Business and People Notes January 2021
Housing Solutions, the lead agency for Tulsa’s Continuum of Care which focuses on housing and homelessness, has announced Becky Gligo as Executive Director of the organization. Gligo has served as interim Executive Director since February of 2020.
“When Becky came to Tulsa in 2018 she brought years of experience and success in housing policy and homelessness prevention to our community,” said A Way Home for Tulsa (AWH4T) Leadership Council Chair, Jeff Hall, “She’s the perfect person to lead our A Way Home for Tulsa strategic plan at the helm of our lead organization, Housing Solutions.”
Gligo spent the past 18 months as the City of Tulsa’s first housing policy director; while there she has worked with a diverse advisory board to develop the City-wide Affordable Housing Strategy that will guide the city’s housing work for the next four years, established the city’s first Affordable Housing Trust Fund and launched Build Tulsa and other inclusive development initiatives.
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve on Mayor Bynum’s team,” said Gligo. “I am proud of the Affordable Housing Strategy and am excited for the ongoing impact it will have on Tulsa. Going forward, I will be focusing on homelessness and eviction prevention as the executive director of Housing Solutions. The solution to homelessness is housing and the ongoing collaboration between the City of Tulsa and Housing Solutions will allow us to achieve the goals of the A Way Home for Tulsa strategic plan to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring.”
In February of 2020, year AWH4T completed strategic planning and a governance restructure. As a result, Gligo was selected as the interim executive director of Housing Solutions, the newly incorporated lead organization. The board of directors intended to conduct a national search for the new director but voted to hire Gligo full time during a board meeting in November.
“We want the best person for this crucial role,” said Becky Frank, chair of the Housing Solutions Board. “As we began the process for the national search, we realized the perfect person was right under our noses. We’re glad that Becky will be bringing her skills and strategy to our team full time.”
Housing Solutions is a non-profit organization dedicated to building systems that make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring. It is the lead agency for the Tulsa County HUD funded Continuum of Care (CoC) and as such, oversees and leads the implementation of Tulsa’s housing and homelessness strategic plan.
Hall Estill, Oklahoma’s leading law firm, announces that Isaac B. Helmerich has been elected a Shareholder in the Tulsa office and Jared R. Ford has been elected a Shareholder in the Oklahoma City office.
“The selection and appointment of shareholders within Hall Estill is met with great anticipation,” said Mike Cooke, managing partner. “Isaac and Jared have earned this status through their commitment and care for our clients and their embodiment of our core values.”
Helmerich joined Hall Estill in 2018 and represents clients in the areas of business and corporate law, estate planning, commercial transactions, complex commercial litigation and insurance company liquidations. He began his career at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce before moving to the private sector.
Helmerich earned his J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law and has been named a Best Lawyers: One to Watch for Corporate Law. He is active in the Tulsa community and currently serves on the board of directors for the Tulsa Region of Junior Achievement of Oklahoma.
Ford joined Hall Estill in 2017 and represents clients in the areas of commercial real estate, working capital, asset-based and acquisition financing, complex business transactions, and general real property law with a particular emphasis on the energy sector.
Ford earned his J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. He is a member of the Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico Bar Associations and is an active participant in the Oklahoma City chapters of the Urban Land Institute and Commercial Real Estate Council.
Hall Estill is a full-service business law firm with locations in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Denver and NW Arkansas. Hall Estill attorneys represent clients in 70 Practice Areas. More than 150 top lawyers and legal professionals represent clients in matters at the local, national and international level. For more information, visit hallestill.com
The Red Cross Northeast Oklahoma Board Chapter announces the appointment of Tralynna Sherrill Scott to its board of directors.
“Now more than ever, the necessity for organizations that are ready and willing to help others in times of need is evident,” said Scott. “No organization does this better than the Red Cross. Whether it be a natural disaster or a global pandemic, the Red Cross is always there to help prevent and relieve suffering around the world. I am excited to join this talented team of volunteers and employees in hopes that I too can provide assistance during a time when we all need a helping hand.”
Scott was nominated to serve in the cabinet-level position of Cherokee Nation Treasurer by Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and was unanimously confirmed by the Council of the Cherokee Nation in 2019. In this role, she oversees Cherokee Nation’s $1.5 billion annual budget as well as a financial resources staff of more than 100 employees.
Prior to government service, Scott served Cherokee Nation Businesses for more than 14 years, most recently as director of corporate tax, where she was responsible for all aspects of corporate taxation within CNB and its 48 subsidiaries, which generates more than $1.4 billion in revenue and conducts business in all 50 U.S. states and 26 countries.
At CNB, Scott held various positions including investment analyst, where she evaluated and presented growth and diversification opportunities. She also served as in-house council focused on corporate and tribal taxation, employment law, tribal gaming protections and compliance issues.
While working full-time with CNB, Scott jointly earned her Juris Doctor and a master’s degree in taxation from the University of Tulsa. Prior to her work at Cherokee Nation, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Notre Dame. In her free time, Scott enjoys spending time with her two daughters and husband.
