Preservation Future Tense:
Oklahoma’s 29th Annual Statewide Preservation Conference
June 7-9, 2017
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Registration is now open for Preservation Future Tense: Oklahoma’s 29th Annual Statewide Preservation Conference. Full conference program and registration information is available at www.okhistory.org/shpo/conference.htm. Online registration is open at
www.preservationok.org/2017-preservation-conference.html through June 2. The program features dozens of speakers from Oklahoma and across the nation. To help you get to know them, we provide the following biographical sketches.
Our special guest speakers include:
Antonio Aguilar
Historical Architect
Technical Preservation Services
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Washington, D.C.
(Joins Jennifer Bailey, SHPO Tax Credits Program Coordinator/Historic Preservation Specialist to discuss the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, June 8.)
Antonio Aguilar is a historical architect with the Technical Preservation Services, National Park Service. He has been with TPS since 2000 reviewing applications for the 20% Federal Tax Incentives Program. Currently, he reviews projects from the States of Arizona, California, Michigan, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah. Before joining the National Park Service, Antonio’s full-time commitment to historic preservation began at the Georgia State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) as a Rehabilitation Architect. He received a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Master of Architecture degrees from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Steve Kline
Preservation Architect, Consultant
Fort Worth, Texas
(With Susan Allen Kline, provides the lunch presentation for the preconference tour, June 7.)
Steve Kline, AIA, NCARB, has a Master of Architecture and a Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Ohio State University. He is a consulting Preservation Architect. Steve retired as the Regional Historic Preservation, Fine Arts, and Art in Architecture Officer for the Greater Southwest Region of the General Services Administration. Covering a five state region, he administered the preservation program for over 60 federal historic structures eligible for or listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Prior to working for GSA, he worked for the National Park Service as Historical Architect in the Denver Regional Office, the C & O Canal National Historical Park, and Washington, D.C. Heritage Preservation Services. He has given numerous presentations on interpreting the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. In 2000, he received the Texas Historical Commission’s award of excellence in historic architecture for outstanding contributions to the preservation of Texas’ architectural heritage. He currently serves on the Texas State Board of Review. He is a former member of the Fort Worth Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission and the Fort Worth Art Commission.
Susan Allen Kline
Independent Historic Preservation
Consultant
Fort Worth, Texas
(With Steve Kline, provides the lunch presentation for the preconference tour, June 7; and speaks about City Shapers and Place Makers, June 8.)
Susan Allen Kline is a historian and preservation consultant in Fort Worth, Texas who specializes in the documentation of historic buildings for certified rehabilitation tax credits and historic designations. She has successfully prepared National Register of Historic Places nominations for more than 35 historic buildings and landscapes in Texas and Oklahoma. They include the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, the Joe and Lois Perkins House in Wichita Falls, the Oklahoma Iron Works-Bethlehem Supply Company in Tulsa, and the Oklahoma City National Memorial. She is also the author of the book Fort Worth Parks (Arcadia Publishing, 2010). In addition, two articles she co-authored with Cynthia Savage have been published in The Chronicles of Oklahoma. Their most recent effort, “Cultural Diversity and Historic Preservation in Oklahoma” appeared in a special issue celebrating the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act.
James Lindberg
Senior Director
Preservation Green Lab
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Denver, Colorado
(Delivers the closing plenary address, June 9.)
Jim Lindberg leads the National Trust’s Preservation Green Lab, an interdisciplinary team with expertise in energy conservation, data analysis and mapping, historic preservation, and policy. Working with diverse partners, the team strengthens the connections between sustainability and the nation’s vast inventory of older buildings and established neighborhoods. Jim has led a range of nationally recognized preservation and sustainable development projects, including the adaptive use of a former dude ranch in Rocky Mountain National Park and the green rehabilitation of a historic school in Denver. He has authored numerous articles and books on architecture, planning and preservation and is a lecturer in the College of Architecture and Planning at the University of Colorado Denver. Jim received his BA degree in the Growth and Structure of Cities from Haverford College and his MS degree in Historic Preservation from the University of Vermont.
Susan West Montgomery
Vice President for Preservation Resources
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Washington, D.C.
(Shares her views about the future of historic preservation in a panel discussion with Carol Shull and Pat Tiller, June 8.)
Susan West Montgomery is Vice President for Preservation Resources at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She is responsible for the Trust’s publications, its National Preservation Conference, information services, training modules, and grant programs. Susan writes, researches and speaks on preservation especially its evolution as a profession and a movement and on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act. Before joining the Trust in 2009, Susan served as president of Preservation Action in Washington from 1997 to 2004, where she coordinated Preservation Action’s national grassroots lobbying network and monitored legislative actions affecting preservation. She worked on a contract basis as circuit rider and outreach coordinator for the Maryland Association of Historic District Commissions providing training, technical assistance, and assessments for Maryland’s 47 historic district commissions. She was the first executive director of the Buffalo Friends of Olmsted Parks which became the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. Susan holds a B.A. from the State University of New York at Buffalo, with majors in art history and English literature and a M.A. in American studies from the George Washington University Historic Preservation program. She is author of A Blueprint for Lobbying, published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She is former Co-Chair of the National Association for Olmsted Parks. She now serves on the Board of Directors of the Latrobe Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians.
James K. Reap
Professor and Graduate Coordinator
Master of Historic Preservation Program
University of Georgia
College of Environment & Design
Athens, Georgia
(Leads the special half-day workshop for historic preservation commission members, June 9.)
James K. Reap is an attorney who specializes in heritage conservation. He is Professor and Graduate Coordinator of the Master of Historic Preservation Program at the University of Georgia. He has served as chair of preservation commissions in the City of Decatur and DeKalb County and as vice chair in Athens, Georgia. He is a founding member of both the Georgia Alliance and National Alliance of Preservation Commissions, and is a former board member of both organizations. He currently serves on the boards of the International Council on Monuments and Sites and is a past board member of the Lawyers Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation. In 2016, he was appointed by President Obama to the State Department’s Cultural Property Advisory Committee.
Carol Shull
Keeper of the National Register (Retired)
Arlington, Virginia
(Provides a plenary address, June 7; and shares her views on the future of historic preservation in a panel discussion with Susan West Montgomery and Pat Tiller, June 8.)
Now a consultant and volunteer, Carol Shull served as Keeper or acting or interim Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places for almost 20 years and also as chief of the National Historic Landmarks program for the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. The National Register is the official inventory of places important to the heritage of the United States, and
National Historic Landmarks are properties designated by the Secretary of the Interior for their exceptional value in illustrating the history and prehistory of the nation. She helped shape the National Register by drafting its regulations; editing the National Register Bulletin series, the guidelines used nationwide for identifying, evaluating and registering cultural resources; working to make the National Register available online; and starting the National Register’s Teaching with Historic Places program and Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary Series. Carol has a Bachelor of Science degree in education and a masters degree in American history from the University of Texas at Austin. She began her career with the National Park Service in 1972 and has worked, written, and lectured extensively in historic preservation since that time. She has published in a number of professional journals and authored and edited a variety of National Park Service and other publications. Her publication credits include chapters in Public Benefits of Archaeology published by The University Press of Florida (2002) and Restoring Women’s History through Historic Preservation published by The Johns Hopkins University Press (2003). Carol is the recipient of the Meritorious Service Award from the U.S. Department of the Interior.
de Teel Patterson (Pat) Tiller
U.S. National Park Service (retired)/Professor of
Historic Preservation, George Washington University.
Falls Church, Virginia
(Shares his views on the future of historic preservation in a panel discussion with Susan West Montgomery and Carol Shull, June 8.)
de Teel Patterson (Pat) Tiller holds the position of professor of historic preservation at Goucher College and an appointment as Professorial Lecturer in the Department of American Studies at George Washington University, Washington, D.C. Retired in 2005 after nearly 30 years with the U.S. National Park Service, Pat served for seven years as that agency’s Deputy Associate Director for Cultural Resources. In that capacity, he was responsible for all of the National Park Service’s historic preservation and heritage programs serving both the units of the national park system as well as the nation including the National Register of Historic Places. A native of Washington, D.C., Pat received his undergraduate degree in Theater from the College of Arts and Science, University of Virginia and his Master’s degree in Architectural History with an emphasis in historic preservation from the University of Virginia, College of Architecture – studying in Venice, Italy. He served as a historic preservation planner to the West Texas Council of Governments based in El Paso, Texas – a multi-county planning agency responsible for 22,000 square miles in West Texas. He then joined the National Park Service serving in the agency’s Washington, D.C. and Denver, Colorado offices. Pat taught architectural history and historic preservation policy, planning, and practice at the University of Wyoming, the University of Virginia, Kansas State University, George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland. He currently serves as a Trustee of The Committee of 100 on the Federal City, on the Executive Council of The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, as a member of the Executive Board of the Manassas Battlefield Trust, on the Board of the Apostle Islands Historic Preservation Conservancy, and the Friends of the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, National Park Service.
Oklahoma preservation leaders and professionals who will speak in Oklahoma City include:
Mike Abernathie
Vice President
Sikes Abernathie Architects
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Mike Abernathie received his Bachelors of Architecture degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1992 and is vice president of Sikes Abernathie Architects, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He has practiced architecture for over 25 years and has been a principle of the firm since 1999. Ironically, Mike began his career in the big box & hospitality industry using prototype driven designs that are adapted to sites nationwide. In 1997, he had an opportunity to work on an adaptive reuse project in Tulsa. During this project, he decided to leave the large firm and become self-employed. This big change led him to assist Mike Sikes with a historic rehabilitation in Iowa. Since then, Mike has led or assisted the design of more than 40 historic rehabilitations in locations ranging from Wisconsin to Louisiana.
Amanda Alewine
Planner II
Oklahoma City Planning Department
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Amanda Alewine is a planner for the City of Oklahoma City. Originally a native of the Texas panhandle, she moved to Oklahoma to attend Oklahoma Christian University. Subsequently, Amanda served as the Marketing Coordinator for a start-up venture capital firm. She then went to work as an analyst in the telecom industry, tracking regulatory issues, mergers and acquisitions and bankruptcies. With her growing financial background, she joined the Community Action Agency as the Economic Development Coordinator. In that capacity, she worked with entrepreneurs to plan and finance their businesses, and coordinated and taught small business training classes for more than 500 Oklahoma entrepreneurs. Five years and a large number of successful start-ups later, she took her next step to expand her skills in real estate development and commercial construction with Trammell Crow Company. For the past eight years, Amanda has worked in the Planning department for the City of Oklahoma City. This position allows her to combine all her skills and experience to promote the development of Oklahoma City. Her focus is on the redevelopment of brownfields sites into productive uses that benefit the redevelopment of downtown Oklahoma City and on financing small business startups in the Oklahoma City Commercial Districts. Amanda is a Certified Economic Development Finance Professional, a Certified New Urbanist, holds a Bachelor of Science in Business and is a member of the Urban Land Institute, and Leadership Oklahoma City.
Susan Owen Atkinson
Senior Planner
City of Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Susan Owen Atkinson, AICP, is a city planner specializing in the nexus of urban design, neighborhood planning and historic preservation. Over the past 25 years, she has worked in Kansas, Alabama and Oklahoma in public, private and non-profit sectors. Her current position as Senior Planner for the City of Oklahoma City combines community planning with finding ways to connect people, solve problems, and create greater social and economic value in urban neighborhoods and commercial districts. A native of Salisbury, North Carolina, Susan and her husband Alan live in Oklahoma City where they are being schooled by raising two teenagers.
Jennifer K. Bailey
Tax Credits Program Coordinator/Historic Preservation Specialist
State Historic Preservation Office
Oklahoma Historical Society
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Jennifer Bailey is the coordinator for the Federal Tax Incentives Program at the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office. She moved to Oklahoma in September 2016 from Alabama where she was the coordinator of the Alabama Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program and Alabama Register of Landmarks & Heritage for the Alabama Historical Commission. Jennifer holds advanced degrees in History and Historic Preservation from Oklahoma State University and the University of Georgia, respectively, and is a LEED Green Associate. In graduate school, she held internships with the local preservation commissions in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Dothan, Alabama. She also interned with the National Park Service Midwestern Regional Office assessing potential sites and route segments associated with the preparation and return phases of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail for the Eastern Legacy Special Resources Study. Jennifer and her husband (Stephen) live in Oklahoma City.
Jennifer Baker
Executive Director
Sooner Theatre
Norman, Oklahoma
Jennifer Heavner Baker is executive director of the sooner Theatre. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Oklahoma. Before taking the position at The Sooner Theatre, she lived in New York City and traveled as a professional actress and choreographer working in numerous productions across the country. Favorite performing credits include, an NBC Movie of the Week, several feature and indie films, a performer in Reader’s Digest’s DVD, America, Portrait of Song, a soloist for The National Governor’s Convention, a brief stay as the lead female in a popular Branson show, and a guest performer in President Clinton’s Inaugural Parade. Favorite “blasts from her past” include seasons at Music Theatre of Wichita, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma City, Mill Mt Theatre, Buck’s County Playhouse, Pocono Playhouse and 6 years as Laurey, in Discoveryland’s production of Oklahoma. Jennifer has also appeared in numerous commercials and videos, including Wendy’s, Mazzio’s, Rural Telephone, WIC, Deaconess Hospital and over 30 car commercials in Oklahoma, Texas, and Pennsylvania. She has choreographed several commercials for the Oklahoma Lottery, Riverwind, and Taco Mayo. Additional choreography jobs include Six Flags Parks, Premier Parks, Discoveryland, Bear Creek Farms, and the Oklahoma Dome Dedication. She has directed and choreographed numerous musicals and live events across the country and has choreographed nearly 100 musicals for various theatres, high schools and colleges. In addition to her position at The Sooner Theatre and The Studio of The Sooner Theatre, she directs the United Way’s Celebrity Sing, and in 2007 directed Norman’s event to celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial, “The Centennial Follies with Larry Gatlin”. She serves and has served on several Norman boards and committees including: United Way’s Cabinet, Transition House’s June Bug Jam, Norman Public School’s Gifted Council, Citizen’s Advisory Board, The Mayor’s Centennial Committee, and The Main Street Christmas Parade. She is a member of Norman Rotary and a past Board Member for The Norman Chamber of Commerce.
Stephanie Ballard
Historian/Survey Coordinator
State Historic Preservation Office
Oklahoma Historical Society
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Stephanie Ballard is the Historian and Survey Coordinator for the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office. Originally from Virginia, Stephanie has both a B.A. and M.A. in history. She has experience in multiple areas of Cultural Resource Management including historic preservation, archaeology, and historic interpretation. Stephanie has conducted and managed numerous surveys for the OKSHPO and is currently working on a county-wide survey of McClain County. Her research interests include the social history of the Atlantic World, youth history, and cross-cultural encounters.
Christina L. Beatty
Community Arts Director
Oklahoma Arts Council
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Christina L. Beatty has more than ten years of nonprofit experience including arts administration and community development. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Managerial Studies from Rice University in Houston, Texas and a Master of Arts in Social Service Administration from The University of Chicago. While in Chicago, Christina worked for the Hyde Park Jazz Festival, the Black Metropolis National Heritage Area campaign, the Great Migration Centennial campaign and the University of Chicago’s Arts in Public Life initiative. Currently, as Community Arts Director of the Oklahoma Arts Council, she oversees the Community Arts Grants programs, the Cultural District Initiative, the Performing Artist Roster, and the ONEAL (Oklahoma’s New and Emerging Arts Leaders) Network.
Stephen Boyd
Hobart Main Street, Inc.
Hobart, Oklahoma
Stephen Boyd Has served as Director of the Hobart Main Street Program since the town became an Oklahoma Main Street community in 2002. His peers selected him as Program Manager of the Year in 2007. Stephen serves on the General Tommy Franks Leadership Institute & Museum Board of Directors and on the Midwestern Oklahoma Industrial Development Board. He is a retired Elementary Principal and was a teacher and administrator for 27 years. Stephen received his Bachelor’s Degree from Oklahoma State University and Master’s Degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University.
Suzanne Broadbent
Member/Oklahoma City Historic Preservation Commission
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Suzanne Broadbent has lived in the Putnam Heights Historic Preservation District in Oklahoma City for 24 years, serving as president of the historic area neighborhood association for 5 years. Suzanne is an attorney and has worked in all three branches of state government, serving as assistant general counsel for Governor Henry Bellmon, legislative analyst and committee staff director for the Oklahoma State Senate, and judicial assistant for the Court of Civil Appeals. She also served five years in private law practice. She serves or has served on several boards of directors of Oklahoma City nonprofits, including Neighborhood Alliance of Central Oklahoma, Oklahoma City/County Historical Society, and Oklahoma City Housing Services Redevelopment Corporation. Suzanne has been president of First Unitarian Church and state president of American Association of University Women. Mayor Mick Cornett appointed her to the Oklahoma City Historic Preservation Commission in 2016.
Allen Brown
Architect and Chair
Oklahoma City Historic Preservation Commission
Allen Brown Architects, LLC
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Allen Brown has practiced architecture in Oklahoma for over 40 years. Over the years, he has been responsible for many landmark projects including the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and Donald W. Reynolds Visual Arts Center. Currently, Allen serves as Chairman of the City of Oklahoma City Historic Preservation Commission and is a member of the Historical Preservation and Landmark Board of Review for the Capitol-Medical Center Improvement and Zoning Commission. After graduating from Oklahoma State University with a Master of Architecture degree, Allen moved to a 1929 Tudor Revival home in Oklahoma City. Since then, he has been active in the Edgemere Park Historic District neighborhood association, as a member of the Board of Trustees and President. Professionally, Allen is a Director for the Oklahoma City Foundation for Architecture, has been President of the American Institute of Architects, Central Oklahoma Chapter, and co-authored the “Supplementary Education Handbook” for the AIA Press in Washington, D.C.
Ken Bryan
Program Planner
City of Oklahoma City Planning Department
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Ken Bryan is a certified planner currently working as a Program Planner in the City of Oklahoma City’s Planning Department. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Geology from OSU and a Master’s of Business Administration from OU. Ken spent the first few years of his career working as an environmental geologist first at the University of Arizona in Tucson then at a small environmental firm in Norman. From 2000 to 2008, he worked at Guernsey in Oklahoma City focusing primarily on environmental assessments, and transportation and comprehensive plans. Since taking a position in Oklahoma City’s planning department in 2008, he has contributed to long-range sector plans, strategic area plans, and Oklahoma City’s new comprehensive plan, planokc. Ken is currently responsible for supporting several projects that implement significant portions of planokc.
Heather Clemmer
Member/City of Oklahoma City Historic Preservation Commission and
Professor of History, and Director of General Education/ Southern Nazarene University
Bethany, Oklahoma
Heather Clemmer has served on the Oklahoma City Historic Preservation Commission since May 2009. She began teaching full-time at Southern Nazarene University in 2006 and became a full Professor in 2015. She earned a Ph.D. in early 20th century urban history from the University of Oklahoma in 2008. Her dissertation entitled “’Doing Their Bit’” examined the development of urban identity in San Francisco during World War I. She is currently the Department Chair of History and Political Science at SNU and the institution’s General Education Director.
Amanda DeCort
Executive Director
Tulsa Foundation for Architecture
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Amanda DeCort is the Executive Director of Tulsa Foundation for Architecture, a nonprofit organization committed to enriching Tulsa through the art of architecture and the power of design. TFA brings architecture to life through events such as the popular Second Saturday and Dwell in the IDL tours, as well as its extensive collection of original architectural drawings of significant Tulsa buildings. Prior to taking her position at TFA, Amanda spent ten years as the City of Tulsa’s historic preservation planner, where she facilitated nomination of numerous buildings and districts to the National Register of Historic Places, provided support to the Tulsa Preservation Commission, and brought popular programs like hands-on window restoration boot camp and realtor education classes to Tulsa. Amanda earned a Master’s Degree in Community Planning with a certificate in Historic Preservation from the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning. She lives in a 1925 craftsman bungalow in Tulsa’s Riverview historic district.
Kathy Dickson
Director of Museums and Historic Sites
Oklahoma Historical Society
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Kathy Dickson has over thirty years of museum experience. Since 2003 she has served as the Director of Museums and Historic Sites for the Oklahoma Historical Society. In this position Kathy is responsible for the administration of twenty-eight museums, military sites, and historic homes across the state. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Central State University with a major in history and a minor in English and a master’s from The University of Oklahoma. Kathy has served as president of the Oklahoma Museums Association (OMA) and as president of the Mountain-Plains Museums Association. She is a recipient of OMA’s Award for Outstanding Service to the Museum Profession. Kathy also serves on the board of the Association of Living History Farm and Agricultural Museums.
Richard Drass
Research Archeologist (Retired)
Noble, Oklahoma
Richard Drass received his Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma and worked as a research archeologist at the Oklahoma Archeological Survey, University of Oklahoma for almost 40 years until retiring at the end of 2016. His field investigations span prehistoric archeological sites in Oklahoma that date from over 10,000 years old to early historic fortified Wichita villages which were interacting with French and other European traders by 1700. The Wichita village research has been coordinated with colleagues from the Anthropology Department at OU and the Department of Sociology at Oklahoma State University, as well as consultation with the Wichita tribe. Richard’s specific research interests include the development of agriculture among prehistoric Native Americans in Oklahoma and the study of plants used by various prehistoric societies. His work has led to research reports, book chapters, and articles in archeological journals. Richard served as editor of the Plains Anthropological Society journal for five years and the Oklahoma Anthropological Society journal for ten years. He has also taught courses in the Anthropology Department at OU, served on graduate committees, and taught an online course at OSU. He has worked closely with volunteers interested in Oklahoma’s archeology and made many presentations to groups throughout the state.
Marva Ellard
Developer
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Marva Ellard is a dedicated neighborhood preservation leader in Oklahoma City. For the past twenty years, she has contributed to the development of Heritage Hills. She has served as a general contractor and a developer for over 10 projects in the neighborhood, including single and multi-residential properties. Marva is a member of the board of Historical Preservation, Inc., a foundation responsible for neighborhood development and activities in Heritage Hills and is currently the organization’s Vice President. She was also integral in the development of the Mesta Park Historic District and the redevelopment of Shartel and 18th Street into a beautiful, landscaped boulevard. Other projects include street lighting for Mesta Park and the Wilson Elementary School playground. She wrote applications for approximately a million dollars in grants awarded to the Mesta Park Neighborhood Association. Marva served as a member and chairman of the Oklahoma City Historic Preservation and Landmark Commission. Additionally, she served as a board member and president of Preservation Oklahoma, Inc. Marva’s redevelopment efforts include the certified rehabilitation of the Sieber Apartment Hotel, at NW 12th and Hudson Avenue and her recent acquisition of the original Sunbeam Home campus, a project now under construction.
Rand Elliott
Principal
Elliott + Associates Architects
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Rand Elliott has been practicing environmentally sensitive architecture long before it became fashionable. Although the firm’s projects are not exclusively located in Oklahoma, they are adept in working with the elements of the land. There is concern about the sun, where the wind comes from, and the best way to let light into a building. There is a deep respect and connection to Oklahoma’s red soil, the tall grass prairies, the wind, the pioneers and the American Indian. Rand graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Oklahoma State University where he was the Alpha Rho Chi Medalist. He is a member of the prestigious College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects. Rand has presented the firm’s portfolio as a guest lecturer internationally including the World Architecture Festival in Singapore, the Creativity World Forum in Oklahoma City, Lightspace CA in Anaheim, California, as well as the “Innovator of the Year” for his patented concept of “Turbinomics,” which is a design for a wind-powered skyscraper. Elliott + Associates is well respected in the state of Oklahoma for their historic preservation efforts, which include lecturing at Preservation Oklahoma and receiving numerous awards for the firm’s commitment to protecting our state’s rich historical legacy. The firm has renovated or restored more than 300 projects, including many National Register of Historic Places buildings. They have proven when the project is taken beyond mere shelter, they have truly succeeded by enriching our community. Their goal is to acknowledge the past while embracing the future.
Shannon Entz
Senior Planner
Oklahoma City Planning Department
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Shannon Entz is a Senior Planner at the City of Oklahoma City Planning Department where she manages the city’s Strong Neighborhoods Initiative. With more than 20 years of experience, she specializes in neighborhood revitalization, strategic redevelopment, community engagement, public transportation and public/private partnerships. She is a graduate of Oklahoma State University and a member of the American Planning Association, the Congress of New Urbanism and the Urban Land Institute. The SNI program recently received awards from Keep Oklahoma Beautiful and the Oklahoma Chapter of the American Planning Association.
Chris Fleming
Partner
Midtown Renaissance
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Chris Fleming is Partner and Executive Vice President of Midtown Renaissance, a real estate company engaged in the redevelopment and management of over a half-million square feet of mixed-use properties and 750,000 square feet of developable land in the Midtown District of Oklahoma City. Since 2006 Midtown Renaissance has completed 8 certified rehabilitation projects totaling over 250,000 square feet. Chris also partners with Bob Howard and Mickey Clagg in the REHCO companies which invests in real estate, private equity, and oil & gas. Additionally, Chris is the Executive Director of the Howard Family Charitable Foundation, Inc., which is a private foundation based in Oklahoma City. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and an MBA from the University of Oklahoma. Chris is a board member of the Myriad Botanical Gardens Foundation and the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City. He serves on the Advisory Board of ULI Oklahoma, the Innovation District Task Force, and OU’s Price College of Business MBA Advisory Board.
Katie Friddle
Historic Preservation Officer
Comprehensive Planning and Urban Design Division
City of Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Since September 2012, Katie McLaughlin Friddle has served as the Preservation Officer for the City of Oklahoma City. Katie provides staff support to the City’s Historic Preservation Commission, serves as the City’s Certified Local Government Coordinator, and participates in other preservation efforts within the Planning Department. A native Oklahoman, Katie holds a Bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Oklahoma and a Master’s degree in Historic Preservation from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. Before joining the City staff, Katie was Executive Director of Preservation Oklahoma, the statewide non-profit preservation advocacy organization.
John M. (Chip) Fudge
FER, LLC
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Chip Fudge is the Chairman of Claims Management Resources, Inc. His Companies
(CMR/AnSR/AMR) have 235 employees at their headquarters in Oklahoma City. He is a graduate of Oklahoma State University, where he majored in Pre-Law and minored in Philosophy. He attended the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University and continued his education at the London Business School and Harvard Business School. Chip serves on the OSU Foundation Board of Governors. Previously he has served on the Board of the Arts Council, City Arts, and Leadership OKC. He is the YPO-Gold Chapter Chairman, an Advisory Board Member for the National Bank of Commerce and serves as a Board Member for the Friends of the Oklahoma History Center. Chip has been credited for his work in redeveloping the Historic Film Exchange Row District, just west of Downtown OKC. CMR, AMR and AnSR are also housed in this district. Besides restoring historic buildings – Chip is a restaurateur and is the co-owner of three local restaurants, Joey’s Pizzeria, R&J Lounge & Supper Club and Ludivine, both in downtown Oklahoma City. His team has plans to expand into Downtown Edmond by 2018. He received the Urban Pioneer Award in 2013, The Oklahoma City/County Historical Society’s Pathmaker Award in 2014, Preservation Oklahoma’s Preservation Leadership Award, deadCenter Film’s Icon Award in 2015 and Oklahoma Hall of Fame’s Lee Allan Smith Oklahoma Legacy Award in 2017.
Bill Gumerson
Chairman
Gumerson Blake
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Bill Gumerson is Chairman of Gumerson Blake Design Build, A firm based in Oklahoma City, specializing in restoration, new custom homes, light commercial projects, and renovation for over 40 years. Bill lived in Heritage Hills from 1975 until 1997. He is still actively involved in various projects there, such as staying close to the Overholser Mansion preservation efforts. His daughter and her family live in Heritage Hills, and Bill frequently drives through the neighborhood looking for his next home. Bill is an active participant and leader in numerous historic preservation-related and civic organizations, including Preservation Oklahoma, Inc., Past Board Member and President; U.L.I. Steering Committee for Near NW Oklahoma City, Member and Co-Chair; “Friends of the Mansion”, Governor’s Active Director; State Capitol Preservation Commission, Member; National Trust for Historic Preservation, Advisor Trustee; American Institute of Architects, Active Associate member; Overholser Advisory Committee, Past Chair, and recipient of the Overholser Mansion Award from the A.I.A. as well as a member; Historic Preservation Inc. (Heritage Hills), Past Board member for seventeen (17) years and served as President for two (2) years; Near NW Oklahoma City Neighborhood Coalition, Past Chair;
Oklahoma City Historical Preservation and Landmark Commission, Past member; and Positively Paseo”, Past board member
Michael Hall
Principal
GH2 ARCHITECTS, LLC
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Michael Hall is a principal and architect at GH2 Architects, LLC, a 44-year-old, 45-person Oklahoma design firm with offices in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Michael leads the firm’s specialty practice in historic preservation. He has extensive experience in historic preservation and rehabilitation projects across Oklahoma and the southwestern United States.
Michelle C. Horn
Archaeologist
Environmental Analysis and Compliance Branch
Operations Division
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Michelle Horn received her M.A. in Anthropology (Archaeology) from the University of Oklahoma in 2006 and began working as an archaeologist for the Tulsa District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2007. As an archaeologist in the Operations Division, Michelle co-manages District compliance with relevant historic preservation and cultural resources laws and regulations throughout the Tulsa district, supports cultural resources compliance and Tribal consultation for the Regulatory program, manages the curation of Tulsa District archaeological collections pursuant to 36 CFR Part 79 in multiple repositories, and manages the District NAGPRA program.
Buffy Hughes
State Main Street Director
Oklahoma Main Street Center
Oklahoma Department of Commerce
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Buffy Hughes is the Main Street Director for the State of Oklahoma. She holds a degree in Interior Design from the University of Central Oklahoma, and for sixteen years was the Chief Interior Designer and a Project Manager for the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, State Parks Division. In this capacity, she was the lead in a wide range of Architecture and Design projects including new construction, and the preservation and reuse of CCC and mid-century cabins and lodges. For twelve years, Buffy served as adjunct faculty for the Interior Design program at the University of Central Oklahoma. She taught courses in Rendering, Lighting, Materials, but primarily focusing on Art, Architecture, and Design, and took student groups to Europe.
Melissa Hunt
Executive Director
American Institute of Architects, Central Oklahoma chapter
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Melissa Hunt began her professional career by serving in the United States Air Force. She decided to take the discipline and organizational skills she learned in the military into nonprofit management. She began working as the Administrative Assistant for AIA in 1995 and was quickly promoted to Executive Director in 1996. Melissa has served as Executive Director ever since and helped the organization promote the importance of good design through events like the AIA Architecture Tour, Decadent Design, Design Awards programs and more. In addition to AIA, Melissa serves as Executive Director for the Oklahoma City Foundation for Architecture. Melissa is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. She serves as Treasurer on the Preservation Oklahoma Board and is also giving back to her local community by serving as a City Councilwoman for Ward 2 Moore, Oklahoma.
Chad Huntington
General Manager
Water Taxi, LLC
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Chad Huntington has served as General Manager of Water Taxi, LLC since 2002. Family ties brought him to the Oklahoma City metro in 1986. Chad worked as an advertising account executive in newspaper, radio and in the Internet technology industry until discovering his true passion; the management of downtown-oriented redevelopment and promotional organizations, and eventually Water Taxi. He found this first through volunteer efforts; serving on the board of the Historic Automobile Alley Main Street Program, also as chair of its Design Committee, and finally as the organization’s Executive Director. During this important period, the downtown Oklahoma City area known as Automobile Alley was in its early recovery from the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. In cooperation with many volunteers, corporate and community partners, the City of Oklahoma City and the federal government’s Murrah District Revitalization Program – all while applying the Main Street model – Automobile Alley achieved record reinvestment for an Oklahoma Main Street. To this day Chad counts this time as among his most fulfilling professionally. With the creation of downtown Oklahoma City’s Business Improvement District, Chad’s role with Automobile Alley transitioned into one with the then newly-formed Downtown Oklahoma City Incorporated, as its first Director of Marketing. During his time at Water Taxi Chad has participated in other ventures, such as his role as a founding partner of Oklahoma’s Red Dirt Emporium, a pioneering Bricktown retailer. Chad has served multiple terms on the board of the Bricktown Association, and the Frontier Country Marketing Association. Chad is a member of the Urban Land Institute and currently serves on the Bricktown Planning and Operations Committee.
Jane Jenkins
President and CEO
Downtown Oklahoma City, Inc.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Jane Jenkins is President and CEO of Downtown Oklahoma City, Incorporated. With over 30 years of experience in downtown revitalization and management, Jane is an internationally recognized speaker and expert on urban issues. She is a former Chairman for the International Downtown Association Board of Directors and is also active in the International Economic Development Council, Urban Land Institute, and the American Institute of Architects. In 2014, Jane earned accreditation from the Congress for New Urbanism and she was recently named a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Place Management in Manchester, England. A former high school educator, Jane was named 1982 Teacher of the Year at Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Texas in Denton.
Marcia Johnson
Miami Public Library/
Miami Arts & Humanities Council
Miami, Oklahoma
Marcia Johnson has served as director of the Miami Public Library in Miami, Oklahoma since 2002. Prior to 2002, she served as School Library Media Specialist for the Fairland Public School District in Oklahoma. She received her Masters of Library and Information Studies from the University of Oklahoma in 2004. She serves on the Board of the Miami Arts and Humanities Council and was responsible for writing a Cultural District Initiative grant to the Oklahoma Arts Council. She chairs the logistics committee for her community’s first annual Mural Fest 66.
Melyn Johnson
Main Street Guymon, Inc.
Guymon, Oklahoma
Melyn Johnson has served as the Main Street Guymon Director for almost 10 years. Prior to Main Street, she worked for the Oklahoma Department of Tourism with Cultural Heritage Tourism; the City of Guymon in Community Development; subcontracted for the Oklahoma Arts Council; and in the 1990s, she worked for the Guymon Daily Herald newspaper. She is a graduate of Oklahoma Panhandle State University and came to Oklahoma to play volleyball before there were liberos (free roaming defensive players) on a volleyball team. One of her proudest moments was being named to the OPSU Alumni Hall of Fame in 2015.
A.J. Kirkpatrick
Director of Urban Planning
ADG
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
A.J. Kirkpatrick recently joined architectural and engineering firm, ADG, as their first certified planner. In his 15 years of professional experience, A.J. has focused his efforts on urban revitalization, first at the City of Oklahoma City’s Planning Department and then at Downtown Oklahoma City, Inc. His planning work includes the Core to Shore Framework Plan and a subsequent Urban Land Institute Advisory Panel Report meant to ground truth the plan, Jeff Speck’s Downtown Oklahoma Walkability Study, the Bricktown Strategic Plan, and the Bricktown Parking Study. During his time at Downtown Oklahoma City, Inc., A.J. served as a Director of Operations and Planning and managed the Downtown Business Improvement District (BID), which included day-to-day oversight of over 40 blocks of newly installed downtown streetscapes, the Underground pedestrian tunnel system, the Bricktown Canal, and the Downtown Community Basketball Court. AJ was also instrumental in several high-profile public art projects in the downtown area. He is a board member of a local non-profit housing developer and is a recent addition to the board of Oklahoma City’s Plaza District Association. He is also a founding member of local history group Retro Metro OKC and the Oklahoma District Council of the Urban Land Institute, of which he is the current Chair. A.J. grew up in Wichita, Kansas and received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Sociology from Baker University. He received a dual master’s degree from the Ohio State University in City and Regional Planning and Geography, with an emphasis in Urban Regional Systems, before relocating to Oklahoma City.
Larry B. Lucas, II
Architect
Oklahoma Main Street Center
Oklahoma Department of Commerce
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Larry Lucas is the Oklahoma Main Street Architect. He assists Main Street communities to improve their historic buildings and their districts as a whole. Larry also has a background in green architecture and serves as the program’s sustainability expert. He is a licensed architect in the State of Oklahoma and has diverse architectural experience working with the public and private sectors. He joined the Oklahoma Main Street Program as Staff Architect in 2011, and is an enthusiastic proponent of the Main Street Approach. Maybe the spirit for grassroots preservation was already in his blood. As a child his family rehabilitated a historic downtown building for the family business. The building stands proudly maintained today. Larry is an active member of the United States Green Building Council and United States Passive House Alliance.
Richard J. (Rick) Lueb
Principal
TAP Architecture
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Rick Lueb is a principal at TAP Architecture and has been with the firm from its inception in 1988. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Design (Construction Science Option) with Distinction from The University of Oklahoma in 1976 and his Bachelor of Architecture Degree with Distinction from OU in 1987. He holds licenses to practice architecture in the states of Oklahoma and Arkansas, as well as holding his Interior Design Certificate in Oklahoma. Rick is a Fellow of the Construction Specifications Institute and is a certified Construction Specifier, Certified Construction Contract Administrator, and is a CSI MasterFormat Accredited Instructor. His 28 years of architectural expertise are enhanced by more than 20 additional years in the construction industry as a job superintendent and owner of various construction companies. Rick’s previous experiences as a certified professional builder, realtor, and journeyman electrician form a broad based construction background that brings practical, real-world values and knowledge to the design team. His well-rounded experience coupled with his passion for proper treatment of our state’s historic treasures yield dividends for clients desiring to preserve them. A few of Rick’s projects include the 1894 Historic Old Central, the first building on OSU’s campus; St. Gregory University’s 1913 Benedictine Hall restoration from an earthquake; Star House Emergency Stabilization Plan; the conversion of the historic Santa Fe Station in Oklahoma City to the Oklahoma City Intermodal Transportation Hub, and soffit repair at the Skirvin Hotel.
Chelsea McConnell
Executive Director
Ponca City Main Street
Ponca City, Oklahoma
Chelsea McConnell became the Executive Director for Ponca City Main Street in 2014 and just began her third year leading the program. As the only staff member, she works with a dedicated team of Board members, Committee members and volunteers on all Main Street projects. Chelsea grew up in Ponca City and attended the University of Oklahoma before finishing her degree at Northwestern Oklahoma State University.
Steve Mason
Mason Realty Investors
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Steve Mason was the principal owner and president of Cardinal Engineering, Inc. from 1989 to 2014 until Cardinal was sold. Cardinal Engineering provided civil engineering, environmental engineering, and surveying services and employed 92 people. Steve received a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering from Vanderbilt University. He currently serves on the board of directors for the City of Oklahoma City Business Improvement District, Last Frontier Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma, Automobile Alley, and Allied Arts. He served on the board of directors for Greater Oklahoma City Chamber from 2005 to 2015. He served on the board of the Oklahoma Community Foundation from 2000 to 2013 and was president from 2009 to 2012. He served as President of the Last Frontier Council of the Boy Scouts of America from 2007 to 2010. He has also served on the board of directors for the Oklahoma City Arts Council. Since 2010, Steve has served on the OKC MAPS 3 Transit/Modern Streetcar Subcommittee. He was appointed Chairman of the Oklahoma State Capitol Repair Oversight Committee which is responsible for the $245M renovation of the Oklahoma State Capitol in 2014. Steve is the owner of Mason Realty Investors, LLC which has restored, remodeled and manages 22 historic buildings in Oklahoma City in Automobile Alley and the Plaza District with 48 retail, restaurant, and office tenants. Steve was awarded the 2010 Urban Pioneer Award by the OKC Plaza District Association for his redevelopment efforts in Automobile Alley and the 2010 Distinguished Leadership Award by Leadership Oklahoma City for his extensive community service, success of Cardinal Engineering and his redevelopment achievements in Automobile Alley. Mr. Mason was awarded the 2012 Neal Horton Award at the 26th Annual Dean A. McGee Awards. He was inducted into the OCU Meinders Business School of Honor in 2012 with the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award. He was awarded the 2014 Juliette Low Philanthropy award by the Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma. He was awarded the National Eagle Scout award by the Scouts of America in 2015. He was selected as Best Community Developer by 405 Magazine in 2016. He was awarded the Zach Taylor award by Allied Arts in 2016 as the volunteer of the year by Allied Arts.
Maryjo Meacham
Member/Oklahoma City Historic Preservation Commission/Urban Kitchens
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Maryjo Meacham has a Masters in Architecture from the University of Oklahoma and spent over 18 years as a historic preservation consultant. Since 1999 she has owned Urban Kitchens, a kitchen remodeling business in Oklahoma City. Still involved in preservation, Jo currently serves on the City of Oklahoma City Historic Preservation Commission.
Catherine Montgomery
President
Preservation and Design Studio
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Catherine Montgomery is founder and president of the Oklahoma City-based Preservation and Design Studio, an architecture and interiors firm specializing in Historic Preservation. The Studio’s projects include varied building types including Class A office, multi-family residential and retail. Most projects are preservation tax credits projects, some are for property owners in locally zoned Historic Preservation districts, and others are new construction. PandDStudio prepares existing structures reports, HABS/HAER documentation, historic architectural surveys, and National Register nominations. Catherine’s extensive experience in working with the National Historic Preservation Act programs and helping federal agencies satisfy their obligations under Section 106 of the NHPA is an asset for the Studio’s public sector clients. Most PandDStudio projects meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation either by choice or requirement. Before focusing on her studio, Catherine served 23 years in public service including at The University of Maryland, the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), the Outreach Division of the Oklahoma Historical Society, and the City of Oklahoma City. She has consulted on hundreds of Oklahoma Buildings totaling over $350 million in successful certified preservation tax credits projects including the Skirvin Hilton Hotel and the Ambassador Hotel in Midtown OKC. A graduate of the architecture program at the University of Kansas, she is a Registered Architect and Interior Designer and serves on the board for the Oklahoma chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the Professional Advisory Board for The University of Oklahoma, College of Architecture.
Nancy Nagle
President
Historic Preservation Inc.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Nancy Nagle is a lifetime Oklahoma City resident and grew up in Heritage Hills. She attended Wilson Elementary and Classen and Harding High Schools. While attending college in Washington D.C. and New Orleans, she became interested in the histories of old neighborhoods. She and her husband have been longtime members of the Oklahoma Historical Society and have lived in Heritage Hills with their family since returning from New Orleans in 1976. She is a 1995 graduate of the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine and is a practicing pulmonologist. Nancy is a member of Historical Preservation, Inc. and was elected president of the organization in 2016. She is most interested in preservation strategies in the current redevelopment environment facing the neighborhood on four sides.
Cathy O’Connor
President and CEO
The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
(Delivers a plenary address, June 7.)
Cathy O’Connor is the President and CEO of The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City, a non-profit corporation designed to coordinate public participation in economic development projects. Cathy has been instrumental in furthering development downtown, helping to ensure the success of the MAPS 3 projects and promoting job creation. She is very committed to the redevelopment of distressed areas and led the efforts to create the NE Renaissance Urban Renewal Area and Tax Increment Finance District and the Core to Shore Tax Increment Finance District. Prior to becoming President of the Alliance, Cathy served as an Assistant City Manager with Oklahoma City where she enjoyed an almost 30-year career. She led the City’s team to structure the terms for the redevelopment of the historic Skirvin Hotel. In her role with the Alliance she continues to have responsibility for management of the City’s Tax Increment Financing Program; a $75 million Strategic Investment Program, a local economic development incentive fund; and management of the City’s Urban Renewal Authority and Economic Development Trust. Cathy is active in community organizations, including Historic Preservation Inc. She is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma City and Leadership Oklahoma and the recipient of numerous awards.
Lynda Ozan
Architectural Historian
State Historic Preservation Office
Oklahoma Historical Society
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Lynda Schwan Ozan is the Architectural Historian and National Register Program Coordinator for the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office. An Ohio native, Lynda has degrees in both history and historic preservation and brings over 20 years of preservation experience to the State of Oklahoma. Lynda’s research interests span architectural and cultural history and colonial America. She has conducted research in the areas of westward expansion settlement patterns; indentured servitude; and modern architectural styles. She is the author of many National Register of Historic Places nominations, and published journal articles, most recently an article for The Chronicles of Oklahoma on the architectural legacy of Oklahoma.
Georgie Rasco
Director
Neighborhood Alliance of Central Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
A community organizer for 30 years, Georgie Rasco has spent the last 15 years working closely with the 400 different neighborhood associations in the Oklahoma City area. Apathy can destroy dreams and neighborhoods” says Georgie. Talk to your neighbor, create a couple of mutual community goals and see where it goes. This is how change happens. Georgie serves on the MAPS III Trails and Sidewalks Committee, OKC Alarm Review Board, OKCMAR Foundation Board of Directors, OCCF Parks and Public Spaces Committee, Las Vegas Neighborhood Association and numerous public policy committees.
Lynne Rostochil
Okie Mod Squad Founder
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Lynne Rostochil is an avid photographer and writer and has spent the last decade researching and photographing Oklahoma’s unique array of mid-century modern architecture to promote awareness and encourage preservation efforts. Putting her architectural knowledge to work, she arranged an exhibition of famed architectural photographer, Julius Shulman’s work at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and co-founded the Okie Mod Squad, a group that celebrates all things mid-century modern. In addition, Lynne has conducted architectural tours, lectured about Modernism, organized the Oklahoma Modernism Weekend with other Mod Squad members, and written about architecture for local and national publications and websites.
Cynthia Savage
Architectural Historian
Architectural Resources and Community
Heritage (A.R.C.H.) Consulting
Pocasset, Oklahoma
Cynthia Savage has been involved in historic preservation in Oklahoma for over twenty-five years. She received her Master of Arts degree in Applied History from Oklahoma State University and her Bachelor of Arts in History from Colorado State University. Cindy worked for the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office for five years in the mid-1990s, For the past eighteen and a half years, Cindy has operated her own preservation consulting firm, A.R.C.H. (Architectural Resources and Community Heritage) Consulting. She has prepared more than 100 National Register of Historic Places nominations, including the one for the Oklahoma City Municipal Auditorium.
Pam Shelton
Executive Director
Yukon Chamber of Commerce
Yukon, Oklahoma
Pam Shelton assumed her duties as Executive director for the Yukon Chamber of commerce in March 2017, promoting the businesses and tourism for Yukon. Previously, Pam served as the Stockyards city Main Street executive director, and she worked to revitalize Stockyards City Historic district to become the next “go to” district for historic and cultural programs, shopping and fun. Due to her Love of local history, Pam chaired the committee to “Relight the Mill” on Yukon’s Best Flour Mill sign. The sign was turned off in June 2012, and after a more than $250,000 fundraising campaign, it was turned back on in June 2013. Pam retired from public education after a 39-year career teaching Vocational Home Economics and Marketing and serving as the Yukon Public School Community Education Director. She received a B.S. from Oklahoma State University in Vocational Home Economics and a M.S. from the University of Central Oklahoma in Community Services. Pam enjoys volunteer work and is active in numerous professional and civic organizations.
Mike Sikes
President
Sikes Abernathie Architects
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Mike Sikes received his Bachelors of Architecture degree from Oklahoma State University and is the president of Sikes Abernathie Architects, located in Tulsa. He has practiced Architecture for over 35 years and has been a principle of his own firm since 1994. Mike has been involved in preservation since the early 1980’s and his firm has projects throughout the Midwest region, from Wisconsin to Louisiana. Sikes Abernathie Architects’ has experience in restoration and rehabilitation. Their clients include nationally known developers, the Cherokee Nation and major non-profit foundations, all of which are actively involved in historic properties. Each year, the firm assists many owners in securing the State and Federal historic tax credits.
Kary Stackelbeck
State Archeologist
Oklahoma Archeological Survey
Norman, Oklahoma
Kary Stackelbeck is an archaeologist specializing in research on early hunter-gatherer populations of the New World. Academically, she obtained her B.A. degree from Missouri State University and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Kentucky (UK). Before joining the Oklahoma Archeological Survey as the State Archaeologist in 2016, she worked for the Kentucky Heritage Council/State Historic Preservation Office. During her time at UK and KHC, she became well-versed in the management and use of Kentucky’s archaeological and historic structures site files and the associated GIS project. She is bringing that experience to bear in the development of Oklahoma’s own archaeological GIS system.
Laurie Steenbergen
Executive Director
Woodward Arts & Theatre Council
Woodward, Oklahoma
Laurie Steenbergen has been involved in the Arts for most of her life and preservation for over a decade in a variety of urban and rural environments. She is an advocate for the partnership of Preservation and the Arts in long-term community planning. Laurie grew up in rural Oklahoma and then lived on both coasts before returning and working extensively with Main Street programs, Chambers and CVBs and Arts groups. After raising a lot of money for a lot of years for various non-profits, she began to look for better ways for government entities and private non-profits to work together rather than operate as islands or worse competitors in a community. Currently, Laurie manages the Woodward Arts and Theatre Council in a partnership position with her community’s CVB and offices in the heart of the area known as the ‘Cultural District, Main Street District and Historic Downtown’… inside the nearly 100 year old theatre building.
Scott Sundermeyer
Director
ODOT Cultural Resources Program
Norman, Oklahoma
Scott Sundermeyer serves as the Director for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s Cultural Resources Program where his responsibilities include assisting the Department in regulatory compliance with state and federal cultural resources laws and managing a full-time team of four archaeologists and two architectural historians. Scott’s personal research interests lie in Late Prehistoric and Protohistoric Southern Plains Villagers, having completed his Master’s Thesis analyzing artifacts recovered from a Protohistoric Wichita village site in south-central Kansas. As the Cultural Resources Program Director for ODOT, Scott’s current interests range from challenges associated with preserving ODOT’s historic roadway assets to engaging the public in ODOT’s projects involving historic bridges, roadways, and archaeological sites.
Susan Vehik
Department of Anthropology, University of Oklahoma, Retired
Norman, Oklahoma
Susan Vehik received her BA in Anthropology with a minor in Geology from Wichita State University and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Missouri with thesis and dissertation topics in European archaeology but also with experience in Great Plains archaeology. After conducting some field work in Peru, Susan accepted an assistant professorship at the University of Oklahoma in 1977. She then began conducting research in Oklahoma and Kansas archaeology, concentrating on the period from about 1250 to 1750 A.D. Susan retired from OU in 2015 but continues to conduct field work, research, and writing.
David Wanzer
David Wanzer Development
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
David Wanzer is an Oklahoma City-based developer and designer with a passion for modern architecture, adaptive re-use and community building. He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Oklahoma State University in 1992, a second bachelor’s degree, in environmental design, at The University of Oklahoma (2002), followed by a Master of Architecture degree from the OU College of Architecture (2004). Community building is at the heart of David’s work. His research into a long forgotten stretch of Sheridan Avenue in downtown Oklahoma City uncovered the rich history of a district that was once a central hub for Hollywood movie distribution in the U.S. This research, along with his design firm, helped developer friend Chip Fudge spearhead the revitalization of the City’s now thriving Film Row District. In 2006, David was awarded a prestigious “Honor Award” from the American Institute of Architects Central Oklahoma Chapter for the design and construction of the 1105 Modern Bungalows project located in the Classen Ten Penn Neighborhood. The project, his masters’ thesis project at OU, was in partnership with Oklahoma City’s Neighborhood Services. David serves on the Board of Directors for Film Row, the Business Improvement District Board for Downtown OKC, Inc. and the Board of Trustees for Price Tower in Bartlesville.
Catharine M. Wood
Historical Archeologist/Section 106 Program Coordinator
State Historic Preservation Office
Oklahoma Historical Society
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Cate Wood is the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office’s Historical Archeologist and Section 106 Coordinator. In the position, she combines her interests in public education and outreach and historic archaeology. Cate has worked as a professional archaeologist for over twenty years with extensive experience in the Midwest and Southern California. She received her first master’s degree in anthropology at California State University, Fullerton with a focus on public education and outreach in archaeology where she designed an archaeological field school for people with physical disabilities. Cate completed her second master’s degree in archaeology at the University of Iceland in Reykjavík. Her thesis focused on the late medieval period monastic infirmary of Skriðuklaustur that was built in the medieval architectural style of the “passage house.” By integrating historical records, archaeological evidence, the study of buildings archaeology and the use of space, she analyzed how the monastic rules of separation were maintained while providing medical care for the secular community of eastern Iceland within this single monastic building. In her current position, Cate coordinates the SHPO’s Section 106 review process and the SHPO’s archeological survey program.
Oklahoma’s 29th Annual Statewide Preservation Conference 