Business and People Notes January 2019
Broken Arrow Mayor Craig Thurmond, Vice Mayor Scott Eudey and City Councilors Mike Lester and Johnny Parks have been appointed to federal committees by The National League of Cities.
Thurmond was tapped for the Community & Economic Development Committee which is responsible for developing policy positions on issues involving housing, community and economic development, land use, recreation and parks, historic preservation and international competitiveness.
Eudey will serve on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee which develops policy positions on transportation, including planning, funding, safety and security of public transit, streets and highways, aviation, railroads and ports.
Lester is a new member of the Public Safety & Crime Prevention Committee which is responsible for developing policy positions on issues involving crime prevention, corrections, substance abuse, municipal fire policy, juvenile justice, disaster preparedness and relief, homeland security, domestic terrorism, court systems and gun control.
Parks was named to the Energy, Environment & Natural Resources Committee which is responsible for developing policy positions on air quality, water quality, energy policy, national wetlands policy, noise control, and solid and hazardous waste management.
Charles Vokes has been named City of Broken Arrow utilities director. Vokes brings more than 35 years of utilities experience to the post. His specialty in water quality issues gained recognition through his publication titled, “Impact of Ozone and Biological Filtration on Water Quality Parameters in Arlington, Texas” in the journal of the International Ozone Association.
Vokes graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a degree in biological sciences and began his career with Arlington Water Utilities. Before coming to Broken Arrow, he served as facilities director for the Buckman Direct Diversion, a joint city/county project in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Erin DeWeese of Brian D. Wiggs Homes in Tulsa, has taken the helm as the 2019 president of the Home Builders Association () of Greater Tulsa.
DeWeese was installed as the head of the thousand-member trade organization during the annual Installation Gala along with builders Mike Fournier of The Sonrise Companies and Jeff Starkweather of Epic Custom Homes, who were elected to the positions of vice president/treasurer and vice president/secretary, respectively.
DeWeese has been employed at Brian D. Wiggs Homes since 2010 and currently holds the position of vice president for finance. He has worked his way up through the Builder’s Council as vice president and president, and spearheaded the 40 Below Young Professionals Council as its first president.
In addition to the installation of new senior officers, several honors were presented during the annual end-of-year celebration. Highest honor, which acknowledges builders who best utilize associate members for their building projects, was awarded to Dana Day of Day Build and Design.
Peter Grant of Grant Homes Remodel & Restoration and Ken Saltink of All American Remodel were also honored.
Jerry and Tana Van Cleave of Vancrete, were 2018 Associates of the Year for their service to multiple events. Life member Lora Phillips was named 2018 executive committee Member of the Year.
Rita Boggs of Charter Title & Escrow was awarded the 2018 Spike Award, an award that distinguishes members for outstanding association recruitment and retention efforts.
The 2018 Young Leader of the Year Award went to Kevin Blackburn of Classe Homes for his leadership in the 40 Below council.
Hall Estill announces that Johnathan L. Rogers has been elected shareholder in the Tulsa office.
“John has earned this accomplishment through both his talent and his commitment to the firm’s clients and our community,” said Mike Cooke, managing partner for Hall Estill.
Rogers joined Hall Estill in 2008 and concentrates his practice in the areas of labor and employment law and general civil litigation. Prior to joining Hall Estill, he served as law clerk to The Honorable James H. Payne in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. Rogers received his J.D. with highest honors from the University of Oklahoma College of Law.
Gateway Mortgage Group, a full-service mortgage company licensed in 40 states and the District of Columbia, announced Jennifer Smith as senior vice president of enterprise initiative planning and execution. She will oversee enterprise program processes and execution in this new role.
Before joining Gateway, Smith was head of change management at Santander Consumer . She had a diverse career with Bank of America spanning more than 22 years in various roles and divisions, including merger/acquisition execution, operations oversight for the office of the president, information technology transformation, and regulatory enforcement action oversight.
“I am excited to join the Gateway team,” said Smith. “This is an amazing company with an amazing culture. I look forward to implementing new strategies and policies that will complement the current business model at Gateway.”
Public Service Company of Oklahoma () President and Chief Operating Officer Peggy Simmons announces that two new members have been added to the Leadership Team.
Tiffini Jackson has been named vice president, external affairs. She takes over the position previously held by John Harper, who retired earlier this year.
Jackson began her career with in 1990. She served in various policy and community development related positions prior to beginning her most recent role as director, corporate communications, in 2013.
In her new role, Jackson will have responsibilities for ’s external affairs, governmental and environmental affairs, and corporate communications functions.
Filling the other leadership position is Matthew Horeled, who has been named vice president, regulatory and finance.
Horeled comes to from Ashland, Kentucky, where he has served as director, regulatory services at one of ’s American Electric Power sister companies, Kentucky Power.
Horeled joined in 2007 as a risk & insurance management analyst at headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. He has held positions in corporate planning and budgeting, regulatory, business operations, and financial management with in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.
As ’s vice president of regulatory and finance, Horeled will have responsibility for all regulatory and financial matters of electric service to ’s more than 550,00 customers.
Updated 01-17-2019
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