OUR FAVES!

ONLINE NOW: THE NEW 2018 A-LIST DIRECTORY OF TULSA’S BEST BUSINESSES!

@artistic_rebels

Swing dancers at the International Jazz Festival held in Tulsa, Oklahoma. #MyTulsaPeople

PLANNING A WEDDING OR EVENT? The updated 2018 Venue Guide is available at TulsaPeople.com/venueguide.

Vintage vroom (p. 24) @jsnyderphotos

But first, let me take a selfie. #MyTulsaPeople

Get revved up about these classic Auburn Cord Duesenberg speedsters at TULSAPEOPLE.COM.

PLUS For the definitive directory on Tulsa’s best restaurants and businesses, visit TULSAPEOPLE.COM/A-LIST.

@valcott

THE FACES AND STORIES BEHIND A VARIETY OF LOCALLY OWNED COMPANIES ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE! 6

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

Ready to roll into the #weekend. #bikelife #MyTulsaPeople

Got plans? TULSAPEOPLE.COM/CALENDAR Visit TULSAPEOPLE.COM/SUMMERFUN for weekend getaways, local pool guides and more.

Superior service.

Mark our words.

The MapleMark team, from left: Eric Davis, Samantha Caldwell-Cory, Will Richardson, Tony Davis, Guylene Dooman.

There’s a new bank in town with some familiar faces at the helm.

MapleMark Bank was founded in 2017 by Tulsa banking veterans Tony and Eric Davis. Premium service is and always has been the calling card of the Davis family, and the MapleMark Bank team takes it to another level.

After a $90 million initial capitalization—one of the largest in U.S. banking history for a new bank—we have the financial strength to complement our full suite of private banking and family office solutions, commercial and corporate banking services, state-of-the-art technology, and unmatched personal banking experience.

Let’s connect, or reconnect, and talk about where you are today, and where you want to be tomorrow.

Commercial Banking • Private Banking • Treasury Solutions • Credit Solutions

maplemarkbank.com

Southern Hills Tower 2431 East 61st Street Tulsa, Oklahoma 74136 918-986-7400

FROM THE EDITOR

Volume XXXII, Number 9 ©2018. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

TulsaPeople Magazine is published monthly by

When you live somewhere, you forget to be a tourist.

1603 South Boulder Avenue Tulsa, Oklahoma 74119-4407 918-585-9924 918-585-9926 Fax PUBLISHER Jim Langdon PRESIDENT Juley Roffers VP COMMUNITY RELATIONS Susie Miller EDITOR CITY EDITOR DIGITAL EDITOR ARTS & BENEFITS EDITOR ONLINE CALENDAR EDITOR

Anne Brockman Morgan Phillips Anna Bennett Judy Langdon John Langdon

EDITORIAL CONSULTING Missy Kruse, The Write Company

This was the case when I spent a semester in

keep exploring. Hit the highlights, but enjoy the

Dublin — I got so caught up in classes and every-

unexpected side quests, too. I’ve got a whole year

day life that I blinked and was on the plane back

to tie up loose ends and say my goodbyes, but I can

home, having not visited St. Stephen’s Green or

tell you already, it won’t be the Tulsa Zoo or the

the library at Trinity College.

Philbrook Museum or Mayfest that I’ll miss the

I’ve had a much larger window of opportunity

most. It’ll be the familiar faces at karaoke night,

to experience the quintessential Tulsa things, and

the folks at Bill and Ruth’s who know my order,

yet my checklist still has some glaring omissions.

the unexpected artistic collaborations, seeing my

Now, with exactly a year left before I move to

old clothing gain new life on a stranger after a

Chicago, it seems like a perfect time to get on that.

clothing swap. So my real bucket list is simply to

How is it that having lived in the 918 for most

know as many of you Tulsa people as I can. Don’t

of my life, I haven’t seen a movie at the Admiral in Catoosa?

I’ve never had a root beer at Weber’s. I’ve never

At press time, one item has already been crossed off the quintessential Tulsa list. I can report that Weber’s root beer is indeed delicious, and worth the wait.

On to the next one!

attended a performance of “The Drunkard” and the Olio. I’ve never been on a downtown trolley.

What other wonders have I missed by simply assuming I’d always be here to experience them?

(This isn’t a rhetorical question, please tweet your suggestions to me: @annabcreates) or have lived here your whole life, I urge you to 8

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

Madeline Crawford Georgia Brooks Morgan Welch Michelle Pollard Valerie Grant Greg Bollinger

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Andrea Canada Steve Hopkins Betsy Slagle CONTROLLER SUBSCRIPTIONS DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR INTERNS

Mary McKisick Gloria Brooks Amanda Hall Ryan Cass Lutie Rodriguez

MEMBER

TulsaPeople’s distribution is audited annually by

let me hop on that plane before I say hello. TP

Twin Drive-In, or paid a visit to the Blue Whale

Whether you’re visiting town for a few days

CREATIVE DIRECTOR ART DIRECTOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER MANAGING PHOTOGRAPHER CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER VIDEOGRAPHER

Anna Bennett DIGITAL EDITOR

Langdon Publishing Company sets high standards to ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable manner. This issue of Tulsa People was printed on recycled fibers containing 20 percent post-consumer waste with inks containing a soy base blend. Our printer is a certified member of the Forestry Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and additionally, meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act standards. When you are finished with this issue, please pass it on to a friend or recycle it. We can have a better world if we choose it together.

Disregard any TulsaPeople subscription solicitation that is not directly mailed from the Langdon Publishing office at 1603 S. Boulder Ave. Contact Langdon Publishing directly if you are interested in subscribing or renewing your TulsaPeople subscription.

S AY N O T O H A T E

BRING YOUR

COMMITMENT.

With so many exciting degree programs like Fire and Emergency Services, TCC can open new doors to a great career and future. Bring your ambition — and explore all the choices available at TCC.

Fire & Emergency Medical Services

Find degree programs or learn more at

TulsaCC.edu

Healthcare Specialist / Paramedic

Spend the summer at Holland Hall!

With more than 150 one-week classes & camps designed for both fun & education, Holland Hall has tons of options for 3-year-olds to adults.

PROGRAMS INCLUDE: • academics • sports • music • games • ACT prep • philanthropy • cooking • driver’s ed • acting • science • arts & crafts • robotics • computers • much, much more!

8 One-Week Camp Sessions May 29 – July 27, 2018 9am – 12pm & 12:30 – 3:30pm Choose between morning or afternoon sessions ... or sign up for both & stay all day!

Register online & view camp schedules & descriptions at

hollandhall.org/summer.

(918) 481-1111 5666 East 81st Street Tulsa, Oklahoma 74137

C A L E N D A R + C A U S E S + C U LT U R E

The Pop House owner Chris Davis serves a customer at his flagship craft popsicle store in Brookside.

VALERIE GRANT

A

POP-UP SHOPS

year after the Pop House opened its little blue store in Brookside, it has expanded its craft popsicles to Broken Arrow and south Tulsa.

In 2016, the family business was the overall winner of the Tulsa StartUp Series, an entrepreneurial competition founded by the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation. Winning the contest allowed owner Chris Davis to open his now-recognizable flagship store at East 37th Street and South Peoria Avenue.

“Winning the StartUp series came at a pivotal time for us, when we needed that injection of capital to take the business to the next level,” Davis says. Now, with three locations popping up, it seems the Pop House is continuing that trajectory.

The Pop House is located at 3737 S. Peoria Ave.; 824 S. Main St., Broken Arrow; and 8855 E. 91st St. TP For more about the 2018 Tulsa StartUp Series, see p. 22.

TulsaPeople.com

11

JULY

C OMPIL ED BY JUDY L A NGDON

7 Hear Kansas’ rock classics like “Dust in the Wind” at the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

3

Gavin Rossdale returns to Tulsa with Bush at the Brady Theater.

Celebrate the red, white and blue with Signature Symphony and Signature Chorale at the annual Fourth on the Third at the Tulsa Community College VanTrease PACE.

at ONEOK Field. Continues July 15-18, 23-25.

5

The Tulsa Drillers host the Midland RockHounds, Frisco RoughRiders, Arkansas Travelers and Springfield Cardinals baseball teams

12

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

Relive the ’80s when Paradise Cove at the River Spirit Casino Resort hosts Boy George and Culture Club and the B-52s.

The Utica Square concert series Summer’s Fifth Night kicks off July with big band music from Starlight Band.

Performances follow by saxophonist Eldredge Jackson (July 12), the Red Dirt Rangers (July 19) and Mary Cogan (July 26).

13-15

7

Vendors fill RiverSpirit Expo for An Affair of the Heart of Tulsa arts and crafts show.

Peruse art and handmade goods at the Kendall Whittier Mercado, an open-air market at East Admiral Boulevard and North Lewis Avenue.

River Spirit Casino Resort welcomes Pitbull, aka Mr. Worldwide, to its Paradise Cove Theater.

8 4-9

12

Stage legend siblings Donny and Marie bring their national concert tour to the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

9

Two legendary rock bands, Def Leppard and Journey, play the BOK Center.

16-17

The Midwest Harp Festival offers free concerts at the University of Tulsa’s Lorton Performance Center. Continues July 19 and 21.

Dr. Seuss’ stories come to life in Theatre Tulsa Family’s musical “Seussical Jr.” at the Tulsa PAC.

Tulsa Project Theatre presents the Oklahoma premiere of the musical “Lizzie” at the Tulsa PAC. Continues July 20-22.

14

Get ready to dive and duck when DodgeBrawl hits the BOK Center.

16

Ready to laugh?

Soundpony hosts its “Happy Hour Comedy Show.” Repeats monthly.

14

MERCADO: KENDALL WHITTIER MAIN STREET; DODGEBRAWL: SMG TULSA

1

CHARITABLE E VENT S 4 Folds of Honor Freedom Fest Benefits River Parks Authority.

RIVERPARKS.ORG / FREEDOMFEST July Fourth Celebration Benefits Arts Alliance Tulsa.

ARTSTULSA.ORG 5 Cancer Sucks Hospital Cruise Night Benefits Cancer Sucks.

CANCERSUCKS.COM 9 Boys and Girls Club Charity Golf Tournament Benefits Salvation Army Boys and Girls Clubs.

SALARMYTULSA.ORG 15 Oklahoma Joe’s Food for Kids Benefits Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.

OKJOES.COM

28-29

17

Starlight Concert Band presents “At the Movies,” a first-act band concert, followed by a silent movie with live organ accompaniment, at Guthrie Green.

19

28-29

20

Presented by Celebrity Attractions, “1964 … The Tribute” returns to the Tulsa PAC.

29

20-22

The Bob Dylan Archive continues its film series, “Tarantula: On Film,” at the Woody Guthrie Center to coincide with the WGC’s exhibition “Tarantula(s): Bob Dylan’s Novel Revisited.” TP

The BOK Center welcomes award-winning country duo Sugarland and their “Still the Same 2018” tour with special guests Frankie Ballard and Lindsay Ell.

Dreams come true for a ’60s teen. Theatre Tulsa Family presents “Hairspray” at the Tulsa PAC.

I AM YOGA: KASSIE PATTON

The BOK Center hosts the solo tour of One Direction’s Niall Horan with special guest Maren Morris.

28

Band of Horses, which released its fifth studio album in June, plays the historic Cain’s Ballroom.

19 Barbie Party Benefits Tulsa Dress for Success.

TULSA.DRESSFORSUCCESS.ORG 21 Bingo Bash Benefits Tulsa SPCA. TULSASPCA.ORG

The I AM Yoga Festival offers group classes and a market of healthy, holistic vendors at the Tulsa Garden Center.

Killer Queen, a Queen tribute band, visits the Brady Theater.

Somewhere in Time: “In the Wild, Wild West” Benefits RSVP of Tulsa.

RSVPTULSA.ORG 23 Musical Mondays Benefits LIFE Senior Services.

LIFESENIORSERVICES.ORG

29

EDITOR’S NOTE: TULSAPEOPLE IS A SPONSOR OF THE HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS.

TulsaPeople.com

13

WHERE TO …

Entrepreneurs at the Oklahoma City Tech Tour, hosted

by OK!NNOVATE in April

‘MIND’ YOUR BUSINESS It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Most people have heard that old adage at some point in their life.

It becomes especially true when building a business network. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a female business leader, the owner of a family business or some combination of the three, here are three places to network.

BY ABIGAIL SINGREY

Family Owned Business Institute

With the pay gap between women and men making national headlines, the need for women business leaders is greater than ever. Women Helping Women is a new mentorship and career growth program facilitated by Mariner Wealth Advisors.

WHW, which is for professional women across all industries, began in Tulsa with hopes for national growth, says Julie Smith of Mariner Wealth Advisors.

“Oftentimes, younger professional women are afraid to reach out to or seek mentorship from professional women who have risen to the top of their industries,” Smith says. “We wanted to create a group that would foster growth, mentorship and development, so younger women would feel comfortable seeking to advance in their roles.”

A family-owned business has its own unique culture, a concept that staff at the University of Tulsa realized when they started the Family Owned Business Institute in 1996.

“Our members (such as Tom, Kay and Dan Owens, pictured, of McIntosh Services) get exposed to current research on family business,” says FOBI Director Claire Cornell. The institute is under the Collins College of Business Administration.

Eight sessions are held on the TU campus during the academic year, and past topics have included succession planning and legacy-building. The FOBI also provides advice on potentially tricky situations, including setting salaries for family members and dealing with workplace conflict.

Free to participate.

918-991-6933 | whwgroup.org 14

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

Membership: $360 for two individuals associated with the company; $140 per additional member. bus.collins.utulsa.edu/fobi

OK!NNOVATE Being an entrepreneur can be a lonely endeavor.

Based in Oklahoma City, OK!NNOVATE is a newly launched program making connections by helping find the three things most entrepreneurs are looking for: mentors, capital and talent.

The group recently brought venture capitalist Paul Singh, pictured, to the state capital to share best practices and look for investment opportunities. In the future, OK!NNOVATE plans to collaborate with 36 Degrees North and the Forge in Tulsa.

“It’s in an Oklahoman’s blood to be entrepreneurial,” says Josh Fahrenbruck, who oversees OK!NNOVATE. “From the Boomers who made pioneer life work here to the next generation working in the technology space, there’s no reason entrepreneurs can’t be successful here.” TP

Free to participate. okinnovate.com

FAMILY OWNED BUSINESS INSTITUTE: VALERIE GRANT; OK!NNOVATE: COURTESY

Women Helping Women

WE’RE WOVEN IN TO THE FABRIC OF TULSA From financial support to volunteering time and resources to developing valuable programs, we’re fully and intricately immersed in the community making it the best it can be.

As an Economic Development Leader, we’re proud to play a major role in Tulsa’s Future, Visit Tulsa and to serve as the title sponsor of the BOK Center.

As a major supporter of the Tulsa community, in 2017, we provided $2 million in annual contributions to local Tulsa nonprofits and over $1.7 million in annual contributions to the Tulsa Area United Way. Many of our employees participate throughout the year in Learn For Life, a program designed to teach financial literacy to children. And, we just completed our 22nd year as supporter and sponsor of the MLK Parade.

We are grateful for the opportunity to make Tulsa a better place to live, work, and raise a family.

www.bankofoklahoma.com

© 2018. Bank of Oklahoma, a division of BOKF, NA. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

NOTEBOOK

BY MORGA N PHILLIP S

Tulsa in the spotlight

Mayor G.T Bynum accepts Tulsa’s Engaged Cities Award from former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Cities of Service, on May 16 in New York City.

THE PROGRAM BEHIND THE PRIZE Holland Hall graduate Meaghan Oppenheimer is the creator and writer of a dark comedy set in Tulsa that will star Oscar winner Catherine Zeta-Jones, according to the entertainment website Deadline.com.

The 10-episode series, titled “Queen America,” will run on the new video platform Facebook Watch. Zeta-Jones will reportedly play Vicki Ellis, “the most ruthless pageant coach in the state,” who is tasked with turning an unpolished beauty, Samantha Stone, into a contender for Miss America.

Oppenheimer is an executive producer for the show. No release date or shooting location has been announced.

The City of Tulsa’s Urban Data Pioneers program recently earned Tulsa an award for innovation and $70,000 for its work using data to tackle issues such as prioritizing street repairs and reducing blight.

Given by the nonprofit Cities of Service, the Engaged Cities Award recognizes cities working creatively to tap the wisdom, talents and energy of community members to solve public problems. Tulsa was one of three winners alongside Bologna, Italy, and Santiago de Cali, Colombia.

When he was elected in 2016, “Mayor (G.T.) Bynum wanted to drive the City to utilize data in its decision-making, but we lacked the ability to do ‘big data’ analytics,” explains James Wagner, director of the Mayor’s Office of Performance Strategy and Innovation, the department Bynum created to focus this data effort. “The solution was to look outside of City Hall.”

Urban Data Pioneers utilizes 120 citizens and City comployees for projects like a recent effort to understand stability in neighborhoods. Utility data is being analyzed to identify vacant properties more quickly than past methods, Wagner says. By mapping these properties, the City can look closely at the instability of particular areas and develop strategies for improvement.

Wagner says the Cities of Service funding will launch the Civic Innovation Fellowship, which will continue to engage citizens in solving civic problems.

Voices of Oklahoma “(Cornelia ‘Alabama’ Marshall) would make 50 or 60 (pies), which was a lot because she made them all by hand … (Henry Marshall, her husband) said, ‘You make me some of those pies, and I will see if I can’t sell them on the job sites.’ And that’s the way he did it. He had a basket with pies in it, and when it was lunch time he would go around and sell pies for dessert just out of his basket.”

— The late Lilah Marshall, then 93 years old, of the Bama Cos. speaking about her in-laws, the founders of Bama Pie. “Voices of Oklahoma” is an oral history project supported by the Oklahoma Center for the Humanities at the University of Tulsa.

John Erling founded the project in 2009.

16

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

Teresa Knox

Knox buys HARWELDEN The Harwelden Mansion has a new owner: businesswoman Teresa Knox, who is building quite the collection of historical properties.

Knox is renovating the Church Studio once owned by musical legend Leon Russell and owns several other properties on “Studio Row” near East Third Street and South Trenton Avenue.

The Arts and Humanities Council of Tulsa, now called ahha, was headquartered at the Harwelden for more than 40 years and operated it as an event space.

Under Knox’s ownership, the 1920sera mansion at 2210 S. Main St. will continue as a venue.

“As soon as I heard the Harwelden was on the market, I immediately started researching Earl and Mary Harwell, the original owners,” Knox explains. “The more I know, the more I get attached and fall in love, and that attachment, that love, is what inspires my strategic planning for the future.” TP

VOICES AND CITY OF TULSA: COURTESY; KNOX: VALERIE GRANT

Meaghan Oppenheimer

Jean Kelley, right, shops at Goodwill’s retail store at 3110 Southwest Blvd.

LOCAL TALENT

Circle sees

90 YEARS Businesswoman’s book touts the benefits of Goodwill.

BY MORGAN PHILLIPS

J

ean Kelley says a person’s online searches tell a lot about them. Her own search history — koala surgery, Andy Rooney, free rap beats — provides a glimpse into a woman with myriad interests and the ability to juggle a successful career along with diverse hobbies such as abstract painting and track driving a sports car.

Professionally, Kelley owned and operated a personnel company for 25 years. Since selling it in 2001, she has focused on business coaching and leadership assessment and development for executives mostly in the oil and gas and manufacturing industries.

Her book “Dress like a Million from Goodwill” — which she self-financed and self-published in December 2017 — merges two of her greatest interests: fashion and making a difference.

“I wrote the book for the many people whose lives are radically improved because of Goodwill,”

says Kelley, a longtime member of the nonprofit’s board of directors.

The book, Kelley’s fifth, draws on her years observing how clothing projects an image. In it, Kelley encourages readers to shop at Goodwill’s retail stores, where she says “you can dress for less, help the planet and employ more people.”

Retail sales of donated clothing and housewares go toward employees’ salaries and job-training programs.

“I didn’t set out to do this,” Kelley says of writing “Dress Like a Million.” “It ended up more of a calling than a project.” That calling found her a few years ago when she decided to buy clothes only from Goodwill for 12 months.

Now, Kelley is supporting Goodwill through sales of her book, available through Amazon, at dresslikeamillionfromgoodwill.com or at jean kelley.com for $14.95. TP

RECENT RELEASES Erin O’Dowd, “OLD TOWN” O’Dowd recently relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, but she recorded her debut “Old Town” in Tulsa. The album features local favorite “Robin’s Egg Blue” and nine other self-penned tracks that reflect on her Oklahoma upbringing. Tracks like “Trick Pony” and “Songwriter’s Breakfast” are among the standouts. Released by Tulsa’s Horton Records on May 4, the album was produced by Travis Linville and features John Fullbright on keys.

Parker Millsap, “OTHER ARRANGEMENTS” The 25-year-old Purcell native lets loose in his fourth studio album, “Other Arrangements.”

He comes firing out of the gate with the blistering rock track “Fine Line” before settling back into his customary Americana sound for a few songs. Overall, the 12-song release is more upbeat and more electric than his previous efforts. The sounds span rock, blues, gospel and folk on the album released by Okrahoma Records on May 4. — TIM LANDES 18

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

T

oday’s filmgoers are used to special effects and computer-generated imagery — a stark contrast to the films of 1928, most of which were still silent.

That contrast — and the fact that the oldest theater in Tulsa is still standing, thanks to the efforts of Clark Wiens and the late George Kravis II — is what makes Circle Cinema’s 90th anniversary so celebratory.

The occasion will be marked July 7-15.

Visitors can expect new documentaries and features, silent classics, special guests, discussions with filmmakers, a reel-to-reel 35mm screening, an exhibit from the Tulsa Historical Society and Museum, and the inaugural Circle Cinema Film Festival.

“There will be something for everyone the whole week,” says Chuck Foxen, film programmer for the nonprofit cinema.

Screenings will include 2018’s “Rock Stars: Women in Petroleum” with filmmaker Vern Stefanic; a “rough cut” of Brad Beesley’s 2018 documentary “Fathers of Football” about the Wagoner High School football team; a 40th-anniversary screening of “Grease: Sing-Along”; and “Deep Red,” a restored work of Dario Argento, an Italian horror filmmaker of the 1970s and ’80s.

“The Gaucho,” the second film ever shown at the Circle, on July 17, 1928, also will make a reappearance with live accompaniment on the theater’s original 1928 pipe organ.

— MORGAN PHILLIPS

JULY 7-15 Circle Cinema Film Festival and 90th Birthday Celebration Circle Cinema, 10 S. Lewis Ave. For a schedule of events and ticket prices, visit circlecinema.com.

LOCAL TALENT: VALERIE GRANT; CIRCLE CINEMA: CHUCK FOXEN

BARGAIN SHOPPER

Protecting Your Assets Growing Your Wealth Advising You for Life

Executive Vice President Lesa Creveling and Vice President Melissa S. Taylor

Committed to providing financial peace of mind for individuals, families and organizations since 1981.

TrustOk.com | (918) 744-0553

ROOTS Anna Rutherford does a live painting Feb. 22 at Royce Myers Art Ltd., 1706 S. Boston Ave. The Tulsa native now lives in Chicago.

MEET AND GREET NAME: Ty Towry KNOWN AS: Program success manager for Coding Dojo, the coding bootcamp based at 823 S. Detroit Ave. An Oklahoma State University alumnus and longtime web developer himself, Towry has worked for an e-commerce startup, for AT&T Internet Services in San Francisco and as production manager for the California rock band Animal Liberation Orchestra.

Rising artist won’t be stopped by painful condition.

BY TIM LANDES

A

nna Rutherford hasn’t yet had a chance to settle into her new place in Chicago.

The 28-year-old abstract painter just moved to the Windy City yesterday.

For the past two years, the native Tulsan called Santa Fe, New Mexico, home. “At the time, Tulsa’s art community wasn’t anything like Santa Fe’s,” Rutherford says. “I wanted to expand my art and be around established galleries. Everyone in Chicago is involved in the arts community, even the politicians.”

Despite her changing address, Rutherford has always been represented by Royce Myers Art Ltd., which she says keeps her connected to Tulsa.

“I love coming home,” says Rutherford, who started painting as a young child and began showing her work professionally in her teens. “It’s amazing what Tulsa’s art community has become.

20

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

It’s incredible what the Kaisers have done. It’s great for everyone.”

Rutherford says she always wanted to be an artist, but faced a major obstacle when, as a Jenks High School student, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. She says it impacts her work in numerous ways, but she has turned it into inspiration.

“It was hard,” she says. “I learned to stop when I need to. Use skinny brushes some days. You have to alter what you do. I started to incorporate it into my work. It’s me and it’s personal, so it’s there.”

Her next move is unpacking, then she will resume growing her brand beyond paintings. She recently launched a clothing line, Ara Inc., that features her artwork. “The clothing is a painting,” Rutherford says. “You don’t have to stick with one thing as an artist. This is just the beginning.” TP

What’s the job outlook for coders in Tulsa? The future is very bright here in Tulsa and Oklahoma in general. Computer programming no longer lives in a vacuum. It is happening everywhere.

Around 40 percent of our students come to our program from out of state. I suspect many of those students will fall in love with Tulsa, find a job and live their lives here. Our students are averaging around $65,000 for entry-level positions, and the curious developer can often make more very quickly.

You’ve said Coding Dojo will change the trajectory of many graduates’ lives. It’s great to hear the chatter at our alumni events. It’s the little things that make me smile. Things like, “I haven’t ever had a job where I didn’t have to work nights and weekends,” “I don’t have to work on holidays anymore,” “I get to take an hour for lunch,” and other perks you either take for granted or you didn’t even know existed. Most are excited to have a job that feels like it will be there next year. — MORGAN PHILLIPS

RUTHERFORD: VALERIE GRANT; TOWRY: GREG BOLLINGER

JUST THE BEGINNING

You’re a Coding Dojo graduate. What do you love about coding? I love learning. I have been adding to my formal education since working on my master’s degree. After college I traveled out of the country for a language immersion course. I am a certified Wilderness First Responder. A few years ago, I chose to take my yoga practice deeper through the 200-hour teacher training course.

Coding fills my need for learning; it is a lifelong puzzle that always teaches me something new.

CONGRATULATIONS OU-TU School of Community Medicine Graduates

Chinwe Ajalla

Surgery-Preliminary

Brookwood Baptist Health

Birmingham, AL

Cordell Baker

Neurological Surgery

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, UT

James Brigance

Family Medicine

OU-TU School of Community Medicine

Tulsa, OK

Evan Fenska

Medicine-Preliminary Anesthesiology

OU-TU School of Community Medicine University of Chicago Medical Center

Tulsa, OK Chicago, IL

Casey Fitzgerald

Otolaryngology

University of Kentucky Medical Center

Lexington, KY

Brandi Gallaher

Family Medicine

Spartanburg Regional Healthcare

Spartanburg, SC

Tyler Gutschenritter

Medicine-Preliminary Radiation Oncology

OU-TU School of Community Medicine University of Washington

Tulsa, OK Seattle, WA

Lauren Howard

Pediatrics

University of Arkansas College of Medicine

Little Rock, AR

Shahnawaz Ijaz

Internal Medicine

OU-TU School of Community Medicine

Tulsa, OK

Tyler Jones

Family Medicine

Saint Joseph Hospital SCL Health

Denver, CO

Garrett Klutts

General Surgery

University of Arkansas COM

Little Rock, AR

Aleze Krumholz

Obstetrics-Gynecology

OU-TU School of Community Medicine

Tulsa, OK

Bernadette Lamb

Internal Medicine

University of Nebraska Medical Center

Omaha, NE

Michael Larson

Otolaryngology

Eastern VA Medical School

Norfolk, VA

Jillian Lundie

Obstetrics-Gynecology

OU-TU School of Community Medicine

Tulsa, OK

Adrienne Richards

Family Medicine

NH Camp Pendleton NAVY

Camp Pendleton, CA

Zachary Stanley

Obstetrics-Gynecology

University of Kentucky Medical Center

Lexington, KY

Andrew Starnes

Emergency Medicine

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Winston-Salem, NC

Kathleen Thill

Obstetrics-Gynecology

University of Missouri-KC Programs

Kansas City, MO

Krishna Vedala

Internal Medicine

White River Health System

Batesville, AR

Kaitlin Warta

Obstetrics-Gynecology

New Hanover Regional Medical Center

Wilmington, NC

Eli Welch

Surgery-Preliminary

OU-TU School of Community Medicine

Tulsa, OK

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo

BIZ WHIZ DJ and Aisha Patterson of EcoClean Baby present at the Tulsa StartUp Series 2017 Demo Day.

ENTREPRENEURS:

StartUp your engines

The Black Wall Street Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors: Kristi Williams, treasurer and historical chairwoman; Charity Marcus, secretary; Sherry Laskey, board vice chairwoman; Greg Robinson, young professionals chairman; Sherry Gamble-Smith, president and CEO; Melvin Gilliam, board chairman; Vanessa Hall-Harper, membership chairwoman; and Chief Egunwale Amusan, advisory board member. Not pictured are the Rev. Dr. Rodney Goss, government relations chairman; Thomas Boxley, economic development chairman; and Cordell Dement, education chairman.

STARTING FRESH New chamber seeks to strengthen Tulsa’s African-American community.

BY MORGAN PHILLIPS

A

falling-out at the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce in early 2017 left former Executive Director Sherry Gamble-Smith and former Membership Chairwoman Vanessa Hall-Harper frustrated and disappointed. They say others in the African-American community felt the same.

So in May, with the support of HallHarper, who is Tulsa city councilor for District 1, and local businesses, Gamble-Smith decided to create a second chamber. Organizers say the Black Wall Street Chamber of Commerce has a vision to educate, create and inspire economic vitality in the African-American community.

“We want a healthy community, a prosperous community and a self-sustainable community,” explains Gamble-Smith, who is president and CEO. She plans to build on progress initially made at the Greenwood Chamber, such as membership growth, regular events, and business and financial education for African-American business owners.

Small business owner Charity Marcus is a former member of the Greenwood Chamber who serves as secretary of the BWS Chamber. She says 22

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

starting the new chamber is “about positive changes and getting the services needed to the community.”

Gamble-Smith stresses that the BWS Chamber is for all African Americans, regardless of where they live in Tulsa. She says, “I see this as a way to build bridges to all segments of the community.”

The BWS Chamber of Commerce has two locations: 1314 N. Greenwood Ave. and 1800 S. Baltimore Ave., Suite 815.

The Greenwood Chamber of Commerce is still in operation. Call 918-585-2084 for information. TP

JULY 19 JULY LUNCHEON OF THE BLACK WALL STREET CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Luncheons are held monthly on the third Thursday from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Downtown Doubletree Hotel, 616 W. Seventh St. To learn more or become a member, visit bwschamber.com or email info@bwschamber.com.

BWS CHAMBER: VALERIE GRANT; STARTUP SERIES: RACHEL BLANKENSHIP

A

mbitious Tulsans have no shortage of opportunities to pursue dreams of business ownership. The Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation’s Tulsa StartUp Series provides an especially accessible path for new entrepreneurs.

Begun in 2007, “the Tulsa StartUp Series was created so that anyone with an original business idea can easily submit a 60-second pitch online and have the opportunity to pitch that idea live,” says Meredith Peebles, the foundation’s chief operating officer.

Winners of the competition receive funding for their startup, professional mentorship and a membership at 36 Degrees North.

The 2018 pitch competition kicked off in January and spans most of the year. Deadlines have passed for the High Growth and Physical Product, Food and Retail series, but three pitch series remain.

Applications for the Social Enterprise series — for startups that use business principles to generate revenue for social causes — are open July 4-Aug. 1.

Applications for the Wild Card series — open to any type of business — and applications by K-12 students will be accepted Sept. 5-Oct. 3.

“We’ve enjoyed seeing past winners blossom into profitable Tulsa businesses that are making an economic impact like the Pop House, Press Cafe x Yoga, Ediblend Superfood Cafe and more,” Peebles says.

The Tulsa StartUp Series has led to $57.7 million total impact for Tulsa’s economy, including the creation of 2,300 jobs, according to the LTFF. — JOSEPH PRICE

THE WAY WE WERE Doug Pray, right, is the son of the late Glenn Pray, who moved the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Co. to Broken Arrow in the 1960s. In addition to continuing the automobile legacy of his father, pictured below, Doug Pray founded ACD Technologies earlier this year to focus on saving lives, starting with a prototype of a bullet-proof vest for law enforcement agencies.

VIDEO

at TULSAPEOPLE.COM

Get a peek at the manufacturing and restoration work of the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Co.

KEEPING IT CLASSIC

A little-known plant in Broken Arrow has found its niche manufacturing and restoring classic cars.

BY DOUG EATON

24

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

Glenn often rubbed elbows with the rich and famous through his manufacturing efforts. Among his celebrity customers were Dick Clark of “American Bandstand” fame and Rod Serling, the narrator/actor of “The Twilight Zone” series.

“Dad even appeared on the ‘To Tell the Truth’ television show, and Walter Cronkite came to visit in 1966 to do a story about the G2 Cord,” Glenn’s son, Doug, recalls.

When Glenn died in 2011, Doug decided to forge ahead with the company.

Today, Glenn Pray Cords and Auburns are still in demand and are recognized by the Antique Automobile Club of America.

“We sell parts to collectors from all around the country,” Doug says. “Also, I get calls from people wanting to buy or sell Cords and Auburns. So, I broker these transactions.”

He also is manufacturing a new all-steel body 1935 Auburn Boattail Speedster that he expects to unveil at the annual ACD Festival in Indiana on Labor Day. The car will have a price tag of $750,000.

The company’s 16 employees perform restoration work for nearly 40 projects on various Cord and Auburn models for clients across North America and Europe. TP

DOUG PRAY: GREG BOLLINGER; GLENN PRAY: COURTESY DOUG PRAY

I

n the 1950s, Glenn Pray was a young industrial arts teacher at Tulsa Central High School who had a deep passion for a “prestige automobile” called the Cord. First manufactured in 1929, the Cord was the first American-designed and American-built automobile with front-wheel drive and independent front suspension.

The Cord and the Auburn, another ’30s-era automobile, were originally made by the Auburn Automobile Co. in Auburn, Indiana. These high-priced luxury vehicles and the Duesenberg, another early 20th century automobile, ultimately ceased production when the Depression bankrupted their manufacturers.

In 1960, upon learning that the now-combined Auburn Cord Duesenberg Co. was for sale, Glenn traveled to Indiana and purchased the plant, auto parts and company trademarks for $75,000 from then-owner Dallas Winslow.

There was only one problem: Glenn didn’t have the money. He ultimately finagled the sale via a loan from Winslow.

Glenn then moved the auto manufacturing plant, including over 700,000 pounds of auto parts, to an abandoned pickle-packing plant in Broken Arrow.

There, in 1966, Glenn began manufacturing “second-generation” (G2) Cords, later to be known as “Glenn Pray Cords,” as well as manufacturing and selling new old stock (NOS) parts. Developing a respected reputation as one of the most knowledgeable dealers in Cord and Auburn parts, Glenn manufactured some 350 second-generation Cords and Auburns and one Duesenberg.

Climbed 5 peaks this month Won the bouldering World Cup Forgot to lock her front door

People are amazing, but we’re still only human. Manage your lights, locks and thermostat from your device with Homelife. Learn more at Cox.com/homelife Cox Homelife is available to residential customers in select Cox service areas. A high-speed Internet connection is required. Applicable monthly service charges, installation, additional equipment, taxes, trip charges and other fees may apply. Subject to credit approval. Other restrictions may apply. Local ordinances may require an alarm user permit or external lock box. Service provided by Cox Advanced Services: Oklahoma, LLC–License #2002. ©2018 Cox Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

MAG105420-0023

Tulsan Melissa Bryce Gamble is the founder of the locally based Global Foundation for Peroxisomal Disorders, which serves more than 400 families worldwide. Her daughter Ginny was born with Peroxisomal Biogenesis Disorder-Zellweger Spectrum Disorder.

SHINING BRIGHTLY A Tulsa mother gives hope to families of children with a rare genetic condition.

BY JULIE WENGER WATSON

M

elissa Bryce Gamble was thrilled when her daughter Ginny arrived in August 2008. Like most first-time mothers, she was overwhelmed with joy, as well as the fatigue and uncertainty that come with caring for a new life. For Bryce Gamble, however, there was something more — a nagging concern that things weren’t quite right with her baby.

“We were sitting outside at Charleston’s on Peoria, and an ambulance went by,” Bryce Gamble recalls. “Ginny was in her carrier, and she didn’t wake up at all. At that point, I knew something was wrong.”

By the time Ginny was 6 months old, she was already seeing multiple specialists in an effort to piece together what was going on with her, Bryce Gamble says.

Two years, multiple doctors and genetic testing resulted in a diagnosis: Peroxisomal Biogenesis Disorder-Zellweger Spectrum Disorder (PBD-ZSD), a rare, terminal condition that can result in everything from neurological and developmental issues to vision loss and bone disease. Other symptoms can include weak muscle tone, feeding problems, vision loss and seizures.

26

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

The diagnosis was devastating, but Bryce Gamble resolved to give Ginny the best life possible and to create a resource for other families dealing with PBD-ZSD. In 2010 she started the Global Foundation for Peroxisomal Disorders (GFPD), a Tulsa-based nonprofit serving more than 400 families in 31 countries. To date, the GFPD has funded research at the National Institutes of Health, supported clinical trials for potential medications and organized family and scientific conferences.

Most importantly, the foundation has become a beacon of hope for other parents receiving this life-altering news.

“After we first got the diagnosis, I felt like I was drowning. I feel like those were maybe the worst three weeks of my life,” Bryce Gamble remembers. “Talking to somebody else who understands is life-changing. If I can do anything to help people not feel the way I felt, that’s what I need to be doing.”

Although Ginny died in 2015 at age 6, her memory shines brightly through the work of the GFPD. For more information, visit thegfpd.org. TP

TULSA’S TABLE feeds teens LIFE SKILLS

Jwan Green and Ashley Cole are participants in the Tulsa’s Table summer internship program.

This summer, Tulsa’s Table at Harvest Market is teaching 16- to 19-year-olds their way around a kitchen. More than a summer job, the internship program is an effort to help at-risk teens, who are referred by community partners, build job and life skills through seed-to-table programming.

“We are not a culinary training program, but rather a program that uses food to cultivate skills that increase social and economic mobility for the teens,” explains Tulsa’s Table founder/CEO Christy Moore.

“Food provides a simple, yet profound, conduit for the breadth of learning experiences they need to obtain the kind of job and life skills necessary for success in life.”

The eight-week culinary session takes place at the Harvest Market teaching kitchen at 2232 S. Nogales Ave. During the session, which also incorporates mentorship and goal setting, teens receive training from chefs like Barry Jarvis, co-founder of Agruity.com, a local food marketplace. As a capstone project, youth will work with the chef to prepare food for a public dining event and will serve as hosts.

Looking ahead, Moore says Tulsa’s Table hopes to eventually operate three days a week to engage more youth in its programming. Another goal is updating the teaching kitchen to a commercial kitchen, which would allow for expansion of the nonprofit’s paywhat-you-can community cafe that operates now on a pop-up basis.

“Other next steps include our entrepreneurial and gardening programming and providing our cafe to the public on a regular basis,” Moore says. “There is so much good waiting to happen.” — JUDY LANGDON

PASSIONS: VALERIE GRANT; TULSA’S TABLE: GREG BOLLINGER

PASSIONS

RACQUET AND HEALTH

PERSONAL TRAINING SUMMER SPECIAL • 3 for $99 • 8 for $275 • 16 for $550

MEMBERSHIPS START AT

$29/MONTH

3030 E. 91 ST ST. 918

298-9500

RAH91.COM

VICTOR FRY

Home Décor and Interiors has

relocated with

Windsor Market to the

Farm Shopping Center 51st Street South at Sheridan Road (Formerly Hancock Fabrics)

Come visit our new location.

Windsor Market LLC 6530 East 51st Street South Tulsa, OK 74145 918.254.9766 Present this ad for a ten percent discount on all non-sale items from Victor Fry’s booth #177.

Expires 31 August 2018.

TulsaPeople.com

27

Newsmakers Luncheon

2

3

1. Hannah Jackson, AWC-Tulsa president; honoree Carole Lambert; and emcee Leanne Taylor of KOTV News On 6 2. Standing, Peggy Hulsey, Pam Kantner, Betty Davis, Patricia Chernicky and Jennifer Campbell; seated, honoree Cindy Hulsey and Shannon Hall 3. Patrons Beth Stewart, Kelly Scott and Sam Swindell of Williams 4. This marked the 45th annual luncheon.

5. Honoree Dr. Kayse Shrum

1

4

5

OLIVIA FRISSEL

More than 200 guests attended the Newsmakers Luncheon presented by the Association for Women in Communications Tulsa Chapter. The event was May 2 at Southern Hills Country Club.

The 2018 Newsmakers are Anna America, Tulsa city councilor and CEO of the Child Abuse Network; Cindy Hulsey, executive director of Magic City Books and the Tulsa Literary Coalition; and Dr. Kayse Shrum, president of Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences and dean of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. Retired news anchor Carole Lambert received the 2018 Saidie Lifetime Achievement Award. The honor is named for Saidie Adwon, a female pioneer in the broadcast industry.

AWC-Tulsa also awarded scholarships to two female communications students: Natalie Wilkinson of Oral Roberts University and Kali Ritchey of the University of Tulsa.

Rock the House

1

In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Tulsa Habitat for Humanity hosted the inaugural Rock the House gala, its revamped annual fundraiser, on April 14. Nearly 600 guests attended the event at the Cox Business Center, which raised more than $400,000.

A cocktail reception was followed by a program emceed

by House of Pain’s Danny O’Connor. Guests enjoyed dinner and a tribute to rock music through the decades, featuring seven musical acts, including Broadway performers Shoshana Bean and Lance Lipinsky.

The evening included a lively auction and ended with patrons dancing the night away to the sounds of Groove Merchant.

2

3 28

4 TulsaPeople JULY 2018

5

6

TOM GILBERT

1. Treasure O’Connor and emcee Danny O’Connor and patrons Judy and Tom Kishner 2. Tulsa Habitat CEO Cameron Walker (center) with award recipients PGA pro Bo Van Pelt and Dennis Lane, Thermal Windows president 3. Singer-songwriter Alana Davis performed.

4. Rock the House entertainer Ayngel McNall 5. Lance Lipinsky also entertained patrons.

6. Patrons Shanese and Clay Slaton

T.C. CANNON

AT T H E E D G E O F A M E R I C A

Two Guns Arikara, 1974-77. Acrylic and oil on canvas. Anne Aberbach and Family, Paradise Valley, Arizona. Š 2018 Estate of T. C. Cannon. Photo by Thosh Collins

Expand your view of American identity through the vibrant paintings, poetry and music of Caddo/Kiowa artist T.C. Cannon.

0 7. 1 4 . 1 8 - 1 0 . 0 7. 1 8 GILCREASE.ORG TU is an EEO/AA institution.

T.C. Cannon: At the Edge of America is organized by the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.

1

Great Plains Journalism Awards

1

The Tulsa Press Club hosted its Great Plains Journalism Awards luncheon May 4 at the Mayo Hotel. TulsaPeople Editor Anne Brockman, TPC board member, co-chaired the event.

Omar Villafranca, correspondent with CBS News in its Southern Bureau, received the Distinguished Lecturer Award and gave the keynote address. Villafranca was previously a reporter at Tulsa’s KOTV News On 6.

Great Plains is a regional contest honoring print, web, TV and magazine journalists for outstanding stories, photography and design. More than 600 entries were received across eight states, with winners and finalists named in 72 categories.

The Great Plains Journalism Awards benefit the club’s scholarship fund. Four student journalists received $1,500 scholarships named for the late Dan Harrison, a ONEOK executive and former Tulsa Press Club president.

1. Tulsa Press Club President Nicole Amend and the Oklahoman’s Clytie Bunyan 2. Omar Villafranca spoke about his career covering breaking news.

3. Emcee Meagan Farley, who is a News On 6 reporter 4. Award winners Maxx Crawford and Madeline Crawford, TulsaPeople creative director, and Amend

2

Appetite for Construction The HBA Charitable Foundation experienced record fundraising at its Appetite for Construction gala April 19 at Metro Appliances and More. The event proceeds of $87,000 will support the foundation’s housing and education initiatives.

At the gala, 10 Tulsa chefs prepared and served their recipes in kitchens throughout the Metro facility. The evening also included live auction and silent auctions, raffles and entertainment by the Barrett Lewis Band.

Since its inception in 2013, the HBA Charitable Foundation has funded and completed local projects worth more than $700,000. Beneficiaries have included Lindsey House, Tulsa Habitat for Humanity, and Family and Children’s Services.

1. Chefs from the Palace Cafe, a first-time participating restaurant 2. Staff of the Sushi Bar worked with chef Kurt Fichtenberg.

3. Lucia Carballo with the HBA Charitable Foundation and Xan Black with the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance, a beneficiary of Appetite for Construction

3 30

4 TulsaPeople JULY 2018

3

APPETITE: HALI MCCOY; GREAT PLAINS: TOM GILBERT

2

COM E TEST DR IVE TH E ALL- N E W

2019 Acura RDX

4905 S. Memorial Drive | Tulsa, OK 74145 doncarltonacura.com

2018

Give us a call today at 918-664-2300

Acura of Tulsa 2019

Meet Honda’s New Hybrid We are family owned for over 40 years. We are not a national chain or corporate owned.

4141 S. Memorial Drive • doncarltonhonda.com

Give us a call today at 918.622.3636

TulsaPeople.com

31

HORSE.

Play.

DALL AS IS A CIT Y WITH M ANY SIDES. That’s what makes it such a great place to bring the family. Admire real flamingos and feed giraffes at the Dallas Zoo. Saddle up at the Texas Horse Park. Or exercise your brain at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. Enjoy resort-style pools, amusement parks, and go wild at the high-flying Trinity Forest Adventure Park. Then explore even more in the Children’s Adventure Garden at the Dallas Arboretum or Children’s Aquarium at Fair Park. From the jaw-dropping to the hair-raising, there’s plenty for kids to wrangle in Dallas.

Get the most from your getaway at VisitDallas.com.

LOCATION: JADEWATERS RESORT POOL AT THE HILTON ANATOLE

COME SEE THE Many Sides of Dallas VISITDALLAS CONCERT SERIES Presented by:

The biggest musical acts will come to Dallas for a concert series like you’ve never seen or experienced—including Miranda Lambert, Weezer, Niall Horan, Luke Bryan and many more. Come see the stars under the stars in an open-air venue without a bad seat in the house.

WHEN?

Summer 2018

WHERE?

Starplex Pavilion

TEXAS MONTHLY: THE EDGE OF TEXAS

Presented by:

Visit Dallas for a one-of-a-kind event, featuring an immersive weekend that explores the best stories, ideas and people that Texas has to offer. From food to fashion, cuisine to culture, come see everything that puts Texas on the cutting edge.

WHEN?

September 7 & 8

WHERE?

All across downtown Dallas

CITYPASS® Get one ticket booklet and save almost 40% on admission to Dallas’ top attractions, including Reunion Tower, GeO-Deck, the Dallas Zoo, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, the George W. Bush Presidential Library and the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden.

EMERGENT I N D U S T R Y One Tulsa center is poised to take health data analysis — and this city — into a new frontier.

BY SCOTT WIGTON

IT’S HAPPENING IN RURAL AREAS ACROSS THE COUNTRY: Medical clinics, doctor’s offices and even hospitals are struggling to keep their doors open. Since 2010, at least 83 rural hospitals have closed, including three in Oklahoma, according to Becker’s Hospital CFO Report. As a result, the delivery of health care services to rural patients is in steep decline, and the health of millions of Americans is at risk.

William Paiva, executive director of Oklahoma State University’s Center for Health Systems Innovation, wants to do something about this dire situation before more lives are avoidably lost and communities are hollowed out economically.

“The way I look at it, rural health care challenges are both a health and an economic development issue,” explains Paiva at the center’s downtown Tulsa office. “If a community loses its ability to deliver health care by losing a hospital, what happens is you often lose the town. You lose economic vitality. People leave.”

The worsening trend in rural health care has hit Oklahoma especially hard, exacerbated by state cuts to funding and a resistance to accepting federal Medicaid expansion money available under the Affordable Care Act. 34

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

In the process of improving rural health care for millions of people in Oklahoma and across the nation, Paiva and his team want to turn Tulsa into what he calls the “Silicon Valley” of rural health care and health data analytics.

“This is an industry with huge potential that is getting ready to explode,” Paiva argues. “And we have a head start.”

Dismal state of rural health care

Data explosion is key to transformation

According to two 2015 studies cited

by OSU-CHSI, Oklahoma ranked 50th overall when it came to access, affordability, prevention, treatment and avoidable hospitalizations. Additionally, rural rates of smoking, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular deaths remain high across the state.

Beyond the closure of rural hospitals and clinics, it might surprise most people to know, Paiva says, that 76 of Oklahoma’s 77 counties have a shortage of mental health and/or primary care providers. The only exception is Oklahoma County.

“We want to arrest this downward spiral and improve the health of rural Oklahoma,” Paiva says. “Quality health care really is an economic lynchpin for rural communities.”

Harnessing that imminent “explosion” and making Tulsa a big player in an emergent, technology-driven industry is what the OSU Center for Health Systems Innovation is all about.

Founded just four years ago, it exists between OSU’s Spears School of Business and the Center for Health Sciences. It aims to facilitate a data-driven, entrepreneurial approach to solving health care problems. Its vision and mission are clear: to transform rural and Native American health and accomplish it through the implementation of innovative care delivery and IT solutions.

“Throughout my career I’ve been involved in the business of science,” says Paiva, who straddles the line

between academia (he has a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Oklahoma) and the world of business. Equipped with a Dartmouth College MBA, Paiva spent 20 years in the health care finance, entrepreneurship and innovation industries as an investment banker and venture capitalist, helping finance startup companies in the health care field.

“I’ve always been interested in the implementation of science and how to use it to change people’s lives,” he says.

Changing people’s lives on the scale, and with the impact, envisioned

by Paiva has only been made possible by the recent digitization of health care information formerly stored as paper files by hospitals and clinics across the country.

“In 2010, only 15 percent of hospitals used digital data, and today 90 percent of hospitals use systems to capture health information digitally,” Paiva says. “The digitization of the health care system has resulted in mountains of data and really opened up the field of health data analytics.”

Annually, over 14 million terabytes of medical data are now collected, creating a huge data resource that is growing rapidly.

The intersection of business and health care The Oklahoma State University Center for Health Systems Innovation operates two business units, one devoted to innovation and another focusing on putting those innovations to the test in actual health care settings.

The Innovation Unit focuses on identifying the actual challenges facing rural health care providers and patients, including things such as clinic workflow, mental health and wellness. It also leverages medical data to build models and create clinical tools that help doctors and accurately predict health problems (such as visual impairment stemming from diabetes) and thus make better decisions on behalf of patients. This is particularly helpful in rural settings where there are few, if any, medical subspecialists, and patients get nearly all their health care treatment from general practitioners.

The center’s Implementation Unit includes a Health Access Network (HAN) that is a partnership between OSU and the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to improve outcomes for the 25,000 patients it manages. The center also manages ROK-Net, a network of rural physicians around Oklahoma that provides feedback on rural health issues and implements solutions developed by the center, and Rural Health Network, a network of rural hospitals.

William Paiva is the executive director of the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Systems Innovation, which aims to facilitate a data-driven, entrepreneurial approach to solving health care problems.

Breaking into this enormous new field, however, meant acquiring the digitized data, which has privacy challenges and issues with data interoperability. That problem was solved by Neal Patterson, founder and CEO of Cerner Corp. and himself an OSU graduate. Cerner is one of the largest clinical health data management companies in the world, with 27,000 employees.

Patterson, who was born in rural Oklahoma (Manchester, pop. 103), provided OSU the initial endowment to launch the Center for Health Systems Innovation. Cerner donated a digitized database of 63 million patients.

“This database is absolutely key to what we are doing,” Paiva says. “It is the largest clinical database available, and over 800 hospitals contributed to the data set. It encompasses a fifth of the U.S. population and includes 18 years of data, which is incredibly helpful for predictive medicine.”

Patient privacy is respected, and the data is fully de-identified and HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliant, Paiva says. For instance, data users might know a patient in a region is a Hispanic female who has a particular set of health information, but they will not know names, addresses, Social Security numbers or any other critical identifying features.

Patterson’s data, along with a generous financial endowment, has allowed the center to grow to a staff

of 30 bolstered by up to 10 graduate students.

Pushing innovation into the marketplace The decision to focus on rural health care using the data endowment was driven by both rural health care needs and the competitive profile of the market.

“Lots of people were already focused on urban health care, where the financial rewards are big,” Paiva explains. “But 20 percent of Americans (or 60 million) live in rural areas, and they’re dealing with inadequate health care such as primary care shortages and the absence of subspecialists.

Right now, there aren’t as many people innovating in rural health care as they are innovating within urban markets.”

Another reason for the rural focus is because OSU is a land grant university with deep historical ties to agriculture and rural life. As it turns out, Oklahoma is a superb testing ground for health care innovation because one-third of its 3.9 million residents live in rural areas.

With such a gold mine of information to draw on, Paiva immediately recognized the need not only to innovate, but also to implement actual solutions on behalf of rural health care providers and patients.

“Innovation without implementation is useless,” Paiva comments.

“It produces PDFs and PowerPoints but not results in people’s lives.

“We want to push solutions to the marketplace.”

What kind of solutions? Because of economic factors common to rural areas, doctors and hospitals are under even more pressure to run their facilities as efficiently as possible. One example of rural health challenges is the difficulty many rural patients face to take time off work, combined with a lack of transportation to appointments. This results in massive financial losses for clinics, to the tune of $98 per missed appointment.

Patients who miss appointments struggle to manage their own health care issues. The Center for Health Systems Innovation is already testing new models in the field to help physicians make their practices more efficient as businesses as well as effective in providing patient care.

The huge data trove also has opened the door to the field of predictive analytics that allows practitioners to make better clinical decisions for patients. This is especially helpful in rural settings where there are very few specialists and most people use general practitioners to meet their health care needs. For example, instead of seeing an eye care specialist for diabetes-related visual impairment, they are more likely to visit their GP instead.

To address this issue, the center has developed a tool based on its data analysis that allows GPs to accurately assess whether their patients are afflicted with diabetes-related diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, which can ultimately lead to blindness.

“It’s a great tool that can predict with 95 percent accuracy whether a

patient is at risk for diabetic retinopathy,” Paiva says. “Early intervention is vital because you can’t reverse the disease, only halt it.”

Tulsa has an opportunity to lead the way The great news for Tulsa and the rest of Oklahoma, Paiva says, is that the center has a substantial head start on the other players in the burgeoning health care analytics field.

“This field is brand new, and we could be one of the big players,” Paiva says. “We have the data assets to fuel this thing. The data we have is like adding oxygen to fire.”

Already the center has attracted interest, even partnerships, from some very big corporate players that want to get in on the game. Paiva would rather their names be kept on the down-low for now. However, the economic impact, should the industry take off in Tulsa, could be tremendous. The average salary for people right out of college going into the health care data analytics field is $123,000 a year, he says.

“We’re talking about something that can be transformative for Tulsa,” he explains. “Imagine 1,000 sixfigure salaries added to our economy.

And this is really a recession-proof industry. It would elevate the entire community.”

At the same time as elevating Tulsa, the impact — health-wise and economically — would be tremendous in the lives of rural people throughout the state and the nation.

“This is something that literally could save communities,” Paiva says.

“And that’s a really good thing.” TP TulsaPeople.com

35

Tulsa’s podcast scene is hot. Here’s a roundup of shows worth a download.

BY ANNE BROCKMAN

Podcasts are not

F OR T HE CULT URE V ULT URE

F OR T HE ENTREPRENEUR

new — they hit the

MUSEUM CONFIDENTIAL

THE F WORD

In 2017, Museum Confidential was born out of Philbrook Museum of Art’s exhibition of the same name. Originally planned to be bi-weekly episodes to coincide with the exhibit’s run, the podcast ended up making such a splash that the museum plans to continue it this summer.

When it returns in August, “We will move into being more about museums in general, talking to other museums around the country and the world,” says host Jeff Martin, Philbrook’s communications manager. “We will also be doing some site visits and maybe a live show.”

The museum partnered with Public Radio Tulsa, which means the podcast has reach on NPR.org and on the NPROne app.

“We look for stories not explored often, or ever, about museums and how they work from the inside out,” Martin says. “The main goal is to break down real or perceived barriers between the public and the big institutions.”

Failure is a fear among many entrepreneurs, and 36 Degrees North rolled out The F Word in January 2018 as a way to remind those in the trenches that they’re not alone.

“Our goal is to identify established, Tulsa-based entrepreneurs whose businesses are large and thriving — or were large and thriving at some point. It is a podcast about failure, after all,” says host Lauren King, 36 Degrees North’s communications manager. “We want guests who are open and transparent when talking about their mistakes and fears. Vulnerability, humility and selfawareness are key.”

The second season’s eight episodes should roll out this fall, King reports. Previous guests include Shannon Wilburn of Just Between Friends, NORDAM’s Robin Siegfried and Josh Juarez of Josh’s Sno Shack.

digital scene in the early 2000s — but they are finally gaining ground as a source for entertainment, enrichment, news and culture. There’s a locally produced podcast for just about any topic.

S O M E TH I N G F O R EV E RY O N E

CHANNEL 4 AND A HALF The podcast network of Channel 4 and a Half produces multiple shows all created by local comedians, writers, creators and artists. The entertainment review show Opinions Like A-Holes is hosted by comics Michael Zampino and Hilton Price. People Person’s Paper Podcast is a chronological examination of the sitcom “The Office.” Stylin’ and Profilin’ with Cam and Zam takes a comedic look back at pay-per-view wrestling.

36

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

F O R TH E M O VIE B U FF

WAR STARTS AT MIDNIGHT “We launched in January 2015 with a bi-weekly format, reviewing new releases and engaging in in-depth discussions about all things movies,” says co-host Chris Galegar. “Basically, I just wanted to make the kind of movie podcast that I would love to find. One that can cover the latest blockbuster releases, but also feels at home exploring the classics, lost gems or a micro-budget indie doc.”

Galegar hosts with Jacob Graves, a buddy from a University of Tulsa film history class. The show has evolved over the years, and has even launched a spinoff show, “The Carpenter Shop,” which goes through director John Carpenter’s filmography film-by-film.

The show, which gets its name from the film “The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp,” routinely includes Tulsa-based guests.

The weekly podcast is hosted by YBT member Evan Uyetake and focuses on conversations with community leaders. He says this helps dilute the stigma that these people are unapproachable and encourages professionals to foster mentorship and to connect within the business community. It provides insight for success in business, health, family and leadership. “Those principles are interwoven into all aspects of life,” Uyetake says.

F O R T HOS E W HO NE E D T O K NOW ON T HE GO

WEEKEND PLANS IN TULSA

F O R P A R EN T S

As a way to interact with the community and discuss Tulsa in a different way, OakTree Staffing and Training started Weekend Plans in Tulsa, a weekly rundown of events, festivals, concerts and activities. Episodes are about five minutes in length and are hosted by Ken Lane, the company’s digital marketing strategist and a local musician.

THE MIDDLE OF EVERYTHING

F OR T HE E CO-CONS CIOUS

Working moms Claire Combs and Sarah Vespasian host the weekly podcast dedicated to the ups and downs of parenting.

“Our goal is to provide a space for moms to laugh about everyday life and feel comfort in knowing that we are all kind of in the same boat with the challenges of motherhood,” Vespasian says.

The pair provides a Midwestern perspective in their show compared to other “mom” podcasts, many of which are based on the coasts. The show primarily discusses parenting topics, but it occasionally veers into other subject matter. For instance, a recent episode caught up with one of Vespasian’s friends, an Alaskan talking about road trips — perfect for a summer listen.

FO R TH O S E S E E K IN G FE L L O WS H IP

CULTIVATED CONVERSATIONS Longtime friends Kara Moseby and Melissa Watson share an interest in fair-trade, ethical shopping. That passion recently led them to launch the blog Cultivated.Fashion and a podcast, Cultivated Conversations.

The bi-monthly podcast attracts women who are diving into the often overwhelming topic of ethical shopping. The frank discussions on simple changes and real options are often with local and national guests who are business owners, moms, makers and others.

“People are interested in the small steps that people can take to make ethical wardrobes,” Moseby says. The pair strives for a down-to-earth conversation about the small achievements and easy pitfalls anyone can make when shopping.

THE MESSY TABLE In March, everyday life inspired Jenn Jewell to launch the Messy Table, a Christian podcast focused on telling each other’s stories, strengthening faith and providing solace and compassion.

“A common gathering place, the table is where we can pause long enough to look at each other in the eyes, come together for refreshment and remember what matters most,” Jewell says.

Recently, the Messy Table partnered with Life.Church.

F O R TH E G O -G E T T E R

YOUNG BUSINESSMEN OF TULSA PODCAST The Young Businessmen of Tulsa is a nonprofit devoted to connecting, developing and inspiring young business leaders, while helping them find and pursue their purpose.

Eric Tackett

F O R T HE E CL E CT IC CA F F E INAT E D CROW D

AA CAFE DoubleShot Coffee Co. owner Brian Franklin started AA Cafe in 2006 after a suggestion from a customer. Although he’s a coffee connoisseur and the podcast often covers the caffeinated beverage, episode subject matter can cover myriad topics.

“The content generally comes from whatever is going on in my life or whatever I’m currently interested in,” Franklin says.

Interviews take place in Tulsa, but he says he also has recorded while climbing mountains, running ultramarathons, walking coffee farms or attending conferences. The podcast is co-hosted

by Mark Brown, of food site Argentfork.com who now works at Philbrook Museum of Art. Guests have ranged from bigfoot hunter Paul Bowman to Intelligentsia Coffee founder Doug Zell to opera star Tommy Wazelle. TP

RECORDING 101 Tucked inside Central Library is an audiophile’s dream.

The Maker Space was added to the downtown location following its yearlong renovation, which was completed in October 2016. Included in that is the Audio Lab, a room dedicated to highquality audio production. Reservations are required to use the space, and since its opening, the lab has seen a consistent stream of audio newbies and professionals.

Instructors like Customer Service Assistant ERIC TACKETT orient users with the space. Users have a one-on-one session with an instructor on how to use the equipment, which includes a mixing board, keyboard, beat pad, microphones, guitars, a bass guitar and the appropriate software.

“It opens up a lot of opportunities to people in Tulsa, where we have a rich music demographic and history,” Tackett says.

The Audio Lab provides a place to get comfortable with the equipment while gaining the confidence to go at it alone. Instructors like Tackett are on hand Monday through Thursday for those with lab reservations, but Friday and Saturday reservations are only for those already familiar enough with the equipment that they do their own troubleshooting.

The Audio Lab has helped an estimated 850 Tulsans get schooled in production and equipment usage. KARA MOSEBY and MELISSA WATSON utilized the Audio Lab as they began their podcast Cultivated Conversations.

“We didn’t know anything about the sound booth and didn’t know how to record,” Moseby says. “They really helped us and made us confident to do it at home.”

Library card holders can use the Audio Lab for free.

TulsaPeople.com

37

CELEBRATE OUR 14TH ANNIVERSARY IN JULY!

Saturday July 28th WIN YOUR SHARE OF

Cash amount is across all locations Earn Entries beginning July 8th Details at Casino Services.

PLAY ALL

LOCATIONS

TULSA • BARTLESVILLE • SAND SPRINGS PONCA CITY • SKIATOOK • HOMINY • PAWHUSKA

osagecasino.com

FOUR POLISHED PROS WITH HARD-CORE HOBBIES

BY TIM LANDES

THERE ARE THOSE AMONG US WHO ARE WIRED A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

If you’re reading this in a coffee shop or bookstore, glance around at the other people in the room. They might look average, but appearances can be deceiving.

Be warned: There are some of these folks in your workplace — there might even be one in your house.

It might even be you.

While some rely on a leisurely walk, meditation or a massage to relieve stress, these individuals look to amp it up. They need to push the limits to escape the stresses of everyday life.

They like to press the gas pedal a little harder.

When they fly commercial for a business trip, they glance out the window and imagine falling back to Earth. For them, roller skating isn’t for couples; it’s for trading elbows. They’re not content fishing with a bobber when they can use their hands to wrangle a fish from an underwater hole.

They are adrenaline junkies.

Here are four Tulsa professionals who are among the thrill seekers, whether it’s from 12,000 feet above the earth or going 50 miles per hour through the backwoods.

TulsaPeople.com

39

OUTDOORS WOMAN

In June 2012, TESS MAUNE was a new reporter for News On 6 when she was assigned to go noodling with then-reporter LACIE LOWRY and then-meteorologist DICK FAUROT. Noodling involves pulling a catfish out of an underwater hole using just your hand.

It’s nearly six years later, and Maune is at Gypsy Coffee House across the street from the station. She was on the air 45 minutes ago and is still wearing her dress 40

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

from the broadcast. Five hours later, she’ll post an Instagram picture of herself in a tank top and shorts on a boat, boasting about the crappie she has caught.

“What started out as a story turned into a hobby,” Maune says. “I was really nervous the first time I noodled. I asked myself, ‘What have I got myself into?’

“I reached down into a hole. It’s a feeling you can’t describe to someone unless they’ve felt it. It’s like, ‘boom, boom, boom!’” She does a three-peat gesture striking her hand forward.

Her biggest noodled catch to date is a 52-pounder, which she calls “one of the easiest catfish I caught.”

Growing up in El Reno, Maune wanted to be like her two older brothers. She was raised by a single mother, and outdoor opportunities were rare. When she did fish, Maune says it was at a friend’s farm where they used hot dogs for bait and didn’t catch a thing.

A month after her first noodling adventure, Maune met her future husband, MATT, who is an avid fisherman and hunter. She’s now going into her seventh hunting season. To date, she has bagged eight deer, using tools from a compound bow to a rifle. Her biggest kill to date came when she shot an 11-point buck with a muzzle

loader this past fall.

She has quickly gone from one of the lessexperienced reporters to one of the most-tenured at the station. Her social media accounts showcase her many outdoor adventures, and her posts are among the most popular on the staff. Griffin Communications has used her love of fishing and hunting as a marketing opportunity alongside Lowry and meteorologist LACEY SWOPE, both of whom are fellow fishers and hunters.

“It’s cool because of the connections I get from viewers,” Maune says. “I recently talked to someone who told me she shows her daughter my pictures so she knows it’s not just a boy’s hobby. That’s great. I’m proud to showcase outdoor Oklahoma as a woman.”

Throughout her career, Maune has reported on numerous tough stories at all hours of the day. She recently switched to mornings, which means she gets afternoons and evenings to catch a break from her work.

“After I’ve had a tough day or week at work and I get to go fishing or hunting, it means I get away from my phone and people. It’s just me and nature,” Maune says. “You can’t be thinking about other things. It’s hard work, but it’s fun.”

THERAPY IN THE SKY

For the past five years, CRYSTAL ACUFF WALTERS has worked as a graphic designer for Cherokee Nation Businesses. She has helped create award-winning ad campaigns like Cherokee Nation Cultural Tourism’s “Osiyo” campaign.

At any given time, there are hundreds of active projects that need to be created, edited or updated for the tribe’s diversified businesses. As with any marketing department, there are rush jobs that need to be pushed to the top.

It can be intense work at times.

Acuff Walters also is board chairwoman of Art Director’s Club of Tulsa, which is a nonprofit that showcases and awards creators of all types. The group hosts monthly meetings, board meetings and award programs.

Following a divorce, Acuff Walters found herself juggling a new career while raising three children. She was stressed, depressed and anxious. She needed to find something to give her a boost.

She loaded the kids in the car and drove to the Oklahoma Skydiving Center in Cushing. Acuff Walters went through the class and did a tandem jump, which she describes as uncomfortable and weird.

She returned the next weekend ready to jump on her own.

“It was definitely ignited by the divorce,” Acuff Walters says. “I thought if I could do that and overcome the fear, I could do anything. It was an extreme step out of my comfort zone, and it was something I knew I had to do on my own.”

Each week she returned to the skydiving center, sometimes doing multiple jumps in two days. She took her kids, and they would make a weekend of it, staying at the airport, which warmly welcomes families. While mom preps for jumps, her kids take on jobs like mowing, taking lunch orders and picking up jumpers in golf carts after they land.

“Before that first solo jump, I was so stressed about everything in life that I felt like I couldn’t eat,” Walters says. “The more I jumped I realized it would level out my stress for the whole week.”

Acuff Walters has completed about 175 jumps to date.

Every time she packs her parachute, gets dressed out and boards the plane, there’s still that adrenaline boost. Her heart rate increases. She gets amped up,

slides on her goggles and smiles. The door opens and soon she’s en route back to the ground.

“I feel like the entire reason I decided to overcome the fear of jumping out of an airplane all has to do with having the fear of surviving and supporting myself and my kids on my own,” she says. “I wanted to overcome that fear to help me realize that I could accomplish anything that comes along.”

TulsaPeople.com

41

LIFELONG PASSION

SHANE FERNANDEZ is always on the go. He is the president of the southwest region for Nabholz Corp., a multi-service contractor that offers a full range of construction, industrial, civil and environmental services.

He has worked for the company since 2014. His company bio states Fernandez’s hobbies include anything with two wheels. When talking to him, one learns 42

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

that it’s more than a hobby. It’s a lifelong passion.

Born in Hollywood, California, Fernandez got into BMX as a kid. His family relocated to Copenhagen, Denmark, where bicycling is popular. It helped fuel his obsession.

“I started riding for the fun of it,” Fernandez says in a phone interview. “I started building ramps that I used to jump over cars and friends. I’d ride all over town. My parents were very supportive.”

His world changed at 11 when he was introduced to dirt bikes. Fernandez says it meant he could explore further and faster, and also jump a lot higher. By 15 he was entering motocross races and competitive trials.

His passion for competition grew to mountain biking, cross country and downhill races.

Today, Fernandez limits competing to trials, but finds other ways to fill the void. He and a group of friends take trips where they travel hundreds of miles through the back country, living off their bikes. He also does 300mile solo trips in the Rockies where he carries a satellite beacon that his wife, MARNIE, can monitor.

To date, Fernandez has suffered 23 broken bones.

“My oldest daughter loves to tell me, ‘It’s not that you’re unlucky, you just make bad decisions,” he says with a laugh.

Fernandez has four children, who have mixed feelings about his hobby. His oldest daughter used to be into it until she saw too many photos of riders’ injuries on Instagram. His sons enjoy riding mountain bikes. It’s his 8-year-old baby girl who has him worried.

“She really wants to race. The father in me is really concerned. It kind of worries me,” Fernandez says. “On the other hand, my kids see me doing it and know I did it growing up. I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

In the meantime, Fernandez will keep riding. He built a motocross track in his backyard. It features ramps and tons of boulders.

“I can’t explain why I’m so drawn to it,” he says.

“It’s in my blood. It’s a lot like surfing, where they say it’s in some people’s souls. I think I keep doing it because it lets me clear my mind.

“You can’t be going over 2,000 pounds of boulders and be thinking about the next board meeting or you’ll bust your teeth.”

ROLLER DERBY DIVA For the past 15 years, MEL SHAW has worked as an emergency room nurse, most of those years spent at the Oklahoma State University Medical Center. It’s a highly stressful job where Shaw says she has seen and dealt with pretty much everything imaginable.

As she neared 40, Shaw set out to conquer a lot of things that would test her mentally and physically.

She bought a motorcycle and went on long backpacking trips.

In late 2016, Shaw was talking on the phone to her 22-year-old daughter, MERCEDES, who mentioned she was interested in trying roller derby. She agreed to do it with her.

They attended a Roughneck Roller Derby meet and greet, then went to a practice, where Shaw got leveled.

“Getting hit was exactly like I imagined. I went down hard,” says Shaw in a phone interview shortly before a shift at the hospital. But, she adds, “I was surprised by how loving and nurturing the ladies were.

They helped me up, and that was it. I was hooked. The ladies are a lot sweeter than you expect.”

Shaw is among the oldest in the sport locally. She

says there are three or four women older than 40. Fittingly, her roller derby moniker is “Mother Mayhem.”

Until she passes her minimum skills testing, Shaw is considered “fresh meat,” which means she is limited to practicing a few times a week and cannot compete against other teams until she has passed a series of tests. Shaw says she expects to move up this year.

“It provides a great challenge and reminds me of what my body is capable of instead of this societal belief that women are supposed to be soft and demure,” Shaw says. “It’s a good reminder that our bodies can withstand more than what they normally do. It’s also nice to see the skills I’ve developed and the progress I’ve made.”

She could walk away. Maybe chase the next adventure. She’s not sure if she’ll ever sky dive, but she’s keeping that option open. In the meantime, she’s going to keep devoting her time to the track, which she says helps her deal with all she encounters as a nurse.

“It’s definitely a stress reliever,” Shaw says. “We see a lot. There are often times where there’s not a place to put the things you see.

“Then you go out there and work yourself to ex-

MEL SHAW, AKA MOTHER MAYHEM, AND ABBEY HAUGHEY, AKA GOYA DESTROYA

haustion, and you get to hit your friends and they want you to hit them harder. There are no hard feelings. You leave it all out on the track and go on about your day.

It’s great.” TP TulsaPeople.com

43

44

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

Teamwork, timing and expertise are behind every meal at the Cox Business Center.

BY NATALIE MIKLES

A

s 3,000 people wait for dinner in the Tulsa ballroom at the Cox Business Center, Executive Chef DEVIN LEVINE drizzles a wild mushroom sauce on beef tenderloins.

His team works quickly and surprisingly quietly, arranging

roasted vegetables and making sure the plates look perfect before they’re placed in hot boxes and taken on a quarter-mile ride from the kitchen to the ballroom.

It’s far from the frenetic kitchen scenes of TV shows. Levine remains calm, never raising his voice, even in the midst of occasional kitchen disasters. (Levine admits he can’t be trusted to toast bread for canapes. He’ll burn it every time.)

Pulling off a multicourse production like this — carting salads, entrees and desserts through narrow corridors and freight elevators — seems like a feat. But it’s a feat that’s accomplished multiple times a week, every week, at the Cox Business Center.

Most months include a combination of conferences, galas, weddings, luncheons and tastings for groups ranging from 40 to 4,000. The preparation for the large events in particular is months — and sometimes more than a year — in the making.

“It reminds me of a giant jigsaw puzzle,” says ANGELA BOSWELL, senior food and beverage manager. “Everyone’s got their pieces, and everything’s got to fit just right. But we’ve all done it enough, and we’ve all gotten used to the flow, so it works.”

The puzzle begins with sales staff, who talk with the clients to determine their vision for the look, feel and taste of their event.

Catering Sales Manager SARAH KUSLER works with clients to customize the Cox Business Center’s general menu to the clients’ vision.

This often means talking about expectations. “What’s beautiful for 12 people is sometimes impossible for 600,” says SARAH LEAVELL, executive sous chef.

The sheer distance from kitchen to ballroom can flop a soufflé, spill a soup and melt the ice cream in a profiterole.

TulsaPeople.com

45

These are lessons Levine has learned the hard way, though large-scale events have become part of his DNA. Levine’s entire career has been spent in big kitchens, turning out meals for hundreds and thousands at a time, mostly at Southern Hills Country Club and, for the past eight years, as chef for the Cox Business Center and the BOK Center (both managed by SMG Tulsa).

Levine has seen it all. He’s cooked for presidents and celebrities, athletes and philanthropists. His decades of experience have taught him what works and what doesn’t when feeding 1,000-plus.

Once an event is on the books, Levine begins by writing the menu. And once the menu is written, a tasting event is set up for the main players to give their opinions on each dish. Photos are taken of each approved dish, so that when it comes time for plating, each dish will look exactly as planned, down to the garnish.

PLANNING MAKES PERFECT

Levine knows what it takes to create a seamless event. And that starts with the staff. For a large event of 1,000 patrons, food preparation would require Levine, the sous chef and five cooks, plus eight to 10 stewards and dishwashers to assist moving the food to the ballroom and then cleaning up and breaking down an event. For an even larger event (4,500 is the max the Cox Business Center can currently serve, though an expansion is coming soon; see box), Levine would bring in 12 additional cooks and 15 stewards.

Some foods, like salads, can be made ahead of time, but most other foods are made shortly before serving.

“We cook it and move it,” Leavell says.

All of that, including what travels well and what holds on the plate well, is considered when Levine is writing menus. Levine also considers food trends and the theme of the event. As the chef for Tulsa’s biggest charitable galas and philanthropic events, Levine knows each event’s menu must be unique. Many of these events share patrons, and each is expecting a one-of-a-kind meal.

46

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

On the other hand, Levine knows many event organizers want foods that will be palatable to their large groups. And as adept as Levine has become at preparing chicken breasts, he’s happy when clients want to branch out to something more adventurous.

At a recent conference of oil and gas executives, Levine was charged with creating lunch for 570 guests, many of whom were not beef eaters. The group’s organizer wanted salmon served as the main course, something not often served at large events since it’s not as generally liked as chicken and beef.

It was an enjoyable challenge for Levine, who created a menu of salmon with couscous and dried fruit with a Moroccan barbecue sauce and spinach and napa cabbage salad. That same group had 50 guests who requested a vegetarian plate; they were served a vegetarian Wellington, puff pastry stuffed with roasted vegetables and feta cheese.

One area where the Cox Business Center kitchen thrives is in specialized menus. Levine’s team can handle any number of specialized meals, including vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and others.

Smaller events allow Levine and his sous chef to get even more creative. At a recent client lunch, guests were served liquid nitrogen ice cream with homemade ice cream cones. It’s something that works beautifully for a few dozen but not at all for a group of thousands.

And when it comes to seasoning, Levine considers all the factors. Seasoning food for a dinner party of 12 is quite different than cooking large quantities.

But it’s important to produce exceptional meals rather than banquet-style food.

“When you are cooking in small batches it is easy to ‘eyeball’ the seasonings based on the volume of product you have,” he says. “When you are dealing with very large amounts — 100 gallons of soup, 30 gallons of a sauce, 4,000 filet mignons — you can ruin a lot of food if you’re not careful. It’s easy to add, but hard to remove once it’s there.”

Levine and his team must balance creativity and practicality, and 2,900 successful Cox Business Center and BOK Center events and concerts have demonstrated they can accomplish both.

CHEF TALK DEVIN LEVINE was 9 years old when he began cooking and doing prep work at a burger restaurant in St. Louis. After school, Levine would walk to his mom’s photography studio and then to Burger Chef, the burger restaurant across the street. He hung out there so often and got to know the staff so well that they let him come to the back, where he learned to cook. He was paid in burgers and fries, and the experience set him on a path for a lifelong career in food.

When his family moved to Tulsa a few years later, he missed the rush of the orders coming in and the camaraderie of the kitchen. He worked for a short time at restaurants in Tulsa until they discovered how young he was.

When he was just 13, he began working at the Camelot Inn, where he stayed through his teen years. At 18, he began working under professional chefs at Southern Hills Country Club, where he would stay for 34 years, working his way up to executive chef.

HOW DID YOU BECOME AN EXPERT AT LARGE-SCALE DINING EVENTS? I’ve only had four jobs in my life: Camelot Inn, the Bank of Oklahoma Executive Dining Room, Southern Hills Country Club and the BOK Center/Cox Business Center, and all of those establishments held large, upscale events.

Camelot Inn was a very busy hotel in its day and had hundreds of events every year. The largest dinner we did there was for 2,750 people. As a teenager that was certainly eye-opening for me and helped me understand large-scale events. At Southern Hills, over the 34 years I worked there, we always had large weddings, holiday parties, holiday buffets, off-site caterings and, of course, the many major golf tournaments where we would serve thousands of people every day of the event. Everything pales in comparison to the large events that we do at the BOK Center and the Cox Business Center. Our largest sitdown dinner is for 4,500 people and we routinely have dinners for anywhere from 300-1,500 along with the many concerts at the BOK. WHAT’S YOUR KITCHEN LIKE AT HOME? Actually it is a very normal, smaller kitchen, but I have most every chef tool I need to cook with. I also have my professional chef’s knife bag and small tools bag I use at work, and I bring them home when I need them.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME? I like to work out as much as my schedule allows. I spend time with my wife and two grown sons, my Labrador Retrievers and our married son’s new family addition: a purebred Rottweiler puppy. As a chef I love to try new restaurants here in Tulsa and especially when I travel. I read and study a lot about culinary arts and its history, and I always have a couple of mystery novels on my bedside table to read and wind down each night.

CENTER RENOVATIONS BEGIN

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT ANY MEMORABLE MEALS YOU’VE MADE OR GUESTS YOU’VE SERVED? There have been so many important events, and I have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to be a part of them. Here are some of the most memorable.

• Prepared a multicourse “State Dinner” for 50 people for President Gerald Ford at the Bank of Oklahoma Executive Dining Room.

• Prepared lunch for President Barack Obama during the 2012 NATO Summit in Chicago. The host site, managed by SMG, asked Levine to be a guest chef. The team fed more than 24,000 people that week.

• Prepared dinner for four Masters Champion Dinners at the Augusta National Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, 2002-2005.

• Prepared a farewell retirement dinner for 500 people hosted by Rolex for Arnold Palmer’s

final PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club.

• Prepared dinner for British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The event was catered by Southern Hills Country Club and hosted at a member’s home when Thatcher visited Tulsa.

THROUGH YOUR TRAVELS, WHERE HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED THE BEST MEALS? Patina in Los Angeles, Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago, Ad Hoc in Rome, La Tour de Argent in Paris, Taillevent in Paris and La Bernardin in New York City.

WHAT’S SOMETHING PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO KNOW ABOUT YOU? I am a second-degree black belt in Kang Duk Won Kempo Karate under Roger Greene of Tracy’s Karate System. Also, I practiced calligraphy when I was young and made extra money doing wedding invitations and menus.

This summer, the Cox Business Center will begin a reconfiguration of its arena and east entrance. Funded by Tulsa Vision economic development projects, the $55 million project is expected to be completed in 2020.

The reconfiguration will provide a more prominent and visible entrance, an additional ballroom and more meeting and event space. The project also will further connect the venue to downtown Tulsa and the Arena District. The three-story, glassfronted atrium will look out to downtown and provide greater lobby space for mingling. The former arena will be transformed into event space, including a 40,000 square-foot ballroom — Oklahoma’s largest.

During construction, operations and events will continue in the remaining portion of the more than 300,000-square-foot facility.

TulsaPeople.com

47

START to FINISH

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SEAMLESSLY FEED 1,000-PLUS PEOPLE? IT TAKES A CAPABLE TEAM, EXPERIENCE, PLANNING AND ADAPTABILITY, ACCORDING TO LEVINE. HERE’S A TIMELINE.

48

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

3-4 WEEKS BEFORE EVENT: Executive chef receives menu request from catering sales managers with information, including number of guests attending, type of event, served or buffet, food budget, themes and special requests.

Executive chef develops menus for client review with several options for each course. Client reviews and adjustments are made. Any special ingredients that require preordering are addressed.

WEEK OF THE EVENT: Kitchen receives menus chosen by client. Sous chef and executive chef review item by item for each course and determine the proper ordering amounts and availability for each ingredient of the meal.

Sous chef and purchasing agent work together placing food orders from primary suppliers to be received the day before the event.

DAY BEFORE THE EVENT: Shipments are received and checked in for accuracy and outages, and food is distributed to the various food storage areas.

JUST BEFORE SERVING: Food is transported a quarter-mile from the main kitchen through a service corridor and up a freight elevator to the ballroom.

Executive chef and sous chef develop production boards for each event with prep assignments for cooks detailing amount to be prepped, portion sizes and special preparations. Prep cooks break into teams working on various assignments together to increase productivity.

Based on the timeline of the event, food is distributed to the wait staff by the chefs and stewards for service to the guests. Each course is served with chefs in the kitchen to address any special requests or issues that may arise.

Stewarding manager and his staff transport all wine glasses, silverware, coffee cups, plates, pitchers, etc. for the wait staff from the kitchen area to the ballroom.

DAY OF THE EVENT: Depending on the size and complexity of the event, staff arrives to work at their scheduled time and begins final preparations of the food. For a 7 p.m. dinner, pre-plating of cold courses, including salads and some desserts, begins at 3 p.m. Between 1,000-1,200 plates are prepared per hour, and then stored in refrigerated walk-ins until service.

AFTER SERVING: During the meal service, kitchen staff begins the cleanup and reorganization of the kitchen. When the kitchen is notified that dinner is complete and all courses have been served, they shut down ovens and clean stations completely around 10 p.m.

Stewarding manager and staff transport all items back to the kitchen for cleaning and storage. Stewarding staff may be there as late as 3 a.m. to finish the cleanup. TP

Hot food is cooked and plated right before the time to be served to minimize food sitting in a hot box for too long.

TulsaPeople.com

49

W H AT’S COOK ING? CHEERS!

The buzz on Tulsa’s tastiest products, restaurants and events

BY NATALIE MIKLES

Grapefruit Champagne cocktail

PURE

INDULGENCE

K

50

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

In summer, we tend to eat our way through the weekends.

Rather than three balanced meals, we eat the glorious foods of summer all day. Fresh fruit smoothies, burgers on the grill, buttered corn on the cob, thick slices of watermelon, homemade ice cream topped with blackberries. Even the season’s long days leave us with too many delicious possibilities and not enough time to eat them.

Foods that can be made ahead are perfect for summer, leaving us more time to play outside, go for a bike ride or nap in a hammock until it’s time to eat again.

Pesto pasta salad wins the prize for congeniality, as it’s liked by most everyone, can be made ahead and is adaptable to being a cold, room-temperature or warm dish.

My favorite way to serve it in the summertime is cold, scooped into hollowed-out tomatoes. Reserve the inside of those tomatoes for a sauce or some other delicious summer delicacy.

PESTO PASTA STUFFED TOMATOES 1 pound orzo pasta ⅓ cup pesto 1 cup baby spinach, finely chopped 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled ¼ cup Parmesan cheese Juice of 1 lemon

½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ cup pine nuts Olive oil to taste Roma tomatoes, halved and hollowed out for serving (You can use any size tomatoes, from cherry to larger tomatoes.)

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain, and add remaining ingredients. Mix well.

Hollow out tomatoes, and place upside down on paper towel to remove excess liquid.

Fill tomatoes with pesto pasta.

CJEERS!: COURTESY PURE FOOD AND JUICE

nown for its squeaky-clean smoothies and delectable vegan fare, PURE Food and Juice on Brookside is adding an unexpected addition to its juice bar: alcohol.

“Just because we are vegan-friendly doesn’t mean we don’t like to indulge,” says Cynthia Beavers, founder and owner of PURE. Using the freshest ingredients — no sugars or fake flavors here — results in a bettertasting cocktail.

One example of PURE’s alcoholic offerings is the grapefruit champagne cocktail. Organic gin gets an herbal boost with rosemary, while fresh grapefruit juice — with a bright citrus punch devoid of bitterness — is given more pop with a splash of Brut and sprinkles of lavender.

PURE also mixes up classics like the Mexico City Margarita, but premade juices, like cherry limeade, are popular for DIY mixologists. And the PURE pro-tip? Take a few extra juices home to remedy those morning hangover blues. — ANGELA EVANS

ARE YOU ON OUR LIST?

Own Downtown.

Invest Downtown.

Don’t miss out on our FREE Tuesday e-newsletter featuring spotlighted articles from the magazine, exclusive content, blogs, quizzes, guides and more!

Unitsfrom from $195,000 $195,000 • Financing Financing by ••Units byMidFirst MidFirstBank Bank • Optional lease/purchase • Walk to sports, dining, entertainment & special events

100 BOULDER

Sign up today at

CONDOMINIUMS 100 South Boulder Avenue 100 South Boulder Avenue www.100boulder.com 918.607.8808

www.100boulder.com • 918-814-8502

TulsaPeople.com

51

with that, I do my best to be a student of food, and I’m always trying to learn new, creative ways to deliver a quality product.

HOW HAS THE TAVERN CHANGED OVER THE YEARS? The Tavern has changed in some respects and has stayed the same in others. Since I have been here, our menu has changed anywhere from five to eight times a year. The reasoning behind that is the local produce we utilize, which depends heavily on the seasons. We still have Tulsa’s best burger, and our staple proteins have stayed in some shape or form. We have really been relying and sourcing from our local farmers as much as possible.

WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT AT THE TAVERN THIS SUMMER? People can expect some really fun flavors that they may have never had before, but presented to them in a way that is familiar. I think that yes, we can push the boundaries for food in Tulsa, but it has to be in a way that our guests are not afraid of trying something new.

WHAT WILL YOU BE COOKING AT HOME? After cooking and tasting all the dishes all day, I very rarely cook at home. But if anything, it’s usually mac and cheese or ramen noodles for my two oldest ninjas. They love noodles, pasta, cheese ... anything beige and carby.

To be honest, my wife, Natalie, does most of the cooking at home. She has a more normal workday than I do ... and also, she’s the boss. I want to spend as much time with my three boys and my wife as possible. If I ever do get a couple days off together, I’ll usually whip up some quick noodle dish or something on the grill.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SNACK FOOD? If I had to pick one, it would be chicharrons or spicy pork rinds. There is actually a brand out there that you can microwave like popcorn.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO SPEND A DAY OFF IN THE SUMMER? Oh, I’d probably be fishing, dreaming I was a Bassmaster Pro or something. Other than that, I like to hit up all the noodle joints with my kids for daddy lunch dates.

Q& A

B

en Alexander, executive chef at the Tavern, is known as much for his kindness and generosity as for his culinary skills. The Tavern is located at 201 N. Main St.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND WHAT LED YOU TO A CULINARY CAREER. I have been cooking for 20 years. I started cooking in Arizona. My only formal training was at a high school tech school program my senior year of high school. I started cooking because I enjoyed seeing a creation of something from start to finish. There are no limits on creativity with all kinds of food. My passion for cooking is mainly to provide for my family. But

YOU’RE KNOWN FOR YOUR GENEROSITY. CAN YOU TELL US SOME OF THE WAYS YOU’VE HELPED THE TULSA COMMUNITY THROUGH THE TAVERN? Well, it’s not just me. Our chef community is unlike any I have ever been in. We care about building this city up. We care about helping each other out, whether it be sharing cooks or making meals to help out the Food Bank. We do food drops at the hospitals for families who can’t make it out of the hospital because of critical care needs. Some of our staff volunteers time with a bike club for kids, Reading Partners for some TPS schools, and we do a lot of charitable fundraising dinners and events. Just this past April I was called on to do nine. It gets hectic, but it’s a small part of my time to make this city we love and live in a better place all around.

My wife and I have our own nonprofit called Hearts of Steel Foundation. We help families dealing with congenital heart defects monetarily with bills like rent, mortgage, travel expenses to other hospitals. The mindset we have after our middle son, who had some real critical heart issues, is to always pay it forward. We almost lost him six times in his first eight months of life and a few times after that. TP

At just 18 years old, Remmi Smith is adding another accolade to her culinary career.

Smith recently released “The Healthy Teen Cookbook: Around the World in 80 Fantastic Recipes.” The book takes readers across the globe, highlighting food from around the world. It includes menus, fun facts, brain teasers and photos of the recipes. It’s a cookbook, geography lesson and social studies class all in one.

As a young girl, Smith founded her brand Cook Time with Remmi, which includes multiple endeavors, including the online cooking show “The Culinary Kid.” She’s also the founder of Chef Club Box, a subscription-based kit with healthy meals for the whole family. Her Italian salad dressing is available locally at Whole Foods Market and Reasor’s stores, and online at walmart.com.

With her new book, Smith says, “I want to inspire teens to get in the kitchen and have some fun, cook healthy and enjoy life and the love of food.”

52

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

Remmi Smith graduated from Bishop Kelley High School in May and will attend the University of Tulsa, studying chemical engineering and maintaining her business.

REMMI SMITH: COURTESY D2 BRANDING

Young chef writes cookbook

“couldn’t have done it without our sponsors!”

- Tulsa zoo

The ONLY Professor Paws Program in the Country.

“A SMAshing success!”

- Tulsa zoo

BECAUSE THERE’S ONLY ONE tulsa zoo presents a waltz on the wild side production in association with major sponsors harold and edna white charitable foundation, john steele P OR T ING zink foundation, SUPSPONSORS the anne and henry zarrow foundation, helmerich & payne, inc., magellan midstream partners, nanu and fred dorwart, ONEOK, osage casino hotel, PRICE FAMILY PROPERTIES, HANNAH and JOE ROBSON, radiology consultants of tulsa, ANDREW and HOLLY RYAN, STAVA BUILDING CORP, triple crown energy, ASSOCIAT E SPONSORS James and Susannah Adelson family foundation fund, Anderson Hutchison Family, bailey family, bank of oklahoma, Capital Advisors, claremont corporation, cemrock landscapes, crossland construction company, davies architects, DJM Consulting, edison healthcare, llc, Mike Master of Human Relations Student FLINTCO, GableGotwals, George Kaiser Family Foundation, kent and sandy harrell, jenny and david lamb, bertie and adam lesher, modern woodmen fraternal financial, oklahoma chiller corporation, Lynn and Barbara Owens, One Gas, The Oxley Foundation, redlee/scs inc., rich & Cartmill, inc, samson resources II, secure title & escrow llc, staghorn petroleum II, LLc,, ttcu federal credit union, western specialty contractors, williams.

Niko The nation’s only full-time service dog who educates Physical and Occupational Therapy students on how service dogs can help patients.

SP E CIAL T HANKS T O T HE SE ZOO PAR T NE RS F OR BUIL DING A BE T T E R ZOO T HROUGH T HE IR CON T INUE D SUP P OR T THE H.A. AND MARY K. CHAPMAN CHARITABLE TRUST

THE HELMERICH TRUST

waltz will return june 2019 wa l t z o n t h e w i l d s i d e . o r g

Learn more at www.TulsaSooners.com The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo

TulsaPeople.com OU-Tulsa_TPVert_Camp4.indd 1

53

1/26/17 4:45 PM

fools in

love 2018 SEASON JUNE 22 - JULY 20 Singers and musicians from across the nation come together for a series of 25 truly inspired performances at Inspiration Point in Eureka Springs and Arts Center of the Ozarks in Springdale, Arkansas.

TICKETS ON SALE! VISIT OPERA.ORG Hwy. 62 West / Eureka Springs, AR / (479) 253-8595

1335 E. 11th St. Suite E., Tulsa, OK 74120 located on historic Route 66 jenkinsandcotulsa

Icons & Idols • Tulsa Tycoons • Spotlight on San Miguel Painted Pony Ball • Fire & Ice Gala • Puttin’ on the Dog Rock the House • Champions of Health • Green Leaf Gala Project Cuffway • Western Days • Cooking Up Compassion Kaleidoscope Ball • Brass & Sassy • Equality Gala • Wild Brew Ripple Zenith Awards Street Party Empty Bowls Red Ribbon Gala • Toyland Ball • Brainiac Ball • Carnivale DIVAS 4 HOPE • Garden Party • Memory Gala • Next Big Thing

PARTY WITH THE BEST NEW 40,000 SF SPACE OPENS SUMMER 2020 CALL 918-894-4350 • www.coxcentertulsa.com 54

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

EVERY BUSINESS HAS A STORY TO TELL. “Faces of the 918” is a special sponsored editorial section that tells the stories behind a variety of locally owned businesses serving “the 918.” Each profile features owners and/or employees of 48 Tulsa-area companies with a description of their business. We hope you find this presentation informative and useful.

Businesses are organized alphabetically by category as shown:

Architecture / GH2

Credit Union / Tulsa Federal Credit Union

Kitchen & Bath / Kitchen Concepts

Auto Sales and Service / Primeaux Mitsubishi

Donuts / Livy Lee's

Luxury Hotel / Ambassador Hotel Tulsa

Banking / Valley National Bank

Factory Direct Furniture / Woodland Creek Furniture

Massage / Massage Envy

Barbecue / RibCrib Bug-Free Backyards / Insect Assassin Business Banking / Security Bank Business Technology Solutions / Image Net Cancer Care / Cancer Treatment Centers of America Catering / Ludger's Catering & Events Children's Clothing / SweetPea Couture Commercial Cleaning / Final Touch Commercial Insurance / Insurica Tulsa/Joe West Company Commercial Real Estate / McGraw Commerical Real Estate Appraisals / Green Country Appraisal Service Community Banking / First Oklahoma Bank Computer Services and Support / Jackson Technical

Family-Owned Jewelry Store / Moody's Jewelry

Neurofeedback Brain Fitness / RenuYou Neurofeedback Center

Fencing / Empire Fence Company

Outdoor Living / Tom's Outdoor Living

Festivals / The Castle of Muskogee

Pest Control / Arrow Exterminators

Full-Service Law / Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Pet Boutique / Dog Dish

Hands-On Art Studio / Pinot's Palette

Reproductive Medicine / Tulsa Fertility Center

Health Care / OSU Medicine Health Insurance / Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma Healthy Weight Loss / Functional Medical Institute Heating, Air Conditioning, Electric and Plumbing / Airco Home Cleaning / MaidPro Import Automotive Repair / Four Star Import Automotive Interior Design / GHD Interiors

Racing / Jandebeur’s Motor Sports Park Residential Real Estate / McGraw RVs / Dave's RV Shopping Centers / The Farm Shopping Center Title & Escrow / Titan Title & Closing Tree Service / We B Trees Wealth Management / The Commerce Trust Company Windows & Siding / Burnett Windows & Siding Wine & Spirits / Ranch Acres Wine & Spirits

the face of

MASSAGE

MASSAGE ENVY 2050 W. Kenosha St., Broken Arrow | 918-286-4967 1339 E. 41st St. | 918-747-2700 9455 N. Owasso Expressway, Suite G, Owasso | 918-274-3689 8125 E. 101st St., Suite 50 | 918-528-2700 8115 S. Olympia Ave. W. | 918-794-3588 massageenvy.com

Paige Fallin, Lindsey Casler, Brittaney Montgomery, Bre Nixon

From personalized massages to facials, Massage Envy offers a wide variety of services with the ultimate goal of helping every customer on their wellness journey.

More than 70 licensed massage therapists and estheticians make up the local Massage Envy team. Together, these highly qualified providers deliver more than 50,000 total body services a year to Tulsa, Owasso and Broken Arrow.

Massage Envy strives to be a place where clients can take a moment to care for themselves, in order to be the best they can be for their own families and occupations.

Massage Envy also offers membership options, which make total body care affordable and accessible. The company’s mobile app is another added convenience, which allows customers to book online while on the go.

Although backed by the resources of a large company, Massage Envy’s locations are franchised and individually operated as small family businesses. This means Massage Envy offers big-business quality with small-business values: family, culture, customer service, client comfort, continuing education, constant improvement and growth.

Casler oversees the operations of all five Massage Envy locations in the Tulsa area. “We put millions back into the Tulsa economy since all employees are local,” says Casler.

“We highly prioritize client comfort,” says Lindsey Casler, district manager. “We want to be the absolute best we can be, continuously learning and growing to take care of our clients as well as they take care of us. At Massage Envy, we want to make a difference in people’s lives.”

Owner Lea Fulps and granddaughter Farrah Fulps

Arrow’s founder, the late J. W. “Bud” Fulps

L to R: Farrah Fulps, Business Development; Brad Lee, Pest Control Manager; Linda Johnson, Office Manager; Roger Graham, General Manager, ACE. Not pictured: Lea Fulps, Owner; Eli Fulps, Bed Bug Thermal Engineer; Cody Pearson, Fleet Operations

Mike Fulps and Steve Fulps, circa 1966

the face of

PEST CONTROL

ARROW EXTERMINATORS Arrow Exterminators is Oklahoma’s oldest pest control company. From humble beginnings in 1952, the company, whose motto has always been “Aimin’ To Please!” has today grown into a statewide entity with offices in Broken Arrow and in Oklahoma City.

The experienced pest control company can handle nearly any nuisance, including termites, bed bugs, ants, mosquitos, moles, snakes, bees, mice, fleas, ticks, bats and more. This fall, the company will add lawn and landscape management to their list of expertise.

“My Papa, J.W. ‘Bud’ Fulps, started this company one house and one business at a time and spent many years in professional training,” says Farrah Fulps, Bud’s granddaughter and Arrow’s business development and

marketing manager. “We don’t believe in tricks and gimmicks and there really are no secrets. We just work hard to get the job done right, the first time, which is why we can guarantee our services.”

Some of Tulsa’s greatest cultural treasures — including the Philbrook Museum of Art, the Kaiser Family Foundation art vault, the Gilcrease Museum, the Tulsa City-County Library system and the Tulsa Garden Center — put their trust in Arrow Exterminators.

“Oklahomans should trust the company that has been around the longest, is still family-owned and -operated, and is still part of the Main Street Broken Arrow charm, in the same place where it originally started back in 1952,” says Fulps.

801 S. Main St., Broken Arrow | 918-258-9669 7701 Broadway Extension, Suite A-6, Oklahoma City | 405-912-4337 | nomorebugs.com

Dylan Nall and Tim Nall

the face of

TREE SERVICE

WE B TREES We B Trees provides professional tree care for established trees in the greater Tulsa area.

Services include deep root fertilization, pruning and preservation, diagnostics, tree removal, stump grinding, cabling and bracing, tree selection and much more.

For more than 30 years, the company has provided quality tree care that aligns with homeowners’ goals. In fact, We B Trees has secured a coveted A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Company management values transparency and honesty with the customer above all else.

“We will be honest in whether or not a tree is in good health,” says Tim Nall, owner/president and certified arborist. “We don’t let our equipment dictate what we recommend for your trees.”

After receiving his degree in forestry from Oklahoma State University, Nall began his career working for several companies as an operational engineer. He went on to work for the City of Tulsa Urban Forestry Department, where he became a Certified Arborist through the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA).

Nall and his crew possess decades of knowledge and experience in order to provide unmatched quality regardless of a homeowner’s needs, from pruning to complete tree removal.

In addition the Home Builders Association of Greater Tulsa, We B Trees also is a member of the Tree Care Industry Association and the International Society of Arboriculture.

PO Box 9563, Tulsa, OK 74157 | 918-446-3473 | webtrees.com

Leadership Team: (First row) Nicole Shay, Sara Andrews, Alicia Wohl, Megan Chinowth, (Second row) Clark Todd Gollotte, Timothy Herzer, Cara Shimkus Hall, Chris Seat, John Graham, Kala Ade, (Third row) Terry Maytum, Steve Jaggers, Nathan Buck, Tyler Wallace, Michael Hall, (Fourth row) Reid Burton, Jeremy Carlisle and Robert Wadsack

the face of

ARCHITECTURE

GH2 ARCHITECTS GH2 Architects was founded in 1973 to provide clients with a high level of design and service, all while creating solutions to their facility needs. After 45 years, the mission remains the same.

The design and technical proficiency of the firm’s 65 employees, along with their commitment to client service, creates a strong foundation for effective, tailor-made design solutions.

“We thrive on making our clients’ project goals a reality and turning a vision into a functional and beautiful space,” says Michael Hall, one of the firm’s principals.

320 S. Boston Ave., Suite 100 | 918-587-6158 | GH2.com

In addition to its distinguished general practice, which provides architecture, interior design, landscape architecture and cost-estimating services, GH2 has specialty practices in the areas of hospitality, equine and historic preservation architecture that have increased the firm’s international recognition.

GH2 has received more than 70 industry awards, including the 2017 AIA Eastern Oklahoma Firm of the Year award, which honors an architectural firm that has distinguished itself over the past five years — bettering the community and profession through leadership, vision and design.

Henry Primeaux III with Joann Longa, Lisa Lotz, Jane Primeaux and Greg Gorman.

the face of

AUTO SALES AND SERVICE

PRIMEAUX MITSUBISHI The Primeaux family is back in the Tulsa automobile business with the recent purchase of the former Green Country Mitsubishi dealership in Bixby.

“We are delighted to be back in the business, and with the Mitsubishi brand,” says Henry Primeaux, owner. “It is a very exciting time for automaker — now in its 100th anniversary year — because Nissan has purchased controlling interest in the company. Five new models will be rolled out in the next two years.”

Mitsubishi is best known for its sports utility vehicles, including the Outlander and Outlander Sport, which offer “reliability and economy” at a good price. A plug-in electric

hybrid-to-gas model can achieve up to 75 miles per gallon.

Mitsubishi also offers a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty on all new cars.

Primeaux, a longtime Tulsa business and civic leader, announced his retirement with the sale of Primeaux Kia in January 2015.

“I discovered I love this business too much to completely retire,” says Primeaux. “I’m truly excited about selling Mitsubishi at a special time in its history.”

Daughters Lisa Lotz and Joann Longa, and Greg Gorman, general manager, have joined Primeaux in the operation of the dealership.

15309 S. Memorial Drive | 888-981-4365 | primeauxmitsubishi.com

Fran Flemming, Shareholder, Marketing Director, Bank of Jackson Hole; Jeremy Cavness, Marketing Director, Valley National Bank; Doug DeJarnette, Commercial and Private Bank Director, Valley National Bank; Tom Biolchini, Shareholder, Chairman of the Board, Valley National Bank; Toby Biolchini, Shareholder, Director, CEO of Tulsa Valley Bancshares; Brad Scrivner, President and CEO, Valley National Bank

the face of

BANKING

VALLEY NATIONAL BANK For more than 35 years, Valley National Bank has built its reputation on high-touch, personalized service and local decision-making. But, exciting changes are in store for 2019. A new downtown Tulsa branch and executive offices and a re-energized brand and culture will propel VNB to the forefront of local banking. Over the next few years, customers can expect to benefit from a number of enhancements and new product lines, all focused on making financial services surprisingly easy.

4812 E. 81st St. | 918-495-1700 | bankvnb.com

“Over the past 24 months, we’ve been quietly laying the framework for a next-generation banking experience that puts the customer in control with powerful new tools and personalized product offerings,” says Brad Scrivner, president and CEO. “In the coming years, we fully intend to differentiate Valley National Bank by offering a unique hightouch, high-tech approach to banking and financial services.”

The one thing that will not change is Valley National Bank’s love for, and commitment to, the Tulsa community.

Tulsa Pitmaster Josh Snead

the face of

BARBECUE

RIBCRIB Decades ago, the best barbecue could be found only in remote shacks and roadside trailers. But it was worth the drive, even if you had to wait in line or eat standing up.

RibCrib BBQ had similar humble beginnings in 1992 when founder Bret Chandler opened in Tulsa with little more than a shack, a stack of hickory wood, and a smoker.

“Twenty-five years is a proud milestone for our team,” says Bret. “This would not have been possible without our shared vision for serving customers mouthwatering barbecue without having to pull over on the side of the road or go off the beaten path. Our food has been more art than science, and we are always chasing barbecue perfection.”

ribcrib.com

RibCrib has grown to more than 60 restaurants in seven states, including 32 across Oklahoma. The PigMen team has been named Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion in several competitions and received countless top-ten finishes, including the prestigious American Royal World Series.

RibCrib serves its communities by hosting fundraisers and dishing out meals to those in need. In 2016, the RibCrib Pitmasters Golf Tournament raised over $100,000 for charity.

Join RibCrib in celebrating 25 years of Smokin’ the Good Stuff.

Sh’Pone Harris and Clay Greene

the face of

BUG-FREE BACKYARDS

INSECT ASSASSIN Insect Assassin operates under a very simple principle: If it flies, it dies. Specializing in misting systems and yard sprays, the company’s silver bullet is an industry-leading pesticide. This product gets its potency from the combination of active ingredients, pyrethrin and permethrin. “Some pesticides have one or the other, but only ours has both,” says Clay Greene, owner.

Greene’s company originally operated as Insect Control Systems from 2004-2010. After changes in ownership and management left customers dissatisfied, Greene decided to take the company back, creating in the process a new name

and a renewed commitment to customers old and new alike.

In addition to premium products and installation techniques, Insect Assassin is focused on helpful service and rapid response time.

“There are competitors that have installed misting systems of lesser quality than ours in the Tulsa area,” says Sh’Pone Harris, Insect Assassin service manager. “If you are unhappy with the quality of service, effectiveness or installation breakdown of our competitors, please reach out.

We are happy to help set things right.”

4815 S. Harvard Ave., Suite 600 | 918-973-3070 | insectassassinok.com

the face of

BUSINESS BANKING

SECURITY BANK Security Bank may only have one location — centrally located at East 51st Street and Highway 169 — but one can be assured the bank and its experienced team members are all about Tulsa.

“We are a locally owned commercial bank that is uniquely committed to providing exceptional customer service and finding banking solutions for business customers,” says Dawne Stafford, president and chief financial officer. “While we embrace new banking technology, we are still oldfashioned in our desire to greet our customers with a friendly voice or face when they call or visit the bank.”

Security’s bankers are empowered to provide financial advice and support to small business customers, including

10727 E. 51st St. | 918-664-6100 | sbtulsa.bank

those with unique requirements. “Our focus on the small business segment comes from our belief that the success of small businesses is important in building local economic vitality and shaping our community for the better,” says Eric Bohne, chairman and CEO. “We have grown over the past 10 years as a result of referrals from small business owners and entrepreneurs who appreciate how the bank has enabled them to grow and reach their business goals.”

Security Bank’s commitment to Tulsa exceeds accounts, loans and services. The bank partners with local businesses to support nonprofit organizations and charitable endeavors that make a difference, enhancing life and work within the community.

the face of

MANAGED INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

IMAGENET CONSULTING In today’s constantly changing world of business technology, it is critical that companies adapt and leverage technology for sustainability, market growth and cost savings. The majority of companies view internal staffing of technology and support as being very expensive, taking away from the bottomline.

ImageNet’s Managed IT Solutions allow companies to leverage cutting-edge technology at an affordable rate to save the business money.

Our engineers, technicians, and helpdesk personnel are focused on becoming a trusted partner to take care of all a client company’s computer and technology worries. Our systems engineers listen to each client’s unique needs and implement solutions that work under the guidance

and approval of a virtual CIO. From the smallest helpdesk problems to server maintenance—or company-wide technology solutions—we make sure that we foresee problems before they arise. Proper planning and preventive maintenance ensures that a company’s computers and network supports the business reliably without reactive headaches.

“Our vision at ImageNet is to provide the state-of-the-art information technology solutions that improve each client’s bottomline,” says Alan Webb, Tulsa market president. “We are confident no other company can match our portfolio of products and consulting expertise to help businesses of all sizes experience more efficient and cost-effective technology to automate and streamline their processes.”

7231 E. 41st St. | 918-359-8602 | imagenetconsulting.com

Sales Manager Ben Berghall and Tulsa Market President Alan Webb

David G. McIntosh, MD

the face of

CANCER CARE

CANCER TREATMENT CENTERS OF AMERICA For 28 years, Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) in Tulsa has focused on treating adult cancer at any stage. At CTCA® , experienced and dedicated cancer experts work together in one location, sharing their knowledge, coordinating treatments and, ultimately, providing comprehensive cancer treatment tailored to the patient.

“In an effort to expand our clinical offerings for patients with gynecologic cancers, we recently added Dr. David McIntosh as a gynecologic oncologist,” says Dr. Daniel Nader, chief of staff at CTCA in Tulsa. “Dr. McIntosh is trained in robotic surgery and has performed nearly 100 cases over the past two years.”

Board-certified in gynecologic oncology, as well as

10109 E. 79th St. | 800-515-9610 | cancercenter.com/tulsa

obstetrics and gynecology, McIntosh is dedicated to using evidence-based cancer treatments to fight gynecologic malignancies on multiple fronts. He provides patients with continuity of care throughout their cancer journey, performing complex surgeries and guiding treatment plans, which may include chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

“I work closely with my patients to achieve the goals that we set together,” says McIntosh. “In addition, I am committed to helping my patients maintain the best possible quality of life during and after treatment, by proactively managing side effects and addressing the challenges of cancer survivorship.”

Scott and Megan Sherrill

the face of

CATERING

LUDGER’S CATERING & EVENTS Ludger’s Catering & Events prides itself on being a one-stop shop for any type of event, whether it’s for 20 guests or 2,000.

The company can handle everything from a simple catering drop-off to full-service meals complete with bars, bartenders and servers.

Ludger’s can take care of rental coordination, centerpiece and linen rentals and floor plan design, so that clients can spend less time worrying and more time enjoying their event.

The Ludger’s team enjoys working with clients to make each

1628 S. Main St. | 918-744-9988 | ludgerscatering.com

event unique to them and their vision. “We have the staff and expertise to handle all of the details,” says Megan Sherrill, who owns the company alongside her husband, Executive Chef Scott Sherrill.

Winner of multiple local and national wedding and catering awards over the years, Ludger’s Catering strives to maintain the standard of quality of service and continues to grow the business. The Sherrills are excited to have a new location that will soon offer “grab-and-go” food and a small retail area.

Owners Jennifer and Steve Newstrom

the face of

CHILDREN’S CLOTHING

SWEETPEA COUTURE What began as a desire to find adorable, distinctive clothing for their grandkids turned into a full-time business for Steve and Jennifer Newstrom. Today, SweetPea Couture sells children’s clothing and accessories ranging from Premie sizes up to size 4T for boys and size 10 for girls.

“Our sales staff members have a deep knowledge of children’s fashion, and are always there to help with a smile,” says Jennifer Newstrom. “We are truly there for the customers and their own little ‘sweet peas.’“ SweetPea draws clients from all over the surrounding

area, in large part because the boutique offers clothing from designers that no other store in Tulsa carries. For more widespread brands, the company works closely with vendors to ensure that it can offer different styles and colors than those available elsewhere.

“We visit the Kids’ Market several times a year,” says Steve Newstrom. “We’re always searching for cute, trendy and unique clothing styles from designers around the world — all so our young customers can show off their style.”

10051 S. Yale Ave., Suite 101 | 918-488-8934 | sweetpeacoutureonline.com

Chelsea Hanoch, Lindsay Henderson, Sandra Mullins, Brooke Taylor and Jackie Vu

the face of

COMMERCIAL CLEANING

FINAL TOUCH CLEANING When the 9-to-5 is done, the work is just beginning for the staff of Final Touch Commercial Cleaning.

That’s when the 185-plus employees of this 32-year-old company go to work, cleaning everything from corporate offices and medical facilities to municipal buildings and universities all over the Tulsa area. The expert staff offers daily and nightly cleaning services, carpet extraction, 24hour emergency cleaning and more.

Owner Sandra Mullins insists on the highest standard of white-glove service in the industry. Final Touch Commercial Cleaning is the only nationally certified janitorial service in Oklahoma.

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

Cleaning more than 6 million square feet daily is a monumental job, but Mullins, who operates Final Touch with her daughters Brooke and Lindsay and Vice President Jackie Vu, believes that “to whom much is given, much is required.” That’s why the company returns thousands of dollars annually to local nonprofits through donated services and fundraising efforts.

“We give meaning to cleaning,” Mullins says. “When we started, we made it our mission to create a culture of giving.

It’s the charitable work that really inspires us. We’re so happy to be part of the Tulsa community.”

the face of

COMMERCIAL INSURANCE

INSURICA TULSA/JOE WEST COMPANY Since 1919, INSURICA/Joe West Company and its team of insurance producers and staff have been servicing the greater Tulsa area, including offices in Sand Springs, Sapulpa, Cushing and Owasso.

The insurance agency specializes in the areas of manufacturing, schools and municipalities, energy, financial institutions, aviation, professional liability, food related industries and employee benefits for large and small groups. The team of insurance professionals is uniquely skilled and ready to assist clients with all commercial and personal insurance needs.

“We provide risk management services to all of our customers, and we do this first by understanding their individual business,” said Joseph Sanchez, the company’s local President. “Once we understand a business, we then access markets that offer competitive and comprehensive insurance programs—along with claims and loss control services—that best relate to the business.”

INSURICA/Joe West Company specializes in core industries and business disciplines, providing clients with unparalled access to unique coverage and risk management programs…all while maintaining a local agent relationship. “Our goal is to uncover solutions that lead to improved coverage and savings,” said Tim Driskill, the company’s local CEO. “Our company is charged with protecting what matters most to our clients and we treat them to an exceptional experience. To do this, we need exceptional colleagues and are actively recruiting to acquire quality talent to join our company.”

406 S. Boulder Ave. | 918-660-0090 | insurica.com

CEO Tim Driskill and President Joseph Sanchez

Left to Right: Bill Beichler, Susan Walker, Ryan Gorman, Ryan Brah, Dick Alaback, Carey Velez, Neil Dailey, Gary Krisman, Dilon Argo, John Gray, Rob Totino, Lisa Brandes Not Pictured: Dave Looney, Cara Leigh Ingram, Raymond Davis

the face of

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

MCGRAW COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES McGraw Realtors has been locally owned and managed since 1938 and is currently the largest and fastest-growing residential real estate company in Tulsa.

McGraw Commercial Properties, the commercial division of McGraw Realtors, was founded in 2008 and specializes in buying and selling commercial properties including: office, retail, restaurant, service, industrial, investment, municipal, non-profit, multi-unit residential and vacant land.

McGraw’s commercial and property management divisions work together to deliver comprehensive commercial real estate solutions, ranging from tenant and landlord representation to facilities and property management.

4105 S. Rockford Ave. | 918-388-9588 | mcgrawcp.com

“This approach forms successful long-term relationships rather than one-off transactions,” says Broker Manager Neil Dailey. “Our longevity and know-how make McGraw Commercial the area go-to for commercial real estate and property management services.”

Over the past year, McGraw Commercial Properties has grown to a team of 15 with the additions of brokers from other national firms with offices here in Tulsa, including three CCIM designations.

A recently completed renovation at the McGraw office provides more space for the Commercial Properties and Property Management and Leasing departments.

The Green Country Appraisal Service team includes President Timothy M. Glass, Christine Peck and Andrea Brooks.

the face of

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE APPRAISALS

GREEN COUNTRY APPRAISAL SERVICE Green Country Appraisal Service is celebrating 36 years of appraisal and consultation work for various banks, governmental entities, lawyers and individuals. Commercial properties appraised include retail, restaurants, offices, churches, industrial, multi-family, mixed-use, vacant land, cattle ranches and conservation easements throughout northeast Oklahoma.

Timothy M. Glass is the company president and a licensed appraiser. In 2000, he was the president of the Green Country of Oklahoma Chapter of the Appraisal Institute.

1703 E. Skelly Dr., Suite 101 | 918-744-5744

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

The company’s secretary, Christine Peck, has been with the firm for 27 years and handles word processing, research of local market trends and report publishing.

Green Country Appraisal Service’s research analyst, Andrea Brooks, has been with the firm for 11 years.

She maintains an expanding database of over 10,000 comparables, bids and coordinates appraisals and provides research on properties appraised.

First Oklahoma Bank Chairman and Co-CEO Tom Bennett, Jr., Senior Vice President Sue Bennett, and President and Co-CEO Tom Bennett III

the face of

COMMUNITY BANKING

FIRST OKLAHOMA BANK When the First Oklahoma Bank founders launched the bank on November 4, 2009, they envisioned a better bank with state-of-the-art products, but also reminiscent of a time when bankers knew clients by name and a handshake still mattered.

First Oklahoma bankers believe that the way to make customers happy is to ask them what they want and then provide it. This approach has led First Oklahoma Bank to offer free ATM service, the best CD rates in the market and concierge-level products and services to make customers’ lives easier and more efficient. The full-service bank is a leader in local deposits and Treasury services.

As a small business and community bank, First Oklahoma

Bank also takes seriously the call to serve. Relationships with customers are paramount, and bankers strive to treat everyone the way they want to be treated.

“First Oklahoma’s entrepreneurial spirit, consistency and quality-growth business model set it apart,” says President and Co-CEO Tom Bennett III. “We understand our local economy and make our decisions locally. We can adapt to the needs of our customers without all the bureaucracy of big banks.”

First Oklahoma Bank invites Tulsans to “Move Up to Better Banking” and discover what so many others are already experiencing.

4110 S. Rockford Ave. | 100 S. Riverfront Dr., Jenks | 918-392-2500 | firstoklahomabank.com

Tim Jackson

the face of

COMPUTER SERVICES AND SUPPORT

JACKSON TECHNICAL At Jackson Technical, computer consultation services are the core of a business designed with the objective of supporting the success of clients, whatever their industry.

“Our staff has years of experience with up-to-date skills in the latest technologies,” says Tim Jackson, founder and president. “We offer complete computer systems management and maintenance with a proactive approach to prevent problems before they occur.”

Jackson developed an interest in computers and technology while attending TCC on the GI Bill following his service in the U.S. Army. A job at NORDAM during college inspired him to ultimately start his own technology business.

Jackson Technical combines information technology

611 S. Elgin Ave. | 918-585-8324 | jacksontechnical.com

service with strong client relationships to create a soughtafter customer experience.

“We listen to needs, then we recommend, plan and implement,” says Jackson. “Our team of experts can provide a company of any size with computer and communications solutions.”

The 19-year-old company moved into a new facility in December 2017, a three-story, 19,500-square-foot building in downtown Tulsa. The building’s open and inviting industrial-style look was created by the McIntosh Group and constructed by Thompson Construction.

“I treat the building as a computer system within itself,” says Jackson.

the face of

CREDIT UNION

TULSA FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Tulsa Federal Credit Union began in 1943 with the philosophy of “people helping people.” As a communitychartered, not-for-profit organization, Tulsa FCU has thrived on partnering with its owners — the members — to provide a cooperative environment focused on what is best for the membership. In 2016, through the combined efforts of its dedicated staff, Tulsa FCU was able to save its members $7,097,055 in interest over the life of their loans.

Starting with only 12 members and $240 in assets, devoted members and knowledgeable staff have helped grow the

institution to more than 56,000 members and $722 million in assets at 14 branches across Tulsa and its surrounding communities.

The heart of Tulsa FCU is centered on core values of trust, integrity, teamwork and making a difference. What sets Tulsa FCU apart is its commitment to employee development, dedication to personalized financial solutions and positive impact in the community. Each year, Tulsa FCU supports admirable causes and organizations, including the Tulsa Area United Way and the Tulsa FCU Tulsa Run.

9323 E. 21st St. | 918-610-0200 | tulsafederalcu.org Pictured L-R: Kyle Montgomery, Tammy White, Jean Hopkins, Wendy Carson, Janet Keirsey, Jennifer Easky, Brandy Clark, Tanner Casey, Juantonio Baldwin Janet Keirsey has retired from her Financial Center Manager position after 40 years of outstanding service to our members and her coworkers.

Alivia Lee Wygle and Wendy Wygle

the face of

DONUTS

LIVI LEE’S DAYLIGHT DONUTS Tulsa might have a donut shop every two miles, but Livi Lee’s is a one-of-kind experience. At Livi Lee’s, handcrafted donuts — included classic, specialty and mini — are made fresh daily.

In addition to donuts, Livi Lee’s serves sausage rolls and other bakery items. With five years in business under its belt, the local enterprise now has three locations — two in Sand Springs, and one in Tulsa. Livi Lee’s offers dine-in, drivethru and delivery services as well as church, corporate and special events catering.

Livi Lee’s also is known for festive specialty mini donuts

3121 S. Yale Ave. | 918-749-2968 | livilees.com

and donut holes, which have been a popular alternative to cake for birthdays, graduations and weddings.

“We’re colorful, fresh, fun, local-family-owned donut shops with a classic yet whimsical touch,” says owner Wendy Wygle, whose daughter, Alivia Lee Wygle, is the shop’s namesake. Wendy’s husband, Jonathan Wygle, serves as general manager, so it truly is a family business.

And luckily for Alivia Lee, she’s growing up in a family business that’s making life sweeter every day, one donut at a time.

Clinton Taylor, Sr., Clinton Taylor, Jr. and Robin Taylor

the face of

FACTORY-DIRECT FURNITURE

WOODLAND CREEK FURNITURE Woodland Creek Furniture is on a mission to change the way Tulsans purchase furniture. Clinton W. Taylor and his family have been making and selling natural wood furniture through their store, The Refuge Lifestyle, in Bixby since 2012.

They are now expanding to a 55,000-square-foot building that will be a one-of-a-kind furniture shopping experience.

“Traditionally, people drive around from store to store trying to find furniture that is the right style and size,” says Taylor. “Woodland Creek has all the current trends, and the ability to customize designs to a desired look or size.”

Customers will be even be able to mix and match components and then watch their new furniture get made to specification.

“For the first time, customers can watch skilled woodworkers making furniture live,” says Taylor, explaining that this business model removes middlemen and distributor markups, offering customers designer-quality furniture for less than mass-produced furniture at other stores.

Visitors’ senses will be delighted by driftwood art, grandfather clocks, cypress wood fountains, live artist demonstrations and so much more. But the main attraction is furniture across multiple trending styles, from contemporary to rustic.

The grand opening of this new shopping concept is set for August 1.

4221 S. 68th E. Ave. | 918-366-6650 | woodlandcreekfurniture.com

Jean Yates, Michelle Moody, Lisa Smedley, Sam Raines, Robert Richard, Astrid Sahr and Tyler Jones, company president.

the face of

FAMILY-OWNED JEWELRY STORE

MOODY’S JEWELRY A broken clock led to the founding of Moody’s Jewelry.

Young Ernest Moody Jr. took the clock to a watchmaker neighbor, who showed him how to fix it. This sparked Moody’s desire to become a watchmaker.

In 1944, the young Tulsan opened a shop in Whittier Square, and then opened a small shop at East 12th Street and South Harvard Avenue. Moody then moved the business across the street to a larger building where the flagship store still remains.

Today, the business has seven stores in metro Tulsa, and is

Seven Store Locations | 918-834-3771 | moodysjewelry.com

still owned and operated by members of the founder’s family.

The company is also very involved within the Tulsa metro community. The company is also very dedicated to giving back to the community throughout the metro Tulsa area Moody’s store locations and managers are: Harvard at 12th, Jared Waddell; Lewis at 71st, Susan Sights; Sheridan at 51st, Arman Varolian; 68th at Memorial, Lisa Smedley; Kenosha at 145th in Broken Arrow, Thomas Stoltzner; Utica Square, Michael Guillory; and 71st Street at Highway 169, Kevin Elias.

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

the face of

FENCING

EMPIRE FENCE COMPANY Things are solid as a fence post at Empire Fence Company.

Owner Bob Richison, who established the business in 1955, continues to lead Empire as president with grandson Nathan Nelson as vice president and general manager. “Our business is still located at East Admiral Place and North Garnett Road,” says Richison. “We offer all types of fencing from wood to chain link to ranch rail.”

Richison credits the company’s success to the way Empire does business. “We are committed to a foundation of integrity by offering customers quality products and

22 N. Garnett Road | 918-437-1671 | empirefence.net

excellent service at a good price,” says Richison. “We do business the old-fashioned way because we are not the only fence company in town.”

“I am very proud that Empire Fence has been selling and building fences for nearly 60 years,” says Nelson, who at age 38 muses that he has over 20 years of experience, since he started hanging around his grandfather’s business at age 12.

Richison hopes his grandson has an equally long run.

“With the blessing of good health, he will be around to celebrate the company’s 100th anniversary in 2058.”

Owners Jeff and Matt Hiller with a small sampling of the cast of characters known to frequent The Castle throughout the year.

the face of

FESTIVALS

THE CASTLE OF MUSKOGEE For 24 years, the Castle of Muskogee has served as a “Gateway to Another World.”

More than 250,000 people visit the Castle each year for a variety of events, including the Oklahoma Renaissance Festival, the Castle Zombie Run, the Halloween Festival, the Boare’s Head Feaste and Castle Christmas, plus weddings and private and corporate gatherings.

Summertime means it’s fireworks season at the Castle, and this year promises an expanded selection of everything from novelties to multi-action displays, all in a 37,000-square-foot air-conditioned facility.

The Castle of Muskogee is a family-run business. Owners Jeff and Matt Hiller are proud of the special magic they bring to events and festivals of all kinds. There are many event centers in eastern Oklahoma, after all, but only one of them has a castle.

3400 E. Fern Mountain Road, Muskogee | 918-687-3625 | okcastle.com

Standing L-R: Nathan S. Cross, Sara E. Potts Seated: Tom Q. Ferguson, Kevin C. Coutant, Helen M. Sgarlata

the face of

FULL-SERVICE LAW

DOERNER, SAUNDERS, DANIEL & ANDERSON The law firm Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson has been a trusted source of legal counsel since 1896. The firm provides litigation and transactional legal counsel in nearly every area of civil law across 24 practice areas. Its experienced lawyers represent municipalities, public and private business entities and individuals.

Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson’s rich history spans more than 120 years of serving Oklahomans in complex legal matters. Founded in Indian Territory, the firm’s first lawyers were leaders who actively shaped the region to help pioneer success.

“We have represented many clients for decades, helping them survive economic downturns and thrive during boom times regardless of where their business interests take them,” says Managing Partner Tom Q. Ferguson.

Today, with more than 44 attorneys practicing in four cities, Doerner is one of the oldest law firms in Oklahoma.

The firm’s history continues to play an important role even in today’s contemporary society and business world.

Each lawyer brings a “get-it-done” attitude to the table that complements the firm’s culture and commitment to client service.

Tulsa: 2 W. Second St., Suite 700 | 918-582-1211 OKC: 105 N. Hudson Ave., Suite 1000 | 405-319-3500 dsda.com

Norman: 1800 N. Interstate Dr., Suite 104 | 405-319-3501 Fort Worth: 6300 Ridglea Place, Suite 820 | 817-653-3232

Lisa Riley

the face of

HANDS-ON ART STUDIO

PINOT’S PALETTE For more than six years, Pinot’s Palette has been a premier “paint and sip” destination in Tulsa. Patrons are invited to paint, drink and have fun at one of the three area locations in some of Tulsa’s hottest districts — Cherry Street, Riverwalk and Broken Arrow’s Rose District.

Owner Lisa Riley is a three-year survivor of breast cancer who continues to advocate for awareness of the disease.

Riley volunteers her time for the Tulsa Small Business Chamber and a leading area nonprofit, Joy in the Cause.

She helps other local business owners navigate how to grow

1621 E. 15th St. | 918-518-5433 | pinotspalette.com

their businesses and is very active in the community.

Pinot’s Palette hosts public classes, private parties and corporate team buildings every day of the week. Date night, girls’ night out and all-ages family classes are all excellent entertainment options. No experience is required. In fact, Pinot’s Palette is perfect for people who have never painted.

Patient instructors walk customers step by step through a full painting in two- or three-hour classes. A fun drink menu and excellent music round out a fun time. Most patrons return frequently to de-stress.

Chelsey Griffin, DO – Family Medicine John Hervert, DO – Internal Medicine Tara Hasenpflug, DO – Family Medicine

the face of

HEALTH CARE

OSU MEDICINE OSU Medicine is a growing network of clinics serving Tulsa and the surrounding communities. The network now has two clinics in south Tulsa focused on serving the whole family. The caring physicians, Dr. Chelsey Griffin, Dr. Tara Hasenpflug and Dr. John Hervert are committed to building personal connections with their patients and investing in their health.

“When a patient comes in, we want them to feel welcome, comfortable and at home,” says Hervert, an internal medicine specialist who is located at the Jenks-Riverside clinic.

Each team member is dedicated to the health of patients

of all ages and are experts in the art of healing. OSU Medicine is unique in many ways, including offering sameday appointments so that patients can receive care at their convenience.

Through compassionate and exceptional care, OSU Medicine providers are serving the community every day.

“OSU Medicine is home; this is where I was trained,” says Griffin, who is located at the South Tulsa clinic. “It was nice to be able to return here and give back to a university that made me the doctor I am today.”

Jenks-Riverside | 9645 Riverside Parkway | 918-209-5170 • South Tulsa | 9101 S. Toledo Ave. | 918-392-3444 osumc.com

BCBSOK’s IT employees work daily in the Blue Workplace to foster innovation and collaboration at the company.

Standing L-R: Tim Kunz, William Johnson, Nils Asp, Ryan Underwood, Travis Self, Jesse Scarsdale, Shawn Boyington, Josh McGhee Sitting: Chandra Payne, Ryan Main, Linda Wong, Tonya Holley, Joey Tran, Akanksha Tiwari, Ellen Ayers

the face of

HEALTH INSURANCE

BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF OKLAHOMA For nearly 80 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma (BCBSOK) has been a leader in the health care industry.

The company believes that new solutions begin with an innovative workforce.

Through new collaboration spaces in the Blue WorkplaceSM at the company’s Tulsa headquarters, BCBSOK brings together specialists from across various industries to build products and services to better serve members. “We put people at the center of what we do,” says Ted Haynes, President, BCBSOK. Through curated teams of customer advocates and clinical experts, BCBSOK is designing new uses for data and analytics to increase transparency in health care. While anticipating the changing needs of customers, the company is refining the way it does business — all while helping members make

1400 S. Boston Ave. | 918-551-3500 | bcbsok.com

healthier and more affordable choices.

The company works with partners and providers to bring forth new and innovative ideas to improve access and quality of care. “Through collaboration and strategic investment, we are strengthening our networks and serving our communities in new and better ways,” says Haynes.

BCBSOK innovates in order to stand with its members — who deserve more than just technology or quick fixes. “That’s why we invest in the future, specifically our members’ futures,” says Haynes. “They are at the heart of every innovation.”

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma is a division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

the face of

HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS

FUNCTIONAL MEDICAL INSTITUTE At Functional Medical Institute, the focus isn’t on disease management; it’s about healing. As the region’s premier healthy weight management clinic, FMI specializes in fat loss and muscle enhancement.

Led by a husband-and-wife wellness team, FMI focuses on disease reversal and prevention, hormone therapy, DNA analysis with unique implementation, and custom lab analysis to optimize the health of each person. “We look at each individual’s unique health needs,” says Dr. Michele Neil-Sherwood, founding physician of FMI. “We aim to obtain the highest level of overall function and maintain it through a collaborative and educational approach involving doctor and patient.”

Functional Medical Institute treats patients who have a healthy vision for their lives and want to adopt a lifestyle to maintain long-term wellness while working toward weight loss goals. Numerous patients have lost nearly 50 percent of their body fat — with maximum muscle retention.

“Our testimonials speak for themselves,” says Dr. Mark Sherwood. “We are confident we can help any client with their healthy fat loss goals.”

6048 S. Sheridan Rd. 918-748-3640 | FMIDR.com Dr. Michele Neil-Sherwood and Dr. Mark Sherwood

Left to Right: Austin Boyce, Chase Wiesman, John Boyce, Amy Grogan, Tom Boyce, Chase Boyce, Chad Wiesman

the face of

HEATING, AIR CONDITIONING, ELECTRIC AND PLUMBING

AIRCO SERVICE Airco is a “one call does it all” service company. With the largest service company in Oklahoma, Airco Service provides customers with the highest quality products and services available. The company’s technicians are certified, trained, knowledgeable service professionals with excellent customer service and workmanship skills. Plus, Airco offers free estimates on product replacements.

58 years in business have earned the third-generation family-owned Airco a reputation for reliability, and the trust of Tulsa customers. Additionally, Airco is one of the Top

11331 E. 58th St. | 918-252-5667 | aircoservice.com

Dealers in North America with Lennox, and was voted Best Workplace in Oklahoma. Other accolades include Oklahoma Best of the Best, an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and the designation of “Super Service” on Angie’s List.

Airco Service supports the local community through events such as Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, The Tulsa Run, Rooster Days, Tulsa International Mayfest, Blue Dome Arts Festival and many others. Multiple employees serve as Chamber members throughout the state of Oklahoma.

Greg Ford, CEO of MaidPro Heartland, and a few of his happy staff with the youngest member of the MaidPro family.

the face of

HOME CLEANING

MAIDPRO TULSA Creating clean houses is the top priority at MaidPro, a local company that specializes in delivering personalized, precise cleaning services to homeowners in the Tulsa area.

“We are proud to be Tulsa’s premier residential home cleaning service,” says Greg Ford, owner of the business since 2005. “We are our customers’ ally in the battle to keep one’s home clean the easy way — by letting us do the work, whether that means a weekly clean or just a one-time sprucing-up.”

MaidPro customizes services to meet the specific needs and budget of each customer. “We offer a full range of

cleaning services and use a 49-point checklist to ensure a home is cleaned correctly,” says Ford. “Kitchens, bathrooms and dusting are our specialties, but we also focus on specific areas desired by the homeowner.”

MaidPro cleaning professionals undergo thorough background checks prior to employment and are bonded and insured. Each receives extensive training to clean at the highest level. “We strive to help our employees work to their greatest ability, making sure we provide the tools to enable them to enjoy what they do,” says Ford. “If you are stepping on LEGOs, call MaidPro.”

12801 E. 31st St., Suite F | 918-270-2800 | maidpro.com/tulsa

Earl Creekmore, Rob Tallon, Shane Tarling, Steve Diesing, Tim O’Toole, Kathleen Southerland, Quinton Hembree.

Not pictured: Cheryl Creekmore Above: Dutchie and Roxie

the face of

IMPORT AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR

FOUR STAR IMPORT AUTOMOTIVE For nearly 30 years, Four Star Import Automotive has specialized exclusively in Honda and Acura maintenance and repair. This level of specialization allows Four Star to deliver unparalleled service on these automobiles, from routine maintenance to major repairs.

Four Star prides itself on maintaining relationships with its valued customers. In fact, Four Star’s most effective advertising comes in the form of customer referrals.

Four Star’s mission is to provide quality work at fair prices and back up that work with a reasonable guarantee. The skilled staff, led by owner Earl Creekmore, strives to make all customers feel comfortable and assured.

9906 E. 55th Pl. | 918-610-0880 | fourstartulsa.com

Now that Creekmore is retiring, Quinton Hembree, the current service manager and long-time employee of Four Star, will be stepping into Creekmore’s role.

Creekmore is confident that the new management will continue to provide the reliable and honest service that our customers have received through the years.

“My wife Cheryl and I want to thank all of our customers for their many years of business and friendship,” says Creekmore, adding that it’s time to slow down and hit the road in their RV, along with the Yorkie sisters, Roxie and Dutchie. They can enjoy retirement, knowing that Four Star is in capable hands.

Sitting Left to Right: Co-Owners, Brenda Rice and Gina Miller.

Standing Left to Right: Danyelle Green, Linda Agustsdottir, Matt Fager, Katie Gates, and Emily Murtha

the face of

INTERIOR DESIGN

GHD INTERIORS Founded in 2006, GHD is an award-winning interior design firm that offers design, decor and remodeling services.

In addition to Oklahoma, GHD has completed projects in Scottsdale, Breckenridge, Los Angeles, Kansas City and Chicago.

GHD takes the “turnkey” approach to another level.

“We hyper-focus on every detail from start to finish,” says Gina Miller, co-owner. “This creates and ensures an impeccably designed and highly functional space while giving clients an enjoyable, stress-free experience.”

Recently, GHD has received accolades from Home Decor Small Business, Tulsa Designer Showcase, Home by

221 W. Main Street, Jenks | 918-995-2100 | ghdinteriors.com

Design publications, Kansas City Spaces, the Tulsa World and TulsaPeople, among others. But regardless of outside recognition, GHD’s focus remains on each client’s satisfaction.

“GHD’s goal is to see clients live well and feel happy within their new environment,” says Brenda Rice, co-owner.

“The high level of repeat business over the past 10 years is a testament to GHD’s long-term-focused business model.”

In 2018, GHD is expanding its drapery and window treatment offerings. “Homeowners want that finished, tailored look that only custom drapes can provide, but do not have the ability to achieve it themselves,” says Rice. “We love helping clients get what they want through our highly skilled workroom.”

The team at Kitchen Concepts includes, left to right, Mark Hawks, Hillary Holt, Jim Means, Meredith Means, Lynn Knight Jessee, Jim Kerr, Kristy Hayes, Hannah Harrington and Charlie Bastyr.

the face of

KITCHEN AND BATH

KITCHEN CONCEPTS Kitchen Concepts takes pride in turning clients’ dreams and ideas into beautiful realities.

“The hallmark of our work is creating individually designed kitchens that make the most of a home in both beauty and function,” says Jim Means, president. The Kitchen Concepts design team has over 50 years of combined experience and is dedicated to exceptional design and incomparable service.

“Kitchen design is complex and intricate, and requires great care throughout the process to assure every client is entirely satisfied,” says Means. “Our business success is based on integrity, service, attention to detail and forming long-term relationships with clients.”

Kitchen Concepts is an award-winning kitchen, bath and interior design company with an in-house remodeling team.

Project Manager Charlie Bastyr is a long-time Tulsan with 40 years of construction experience.

The Kitchen Concepts showroom features several kitchen vignettes with the latest products from Thermador and Bosch.

“The showroom offers our clients a chance to have a hands-on experience with our design services,” says Senior Interior Designer Lynn Knight Jessee. “We believe a kitchen should reflect the homeowner’s individual taste and personality and be about the way they live.”

5936 S. Lewis Ave. | 918-779-4480 | kitchenconceptstulsa.com

The award-winning team at Ambassador is the driving force behind the distinctive hotel’s unparalleled luxury.

the face of

LUXURY HOTEL

AMBASSADOR HOTEL TULSA, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION The historic Ambassador in downtown Tulsa offers so much more than a night of lodging. The Ambassador Hotel Tulsa, part of Marriott’s prestigious Autograph Collection, represents the very best comfort and luxury available to hotel guests.

“Each guest will have a unique experience — not just a place to rest their head,” says Nora Miller, General Manager.

Built in 1929 as an extended-stay hotel for wealthy oil barons, the structure closed in 1987 after many incarnations.

The Ambassador was brought back to its former opulent glory in 1997 following a $5.5 million renovation. Today, guests

1324 S. Main St. | 918-587-8200 | AmbassadorTulsa.com

enjoy historic charm plus modern amenities like Wi-Fi, luxury transportation, 24-hour room service and complimentary valet parking.

The Ambassador has received numerous accolades from travel and hospitality authorities. This year, Ambassador was named Marriott Hotel of the Year, Distinctive Premium. It was also named one of TripAdvisor’s Top 25 Hotels in the US for 2018.

“Our incomparable downtown Tulsa accommodations are unrivaled, consistently exceeding expectations,” says Miller.

the face of

NEUROFEEDBACK BRAIN FITNESS THERAPY

RENUYOU NEUROFEEDBACK BRAIN FITNESS CENTER Over a decade ago, RenuYou Neurofeedback Center pioneered the way for neurofeedback therapy in the state of Oklahoma. Since that time, they have become one of most esteemed clinics, in the world for neurofeedback. They excel because of their decade long experience but also because they have licensed professional therapists and physicians on staff, including one of the only triple certified psychiatrists in the state...Dr. Anton Surja. The majority of patients, who come to RenuYou would like to be independent of pharmacueticals or at least see them reduced or better

managed, so having a psychiatrist on staff to help with that, puts RenuYou at the top of their industry. They are also certified brain health coaches with renowned neuroscientist Dr. Daniel Amen.

It is possible to retrain the brain with RenuYou Neurofeedback and effectively treat Anxiety, Depression, ADD/ADHD, Sleep disorders and many other symptoms. In the words of one 15 year old patient who had been cutting herself, “RenuYou Neurofeedback Center saved my life.”

7424 S. Yale, Suite 100 | 918-747-7400 | renuyoutulsa.com

“Renu your brain...Renu your life!”

the face of

OUTDOOR LIVING

TOM’S OUTDOOR LIVING For 14 years, the owners of some of Tulsa’s most beautiful yards have been saying, “I’m with Tom.” Tom’s Outdoor Living provides a range of services designed to help customers get the most from their outdoor spaces. From irrigation, lighting and routine maintenance to full landscape design and complete backyard transformations, Tom Butchko and his experienced team work diligently to help clients maximize their outdoor environment.

Team members have advanced training in environmentally friendly practices, allowing the company to create beauti-

1716 E. Seventh St. | 918-695-1653 | tomsoutdoorliving.com

ful spaces in sustainable ways.

Recently, the company moved into a new office, a change that Butchko is particularly excited about. “We’re not only closer to our midtown clients,” he says, “but we are more centrally located and have plenty of room to quickly get crews all over town. Plus it’s nice to be a stone’s throw from Cabin Boys Brewery and Marshall Brewing Company.”

After all, the Tom’s team knows well that after a day of work, the best reward is relaxation on a patio with friends and loved ones.

the face of

PET BOUTIQUE

DOG DISH Question: Why does a store like Dog Dish devote much of its store space to bags and cans of food for dogs and cats?

Answer: Healthy pets are happier pets.

“We believe good nutrition will improve the quality and longevity of a pet’s life,” says Emily Bollinger, owner of the popular store in Utica Square. “Feeding a pet food with quality ingredients and controlling portion size are proven factors that can extend a dog or cat’s life up to 20 percent.

And proper nutrition can prevent common ailments such as ear infections, allergies and tear stains.”

As a quality standard, Dog Dish sells pet foods that are produced by a family-owned business or a company that

owns and operates its own manufacturing facility. The store offers a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee on all foods.

Dog Dish, now in its 16th year of operation, is also known for its bakery case filled with a large variety of special treats for dogs, plus selections of pet toys, collars, quality beds, accessories and apparel.

“We strive to be a complete store for dog and cat lovers,” added Bollinger. “The favorite parts of my job are getting to know our customers and their pets, scouting new products that are useful and fun, and educating about healthy dog food and treats.”

1778 Utica Square | 918-624-2600 | thedogdish.com

Emily Bollinger with Spencer in the Utica Square store.

Owner Bob Jandebeur, right, with his son Noah and father Doug — three generations in racing.

the face of

RACING

JANDEBEUR’S MOTOR SPORTS PARK Jandebeur’s Motor Sports Park is a 170-acre facility offering dirt bike rentals, family riding, motocross racing, youth training and used dirt bikes sales. The park hosts youth motocross races twice monthly under the lights and fullclass races once monthly on the main track.

Jandebeur’s is the largest family-oriented motorsports park in the Midwest, boasting five tracks and two trail sections. The park includes areas for beginners and

professionals alike, and can accommodate riders of all ages. The Clubhouse offers in-house facilities, concessions and a service shop. Late-model used bikes and vintage motorcycles are even available for purchase.

“Three generations of our family are delighted to give back to the Tulsa community by operating this popular year-round park,” says Bob Jandebeur, owner. “Families can enjoy the outdoors while riding in a safe environment.”

12701 N. Highway 75, Okmulgee | 918-408-1322 | jteamracing.com

Dr. Stanley Prough and Dr. Shauna McKinney

the face of

REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE

TULSA FERTILITY CENTER With a caring staff, compassionate doctors and a state-of-the art facility, Tulsa Fertility Center specializes in making baby dreams come true. As the only clinic in northeast Oklahoma with a full-service IVF lab, Tulsa Fertility Center is well equipped to handle a variety of fertility needs, all from the comfortable and convenient location near downtown Tulsa.

For many Tulsans with barriers to becoming parents, “hope starts here,” with treatments ranging from intrauterine (a.k.a. “artificial”) insemination, surgery for

115 E. 15th St. | 918-584-2870 | tulsafertilitycenter.com

underlying fertility problems, in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and much more. TFC also offers an egg donor program and postvasectomy fertility treatment.

Since 1983, Dr. Stanley Prough and Dr. Shauna McKinney and their dedicated staff have been passionate about building families. “Our greatest accomplishment is the growing number of families that have achieved pregnancy,” says McKinney. “They were finally able to put infertility behind them.”

McGraw’s honored Top 100 Real Estate Professionals include, back row, left to right: Katy Houchin, David Palik, Gannon Brown (for Carol Brown), Tim Hayes, Bob David, Larry Harral and Mike Keys. Front row: Tonya King (Becky Moore Team), Becky Moore, Sue Ann Blair, Kristin Winton, Debra Adamek, Laura Bryan, Frankie Harkey, Diana Patterson, Caryl Kirtley (Becky Moore Team), Gini Fox and Mimi Sandberg.

Not pictured are: Laura Grunewald, Chris Zinn, Curtis Roberts, Richard Pierce, John Ragan, Judy Stocker, Laura Hawkins and Jacki Crews.

the face of

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE

MCGRAW REALTORS Tulsa-based McGraw Realtors is celebrating 80 years in 2018. And as the top-ranking independent real estate company in Oklahoma, McGraw shows no signs of slowing.

“I am excited that I will see McGraw reach 100 years in my career,” says Bill McCollough, company president. “It is truly rare to see any company succeed in business that long, especially one that stays true to its principles over the years.”

McCollough emphasizes that McGraw, which now has five offices in the Tulsa area, has been built on a commitment to excellence, ethics and high standards.

“The company has always been an industry leader in

4105 S. Rockford Ave. | 918-592-6000 | mcgrawrealtors.com

terms of recruiting and retention, adaptation to technological advances and providing employees with the tools they need to give clients a stress-free and memorable real estate experience,” says McCollough.

“I am honored to be associated with the finest real estate company in Oklahoma,” says founder and partner Joe McGraw. “The contributions of many have made the business successful since our beginning in 1938. I am proud of our culture, which inspires enthusiasm, innovation, devotion and a strong regard for the honor of all.”

the face of

RVS

DAVE’S CLAREMORE RV For almost 40 years, Dave’s RV has been selling new and used RVs in a variety of styles from dozens of brands. It’s not the selection or even the financing that sets Dave’s RV apart: It’s the people.

When Dave and Gloria Pierce started the company, their inventory was small but their dreams were big. They believed if they treated people right, the business would grow. Decades later, the caring culture is still the most important thing at Dave’s RV. The dedicated sales team provides a low-pressure, informative atmosphere, with guidance through the large selection of more than 300 units to find the RV that best

fits each family’s needs, wants and budget. A service staff with years of experience is ready to provide assistance to current and future RV owners.

“We want our customers to feel like part of the family,” says Stephanie Pierce, owner. The Pierces and their team enjoy hearing about all the adventures their customers take, mistakes they’ve made (it takes a few times to remember a full checklist at the campsite) and memories they have made around the campfire. “We are passionate about sharing the RV lifestyle,” says Pierce, who purchased the company from her parents last year, and who is continuing the family legacy.

24655 S. Highway 66, Claremore | 918-341-0114 | davesrv.com

Stephanie, Dave and Gloria Pierce

From left to right: Carlton Robinson and Ken Rudzienski from Windsor Market, Jeff Jackson of Billy Sims and Legendary Q Brands, Jenger Baker of Katy’s Pantry, Kristi White of Howse, Sarah Lawrence of Black Sheep Boutique and Debra Worthington of H2Oasis Float Center and Tea House.

the face of

SHOPPING CENTERS

THE FARM SHOPPING CENTER The Farm Shopping Center is located in the heart of Tulsa, yet it features beautiful, mature trees lining the sidewalks and convenient curbside parking. The Farm was designed and built by prominent Tulsa architect M. Murray McCune in 1971, and is still operated by the same local family 47 years later. The shopping center offers onsite management, maintenance, security and promotions.

“The Farm is a huge supporter of Tulsa and its many local entrepreneurs,” says Patricia McCune Clark, owner. Today, shoppers at The Farm can peruse boutiques offering everything

from the latest men’s and women’s fashion to outdoor gear to upscale art and home decor. Guests can also dine at a variety of amazing restaurants, or pick up a treat from one of the local bakeries. Another draw is the state-of-the art float center and teahouse, offering the ultimate in relaxation.

The Farm also plays host to a weekly Farmer’s Market, as well as other seasonal events throughout the year.

“We believe in giving back to the community by hosting many charitable happenings such as blood donation events, food drives and countless animal adoption events,” says Clark.

51st and Sheridan | 918-622-3860 | farmshoppingcenter.com

Robert Butler and Jason Hadrava

the face of

TITLE AND ESCROW

TITAN TITLE AND CLOSING Titan Title and Closing is a full-service escrow company offering a comprehensive suite of services that include residential closings, commercial closings, refinance and 1031 exchange.

Titan’s knowledgeable and experienced staff is poised to help clients with any need or question. “We’ve proudly built our team upon five pillars,” says co-owner Robert Butler.

“Those pillars are: Integrity, experience, employees, focus

and service.”

As a full-service escrow company in Oklahoma, Titan combines an expert team with innovative technology solutions to offer its clients peace of mind. They can rest assured that their escrow transaction will be completed quickly and accurately, regardless of its type. “We are committed to offering our clients the most comprehensive suite of services available,” says co-owner Jason Hadrava.

Jenks: 110 E. A St. | 918-299-2300 Owasso: 9455 N. Owasso Expwy | 918-376-4600

Broken Arrow: 2422 W. New Orleans St. | 918-893-6992 titantitleok.com

George Foldesy, Matt Farris, and Chris Hamm

the face of

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

COMMERCE TRUST COMPANY Since 1906, Commerce Trust Company, a division of Commerce Bank, has been the leading provider of investment management, financial planning, trust and private banking services.

With Commerce Trust Company, clients feel confident and secure about their family’s future. A customized investment portfolio starts with a conversation about the client’s goals and follows with objective advice and recommendations suited to their family’s needs.

“We take a full-service approach to wealth management

and simplify their complex financial life,” says Matt Farris, Senior Vice President. “Our proactive team takes the time to understand each client’s personal and financial goals.

We develop a customized plan specific to their wealth management needs and work with them to ensure success.”

Today, Commerce Trust Company administers more than $48 billion, and serves clients in all 50 states and 25 countries. Commerce Trust Company offers a comprehensive approach to wealth management, a dedicated team of specialists and a strong fiduciary relationship with its clients.

5314 S. Yale Ave., Suite 606 | 918-477-3610 | commercetrustcompany.com

Kim and Scott Burnett

the face of

WINDOWS

BURNETT WINDOWS AND SIDING Now in its 40th year of business, Burnett Windows and Siding has always strived for excellence in customer service and craftsmanship in the areas of siding, window replacement, debris-free gutters and entry doors. The company has exclusive products that represent the best in the industry.

In addition to winning awards for its showroom, Burnett has received the Angie’s List Super Service Award for the past seven years and the Torch Award for excellence and integrity from the Better Business Bureau (in addition to an A+ rating).

11202 E. 61st St. | 918-286-7600 | burnettinc.com

The team at Burnett truly believes that to serve its customers well means listening to their needs and desires for their home and bringing that vision into reality without hassles and surprises. That’s why the company has served more than 31,000 happy customers who know all they have to do is “Call Scott” to get the job done right.

The driving force behind Burnett Windows and Siding is a passion to serve. The company is called to serve its customers, one another and the community. For many years, Burnett has partnered with the Little Light House, Pathways and John 3:16, among others, to support the Tulsa community.

The team at Ranch Acres—comprising over 100 years of experience—includes, front row, store owner Mary Stewart, Emily Stewart, Truman and Todd Wofford. Back row, Damon Daniel, Clark Lipotich, Steve Hebard and Cody Greene.

the face of

WINE & SPIRITS

RANCH ACRES WINE & SPIRITS Since prohibition was repealed in Oklahoma in late 1959, Ranch Acres Wine & Spirits has been in continuous operation at the original location in the Ranch Acres Shopping Center.

Owned today by Mary Stewart, the store is well known for its wide variety of wines, beers and spirits, and excellent customer service offered by a friendly and knowledgeable staff. A recent remodel has given the 58-year-old business an updated look.

3324 E. 31st St., Suite A | 918-747-1171 | ranchacreswine.com

“We specialize in pairing wines and helping our customers put together dinners, parties and celebrations,” says Stewart. “We also take pride in our recently expanded beer and spirit selection.”

Throughout the year, Ranch Acres hosts many events, allowing local brokers to feature their products. Customers are encouraged to sign up for the store’s email newsletter to learn about special happenings and receive discount coupons.

THANKS

To Our Supporters & Participants In the 38th Annual

Tom Boyd CF Golf Classic Cedar Ridge Country Club PRESENTING SPONSORS Rita and David Adams Anonymous in Memory of Lo Detrich Berendsen Fluid Power Inc Andrea and John Boyd in memory of Jean, Tom and Chris Boyd Breeze Investments, LLC – Mary and Jim Bush CMark Resources, LLC – Cinda and Mark Marra The Jack Richardson Foundation Jeff Galvin Family – In Honor of Grace Galvin MESA Jill and Robert Thomas Susan and William Thomas The Don Thornton Auto Group TulsaPeople The Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation LUNCH AND DINNER SPONSORS Red Rock Canyon Grill – Lunch TiAmo Restaurant – Dinner SNACKS ON COURSE Coney I-Lander TOURNAMENT SPONSORS Executive AirShare Matrix Service Company Pam and Mickey Meimerstorf WPX Energy GOLF SPONSORS Bank of Oklahoma BlueStone Natural Resources The Buland Team at Merrill Lynch Burton Family Trust Terry and Don Detrich Green Country Interiors Oklahoma Capital Bank In Honor of Sara Sheehan Saks Fifth Avenue Williford Resources HOLE SPONSORS Venture Properties Warburton Capital Management

AUCTION DONORS Mary and Jim Bush Cedar Ridge Country Club Charleston’s Flying Tee Forest Ridge Golf Club Hesselbein Tires Inc. Jeannine and Rob Irwin Mahogany Grill Cinda and Mark Marra Mohawk Park Golf Dave Muller Old Village Wine & Spirits Page Belcher Golf Club Red Rock Canyon Grill Betty Robinson Savoy Ultimate Golf Experience Ultimate Ski Upper Crust Pizza EVENT CONTRIBUTORS Anheuser-Busch Carter Family Orthodontics Coney I-Lander Scott Jergensen Sue and Gary Jergensen Ben E. Keith The Don Thornton Auto Group Mabrey Bank QuikTrip Corporation Red Rock Canyon Grill Ti Amo Ristorante TulsaPeople Magazine Verizon WPX Energy CHAIRS Mark Marra – Honorary Chair and National Ultimate Golf Chair Mark Sheehan – Golf Chair Jo Ann Winn – Executive Director

L to R: Mark Marra, Honorary Chair; Mark Sheehan, Chair; Tim Williams of Don Thornton Auto Group and Ryan Harper – Emcee.

June 14, 2018 Congratulations and Thank You, Tulsa!

The Tom Boyd Memorial Cystic Fibrosis Golf Classic once again had a very successful event, raising $200,000 for CF this year! That brings the fourteen-year total net proceeds raised to $2,660,000! This is an outstanding accomplishment for a local charity golf tournament and is due to the generosity of our many sponsors, participants and donors.

All involved with the tournament have contributed to this fundraising success. It is impossible to thank everyone, but some people and organizations deserve to be singled out. Special thanks go to Mark Marra, honorary chair, the committee and of course the indomitable Jo Ann Winn. Red Rock Canyon Grill and Ti Amo Restaurant have continuously and graciously provided lunch and dinner. Barbara and Don Thornton and David Litzinger of The Don Thornton Auto Group gave the tournament a big boost when they came on board many years ago and have contributed some outstanding auction prizes as well as their other support. David Bryan, Cleve Stubblefield and the entire staff of Cedar Ridge Country Club have always done an outstanding job hosting the event. And, of course, the tireless efforts of Jo Ann Winn, her staff and the many volunteers of the Sooner Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation have been the catalyst to making this golf tournament one of the most successful small market golf events in the nation.

I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to everyone who has ever been a sponsor, participant or volunteer for this tournament, and I look forward to seeing everyone in the years to come. As many of you know, this is a very personal effort for me as my daughter Sara has CF, so it is difficult for me to put into words the gratitude I feel towards everyone who has supported this tournament and the CF Foundation in general. I am continuously amazed at the generosity of the people in Tulsa!

Sincerely, Mark Sheehan Chairman, CF Golf Classic

The Sooner Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is located at 2642 E. 21st St. in Tulsa. If you would like information on next year’s Tom Boyd Memorial Golf Classic or the work of the CF Foundation, please call 918-744-6354.

T R AV E L + H O M E + T R E N D S SESTO MEUCCI “EIRLYS,” $150

VANELI SPORT “ODELET,” $150

BEST FOOT FORWARD

VANELI “CALYX,” $150

VANELI SPORT “ODAR,” $150

Summer footwear is now as comfortable as it is stylish.

BY KENDALL BARROW

ALL FROM MARMI, 1718 UTICA SQUARE

VANELI “CADENA,” $150

SESTO MEUCCI “SYLKE,” $170

TulsaPeople.com

109

STOREFRONT Spinster Sisters Co. Made with simple and recognizable ingredients, these bath products are all-natural and handmade in Golden, Colorado. $5-$11.

Rachel Brimer

Kid’s books Pop-ups, classics and sticker books are great for summer reading and crafts. $10-$25.

Finchberry soaps These artisan handmade soaps provide a lush and gentle lather. $9.

Mary Meyer plush From the jungle to the sea, these classic stuffed animals are machine-washable. $13-$40.

That’s a wrap BOXWORKS OFFERS MORE THAN JUST GIFT-WRAPPING.

BY LAURA DENNIS

W

hen you finish wrapping a gift, is it a tangle of tape, a series of jagged seams and a debacle of bulging, uneven corners? If so, there is help: Boxworks.

Since it opened in 1991, the Utica Square store has provided its professional gift-wrapping and on-site shipping services via UPS or FedEx. The late Theresa Parker brought the Chicago-based franchise to Tulsa. Today it’s the only location remaining; Parker bought the rights to the name and kept the Tulsa store open.

Boxworks has always had a wide variety of gifts, too. “We have a lot of brands that other stores don’t usually carry,” says storeowner Rachel Brimer, who bought the shop in March 2016 from Kara Martin, Parker’s stepdaughter who owned it for 11 years.

Its children’s items include stuffed toys, books, school supplies, craft items and retro toys, Brimer says.

110

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

Brimer says she also wants to focus on stocking the store with one-of-a-kind pieces. “We seldom order the same thing twice,” she says.

“My goal is to provide our clients with new and unique products that can’t be found anywhere else in Tulsa.”

Ultimately, Brimer credits the success of Boxworks to its gift-wrapping and shipping services. “We are the only place in Tulsa that offers seamless gift-wrapping on such a professional level,” she says. TP

Boxworks 1956 UTICA SQUARE | 918-749-3475 FACEBOOK.COM/BOXWORKS1 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Saturday

Blue Q socks Sassy and quirky socks made for comfort and long-lasting durability. $10.

Retro toys Timeless toys, like this Fisher-Price camera, give an air of nostalgia and are great gifts for kids and adults. $20.

THE NEW 2018 IS ONLINE!

PRE SEN TED BY

The A-LIST Directory features Tulsa’s BEST businesses in 100 categories!

How do you describe a commercial cleaning company that has been in business for 32 years in 1 word?

Blessed.

Here’s to the next 32 years!

S AV E T HE D AT E

2018 CATTLE BARONS’ BALL FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST, 2018 CHRISTIANSEN AVIATION • JONES RIVERSIDE AIRPORT • 8605 S ELWOOD AVE Live Entertainment starring American Idol's David Cook, food provided by top local restaurants, western-themed activities, silent and live auctions, and FUN! For more information and tickets: 918-477-5415 TulsaCattleBaronsBall.com

918.663.1919 final touch cleaning.com Sc h o o l s • Me di c a l F a c i l i t i e s • I n d ust r i al & Offi ce

TulsaPeople.com

111

BEYOND CITY LIMITS

Tallgrass Prairie Preserve

Destination: Pawhuska SHOP, DINE AND RELAX IN THE OSAGE COUNTY CAPITAL. STORY AND PHOTO BY RHYS MARTIN

P

awhuska holds a lot of personal memories for me.

My grandfather ran a grocery store in town for years before he had a meat processing business in the country. My uncle has owned and operated Hometown Appliance on Kihekah Avenue for more than 20 years, and several of my late family members are buried in the hillside cemetery on West Avenue.

I watched as the town faded through the ’90s and early 2000s and rejoiced when a period of renaissance began in recent years. If you haven’t been to Pawhuska in a while, you should really take the drive into Osage County and see what you’re missing.

The centerpiece of the city’s revitalization is the Pioneer Woman Mercantile, Ree Drummond’s retail shop and restaurant at the corner of East Main Street and Kihekah Avenue.

The brick building has been lovingly restored and is always busy. You’ll see license plates from all across the country on cars parked around the Merc.

112

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

If you’re hungry and the line is just too long at Drummond’s eatery, the nearby Grill 125 also is an excellent place to get a bite.

Take some time to walk around downtown and visit the growing number of local shops and art galleries. The Triangle Building, long the centerpiece of downtown P-Town, is currently undergoing renovations with several surrounding businesses following suit.

In addition to food and shopping, there are two nearby museums that speak to several aspects of the town’s history.

The Osage County Historical Society Museum gives a good overview of the region’s cultural heritage, such as Pawhuska being the site of the first Boy Scout troop in America. The Osage Nation Museum, up on the hill near the picturesque courthouse, focuses on the Osage people themselves and the rich Native American history of the area.

If you’re in Pawhuska on July 17, the Cavalcade Street Dance will take over the area surrounding

the Triangle Building with live music and a street party.

The real gem of Osage County, however, is 15 miles to the north. The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is just shy of 40,000 acres, making it the largest protected area of tallgrass prairie in the world. The preserve boasts a bison herd of 2,500 and is home to an array of wildlife and wildflower varieties.

When you look at the expanse of land that stretches out, seemingly forever, it’s easy to visualize covered wagons and frontiersmen on horseback. Several hiking trails allow visitors to take in the surroundings in relative solitude. There’s also a gift shop and visitor’s center in the center of the prairie that are worth a stop (open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily during the spring and summer only.).

Before heading back to Tulsa, check out the Swinging Bridge on your way back through Pawhuska. It’s on Kihekah Avenue, just south of Main Street. Since 1926, folks have used it to get from one side of Bird Creek to another. TP

SPRING into SUMMER Father’s Celebration featuring Native Creativity JUNE 16

Children’s Festival featuring Chipota Films JUNE 23

Holba’ Pisachi’ Native Film Festival

presented by

JULY 14

EXHIBITS & ADVENTURE Two new exhibits headline a new season of festivities and activities. Enjoy Stomp Dance demonstrations and Stickball. Tour the Butterfly, Spiral and Village Gardens. Join us!

Through Sept. 2: The famous Chickasaw performer and cultural treasure.

Sculpting Cultures:

Southeast and Southwest Native Pottery Exhibit through Sept. 2.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 31

7 pm • Wine Dinner “Under the Tent” with Multiphonic Funk

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1

3 pm • Gate Opens 3-10 pm • Wineries & Food Vendors 4-10:30 pm • Music featuring Grady

Nichols with Leigh Nash of Sixpence None the Richer, and others!

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2

10 am-1 pm • Champagne Brunch

Chick a s aw C ul t ur a lC en t er.c om S ulphur, OK 580-622-7130

TICKETS AND PACKAGES:

POSTOAKLODGE.COM • 918-425-2112 TulsaPeople.com

113

BY DES 114

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

HOME

S

SIGN AN ARCHITECT/BUILDER’S HOME OFFICE TELLS HIS STORY.

BY ANNE BROCKMAN

tep inside Dorian Kurin’s home office, and it’s like stepping into a collection of the architect and builder’s favorite things. They all tell a story.

Like his memorable hunting trip to Camp Wood, Texas, for the Axis deer now mounted above the fireplace. Or the propeller blade from a Japanese kamikaze that struck his father’s ship at the Battle of Okinawa.

A file cabinet holds architectural sketches and was bought off an old boss and friend from Sapulpa.

These items, like many that fill the Kurins’ south Tulsa home, have history.

Dorian and his wife, Deborah, moved into the 4,200-square-foot home a year and a half ago.

Dorian designed and built the structure, which sits high on a hill. “The lots out here are different shapes because of the slope and provide for no ordinary space,” he says. “The lot drove the shape of the structure.”

Dorian has officed at home for more than two decades. At his previous residence, which his family lived in for 25 years, he worked out of space on the second floor. His office now takes up all of his new home’s lower level.

“I wanted tall ceilings, which the lot provides, with downstairs access through the two-car garage,” he says. A separate work/living environment was a request by his wife. She wanted Dorian’s work/home life to be separate and for client and contractor meetings to be outside of the family space.

Concrete walls and floors allow for both cool and warm comfort; Dorian says they are a constant 55 degrees throughout the year. The southeastfacing windows and transoms along the top of the wall provide natural lighting and help mitigate heat.

Along with being his office, where he can meet clients around a conference table, work on the computer or utilize his drafting table, the room has the ability to turn into a guest room or entertaining space.

Outfitted with a full bathroom, the office was designed to be wheelchair accessible with wide doorways, outdoor access and close proximity to the home’s elevator. While the Kurins don’t need that now, who knows what the future holds.

Wooden accents are found throughout the work and living spaces. All the doors, including the elevator doors, are made of teak. Some feature Mexican panels dating back 125 years. Countertops in the office wetbar and upstairs kitchen are made of walnut and inlayed with turquoise. The office’s timber beams were salvaged from an old semi-truck mechanic’s shop.

These elements, along with the natural aesthetics and Native American art throughout the home, tell Dorian Kurin’s story. TP TulsaPeople.com

115

HEALTH

es

PRESENTING

the Kitchen oa B A TOWEL

SUMMER SAFETY TIPS ENSURE CHILDREN’S WATER ACTIVITIES REMAIN FUN AND SAFE.

AT YOUR FINGERTIPS!

BY RYAN CASS

NEW LOCATION | 3541 S. Harvard Ave, Tulsa, OK | 918-712-8785

d Custom Picture Framing d Fine Art d Home Accessories 6 N. LEWIS d 918.584.2217 d ZIEGLERART.COM 116

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

A

s a kid, nothing was more satisfying than being out of school for three months during the summer. Water activities were a top priority for having fun outdoors while staying cool.

For many parents, a public pool or splash pad is a convenient and inexpensive way for their children to have water-related fun. However, these places are often overcrowded, making it easy to lose track of a child in mere seconds.

According to the Red Cross, a few vital steps should be taken to ensure the health and safety of your child this summer: • Make sure your child is enrolled in, or has completed, ageappropriate swim lessons. “The No. 1 cause of accidental death in the United States for children ages 1-4 is drowning,” says Joe Colvin, executive director of the Northeast Oklahoma Chapter of the American Red Cross. “When you teach your child how to swim, you give them a lifeguard for the rest of their life.”

• Create a set of rules for your child when you go on a family outing to the splash pad or pool. These rules could forbid kids from playing near drains or from holding their breath for too long underwater.

• Always use caution; never allow children to swim alone.

Want to take your preparation to the next step? The Red Cross has developed some safety apps, available at the App Store: • The First Aid App provides instant access to the most common first aid emergencies and explains how to respond.

• The Swim App provides tips on drowning prevention and a list of emergency response information.

Taking the proper precautions this summer is the first step to ensuring your children are creating lifelong memories. TP

Oklahoma O Ok klaaho h ma ma JJoe’s ooee’s ’s PPager ager ag e H er Hall all 6611stst & Sheridan al She herriidan dan da

6175 6 175 E. E. 61 61sstt ST. ST.

JOIN US AT OKLAHOMA JOE’S ON JULY 15 FROM 1P-3P THE FIRST 500 PEOPLE TO

$10 DONATE FOOD FOR KIDS BACKPACK PROGRAM TO THE

GETS A PLATE OF BBQ

ENTER E NTER A DRAWING DRAWING F FOR OR A C CHANCE HANCE T TO OW WIN IN A 110 0P PERSON ERSON CATERED MEAL MEAL FROM FROM OKLAHOMA OKL AHOMA JOE’S JOE’S BAR-B-CUE. BAR-B-CUE. CATERED

ENJOY E NJOY GREAT GREAT M MUSIC USIC BY

BY JAMES JAMES ROBERT ROBERT W WEBB EBB A AND ND B BBQ BQ WHILE BACK AND SUPPORTING FOOD FOR KIDS. WHILE GIVING GIVING B ACK A ND S UPPORTING F OOD F OR K IDS.

okj okjoes.com k oes.com m

*benefitting the Food For Kids Backpack program

www.TraversMahanApparel.com South Lewis at 81st • The Plaza • 918-296-4100

SPECIAL SAVINGS GOING ON NOW

CASTLEBERRY’S AN AUTHORIZED ETHAN ALLEN RETAILER TULSA 6006 SOUTH SHERIDAN 918.496.3073 Ask a designer or visit ethanallen.com for details.

Sale going on for a limited time. ©2018 Ethan Allen Global, Inc.

TulsaPeople.com

117

MUSINGS

LET’S ALL KICK BACK

BY CONNIE CRONLEY

I

’m embarrassed to say that “The Art of the Wasted Day” is on my to-read list. Not embarrassed that I want to read it, but discomfited that I have a to-read list. That’s because author Patricia Hampl derides to-do lists in this book. She puts it more poetically, describing a todo list as “a scrum of tasks jittering down the day.”

As an older woman looking back at her life, she wonders how she spent so much time “awash in the brackish flotsam of endeavor, failure and success, responsibility and reward.” She is especially troubled by the “foolish vanity” of work and how we get caught up busying ourselves through the days.

This has led her to see time as a precious — and limited — commodity. What she wants to do, especially now that she is older, is waste some time, lazing in daydreaming, abandon and tranquility.

Good advice, but who has the time, right?

That’s the point. I like this quote by author Annie Dillard: “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our life.” And I like the late Wilma Mankiller’s native wisdom that happiness comes from a life in balance.

One recent Saturday afternoon I saw that a little girl had set up a lemonade stand in a neighborhood park. Wise little girl. She knows that play is

118

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

thirsty work. Sadly, we often make play hard work.

When I told a woman how much I like Oklahoma sunsets, she said I should make that my special time of day. “Look at the sunset and let it remind you that God loves you.” I try to do that every day: Take a few minutes to admire our spectacular sunsets — some days as pastel as a nursery, other days as red and gold as a Victorian bordello.

Oklahoma sunsets have so much variety and color, I need a color wheel to identify all the shades. Oops. There I go again, making work out of something as simple as looking at the sunset.

A really effective alarm clock, someone said, would have the sound of a dog about to vomit. We would hear that and leap out of bed on full alert.

Sad that we need alarm clocks, but we do because most of us are so over worked and over scheduled that we are sleep deprived.

One thing so appealing about historical English movies is the idealistic scene of people drowsing in hammocks, drinking lemonade on a great lawn or playing a casual game of croquet. “The two most beautiful words in the English language,” Henry James said, are “summer afternoon.”

Of course, Mr. James did not live in Oklahoma in July. Or August or September. Beautiful, yes; verdant with bountiful gardens, joyful

with vacations, outdoor sports and outings to the park, but also laden with outdoor chores in the heat, the heat, oh God, the heat.

July is a great time to slow down and putter.

Puttering is a luxury. The verb putter (not the golf club) means to doodle, fiddle, fritter, poke and tinker. Puttering means to move slowly from task to task, and then be surprised at how much can be accomplished without fierce energy.

Health professionals tell us that play and creative activity are good for our physical health, our relationships and our emotional well-being. Not always competitive play, just joyful, pleasurable activities. And yet, it’s not as easy as it sounds. It can be hard when an active work and family life slams into lots of leisure time. I know people who died of retirement.

An authority with the National Museum of Play — who knew there was such a thing? — says that play can be as easy as talking to your dog.

All my dog Zeke wants to talk about is squirrels, and we exhaust that subject by breakfast.

Bucky is more sensitive, and talking about current events distresses him.

“Bucky,” I said, “how about a playful walk?”

“Too hot,” he said. “Let’s take a nap instead.”

“Good idea.” And so we did. TP

Serious Child Custody and Divorce Cases 427 S. BOSTON AVE., SUITE 320 800-409-1915 ALLENGARRETT.COM

JAMES W. FEAMSTER III

JASON M. LILE

A

R

1 3

T

H

T

A

EROKE

T

H

ALEXANDRA N. MASTERS

E

C

AMBER PECKIO GARRETT

MARK

N

E

N

U

A

L

CHEROKEE ART MARKET OCTOBER 1 3 & 1 4

Sequoyah Convention Center at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa CherokeeArtMarket.com

|

(877) 779-6977 Bill Glass Jr. - “The Discussion Revolves” (sculpture) Best of Class

© 2018 Cherokee Nation Businesses. All Rights Reserved.

TulsaPeople.com

119

BUSINESS NEWS

WILBURN HONORED WITH ADDY

Linda Burnett, Sara Lewandowski, Tom Burke and Trish Upshaw

DEDICATED TEAM AT RH91 In life, we want to do our best with every situation we face. One opportunity we all have is to better ourselves through fitness and nutrition, as well as living an all-around healthier lifestyle. But challenges arise when one wants to get in better shape, from not knowing where to start, to having questions like, “What is a healthy diet?” RH91 has been serving the community and providing answers to questions like these for more than 18 years.

“At RH91, we pride ourselves in being well-equipped to help anyone with any health and wellness situation,” says Jarin Watkins, Tucker Tennis Academy fitness director.

“From personalized workout guides, to fully detailed nutrition plans, our fitness team has over 35 years of experience in helping people reach their fitness goals. Whether you are a full-time athlete looking to reach the next level, or a stay-at-home mom wanting to increase your energy levels for the kids, our trainers can get you there.”

Every gym offers personal training, but the caliber of trainers all depends on one thing: dedication. The RH91 team has the dedication and the desire to see their clients reach their goals in the gym. They understand that a healthier life means more than just looking better. RH91 team members make the choice daily to help guide clients in achieving both short-term and long-term goals.

RH91 is located at 3030 E. 91st St. Visit rah91.com for more information.

120

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

The Rotary Club of Tulsa Foundation recently awarded $68,000 in community grants to four local nonprofits. From left, Mike Homan, Rotary Club of Tulsa president, 2017-18; Karen Streeter, South Tulsa Community House; Frances Jordan, Greenwood Cultural Center; Heidi Park and Tiffany Egdorf, Lindsey House; and Johnny Buschardt, New Hope Oklahoma. Each organization received $17,000. Funds from the foundation, which was created in 1972 by then-club President Allan Edwards II, are generated from the club’s signature event, the Henry P. Iba Athlete Awards, which was June 18.

BENEFIT TO HELP FEED AREA CHILDREN

Eileen Bradshaw and Paige and Joe Davidson

Oklahoma Joe’s Bar-B-Cue is asking Tulsans to help fight summer hunger by supporting a July 15 benefit to raise up to $5,000 to support the Food for Kids program — including Backpack for Kids — of the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.

The Tulsa-based restaurant company is inviting 500 people to donate $10 and enjoy a delicious barbecue dinner. Oklahoma Joe’s will donate 100 percent of the proceeds to the Food for Kids program. The festive event — featuring music by James Robert Webb — will be in Oklahoma Joe’s Pager Hall, 6175 E. 61st St., from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday, July 15.

“Oklahoma Joe’s has always believed in being a great corporate citizen, supporting groups which align with our values,” says Joe Davidson, owner of Oklahoma Joe’s. “Food for Kids’ Backpack for Kids is an exact alignment of those values.”

The Food Bank’s Food For Kids program provides meals to students 18 and under over the summer when school is not in session. During the school year, Backpack for Kids provides elementary school children with a backpack filled with nutritious, kid-friendly, shelf-stable food. Last year, the program served more than 24,000 students attending 500 schools.

“This event is such a generous opportunity from Oklahoma Joe’s,” says Eileen Bradshaw, executive director of the Community Food Bank. “We hope Tulsans will come enjoy a wonderful barbecue meal and simultaneously feed hungry children through our Food for Kids program.”

Event attendees can enter the drawing to win a 10-person catered meal from Oklahoma Joe’s Bar-B-Cue. Partners in the Oklahoma Joe’s Food For Kids event are InHouse Advertising, News On 6, iHeart Media and TulsaPeople Magazine.

COURTESY; OKLAHOMA JOE’S: GREG BOLLINGER

Longtime Tulsa advertising and marketing executive Jim Wilburn received the coveted Silver Addy award in June.

Wilburn, who is the general manager of Major League Fishing, received the honor at a dinner at Tulsa Country Club.

He is the 57th Silver Addy honoree. The award originated from the Tulsa Advertising Federation, but in recent years the selection and dinner event have been managed by past Silver Addy recipients.

The award is given “to recognize men and women who have made outstanding contributions to advertising, who have creative excellence, maintained industry’s standards and who have addressed social concerns,” says Charles Halliburton, who presented the award. Halliburton was last year’s honoree.

Wilburn graduated from the University of Tulsa and became the top sales performer for local ABC affiliate KTUL. In 1981 he left KTUL and co-founded Winner Communications, which led to a storied career producing nearly 50 percent of ESPN’s outdoors programming. During that span he received 13 Emmy awards and two Eclipse awards.

TULSAPEOPLE.COM

GIVEAWAYS Visit TulsaPeople.com to register for our ESCAPE THE HEAT PACKAGE!

Cool off with our $200 July package which includes gift cards for Ihloff Salon & Day Spa and Molly’s Landing!

“If I were to describe Tulsa in one sentence: you’re able to live to your maximum potential here.”

Dr. Gerry Clancy President, The University of Tulsa MEMBER SINCE 1979

Register by July 31!

YOUR PARTNER IN PROSPERITY tulsachamber.com/partnersinprosperity tulsachamber.com/partnersinprosperity

IS FLYING BACK TO TULSA THIS SEPTEMBER!

The multi Tony Award®-winning Broadway hit will make its way to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center September 5-23!

The September issue of INTERMISSION Magazine will provide a great opportunity to communicate your advertising message to 50,000* Tulsa and regional theatregoers who will flock to the PAC to catch one of the 24 performances!

For information about advertising in this special issue of INTERMISSION, contact Rita Kirk at 918-230-5624 or email rita@langdonpublishing.com.

Published by Langdon Publishing Company

*Estimated print quantity for September issue which will also be distributed at 5 additional shows in September.

TulsaPeople.com

121

QA &

For information about participating in Q&A, please contact adservices@langdonpublishing.com.

From Tulsa Professionals

BEAUTY & WEIGHT MANAGEMENT Will you still offer your Christmas in July sale now that you have moved?

Absolutely! This eight-year tradition helps existing and new patients purchase their favorite products even when money and time is tight. It’s back this July, and better than ever. This year’s features include Botox, Coolsculpting, Permanent Makeup, HCG, B-Complex injections, BHRT (bio-identical hormone replacement therapy), NovaThreads and laser services. All varieties of dermal fillers are also on special. Plus, enjoy unlimited pre-purchasing and gift cards available from $50$5,000. Schedule a complimentary consultation at 918-872-9999

IMPLANT DENTISTRY Why is a dental implant the best replacement for a missing tooth?

The most common ways to replace a missing tooth are a cemented bridge and a dental implant. A bridge requires the adjacent teeth to be drilled down, even if they are healthy, to support the bridge. A dental implant is self-supporting and does not involve any other teeth. Implants look, feel and function just like a natural tooth. A dental implant is the most conservative and successful method of tooth replacement. I am Tulsa’s only board-certified dental implantologist. Call today for more information.

Malissa Spacek and Dr. James Campbell

Terry Rigdon, DDS

BA Med Spa & Weight Loss Center 500 S. Elm Place • Broken Arrow, OK 74012 918-872-9999 • www.baweightspa.com

Rigdon Dental & Associates 10010 E. 81st St., Ste. #200 • Tulsa, OK 74133 918.994.6376 • tulsaimplantdentist.com

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

VETERINARIAN

I’m 64 and I lost my job. What are my health insurance options?

My dog has allergies. Should I feed a grain-free diet?

You may be able to keep your job-based health plan under federal law through COBRA continuation coverage for a limited time (usually 18 months). You pay the full premium plus a small administrative fee.

Otherwise, consider a plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

Losing job-based coverage, no matter the terms for leaving employment, qualifies you for a Special Enrollment Period. Marketplace plans are put into five benefit categories: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Catastrophic.

Most canine allergies are triggered by environmental allergens such as pollens, mold and even fleas. However, we do occasionally see dogs who are allergic to something in their diet. The most common ingredients to cause allergies in dogs are beef, chicken and dairy. Allergies to corn, grains and gluten are actually very rare in dogs and eliminating them from the diet has no known benefit. Trying a dog food with a different protein source such as duck or fish can sometimes help dogs with food allergies but often a prescription diet with hydrolyzed proteins is the best thing.

122

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

J. Harvie Roe, CFP, President

Dr. Kara Herrington

AmeriTrust Investment Advisors, Inc. 4506 S. Harvard Ave. • Tulsa, OK 74135 918-610-8080 • hroe@amerad.com

15th Street Veterinary Group 6231 E. 15th St. • Tulsa, OK 74112 918-835-2336 • www.15thstreetvet.com

“WE WANTED THEM TO KNOW THAT

HAVE YOU HEARD GIVING BACK TO OTHERS

YOUR LEGACY MATTERS? WAS IMPORTANT TO US.” The Stokes family took advantage of Legacy Tulsa and its services after seeing several different families in the community participate. Through a Legacy Partner organization, Kyron and Brittany Stokes were able to care for their daughters’ futures and give to organizations they most passionately support - passing the legacy of giving to their children.

“We are a young-family and for Kyron and I it was important that we had a plan in place that would ensure the love and care we wanted for our children if we were to pass away. The thought of something happening to us is something we hated to even think about, but not having a plan was never an option. Through this process – we realized that we not only were able to estable a plan for our children and how finances would be managed; but we were able to teach our children that giving to others and meeting the needs of hurting people was important to us!” said Brittany Stokes.

There is not a better time than now to join Legacy Tulsa. This movement is designed for people just like you to make a charitable gift that helps care for you, your family, and the organizations you passionately support.

To learn more about the charities participating in the future of Tulsa and how to impact the next generation visit www.LegacyTulsa.com

LEARN MORE ABOUT LEGACY GIVING AT

LEGACYTULSA.ORG Discover the many types of “planned gifts” that can be made to the organization(s) you value in the community.

McGraw Realtors

LUXURY PROPERT Y GROUP

TIM HAYES

918-231-5637

thayes@mcgrawok.com

SHERRI SANDERS

918-724-5008

ssanders@mcgrawok.com

A T M C G R AW R E A L T O R S

Call any of the Luxury Property Group Realtors about one of these homes, or any property that you have an interest in.

We will provide you with superior personal service with the highest integrity.

GORDON SHELTON

DIANA PATTERSON

918-697-2742

918-629-3717

gshelton@mcgrawok.com

dpatterson@mcgrawok.com

26 ACRE ESTATE 5412 E. Princeton Street, BAImpeccably maintained private gated Estate on 26+ acres. Attention to every detail. Breathtaking grounds with manicured gardens. All bedrooms with private baths. Two master suites down. Too many rooms & amenities to list. Infinity pool & spa. Sprawling pond with water feature. 2 heated & cooled Outbuildings, 4 Paddocks, & Greenhouse. $4,495,000

FIVE ACRE WOODS 4821 E. 99th St. - Updated home wth Transitional finishes on .68 acres. Formals and study. Gorgeous hardwoods, beams, vaults. Great room opens to commercial grade kitchen & nook. Master suite with luxurious spa bath. Game room, exercise, 4 beds,3 baths up. Outdoor living with kitchen, fireplace, pool & spa. Located in a small South Tulsa gated neighborhood with 5 homes. Jenks Schools. $1,395,000

THE CLOISTERS

5 ACRE ESTATE

2010 E. 46th Street - Stacked Stone Contemporary home located in a private cul-de-sac. 1st floor master bedroom w/lux bath.

Formals plus den open to gourmet kitchen. Inlaw suite w/private bath. 2 more bedrooms w/bath on north side. Deck overlooks pool/ spa. 3 car garage. $995,000

6845 E 181st Street S - Bixby Newer gated estate with exquisite details thru-out. Located on 5 acres with outdoor living. Fireplace, pool, spa, waterfall, sport court, pond & shop. Chef’s Kitchen, fab master, study, mud room, Safe room, 1st floor Theater. 2 bed down/3 up with gameroom & study niche. Bixby Schools. $1,275,000

THE COVES AT BIRD ISLAND Views, Views, Views, from this well maintained lake home in the Coves!

This 4 BR, 3 BA lakehouse has a new kitchen with 2 ovens, huge island, extra large fridge, all stainless, large game room upstairs, with 2 bedrooms up and 2 down with the spacious living and kitchen area. $699,000

RIVERS EDGE 6511 E 134th Street, Bixby Brand new construction by Stone Creek custom Homes. Kitchen open to family room, eating area off of kitchen. Master suite and a guest bedroom down. Covered patio overlooks pond, vaulted ceilings, 3 car garage. Neighborhood pool.

Gated neighborhood. $549,000

GRAND LAKE Beautiful views from this incredible 3 BR, 3.5 BA contemporary lake home designed by Doug Campbell and located on the Langley Bluff. All finishes are over the top for this one level home. Only one hour away from Tulsa! $525,000

PARRAMORE 1567 E 35th Street - Brookside newer construction. 3 beds with master down. Country kitchen with granite island and breakfast nook opens to vaulted great room with fireplace. Covered patio, private landscaped yard with mature trees. Two bedrooms upstairs with Game Room. Safe room in garage. $525,000

E N J OY T H E LU X U RY L I F E ST Y L E YOU D E SI R E 124

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

McGraw Realtors

The Ballard Team

Judy Ballard 671-4914 jballard@mcgrawok.com

10713 E. 115th Pl, Bixby GREAT CONDITION-BIXBY SCHOOLS-$167,000 Oversized Open Living Area, 3 Bedrooms (split plan), 2 baths, recently updated kitchen. 2 car garage, wonderful condition. Call Judy 918-671-4914

14404 S. Hudson Ave, Bixby OWNER’S LOSS YOUR GAIN-CAN NOT BE REPLACED AT THIS PRICE! $425,000 Custom 34X21’composite deck with kitchen and 2 fire-pits over looks golf course. 2 bedroom down,2up, all with bath access; media room with service kitchen;plus game room up. Walk-in attic storage;split 3 car garage w/built-in custom storage. Crown molding throughout. Call Judy 918-671-4914

10007 S. maplewood Pl,Tulsa CORNER LOT JENKS SOUTHEAST UNDER $200,000!

Open Plan- Contemporary to Traditional, 3 bedrooms (split plan), 2 baths, 2 car. Immaculate condition!! Won’t Last. Call Judy 918-671-4914

3141 E. 86th St, Tulsa COMING SOON-PRICED IN THE $900,000 RANGE Private Security for your own Private Resort Living in the Heart of South Tulsa. 4 Bedrooms 4 Full Baths(Each Bedroom has Bath, 2-1/2 Baths, 2 Living Areas, Game Room/Media Room, Office, Oversized Formal Dining Room, Remodeled Kitchen Opens to Private Pergola, Outdoor Kitchen, Pool, Spa. All Located in Private Back Yard. Call Judy 918-671-4914

Scott Coffman 918-640-1073 - scoffman@mcgrawok.com 3016 E 115TH STREET

13418 S 65th E. PL.

3 BED - 2 FULL, 1 HALF BATH

4 BED - 3 FULL, 1 HALF BATH

Stunning 1 level in gated Waterstone.

Custom built 1 owner built by BMI Construction. Granite & SS kitchen w/large island, hdwds, beautiful moldings & trim. 2 FP’s, 1 in & 1 out.

Newer pool & outdoor kitchen area, hot tub. 3 beds plus study & safe room. Jenks Schools. $639,000.

Backs to wooded area. Majority of living area on first floor. 4th Bed or gameroom up w/full bath.

Hardwoods, granite, huge kitchen w/ galley sink, SS appl & breakfast bar.

Gated neighborhood w/area pool.

Bixby Schools. $465,000.

2943 E. 56TH PLACE 3 BED - 2 FULL, 1 HALF BATH New Listing. One-level Ranch with pool.Open floor plan, 3 bedrooms plus private study, formals and very large master bedroom. Vaulted ceilings. Rear entry 2-car garage.

Gorgeous landscaping. $375,000.

SO

LD

!

3925 S. TRENTON AVE. 3 BED - 1 FULL, 1 HALF BATH Stunning midtown one-level with 3 bedrooms, hardwoods, 2 living one with fireplace, vaulted ceiling, skylight, gas stainless steel range.

Amazing landscaping front and back including a koi pond and mature trees. $339,000.

TulsaPeople.com

125

McGraw Realtors

Mobile: 918.850.2207 Mobile: 918.850.2207

ajacobs@mcgrawok.com ajacobs@mcgrawok.com Allison Allison jacobs jacobs 41054105 S. Rockford ave. tulsa, ok 74105 S. Rockford ave. tulsa, ok 74105

allisonjacobs.com mcgrawrealtors.com mcgrawrealtors.com

56826 S. 560 Road, Rose - Almost 80 acres available with an incredible ranch + home, barn, shop, NEW pool. Pipe fence + automatic gate and barbed wire surround the property. Livestock pens, automatic waterer and horse pens. Close to HW 412.

Gorgeous property! $699,000 MIDTOWN, sold before hitting the market

2513 E. 19th St.- Midtown charm in the best possible way!

3 bedrooms, 2 full baths & 2 -car garage. Hardwoods throughout & updated with granite & marble.

Fireplace in living room. $293,000

232 HAZEL BLVD. Custom contemporary with concrete and bamboo floors, quartz counters and highend appliances. Master suite on first floor w/luxury bath.

Upstairs has gameroom, library, 2 full baths & 3 bedrooms. Serene private patio with waterfall. $849,000 7242 S. GARY AVE.#3B Renovated condo in soughtafter Guierwoods. Leaded glass doors, walnut hardwood floors.

Custom kitchen w/granite, copper vent hood, serving bar & more. Master suite down with spacious bath. 2 BR on 2nd floor each w/private baths. Builtin desk on 2nd floor landing.

Outdoor fireplace. $499,000 126

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

1411 S. St. Louis Ave. Unit A- Open floor plan near Cherry Street. Granite island kitchen opens to great room with fireplace and dining. Beautiful hardwoods. Downtown views. Each bedroom has private bath! $340,000 4004 S. Utica Ave. Remodeled Midtown Ranch style home. 3 large bedrooms with en suite baths. Gorgeous pool & covered patio on large lot! Granite, quartz, hardwoods & plantation shutters. $699,000

4643 S. ATLANTA AVE. Custom 1-story with pool. Open floor plan overlooking pool and patio.

Granite island kitchen opens into den w/fireplace.

Formal living room w/ fireplace, office, formal dining room. 3 bedrooms, 4.5 baths. $625,000 2300 RIVERSIDE DR.#8D 2 bedroom Contemporary condo with balcony surrounding all sides.

Eat-in kitchen. Granite and marble counters in kitchen and bathrooms. Formal living room. Breathtaking views of downtown. $315,000

918.851.4252

mcgrawrealtors.com/patriciarenton facebook.com/prentonmcgrawrealtors

McGraw Realtors

P atricia r enton

RHYNES EVANS Your home. Our commitment.

Andrew: 918-698-7814

Lori: 918-606-3913

arhynes@mcgrawok.com levans@mcgrawok.com

Check out our Facebook Page 36764 Cliff Crest Drive Langley Incredible Langley Bluff lake front. Beautiful full brick home. Close to marinas, shopping, & restaurants.

Just 1 hour m/l to Tulsa. 1 owner custom built 4+ beds w/3+ living areas. Open kitchen w/den & formal dining. Inside views of lake summer & winter. $629,000

Cliff Crest Drive Langley Langley Bluff (2) lakefront & (3) lots on the other side of road. Build your dream home and build your shop on the (3) lots. Close to Tulsa. Ready for development. Utilities available. $350,000

3807 E 64th Place Tulsa Stunning 1 level home in Point South. This 2 owner home was piered at time of construction and has been maintained and updated with high-end finishes. Sunroom could be used as office. 2 patio’s for relaxation. Greenhouse. Wonderful master ensuite. $269,000

211 S Florence Avenue Tulsa Keep w/the old & add a new Kitchen, Bath, Paint, Windows HAVC, in this high-end quality renovated Bungalow just N of TU.Beautiful HW floors. 2-car garage.Bring the grill & enjoy the large covered patio w/family & friends.2nd living area C/B used as office. $164,500

Bovasso & Beal Team Sharna Bovasso

(918) 605-2995 | sbovasso@mcgrawok.com

Dee Ann Beal

(918) 688-5467 | dbeal@mcgrawok.com

US

D TE GA

&G

5310 E. 79th St Beautiful custom built home in gated Holland Lakes.

Incredible chef’s kitchen opens to living area & vaulted breakfast nook. Spacious master + 2 beds down. Gorgeous view of waterfall/creek. 4 car garage with extra parking. Walk to Holland Hall. PRISTINE! $724,000

N OW N DT ATIO I M C LO

5350 E. 27th St. Updated Midtown home w/new granite countertops in kitchen. Washer/Dryer & Stainless fridge stay! 2 remodeled baths. 2 living areas - one could be an office. Nice hardwoods. Master with en suite bath.

Newer windows. Fully fenced yard & neighborhood pool! $184,500

Marsha Hackler

D

ON

EO

G OR

54 Woodward Blvd # 54 Lovely condo home, in private gated community. Open living\ dining with fireplace and wet bar. Bedrooms are ensuite. Delightful balcony & outdoor living areas. Newer mechanicals. Please call for your private tour. $315,000

LL MI

P EK

E

CR

3306 E 96th Place

Enjoy Point South’s walking trails, pool, and tennis courts living in this lovely home with two master suites, two living areas and custom cabinetry. $229,000

6312 E. 96th St Stunning floor to ceiling remodel with designer finishes. Backs to Gated Mill Creek Pond! No expense spared - Gourmet kitchen with large island that opens to great room. Fabulous views of the pond from 2 decks! Wildlife sanctuary in your own backyard. $399,900

T EA AN GR RPL O O FL

2713 S. Aspen Ct., Broken Arrow 2 beds & bath down with double sinks. Vaulted family room with FP & wet bar. Large master with sitting area, en suite bath with 2 walk-in closets & double sinks. Gameroom/2nd living could be 4th bed.

Newer HVAC’s & water heaters. W/D and fridge stay! $158,000

918.260.9455 mhackler@tulsarealtors.com

3817 East 66th Street

Jack Arnold English design with master down, three fireplaces, two car attached garage plus detached two car garage for extra storage. Sits on acre+ lot. $599,000

Quietly going about the business of selling real estate for over 25 years.

TulsaPeople.com

127

TAKE ME BACK

TULSA W HOTEL WITH AN OPERASTAR SUITE

BY JUDY LANGDON 128

TulsaPeople JULY 2018

hen opera star Lily Pons came to town, she stayed in the Bliss Hotel in a fi fthfloor suite named just for her.

The well-known singer with New York City’s Metropolitan Opera was one of many musicians to visit Tulsa often in the 1920s and ’30s. She was a friend of hotel proprietor Charles Bliss and his wife, who herself had a short-lived opera career.

Bliss was an oilman, lawyer and entrepreneur who came to Oklahoma in 1904 to practice law in Muskogee, according to the 2001 book “Tulsa Art Deco” by the Tulsa Foundation of Architecture.

Having owned hotels in Missouri and Kansas, Bliss moved to Tulsa in 1914, founding Bliss Oil and Gas Co. a year later. On Sept. 1, 1928, ground was broken for the 10-story Bliss Hotel at 123 S. Boston Ave., conveniently located near the excavation for the future

Union Train Depot.

The 140-foot-tall beige structure of brick and glazed terra cotta opened May 9, 1929. Each of the 225 rooms had a bathtub, shower and “circulating ice water,” likely a type of hydrotherapy. The hotel also had a restaurant and coffee shop.

Unfortunately, during the Depression the hotel went into receivership in 1933, but with the aid of a $200,000 loan, the Bliss family regained their hotel until 1960.

Not much is known about the Bliss Hotel during the following decade. A Tulsa World article from Aug. 15, 1970, noted the Bliss was purchased by Metro International Corp. of Oklahoma and renamed the Metro Plaza, according to Ian Swärt, archivist and curator of the Tulsa Historical Society and Museum.

But its new life was short-lived because it was demolished in 1973. The BOK Tower stands in its place. TP

TULSA HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND MUSEUM

Pictured in 1950, the Bliss Hotel stood at 123 S. Boston Ave.

Bassett Home Furnishings – Tulsa 4th of July Sale

We do Windows!

10137 East 71st Street • 918.254.6618 bassettfurniture.com • bassettwindowdesigns.com