MEET THE SPEAKERS
Our Sense of Place: Oklahoma’s 25th Annual Statewide Preservation Conference
June 5-7, 2013
Perry, Oklahoma
This year’s statewide preservation conference features seventy-six (76) speakers, including nine (9) special guests from across the country. Following are their bios and brief information about their presentations. Watch this blog in the days ahead for the bios of the Oklahoma preservation professionals, property owners, and local preservation advocates who will be speaking. Find full program details for the conference at http://www.okhistory.org/shpo/conference.htm. Register online at http://shpo.perrymainstreet.com by May 29th to receive the special $40 rate.
Guest Speakers:
Kaisa Barthuli
Program Manager
Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program
National Trails Intermountain Region
National Park Service
Santa Fe, New Mexico
(will discuss the economic benefits of heritage tourism along Historic Route 66)
Kaisa Barthuli has worked with the National Park Service since 1990 in cultural resource management. She currently serves as Program Manager of the National Park Service Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, and works with individuals, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies to preserve the special places and stories associated with historic Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles.
Ken Culp, III
Principal Specialist for Volunteerism
Dept. of 4-H Youth Development
Adjunct Associate Professor
Dept. of Family Sciences
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
(will present two workshops, one about energizing volunteer boards and one about recruiting youth for volunteer service)
Ken Culp, III is Principal Specialist for Volunteerism, Department of 4-H Youth Development and Adjunct Associate Professor Department of Family Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Animal Sciences and a Ph.D. in Educational Foundations and Administration, all from Purdue University. He has more than 23 years of experience in volunteer and nonprofit administration, volunteer development and service activities and leadership development. His research interests include volunteer recruitment, motivation, recognition and retention; trends in volunteerism, volunteer competencies, volunteer program effectiveness and leadership development. He also works as a private consultant and trainer in volunteerism for non-profit organizations and is a keynote speaker. He has published extensively in numerous professional journals, and he developed the University of Kentucky Volunteer Administration Academy (VAA). Just a few of Ken’s professional activities include four years as a Commissioner on the Kentucky Commission of Community Volunteerism and Service and four years as a member of the Ohio Governor’s Community Service & Volunteerism Council. He will present two workshops designed to appeal to the broad historic preservation audience. Many historic preservation programs and community development initiatives depend on volunteers, but finding, motivating, and retaining them can be a challenge. The workshops will provide practical approaches for working with board members and for involving youth in community projects.
Tara Carter Hernandez
President
JCH Development
New Orleans, Louisiana
(will describe the certified rehabilitation of an industrial building left vacant after Hurricane Katrina for use as artists’ lofts)
Tara Hernandez is President of JCH Development, an urban development company whose mission is “to develop Great Urban Places which are sustainable and positively impact the quality of life of its users and their communities”. Tara holds an M.S. in Real Estate Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a B.S. in Finance from Loyola University. She oversees the real estate development activities of JCH Development, manages corporate and project strategy, project selection and financial relationships for the development of residential, retail, commercial, and mixed-use urban redevelopment projects. She has been directly responsible for or participated in the development of over $350+ MM in mixed-use and mixed-income development projects throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri. She is currently involved in over $43+ MM of commercial development projects in Louisiana, including several urban retail developments, and recently completed the conversion of the historic Blue Plate building into 72 residential artist lofts in New Orleans. Tara is a Past Trustee of the Urban Land Institute, Past Chair of ULI Louisiana, an Advisory Board Member of Aries Capital’s Urban Development Fund (NMTC Fund), and serves as a Trustee/Board Member of The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Foundation, The Louise S. McGehee School in New Orleans, Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.), and the New Orleans Arts Council.
Steve Kline
General Services Administration
Greater Southwest Region
Portfolio Management
Fort Worth, Texas
(will first discuss security issues in historic public buildings and then, with Susan Allen Kline, present a landscape case study of the Federal Building Plaza and Oklahoma City Memorial)
Steve Kline holds Bachelors of Architecture from Ohio State University and from Syracuse University and a Master of Architecture, also from Syracuse University. He is the Regional Historic Preservation, Fine Arts, and Art in Architecture Officer for the General Services Administration’s Greater Southwest Region, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Steve is based in Fort Worth and administers the region wide preservation program for over sixty federal structures eligible or listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the region; is responsible for regional compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act; and administers Fine Arts and Art in Architecture programs for the region. Before joining GSA, Steve was Historical Architect with the National Park Service in the Denver Regional Office, C&O Canal National Historic Park and NPS’s Washington, DC Heritage Preservation Services. While with the NPS, he worked with the federal rehabilitation Tax Act Program throughout the nation, and worked on the maintenance, preservation and rehabilitation of historic structures in the parks. He presented training sessions on the interpretation of the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, and preservation/rehabilitation strategies for historic structures. He is a recipient of the Texas Historical Commissions award of excellence in historic architecture for significant contributions to the preservation of Texas’ architectural heritage.
Susan Allen Kline
Independent Historic Preservation Consultant
Fort Worth, Texas
(with Steve Kline, will present a landscape case study of the Federal Building Plaza and Oklahoma City Memorial)
Susan Allen Kline is a historian and preservation consultant in Fort Worth. She received an MA in History from Oklahoma State University. Susan previously was employed as the Architectural Historian/National Register Coordinator for the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office. She also worked as a contract historian for the National Historic Landmarks Survey in Washington, D.C. As a preservation consultant, she has prepared numerous National Register of Historic Places nominations and historic contexts for historic resources in Texas and Oklahoma. Susan was the 2009 recipient of the Texas State Historical Association’s Cecilia Steinfeldt Fellowship for Research in the Arts and Material Culture of Texas to conduct research on the landscape architecture firm of Hare and Hare of Kansas City, Missouri at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. In 2012, she received a Citation of Honor from the Texas Society of Architects for her contributions to the field of historic preservation in Texas. Her first book, Fort Worth Parks was released by Arcadia Publishing in 2010.
J. Paul Loether
Chief
National Historic Landmarks/National Register of Historic Places
National Park Service
Washington, DC
(will talk about how the National Register is using technology and about updating identification and documentation standards for traditional cultural properties)
J. Paul Loether is Chief of the National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks for the National Park Service. Before taking his current position in January 2007, he served as the Director of Culture for the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism and Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer for Connecticut. Prior to his work with the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, Paul served as both Acting Director and a National Register and historic restoration specialist with the Connecticut Historical Commission. Previous to his service with the State of Connecticut, he headed his own historic consulting preservation firm for two years, and served as the Director of Technical Services at the New Haven Preservation Trust. Paul began his career in historic preservation in 1978 as the Assistant Director of the Greater Middletown Preservation Trust. He holds a Masters of Arts degree in public policy and a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, both from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.
Darrin Murrell
Managing Director
Historic Farmland USA
Farmland, Indiana
(will provide the inspiring story about how the Main Street Program saved this small Indiana town)
Darrin Murrell currently serves as Managing Director of Historic Farmland USA, a National Main Street program, where he produces dinner theatre, concert and performance events as well as art shows and street festivals and leads historic preservation and economic development efforts for the rural Randolph County community of Farmland, Indiana. He recently led an effort which saw Farmland recognized as one of the Top 10 Great American Main Street Communities by the National Trust for Historic Preservation for two consecutive years and has been appointed by Lt. Governor Rebecca Skillman to serve on the advisory board of the Indiana Main Street Program under the Office of Rural and Community Affairs. He first became involved in the Main Street Program in 2003 when he recognized the efforts of a program which had resulted in the restoration and preservation of Farmland. He had moved his family back to Indiana to give his children a similar childhood to the one he had enjoyed in a town near Farmland, a town which, like so many others around it, had all but ceased to exist. Thanks to the efforts of Historic Farmland, there was still a community that offered the experiences and quality of life he remembered from his past, so he and his family dedicated themselves to helping maintain and advance those efforts. He has worked as a volunteer, board member, President and now Managing Director of the group. In addition to his work in Farmland, Darrin has also worked as a professional stage actor, director, producer and educator for over 25 years with theatres all across the country including extensive work in Chicago and Portland, Oregon, and has most recently been seen on stage at Texas Shakespeare Festival and at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre in Indianapolis. He recently completed a five-year tenure as Executive Director of Muncie Civic Theatre, during which time he also served as President of the Indiana Community Theatre League and Regional Representative to the American Association of Community Theatres.
Elizabeth Rosin
Principal
Rosin Preservation, LLC
Kansas City, Missouri
(will discuss the adaptive reuse of Enid’s Clay Hall for housing under the federal and state rehabilitation tax credits programs)
Elizabeth Rosin, founder of Rosin Preservation, has worked in a broad range of the preservation field’s many facets, gaining experience that reflects the full spectrum of preservation planning activities. Over the past 15 years, Elizabeth has consulted on over six dozen historic tax credit projects, representing nearly $1 billion of construction activity. This work has addressed nearly every possible resource type, ranging from an early-19th century log house to early-twentieth century school buildings to the iconic Empire State Building. The in-depth knowledge of preservation design standards and protocols and the creative thinking that Elizabeth brings to each project help clients successfully breach the typical range of adaptive reuse hurdles as well as some highly unique situations.
Robyn Ryle
Associate Professor of Sociology
Hanover College
Hanover, Indiana
(will present “The Coffee Shop and the Corner Store: Sociological Perspectives on Place” during the Plenary Session)
Robyn Ryle is Associate Professor of Sociology, Hanover College, Hanover, Indiana. In addition to teaching, she writes about books, knitting, fiddling, cooking, gardening, and the stories of small town life in a 170 year old house in historic Madison, Indiana. When Robyn addressed the National Main Streets Conference last year in Baltimore, she opened by saying, “Thank you all so much for having me here today. It’s good to be in a room full of people who love place, appreciate place and are working to build great places.” She says, “As a sociologist, I’m interested in how places shape social life. So, I ask questions about how places shape our social interactions and the kind of communities in which we live.”
OKLAHOMA SPEAKERS:
Sixty-seven (67) Oklahoma preservation professionals, property owners, and local preservation advocates will speak during the conference. Here is a little about each of them.
In-State
Gordon Adams
Tribal Historic Preservation Officer
Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma
Pawnee, Oklahoma
Gordon Adams is a native Oklahoman, a member of the Skidi band of the Pawnee Nation, and a descendant of Crooked Hand, the Pawnee’s greatest warrior. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in the study of Justice, and a Masters in Public Administration from Arizona State University. In 1992, Gordon became involved in the NAGPRA struggle and returned to Oklahoma in 2007 to begin his public service at the Pawnee Nation College. In 2011, he became the Pawnee Nation’s Tribal Historic Preservation Officer. However, he spent some 30 years in Phoenix as the owner and operator of a large machine and welding business, named Unauthorized H-D, which specialized in building very fast Harley-Davidson motorcycles and structural steel contracting. Gordon’s personal specialty was endurance road racing. In 1984, he won the world championship in the Ironbutt Rally, covering over 14,000 miles in 242 hours.
Vanessa Adams
Docent Liaison
John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park & John Hope Franklin Center
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Vanessa Adams is an enrolled citizen of the Muscogee Creek Nation with African-American and European ancestry. Among her many activities is her service as Docent Program Coordinator for The John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park in Tulsa. She is a mixed-media artist, actor, writer, producer/director, workshop facilitator and playwright. Her undergraduate studies began with Art, but later combined Anthropology & Theatre at the University of Tulsa, and she is working toward a Masters of Arts in Social Change at Starr King School of Ministry, part of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. Her award winning historical portrayals include Civil Rights Matriarch Rosa Parks, Oklahoma legend Ada Lois Sipuel-Fisher, Hannibal Johnson’s “Big Mama Speaks-A 1921 Tulsa Race Riot Survivor” and “Who Will Sing for Lena?” by Dr. J.L. Liddell. Vanessa currently serves on the board of TK Wolf, Inc., a Native-American non-profit organization; Education Committee of American Association of Community Theatre; and a member of the Leadership Tulsa New Voices Program as well as Oklahoma Arts Council Leadership Arts 2012.
Ken Alexander
Design Works Studio
Sand Springs, Oklahoma
Ken Alexander, a 1974 graduate of the University of Oklahoma, holds a B.S. Degree in Environmental Design. He is an award winning and published registered architect. Ken’s project types are diverse and include: local and national chain restaurant design for prototype development and projects; design and prototype development for convenience stores, private clubs, office buildings, retail stores, custom residential, manufacturing facilities; historic preservation projects; various hotel renovations and a private prison. He is the founding principal of DesignWorks Studio Inc. Operating as a full service architectural firm since 2002, DesignWorks Studio is a company focused on client satisfaction. DesignWorks Studio is an “inclusive architectural firm” that recognizes that all projects benefit from the team approach. He has been a respected and successful business owner, business partner, team builder and project manager in the architectural industry for the past 35 years.
Allison Archambo
Historian/Survey Coordinator
State Historic Preservation Office
Oklahoma Historical Society
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Allison Archambo is the Historian/Survey Coordinator for the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office. She has a degree in Historic Preservation from Southeast Missouri State University. She has prepared multiple National Register Nominations and authored several preservation related articles. Her most recent work includes an on-going survey of Rosenwald Schools in Oklahoma.
Susan Atkinson
Planning Department
City of Norman
Norman, Oklahoma
Susan Owen Atkinson is from Salisbury, North Carolina. She and her family have lived in Norman since 2002. She has degrees in English and Anthropology from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from the University of Kansas. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. For nearly eight years she has been the City of Norman’s Historic Preservation Officer. Prior to joining the staff, she served on Norman’s Historic District Commission for three years. Her planning passions are historic preservation, urban design, creating walkable communities, and teaching elementary school students about community planning using Box City. She is a resident of the Chautauqua Historic District in Norman.
Linda Barnett
Director
Oklahoma Main Street Center
Oklahoma Department of Commerce
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Linda Barnett serves as Director of the Oklahoma Main Street Center, Oklahoma Department of Commerce. The Oklahoma Main Street Center currently administers 39 Main Street programs in communities across Oklahoma. She is past Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Coordinating Programs of the National Trust Main Street Center and served on the Board of Trustees of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Linda previously served the Department of Commerce as Director of Community Technical Assistance and Regional Economic Development Director, over a 10 county area of northwest Oklahoma. Before coming to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, she was President of the Woodward Chamber of Commerce for 5 years. As Chamber executive, Linda won the Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce Executives’ 1997 “Executive of the Year” and served on the Board of Directors of OCCE. Prior to her Chamber experience she served as manager of the Woodward Main Street Program, which won an award for best economic restructuring under her supervision. Woodward Main Street went from 31 vacancies downtown to less than five in only two years.
Robert Bartlett
Director
ODOT Cultural Resources Program
Oklahoma Archeological Survey
Norman, Oklahoma
Robert Bartlett, a lifelong Oklahoman and archeologist is Director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) Cultural Resources Program and has worked for the program since 1993. It is responsible for ODOT’s Section 106 compliance for the agency’s federally funded construction work, such as highway improvements and bridge replacements and rehabilitation. Robert has nine staff members including archeologists, architectural historians and a Tribal Liaison. He holds a B.A. and an M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Oklahoma.
Brad Alan Bays
Department of Geography
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Brad Bays is an associate professor of geography at Oklahoma State University. His preservation career began in 1989 as a field surveyor for the OK/SHPO’s survey of coal mining resources in Pittsburg County. He later earned his Master’s at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and his Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Both his thesis and dissertation examined the cultural and historical geography of the Cherokee Nation. Brad first worked at Northwestern State University of Louisiana, home of the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. He has been a faculty member at OSU since 1995 and has contracted as a PI with the OK/SHPO since 1997.
Debbie Blackburn
President
OKC Housing Services Redevelopment Corp/Positively Paseo!
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Debbie Blackburn is a native of Woodward, Oklahoma, but has made her home in the inner city of Oklahoma City since her marriage in 1978. Life in the inner city sparked an interest in historic preservation, planning, architecture, development and general civic improvement. Starting with the purchase of a 1919 Arts and Crafts bungalow in the Heritage Hills East Neighborhood, Debbie and her husband set about purchasing several homes on the same block to conduct their own rehabilitation project. That led to work with her own neighborhood association, then as a board member and later Executive Director of the Neighborhood Alliance of OKC when it fell upon funding difficulties. While strengthening Neighborhood Alliance, she ran an initiative petition for more earmarked monies for increased police and firemen, and hatched the idea of a redevelopment corporation for inner city Oklahoma City funded with CDBG funds. As a new concept for the city, this political planning effort began in 1987, and with the help of like minded friends, ended with actual implementation of Positively Paseo!. In 1994, Debbie was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives, and she served for twelve years. One of her proudest accomplishments as a legislator was passage of the state tax credits for historic preservation, which earned her an award from the Oklahoma Main Street Center. She currently serves as President of the Oklahoma City Housing Redevelopment Corporation, operating as Positively Paseo!; a board member of Ontrac, an organization encouraging the growth of regional public transit; and serves on the MAPS III oversight committee for the modern streetcar.
Staci Bolay
Executive Director
Main Street of Perry
Perry, Oklahoma
Staci Bolay returned to Perry, her childhood hometown, in 2003 and began her career with Main Street of Perry in 2008. She currently serves as the organization’s Executive Director. Staci is a graduate of Leadership Noble County and has an Associate’s degree in Social Science from Northern Oklahoma College. She is completing a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Oklahoma State University this spring. Her passion for historic preservation and Main Street’s mission has intensified with every passing year. Through her work in downtown, she strives to make a positive impact on the community she loves. Along with the help of committees she has launched new events and projects such as the Perry Business Spotlight program, virtual walk & website, Down on Main Street newsletter, and Wine’d Down on the Square to name a few. Staci’s focus for the Perry program is to stay visible and always provide consistent reassurance of progress by attending public meetings and co-hosting conferences like this year’s statewide preservation conference.
Bill Bryans
Department of History
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Bill Bryans has been a member of the Oklahoma State University History Department since 1987. His primary responsibility is directing its MA Public History program, which prepares students for careers as professional historians in museums and the field of historic preservation. His presentation for this year’s conference concerns work of three of his students from the preservation class he taught this spring. Some of his former students have worked, or are currently working for various divisions of the Oklahoma Historical Society. He has worked with the State Historic Preservation Office, conducting historic resource surveys, authoring historic contexts, and preparing nominations to the National Register of Historic Places.
Sherri Clemons
Tribal Historic Preservation Officer
Wyandotte Nation
Wyandotte, Oklahoma
Sherri Clemons has served as Tribal Heritage Director for the Wyandotte Nation since 1999. Sherri is also a member of the Nation. Her responsibilities include Chairing the annual pow-wow, maintaining records of all tribal cemeteries, managing the Tribal Historical office, coordinating all Section 106 contacts and working with the Wyandotte Nation Honor Guard. Sherri has a love for the history of the Wyandotte that it is never a job, but a new adventure every day coming into her office The Wyandotte Nation has assumed responsibilities under the National Historic Preservation Act on their tribal trust lands, and Sherri serves as the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer.
Neila Crank-Clements
Executive Director
OKC Housing Services Redevelopment Corp/Positively Paseo!
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Neila Crank-Clements is Executive Director of Positively Paseo!, a community-based housing development organization. Since 2009, she has led the housing revitalization efforts in the Paseo Historic District by way of rehabilitating dilapidated housing stock and building infill on vacant lots, all while staying true to the historic character of the neighborhood. Neila also serves as commissioner for the Historic Preservation Commission of the City of Oklahoma City, chair of the community advisory board for Gatewood Elementary School, and landscape and public art team leader for Better Block OKC.
Fay Culver
Director
Miami Main Street
Miami, Oklahoma
Fay Culver was born in Virginia and has traveled to or through all 50 states, arriving in Oklahoma in 1980. The United States military has been a large part of her life. From an Air Force ramp brat, to Army dependent wife and later a Navy Chief Petty Officer, Fay has lived in several foreign countries and seen preservation at its best. She became the director of Miami Main Street in 1998, the sixth manager in the first three years of the program. Fay is a Certified Main Street Manager.
Michael S. Deatsch
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Michael Deatsch is a mid-century enthusiast from Oklahoma City. Michael and his wife Lindsey purchased their 1949 ranch home in 2010 and began working to bring the house back to its mid-century character. Their efforts have focused on mixing new modern with old mid-century modern, including renovating two original pink tiled bathrooms to showcase their unique style. When he’s not working to save the pink tile, Michael owns and operates a high performance fuel injection company. Michael also enjoys cruising Route 66 in his 1972 Chevelle.
Amanda DeCort
Preservation Planning Administrator
City of Tulsa Planning Department
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Amanda DeCort is Tulsa’s Certified Local Governments coordinator and Historic Preservation Officer. She is responsible for program planning and grant administration, and staffs the Tulsa Preservation Commission. She has a Master’s Degree in Community Planning with a specialization in Historic Preservation from the University of Cincinnati. Since joining the City of Tulsa in 2005, Amanda has updated the City’s Design Guidelines, streamlined the Preservation Commission’s operations, and directed the intensive level architectural/historic survey of the entire downtown. She’s facilitated 13 National Register district listings, developed a continuing education program for local Realtors, and created the successful Preservation Awards program.
Jayne Detten
Executive Director
Ponca City Main Street
Ponca City, Oklahoma
Jayne Detten has been the executive director of the Ponca City Main Street program since 2004. Under her leadership, PCMS hosted the 2008 statewide preservation conference, and Ponca City was selected as a Preserve America Community with the Main Street component as the focus of the application. Also, the downtown historic district was successfully nominated to the National Register of Historic Places as the result of the great partnership among PCMS, the City of Ponca City, and the State Historic Preservation Office. Jayne was a member of the 1995 Ponca City Leadership class, a member of the 2009 Leadership Oklahoma class, and a charter member of the first Oklahoma Community Institute class. She is a graduate of Oklahoma State University holding a B.S. in secondary education/minor in science, with graduate level studies in art and curriculum/instruction from Northern Oklahoma College and Oklahoma State University.
Chet Dodrill
CF&AO/Chloeta Fire, LLC
Recent Graduate/OU Regional & City Planning
Moore, Oklahoma
Chet Dodrill is originally from Broken Arrow, and he completed his BBA degree in Supply Chain Management and Finance from the University of Oklahoma in 2010. He is completing his Masters in Regional and City Planning degree this spring. Chet serves as Chief Financial and Administrative Officer at Chloeta Fire, LLC, an Oklahoma City-based company specializing in federal wild-land fire suppression, prescribed burning, and wild-land fire planning and consulting.
Eric Dryer
Graduate Student /OU Regional and City Planning &
Intern – City of Oklahoma City Planning Department
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Eric Dryer is a Recent graduate of the University of Oklahoma’s Regional and City Planning program with a concentration in Environmental Planning. Also, he is currently an intern at the City of Oklahoma City’s planning department where he is working in the Historic Preservation division. Eric graduated from the University of Michigan in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in Biology. He grew up in Grand Blanc, Michigan, a suburb of Flint, Michigan (about an hour and a half north of Detroit).
Allen Finchum
Associate Professor
Department of Geography
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Allen Finchum is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at Oklahoma State University. He received his education at East Tennessee State University, the University of Cincinnati, and The University of Tennessee. He has been at OSU since 1996, and has worked with the State Historic Preservation Office since 2001 in the areas of database development and web mapping support.
Ron Frantz
Associate Professor and Director of Great Plains Studios, Institute for Quality Communities
College of Architecture
The University of Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma
Ron Frantz is a licensed architect who specializes in historic preservation, Main Street revitalization, neighborhood revitalization, and all types of community-based, grassroots type of design programs. With two degrees from The Tulane University of Louisiana, he has work experience that includes being a founding partner of two architecture firms; working in private sector firms; staffing a local non-profit organization; and serving in a state agency as well as holding staff and faculty positions at a private college. Currently, Ron holds positions with the College of Architecture at The University of Oklahoma. He is an Associate Professor with the Architecture Division, and is Director of Great Plains Studios, a part of the Institute for Quality Communities.
Katie McLaughlin Friddle
Historic Preservation Officer
Oklahoma City Planning Department
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. Prior to her time with the City, Katie was Executive Director of Preservation Oklahoma, the statewide non-profit preservation advocacy organization.
Kelli E. Gaston
Architectural Historian, Realtor
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Kelli Gaston is a native of southeastern Oklahoma and a 2003 graduate of Oklahoma State University with an M.A. in Public History. She began her career in historic preservation as a field surveyor for the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana. After a brief stint as a social studies instructor, Kelli joined the State Historic Preservation Office staff as the state’s survey coordinator and then as an interim National Register coordinator. In 2008, Kelli left the SHPO to spend more time with her growing family. As a private consultant, Kelli has been involved in numerous survey and National Register projects across the state. She also works part time as a Realtor in the Oklahoma City metro area.
Kendra Griffin
Department of History
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Kendra Griffin is a Master of Arts candidate in Oklahoma State University’s Public History program. She will participate in a preservation conference presentation with two fellow students and Dr. Bill Bryans. The presentation is based on their project for Dr. Bryans’ Historic Preservation class during the Spring 2013 semester.
Shane Hampton
Graduate Assistant, Institute for Quality Communities
University of Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Shane Hampton graduated from the University of Oklahoma’s Regional and City Planning program in May 2013. He has contributed to planning projects in several Oklahoma towns and cities as a graduate assistant at the Institute for Quality Communities. He is interested in strategic urban planning efforts from both professionals and citizens that help Oklahoma towns and neighborhoods reflect the character of the state and become better places to live.
Melvena Heisch
Deputy SHPO
State Historic Preservation Office
Oklahoma Historical Society
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Melvena Heisch is Oklahoma’s Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer and has served in this capacity since 1980. She directs the federal historic preservation programs for the State Historic Preservation Officer, and these include the National Register of Historic Places, archeological and architectural/historic survey programs, Section 106 review, federal tax incentives for rehabilitation, Certified Local Governments Program, development and implementation of the statewide preservation plan, and technical assistance and public outreach efforts, including design and coordination of Oklahoma’s annual statewide preservation conference. She and her staff work closely with many partner agencies and organizations, including the Oklahoma Archeological Survey, the Oklahoma Main Street Center and Preservation Oklahoma, Inc., to strengthen Oklahoma’s preservation efforts. Melvena is a native Oklahoman and received her B.A. in Social Science Education at Southwestern Oklahoma State University and her M.A. in History at Oklahoma State University. She is a member of several professional organizations and has served on the Board of Directors, National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers. She also served as a member of the Federal Advisory Council for the National Park Service’s Route 66 Corridor Preservation program. She is a recipient of the Friend of Main Street Award and of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s National Honor Award.
Larry Herzel
HSE Architects
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Since joining HSE Architects in 1976, Larry Herzel has served as Project Architect and designer for a wide variety of building types. His experience includes code compliance, facility planning, budget analysis, architectural design, project management, construction administration and facilitating complex design teams. To ensure that the quality of work is at an
exceptionally high level, Larry implements a design process that includes the client from beginning to end. By guiding the client through each phase and meeting each need, Larry is able to fully exceed their expectations. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Oklahoma. Larry is the 2009 recipient of the Metro 50 Award and the 2009 William Wayne Caudill AIA Honor Award. He has served as a Member of the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission and as an American Institute of Architects – Vice President, Director, Treasurer, and Committee Chairman.
John R. Hill
Guthrie, Oklahoma
Having worked in the Cultural Resources Management field for more than forty years, John Hill has experience in a wide range of research, analysis, design and development in the historic preservation field. John holds undergraduate degrees in Fine Arts and Psychology and a graduate degree in History. He has participated in numerous advanced training programs with the American Association for State and Local History, American Association of Museums, National Park Service, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts and the Association for Preservation Technology. John served as Architectural Historian with the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office and as Director and State Historic Preservation Officer for the Idaho State Historical Society. Some of his professional cultural resource management work includes service to the Civil War Sites Commission and Long-Distance Trails Program, NPS; Oregon Trail Preservation Program; Bureau of Land Management; and the Idaho Heritage Preservation Commission.
Johnnie L. Jacobs
NHPA Section 106 Coordinator
Historic Preservation Department
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
Durant, Oklahoma
Johnnie Jacobs is the National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 Coordinator for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Historic Preservation Department. She is a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation from Holdenville. She is a graduate from the University of Oklahoma and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the American Indian Studies Department at the University of Arizona. She works closely with and consults with federal and state agencies from nine states of historic interest to the Choctaw Nation to aid in protection of Choctaw sacred, historic and archaeological sites. She has served tribal communities for many years in the field of preservation, education, and community collaboration.
Jennifer Kalkman
Director of Digital Marketing
Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
As the digital marketing director for the Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department, Jennifer Kalkman oversees development and content for TravelOK.com as well as email marketing, SEO, paid search and online display advertising. In the past three years her team has taken TravelOK.com from ranking #28 for state tourism website traffic to #4, and the site was #1 among state tourism websites for pages per visit in 11 of the 12 months of 2012. The site has also garnered several awards for content, as well as the coveted Gold Adrian Award from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International for the TravelOK email marketing program over the past three years. While earning a bachelor’s degree in finance and an MBA, Jennifer developed strong analytical skills which she put to work in the banking industry as a financial analyst. She later migrated into marketing analysis and then served as the marketing director of Local Federal Bank for nearly a decade before bringing her metrics-driven marketing approach to the Oklahoma Tourism Department. Jennifer’s presentation will focus on one of the exciting new features of TravelOK.com, Genealogical Tourism in Oklahoma. Through the website, you will “Take a journey of self-discovery and trace your family tree while connecting with the people, places and landscapes that helped shape your ancestors.”
Melody A. Kellogg
Manager of Library Operations Metropolitan Library System – Edmond
Edmond, Oklahoma
Melody Kellogg started her career by investing 13 years in community and downtown revitalization with Oklahoma Department of Commerce’s Main Street Program. She then worked for the City of Guthrie 11 years in various positions with responsibilities in organizational development, grant-writing, historic preservation, library services and city management. She followed her second stint as City Manager with a two-year sabbatical to the ministry in 2009, rejoining the library ranks in 2011. Melody currently serves as the Manager of Library Operations for Metropolitan Library System’s Edmond branch. She has Masters Degrees in Business Administration from the University of Central Oklahoma, and Library and Information Studies from the University of Oklahoma.
Randy Kellogg
Senior Vice President, International Department
F&M Bank & Trust Co. of Tulsa
Guthrie, Oklahoma
Randy Kellogg was born and raised on a dairy farm west of Guthrie, and has lived most of his life in or near the historic community. His career includes 30 years of banking and business development. Currently, he is Senior Vice President of the International Department for F&M Bank and Trust Company headquartered in Tulsa where he provides international cash management and offers trade finance consulting services to Oklahoma companies engaged in exporting. Randy also manages a calf-cow operation as the third generation of Kelloggs on the family farm; serves as member of Meridian Technology Center Board of Directors; and is an active member of Henderson Hills Baptist Church in Edmond. Past community service includes United Way of Logan County, Guthrie Noon Lions Club, Guthrie Chamber of Commerce, Oklahoma District Export Council, and Oklahoma Governor’s International Team. He holds a Bachelors degree in Agriculture Economics from Oklahoma State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Central Oklahoma.
Mike Kertok
Architect
Norman, Oklahoma
Mike Kertok attended the University of Oklahoma, graduating with a Master of Architecture degree in 1982. He learned his trade while employed by several large architecture firms, gaining a wide variety of experience and increasing responsibilities, and established his own firm in 1999, where he specializes in historic preservation and renovation projects. He takes pride in doing very accurate and very thorough work, and exhausting every resource in researching a building so that he can understand as completely as possible the history and construction of the structure. Mike has received numerous design awards, including awards from the American Society of Interior Designers and the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office. He has coordinated with the State Historic Preservation Office on numerous projects and is thoroughly familiar with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. A few of his significant historic preservation projects include the Arcadia Round Barn, Rock Cafe, Bristow’s Firestone Service Station, Tulsa’s Cities Service Station, Wheelock Academy, the Overholser Mansion, the Gold Dome, and the Chickasha Hotel.
Steve Lackmeyer
The Oklahoman
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Steve Lackmeyer is a reporter, columnist and author who started his career at The Oklahoman in 1990. Since then, he has won numerous awards for his coverage, which included the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, the City’s Metropolitan Area Projects, the rebuilding of north downtown, the rebirth of the Skirvin Hotel, the rise of Bricktown, MidTown and Automobile Alley, and the City’s courting of the NBA. He spent two years visiting Main Street communities around the state, documenting their preservation efforts and the return of commerce to the heart of the state’s small towns. This effort was recognized in 2007 with a “Friend of Main Street” award by the Oklahoma Main Street Center. That same year he also was honored with the B.H. Prasad Award given in recognition of his coverage of architecture by the Central Oklahoma Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. He is author of four books about downtown Oklahoma City’s history, including “OKC Second Time Around.” He also authored “Foraging in Oklahoma,” a travelogue and recipe book about produce found at Oklahoma farms and ranches. His involvement with Retro Metro OKC began as a founding member and officer of the group, which started with organizational efforts in 2009 and an official launch in 2010. The group is a non-profit organization that has helped to organize displays on the history of city government, the City’s vintage restaurants, and Bricktown. The organization’s key effort, however, is the scanning and display of privately owned photographs and materials. The website http://www.retrometrookc.com is home to thousands of such materials, including original video documentaries and videos of monthly speakers.
Chris Lilly
Kinslow, Keith & Todd, Inc.
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Architect Chris Lilly is an Oklahoma State University Graduate who began his career in New Haven, Connecticut working for Cesar Pelli. There he participated in many projects including the National Children’s Museum in Washington DC, the Sidra Medical Center in Doha, Qatar, and the Tokyo American Club in Tokyo, Japan. In 2007, after the birth of his son, he and his wife returned to Oklahoma, his home state. As a project architect for Kinslow, Keith, & Todd, based in Tulsa, Chris is responsible for his projects from conceptual design through completed construction. Understanding that continuity is critical to the success of every project, he makes sure design is a consideration in every decision. Chris has had the great opportunity to be working closely with the George Kaiser Family Foundation on their incredible contributions of the Tulsa Paper Company Buildings and the Guthrie Green project to the Brady Arts District in downtown Tulsa.
Harley Lingerfelt
Vice President for Operations
St. Gregory’s University
Shawnee, Oklahoma
Harley Lingerfelt serves as the Vice President of Operations at St. Gregory’s University. In this capacity, Mr. Lingerfelt oversees information technology, physical plant, security and human resources for the University. Currently, Harley is overseeing the rehabilitation of Benedictine Hall. Prior to coming to St. Gregory’s, he was the Vice President for Information Management and Technology at the Savannah College of Art and Design. While at SCAD, Harley was instrumental in the planning and implementation of the campus network, telecommunications and Banner, the software that ran all administrative functions of the College. Before coming to the SCAD, he served for 23 years with the State of Oklahoma. For eleven years, he was the Director, Research and Planning Division for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce in Oklahoma City. Harley received his Masters Degree from the University of Oklahoma and his Bachelors of Arts Degree from the University of Central Oklahoma.
Tim Longest
Tim Longest Insurance Agency, Inc.
Ardmore, Oklahoma
Tim Longest’s interest and love of historic preservation began in the early 1980’s when he purchased his first Downtown Ardmore building. Tim was fascinated by the history of this building which housed offices for attorneys who helped cotton farmers negotiate fair and equitable cotton contracts with Chicago buyers. Thirty years later Tim has acquired and rehabilitated more than 17 buildings in the Downtown Historic District. A 6 unit upper floor loft project Tim installed in 2008, is one of the premier loft spaces in Downtown Ardmore. The projects that he and his father, as well as other investment groups and business owners have done in the past 8 years, both residential and commercial, are helping to revitalize Ardmore’s downtown, and to make it a shopping and dining destination that locals are proud to call their own. The Columbia Hotel and Residence installation is Tim’s current rehabilitation tax credit project. A three story, 1920s masterpiece of a building will, if all goes as planned, be Ardmore’s only downtown Hotel since the 1940s.
Tim Lovell
Executive Director
Tulsa Partners, Inc.
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tim Lovell has been the executive director of Tulsa Partners, Inc. since 2004, overseeing a variety of initiatives related to mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery and sustainability. He was recruited by the City of Tulsa Project Impact office in May 2000, after nearly 20 years of experience developing public-private partnerships with faith-based and community-based organizations in the areas of social service ministry, community revitalization, and historic preservation. Tulsa Partners grew out of the Project Impact program as an independent 501(c)(3) organization. Tim was a Panelist for the 2006 National Preserve America Summit report on “Dealing With the Unexpected” and a member of the Preserve America Technical Advisory Committee for 2008 “Preparing to Preserve: An Action Plan to Integrate Historic Preservation into Tribal, State, and Local Emergency Management Plans.” Under his leadership, Tulsa Partners served as a consultant for updates to the City of Tulsa Hazard Mitigation Plan, including the development of an appendix focused on historic and cultural resources. Tim has a Master of Management degree in Nonprofit Administration. He is a founding board member and current Secretary of the Natural Hazard Mitigation Association, and is a member of the Oklahoma’s State Citizen Corps Council. He also is a past president of the Brady Heights Neighborhood Association in Tulsa.
Larry B. Lucas
Architect
Oklahoma Main Street Center
Oklahoma Department of Commerce
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Larry Lucas joined the Oklahoma Main Street Program as staff Architect in October 2011. He grew up in a Main Street community and has a real passion for historic preservation, environmental stewardship and the Main Street Approach. Larry is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, with a Bachelor of Architecture and is a licensed Architect in the State of Oklahoma. He is a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP O&M), a member of the United States Green Building Council, and a member of the American Institute of Architects.
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. Rick 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 Master Format Accredited Instructor. His 26 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 sensitively preserve their historic treasures.
Greg Main
President
St. Gregory’s University
Shawnee, Oklahoma
D. Gregory Main is the 15th president of St Gregory’s University, the state’s oldest institution of higher education. He came to SGU after a two-year stint as president and CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation where he was responsible, during the Great Recession of 2008-2010, for executing the governor’s economic recovery and diversification strategy. From 2003 to 2008, Greg served as president and CEO of i2E, Inc. of Oklahoma City, a technology commercialization company focused on assisting entrepreneurial start-up businesses. From 1998 to 2002, he was a general partner with Chisholm Private Capital Partners, a $66 million venture capital firm in Oklahoma City, and beginning in 1994, a partner in Intersouth Partners of Research Triangle, N.C. He was appointed Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce in 1991, serving as the state’s chief economic development officer. He designed and implemented initiatives including the award-winning Oklahoma Quality Jobs program and Quality Jobs Investment Act. In addition, he was instrumental in establishing the Alliance for Manufacturing and the launch of the Oklahoma Capital Investment Board Venture Investing program. Greg began his economic development career in 1970 as executive director and chief planner for the six-county, non-profit Central Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Regional Commission (CUPPAD) in Escanaba, Michigan. He joined the Michigan Department of Commerce as director of the Upper Peninsula office in 1983. From 1985 to 1990, his duties as director of the manufacturing development group included responsibility for marketing Michigan as a location for manufacturing investment. In that capacity, he directed State of Michigan offices in Brussels, Tokyo, Toronto and Lagos, Nigeria. Greg was deputy director of economic development in 1991 when he relocated to Oklahoma. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Michigan State University in 1970 with a degree in urban planning. He has extensive training and post-graduate studies in general management, marketing management, business and real estate finance, sales and quality management. In 2011 he received an honorary doctorate in humanities from St Gregory’s University.
He is past chairman and president of the Oklahoma Venture Forum, Science Museum of Oklahoma board member. Currently he serves as associate vice chair and treasurer of the Oklahoma Academy and is a Creative Oklahoma board member.
George Massey
Real Estate Associate
RE/MAX First
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
George Massey has entered his 10th year of full time Real Estate with RE/MAX First in Oklahoma City where he services the entire Oklahoma City Metro area, and specializes in the Historic, Midtown and Downtown properties. He was the Listing Associate for Oklahoma City’s first high rise condominium project, The Classen, and was selected as Listing Associate for the Oklahoma City Philharmonic’s 2009 Symphony Showcase Home. His Midtown and Downtown marketing was launched by Developer, Grant Humphreys, where he assisted with the remaining 10 condos at Block 42. He has now completed 18 condo and contemporary home transactions in the Bricktown area. He was the Number 4 RE/MAX Realtor in Oklahoma for 2011, and was appointed by Mayor Mick Cornett and elected by the Oklahoma City Council to serve as a Member of the Historic Preservation Commission in July of 2011.
Maryjo Meacham
Urban Kitchens
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Jo Meacham graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Masters in Architecture and worked in the field of historic preservation and planning for over twenty years. In 1999, Jo began designing and building kitchens in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, again specializing in historic homes. She now owns and operates Urban Kitchens, a complete kitchen and interior remodeling company located in the heart of Oklahoma City’s historic districts. “Her philosophy is to design kitchens to respect the architecture of the home while incorporating the modern conveniences that are available today.”
Aaron Meek
Owner
Group M Investments/The Campbell Hotel
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Aaron Meek is the owner of Group M Investments, which in late 2008 purchased the long-neglected Casa Loma Hotel on Route 66 in Tulsa with the intent of converting it to loft apartments. Realizing what the 1927 property had been and could be again, Meek instead decided to restore it to its original purpose. In 2011, the property reopened as The Campbell Hotel, a 26-room luxury boutique hotel, event center, lounge and spa whose name refers to original builder Max W. Campbell. Aaron also owns the Eleventh Street Lofts and the nearby Ernest Wiemann Ironworks building. Not content to rest on their laurels, he and his crew are currently in the process of adding an on-site restaurant to The Campbell Hotel.
Catherine Montgomery
Preservation & Design Studio
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Catherine maintains a boutique practice primarily focused on Historic Preservation projects including preservation design, preservation tax credits consulting, historic structures reports, HABS/HAER documentation, historic architectural surveys, and National Register nominations. The Preservation & Design Studio currently has several buildings totaling 300,000 square feet and $40 million in construction under contract as preservation tax incentives projects. The Studio participated in the recently completed existing conditions assessment documentation for the Burney Institute, an impressive three-story 1896 brick classroom building and accompanying Victorian era dormitory building, for the Chickasaw Nation. Most Preservation & Design Studio projects meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation either by choice or requirement. Before focusing on her studio, Catherine served almost 25 years in public service including at the University of Maryland, the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office, the Outreach Division of the Oklahoma Historical Society and most recently the City of Oklahoma City. She has consulted on hundreds of Oklahoma Buildings totaling over 250 million dollars in successful preservation tax incentives projects including the Skirvin Hilton Hotel. Catherine is a registered architect and serves on the board for the Oklahoma American Institute of Architects and the Professional Advisory Board for the OU School of Architecture. She was born and raised at the foot of Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs and graduated from the School of Architecture at the University of Kansas.
Rachel Mosman
Photo Archivist
Research Center
Oklahoma Historical Society
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Rachel Mosman graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2006 with a Masters in Library and Information Studies, and began working at the Oklahoma Historical Society as a digital imaging specialist in the Photo Archives. In her current position as the photo archivist, her expertise is in the history of photography and photo preservation.
Timothy Neville-Lee
Associate
Allford Hall Monaghan Morris
Architects
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Timothy Neville-Lee is an Associate with Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, an architectural practice founded in London in 1989, now with 260 staff and an established international reputation. The practice has broad experience in new-build, re-use and conservation projects, ranging across the arts, education, healthcare, office and residential sectors. Timothy joined Allford Hall Monaghan Morris in 2005 and in 2012 accepted a secondment to the practice’s Oklahoma office to support their development in response to growing opportunities in the area. Recent completed schemes include the Level Apartment Building in Deep Deuce and the renovation of the Hart Building on Historic Film Row in Oklahoma City, and current projects include the renewal of the prominent Rock Island Plow Building in Bricktown.
Lynda Ozan
Architectural Historian
State Historic Preservation Office
Oklahoma Historical Society
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Lynda 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 15 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 area of westward expansion settlement patterns; indentured servitude; and modern architectural styles. Her research contributes to our understanding of the relationships between people and place, as well as the character of different places. She is the author of many National Register of Historic Places nominations, articles and journal publications and most recently is working on a context development for post WWII housing from 1946-1976 in Oklahoma.
David Pettyjohn
Executive Director
Preservation Oklahoma, Inc.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
David Pettyjohn became the Executive Director of Preservation Oklahoma, Inc. in October 2012. Prior to joining POK, he worked with the Oklahoma Humanities Council for eleven years, most recently as Assistant Director. During his tenure at the Council, David worked with communities, individuals, and organizations all over Oklahoma to facilitate cultural programming demonstrating how our past experiences provide insight into who we are and who we aspire to be. David holds an M.A. in History and a B.A. in History/Secondary Education, both from the University of Tulsa. He lives in a 1932 Tudor Revival in Oklahoma City’s Shepherd Historic District with his husband Geoff Parks.
Brenda Phillips
Professor
Center for the Study of Disaster & Extreme Events
Fire & Emergency Management Program
Department of Political Science
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater Oklahoma
Brenda Phillips is a Professor in the Fire and Emergency Management Program at Oklahoma State University. She is the author of Disaster Recovery which includes content on historic preservation and cultural properties. Her published research can be found in a variety of journals including the International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, Disaster Prevention, Disasters, Humanity and Society, the Journal of Emergency Management, Natural Hazards Review, and Environmental Hazards. She has been funded multiple times by the National Science Foundation to study disasters and vulnerable populations. She is a graduate of Bluffton University (Ohio) where she earned a B.S. in History and The Ohio State University where she earned a Ph.D. in Sociology with a minor in History.
Roy Malcolm Porter, Jr.
Atelier Porter, Ltd.
Stilwell, Oklahoma
Roy Malcolm (Jed) Porter is an alumnus of the University of Kentucky College of Architecture and University of Pennsylvania School of Design. His career has included roles in the public and private sectors and often involved preservation. While Assistant Professor in the University of Kentucky College of Architecture, he served as the Acting Director of its newly established Graduate Program in Historic Preservation and, while Historical Architect with the National Park Service, participated in rehabilitation of sites on the National Register of Historic Places. Presently Jed is engaged in preparation of a monograph on industrial architecture in the upland South.
Tori Raines
Architectural Historian/ODOT &
Recent Graduate/OU College of Architecture
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Tori Raines is a native Texan who graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2006 but has been in Oklahoma since January of that year. She earned a Masters of History with a concentration in Historic Preservation from the Union Institute in 2012 and earned a Masters of Regional and City Planning with a concentration in Community and Economic Development from the University of Oklahoma in May of this year. She has worked in consulting for compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act for the past 7 years, and has been employed as an architectural historian for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s Cultural Resources Program since April 2012. She is officially an Okie now.
Glen Roberson
Certified Local Governments Program Coordinator
State Historic Preservation Office
Oklahoma Historical Society
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Glen Roberson is the Coordinator of the State Historic Preservation Office’s Certified Local Governments Program, assists communities applying for special status under the Preserve America Program, and administers the Oklahoma Centennial Farm and Ranch Program. He holds a Ph.D. in History from Oklahoma State University. He also teaches courses at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Central Oklahoma.
His publications include City in the Osage Hills: A Social History of Tulsa, entries for the Oklahoma Encyclopedia of History and Culture, and numerous articles and book reviews in professional journals.
Mary Rupp
City Manager
City of Perry
Perry, Oklahoma
Mary Rupp has over 35 years of municipal government experience and became the city manager of the City of Perry on November 1, 2012. She is a graduate of Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education. Her professional memberships include the International City and County Management Association and the City Management Association of Oklahoma. She served in all CMAO leadership positions including president. Mary received the Oklahoma Municipal League Don Rider Award which recognizes individuals in municipal government who have made significant contributions to their community and their profession. She is a Leadership Stillwater graduate, Class VI, and was named the Leadership Stillwater Alumni Association Leader of the Year. Her community service includes being a Mobile Meals volunteer for over 25 years and serving on the boards of the Payne County Drug Court and The Saville Child Advocacy Center.
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 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 fourteen and a half years, she has operated her own preservation consulting firm, A.R.C.H. (Architectural Resources and Community Heritage) Consulting. For more than five years, Cindy has been providing Cultural Resources support at Fort Sill, a National Historic Landmark and Oklahoma’s oldest active military installation. Additionally, she continues doing other preservation consulting work, primarily consisting of preparation of National Register of Historic Places nomination forms for various entities statewide. Cindy has extensive knowledge concerning the National Register and architectural research in Oklahoma. She has prepared over ninety-five National Register nominations for a variety of properties statewide, including properties in Enid, Ponca City, Blackwell and Tonkawa. Additionally, she has prepared several architectural/historic surveys and historic contexts, as well as published multiple articles in The Chronicles of Oklahoma and Preservation Oklahoma News on preservation-related issues and contributed over thirty entries to the OHS’ Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.
Glenn W. “Butch” Schoenhals, MD
President
Scientific Baseball, LLC
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Glenn W. “Butch” Schoenhals is President of Scientific Baseball LLC. He was born in Shattuck and was raised on a farm 6 miles south of this far western Oklahoma town, where he completed grade school and high school. His initial experience in organized sports began with baseball at age 10 with little league and concluded after his sophomore year at the University of Oklahoma, lettering both years as a pitcher. After attending the Norman Campus for three years, he attended the University of Oklahoma’s Medical School and graduated in May of 1972. His next 6 years were spent in training until joining Oklahoma Neurologic Surgery Inc. in May of 1978 until retiring in early 2007. His subspecialty was microsurgery and microvascular neurosurgery. From 1996 to 2010 he served as a volunteer pitching coach for a select summer team, the Travelers, first out of Woodward and then followed the team to Elk City. In 2010, he attempted to take on the challenge of restoring the Chandler Baseball Camp, now listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Katie Seale
Department of History
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Katie Seale is a Master of Arts candidate in Oklahoma State University’s Public History program. She will participate in a preservation conference presentation with two fellow students and Dr. Bill Bryans. The presentation is based on their project for Dr. Bryans’ Historic Preservation class during the spring 2013 semester.
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 32 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 is actively involved in projects throughout the Midwest region, from Wisconsin to Louisiana. Sikes Abernathie Architects’ has experience with numerous historic restorations and rehabilitations. The majority of 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.
Rhonda Skrapke
Community Development Department
City of Ponca City
Ponca City, Oklahoma
Rhonda Skrapke has been the Grant Administrator for the City of Ponca City for 11 years. Prior to working for Ponca City, she was the Grant Administrator for both the Pawnee Nation and City of Enid. One of her current job assignments is service as the Certified Local Governments Coordinator for the City of Ponca City. As the Grant Administrator for Ponca City, Rhonda has been actively involved in the preparation and implementation of all types of projects from writing grants for multi-million dollar projects to writing grants for $500.00 clean-up projects. Additionally, Rhonda is the Promotions Committee Chair for the Ponca City Main Street and will become a Board of Directors member of Ponca City Main Street in July.
Joel Slaughter
Phillips Slaughter Rose, Inc.
Jenks, Oklahoma
Joel Slaughter graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1982 earning a Bachelor’s degree in Architectural Studies and continued on to receive a Master’s degree in Architecture in 1984. While performing his studies Joel received an academic citation from the School of Architecture for Outstanding Thesis in 1984. Upon graduation he began his professional career with Corgan Associates Architects in Dallas. While there, Joel worked on a wide range of projects but his expertise narrowed on the educational and aviation industries. During his growth as an architect and a leader Joel became an “Associate” in the firm. In 1993, his desire to continue learning different aspects within the construction industry led him to seek a position at BSW International, a highly regarded retail production firm. Applying his personal knowledge with the processes of BSW, Joel learned to produce quality products in a limited amount of time while meeting the needs of Fortune 500 companies. During his tenure he reached the status of Director of Design for Small Retail and Restaurant clients mentoring project managers in architectural processes. In 2000 Joel started Phillips Slaughter Rose, Incorporated, an architecture and engineering company that focuses on construction and development services. His firm has completed a wide range of projects including the Mayo Hotel rehabilitation, Cascia Hall Performing Arts Center and Tulsa Old City Hall Rehabilitation. Joel became a licensed architect in 1989, has been a member of the A.I.A. and is N.C.A.R.B. certified. He is currently licensed in Oklahoma and Texas.
Barbara Imel Smallwood
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Barbara Imel Smallwood holds a B.S. in Business, with a minor in Education, from the University of Tulsa. She retired from IBM as a Senior Advisory Consultant in June 2007 after 27 ½ years spent in sales support, sales, and international marketing. Barbara is the Immediate past Chair of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum Board, Vice President and past Secretary of the Tulsa Historical Society, past Chair of the Tulsa Preservation Commission, past President of the Tulsa County Bar Auxiliary, and President Elect of the National Lawyers Auxiliary. Also she served on the Girl Scout Board and the Sunrise Rotary Club of Tulsa Board and is a member of the John Robinson Chapter of the DAR. Barbara is the daughter of Blaine Imel, noted Oklahoma architect.
Scott Sundermeyer
Assistant Director
ODOT Cultural Resources Program
Oklahoma Archeological Survey
Norman, Oklahoma
Scott Sundermeyer is the Assistant 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. He has 17 years of experience in cultural resources practices and has worked on projects in Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Scott completed his Master’s degree thesis on a protohistoric Wichita village in central Kansas in which he addressed economic specialization through an analysis of artifacts recovered from 21 excavated storage pits.
Jim Tallent
Department of History
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Jim Tallent is a Master of Arts candidate in Oklahoma State University’s Public History program. He will participate in a preservation conference presentation with two fellow students and Dr. Bill Bryans. The presentation is based on their project for Dr. Bryans’ Historic Preservation class during the spring 2013 semester.
Delaynna Trim
Curator of Collections
Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art
Shawnee, Oklahoma
Delaynna Trim has worked in various capacities at the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art for over thirteen years and is currently the Curator of Collections. Delaynna has a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Museum Studies from Oklahoma Baptist University and a Masters of Art in Art History from the University of Oklahoma. She is currently an at-large board member with the Oklahoma Museums Association and the Mountain Plains Museums Association where she is also chair of the MPMA Communications and Marketing Committee. Delaynna is also a member of the OMA Disaster Response Team and the Oklahoma Registrar’s Association. She teaches Art History I and II at Oklahoma Baptist University.
Wayne Vaughn
Mangum Main Street Program
Mangum, Oklahoma
Wayne Vaughn manages the Mangum Main Street Program. He has over forty years of experience working with non-profit and volunteer driven organizations. His previous work included service as the Executive Director of the YMCA and president of a major gift corporation that conducted large capital campaigns for medical centers, universities, and social agencies. He says he is happy to be off the road and airplanes to settle in Mangum, a quiet but challenging community in rural southwest Oklahoma where people are working hard to improve its future.
Mary Jane Warde
Historian
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Mary Jane Warde has lived in Stillwater, Oklahoma since 1972. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee, Martin, and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in history at Oklahoma State University. She was Indian Historian/Indian Archivist at the Oklahoma Historical Society for eight years. Although she retired in 2006, subsequent projects include exhibit research for the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum in Oklahoma City and National Register nominations for the Ponca Nation, Absentee Shawnee Tribe, and State Historic Preservation Office. She teaches courses in Oklahoma Indian history for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at OSU, Tulsa, and Oklahoma City. Her third book, “When the Wolf Came: The Civil War and the Indian Territory,” is scheduled to be published by the University of Arkansas Press this year. To date, she has written nominations for twenty-two properties listed on the National Register and a successful National Historic Landmark nomination for Honey Springs Battlefield.
Barrett L. Williamson
Principal Architect
Anishinabe Design Inc.
Norman, Oklahoma
Barrett Williamson is a licensed architect, and he founded Barrett L. Williamson Architects in 1998 which is celebrating its 15th year in business. Anishinabe Design was founded in 2008 with his wife Cheryl Lockstone, a Citizen Potawatomie tribal member. Anishinabe Design Inc. is a Native American owned firm specializing in work with the tribal community throughout Indian country. Their office is located on historic Campus Corner in Norman. The firm specializes in New Construction, Historic Rehabilitation, Adaptive Reuse, and Downtown Revitalization projects. During his career, Barrett has been involved in the design of over 300 million dollars in building projects. He is a recognized leader in the field of Historic Preservation, having designed over two-dozen rehabilitation projects during the last fifteen years. Barrett has been a speaker at four Statewide Preservation Conferences, and has worked with twenty-two small Oklahoma towns as a consultant for the DesignWorks Program, a partnership between the Oklahoma Arts Council, and the Oklahoma Main Street Center. He is currently serving his second term as president of Preservation Oklahoma Inc., and serves on the Board of Advisors to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
