Business and People Notes September 2020
James H. (Jim) Beavers, a Broken Arrow businessman, has been appointed to the Tulsa Community College Board of Regents by Oklahoma Governor J. Kevin Stitt and approved by the Oklahoma Legislature.
“Jim has been active in economic development in Broken Arrow, one of the state’s largest communities, for several decades. I know he will lend his extensive experience to the ongoing and dynamic work of helping prepare people for their careers through access to a higher education,” said Governor Stitt.
A resident of Broken Arrow for more than 40 years, Beavers is an insurance broker and risk management consultant and former partner/owner of The Arrow Group, an independent insurance agency. He started as an insurance agent in 1975 before joining the Broken Arrow Insurance Agency, now known as The Arrow Group, a few years later.
“I am very honored to have been appointed by Governor Stitt and thank State Senator John Haste and the Senate Education Committee for my confirmation. After having met the other TCC Regents, as well as, President Leigh Goodson, I am very excited to have this opportunity and believe TCC is a high-quality community college that adapts to meet the ever-changing workforce needs.” said Beavers.
Beavers will serve a seven-year term and be sworn in at the August 13 meeting of the TCC Board of Regents. He will join TCC Board of Regents Chair Wesley G. Mitchell, Vice Chair Caron Lawhorn, Secretary William R. McKamey, as well as Samuel Combs III, Paul H. Cornell, and Ronald S. Looney.
Beavers has served on numerous boards including the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce, Broken Arrow Economic Development Corporation (EDC), Independent Insurance Agents of Oklahoma and the Mental Health Association of Tulsa, now known as the Mental Health Association of Oklahoma. He continues to be active in the Broken Arrow Chamber, Broken Arrow EDC, Broken Arrow Public Schools Education Foundation, and Broken Arrow Rotary.
He has received numerous community awards, including Citizen of the Year and the Broken Arrow Legacy Award from the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce.
Beavers graduated from the University of Tulsa with a Bachelor of Science degree. He and his wife, Sharon, are members of New Heart Church and have one son.
Two Oklahoma State University interns brightened the ERA Design and Architecture office this summer: Maddie Bachlor and Lauren Norwood.
“I am so glad to have this internship,” said Bachlor, who like Norwood is an interior design student at OSU’s College of Human Sciences. “Due to COVID-19, many firms are either not having interns or are working from home until they have this all worked out. That’s really not a good learning experience for an intern, working from home.”
Bachlor, a 2015 graduate from Sapulpa High School, was introduced to ERA by Norwood, who enjoyed her ERA summer internship last year. Norwood encouraged Bachlor to accept the position.
“I really enjoyed the experience,” said Norwood, a 2016 Owasso High School graduate.
Norwood worked on many aspects of client work in her 2019 internship, from renderings to pricing out materials. She also accompanied ERA executives as they visited client worksites like the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa.
“Interns often don’t get that type of experience,” said Bachlor, who has worked on a mix of commercial and residential projects.
“This year I am working on renderings again,” said Norwood, who appreciates ERA’s state-of-the-art software. “I am drawing some plans. And I am working on proposals, which I haven’t experienced before. It is all very helpful.”
A long infatuation with hospitality design led Bachlor into this career choice. Norwood’s interest developed organically.
“I grew up watching my dad and my grandpa doing construction on my house,” she said. “That got me interested in it. And I have always been fascinated by how things are built. That led me into how buildings are built.”
These two students have proved a blessing for ERA Design and Architecture.
“I am continuously in awe of the amount of foresight and natural talent that these young design professionals have,” said Cray Bauxmont-Flynn, chief operating officer and principal for this Tulsa-based firm. “Instinct is something that definitely needs to be nurtured, and I am ecstatic to be a part of it.
“Being a mentor is a joy for me,” he said. “It also educates me of where the industry is going and how we can be better equipped to provide insightful designs to our clients, with individuals on our team that are on the cutting edge of technology, design philosophy, and methodology.”
To learn more about ERA Design and Architecture, check out the firm’s website, www.edmondsonreed.com, or call Cray Bauxmont-Flynn at 918-576-6700.
Dewberry, a privately held professional services firm, announced that Nicole Hopkins has joined the firm as a business development manager located in the Tulsa office.
Hopkins joins the firm to work primarily with the architecture practice, specializing in healthcare, education, justice, and community projects in the federal, state, and local markets. Prior to joining Dewberry, she worked as a business developer for a large tax resolution law firm.
Hopkins was named a National Emerging Leader in 2019 by the Accounting & Finance Women’s Alliance, where she also serves as the national council chair for young professionals across the country. Locally, she is the president of the Tulsa Accounting & Finance Women’s Alliance; a director and board governance committee member at the Tulsa Ballet; an active member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services; a long-term volunteer at The Zone Academy; and an executive committee board member at the Greater Tulsa Home Builder’s Association.
“We are thrilled to welcome Nicole to our team,” says Dewberry Principal and Business Unit Manager Bruce Henley, AIA, LEED AP, RID, NCARB. “Her background in community and business development is a wonderful asset to our organization, and we’re excited to have her expertise and knowledge of Tulsa to assist us in better serving our community.”
Hopkins earned a bachelor’s degree in international community development from Oral Roberts University (2015). In 2019, she was selected as one of Oklahoma’s NextGen Under 30 award recipients.
Dewberry is a leading, market-facing firm with a proven history of providing professional services to a wide variety of public- and private-sector clients. To learn more, visitwww.dewberry.com.
