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RE/MAX SIGNATURE114 W. HALL OF FAME AVENUESTILLWATER, OK 74075405.533.3000StillwaterSignatureRealEstate.com @RemaxStillwaterSignature THE RE/MAX SIGNATURE EXPERIENCEEach office independently owned and operated.BELINDA ADKINS Realtor® Associate405.612.8721JULIE BAHLRealtor® Associate405.762.3744ASHLEY BOWMANRealtor® Associate405.385.9353HEATH BOWMANRealtor® Associate405.385.9353KASEY BULLOCKRealtor® Associate580.430.1090AUSTIN BURGEISRealtor® Associate661.717.2732JAMES CAUSLEYRealtor® Associate405.269.6849KAYLEE DONALDSONOffice Director405.533.3000KRISTIN DONDLINGERRealtor® Associate813.892.8070KATELIN HORNEROffice Director405.533.3000ELISE HUNTERRealtor® Associate317.730.2990VICKY JEROME, GRI, CRSBroker® Associate405.747.7239KASEY LONGAN, GRI, CRSBroker® Associate405.880.5569SARAH MANUELRealtor® Associate405-207-3888CHERYL MARTINBroker® Associate405.880.7354STACY MOORERealtor® Associate405.3 17. 8164CHRISTY NEWPORTRealtor® Associate405.612.5645SKYLER PATTONRealtor® Associate405.742.7660BETH PETERSON, GRIBroker®/Owner405.880.4370DICK PETERSONOwner/Realtor® Associate405.533.3000JOEY SANCHEZRealtor® Associate419.296.7169TARA SEELYRealtor® Associate979.220.9816RACHEL SHIELDSRealtor® Associate405.880.1218BROOKE STUARTRealtor® Associate405.612.5733BROOKS THOMAS, MBA, GRI, SRESRealtor® Associate405.880.3476CANDY YUNDT, CRSRealtor® Associate405.742.4525Dedicated professionals providing unrivaled service. RE/MAX SIGNATURE114 W. HALL OF FAME AVENUESTILLWATER, OK 74075405.533.3000StillwaterSignatureRealEstate.com @RemaxStillwaterSignature THE RE/MAX SIGNATURE EXPERIENCEEach office independently owned and operated.BELINDA ADKINS Realtor® Associate405.612.8721JULIE BAHLRealtor® Associate405.762. 3744ASHLEY BOWMANRealtor® Associate405.385.9353HEATH BOWMANRealtor® Associate405.385.9353KASEY BULLOCKRealtor® Associate580.430.1090AUSTIN BURGEISRealtor® Associate661.717.2732JAMES CAUSLEYRealtor® Associate405.269.6849KAYLEE DONALDSONOffice Director405.533.3000KRISTIN DONDLINGERRealtor® Associate813.892.8070KATELIN HORNEROffice Director405.533.3000ELISE HUNTERRealtor® Associate317.730.2990VICKY JEROME, GRI, CRSBroker® Associate405.747.7239KASEY LONGAN, GRI, CRSBroker® Associate405.880.5569SARAH MANUELRealtor® Associate405-207-3888CHERYL MARTINBroker® Associate405.880.7354STACY MOORERealtor® Associate405 .317.8164CHRISTY NEWPORTRealtor® Associate405.612.5645SKYLER PATTONRealtor® Associate405.742.7660BETH PETERSON, GRIBroker®/Owner405.880.4370DICK PETERSONOwner/Realtor® Associate405.533.3000JOEY SANCHEZRealtor® Associate419.296.7169TARA SEELYRealtor® Associate979.220.9816RACHEL SHIELDSRealtor® Associate405.880.1218BROOKE STUARTRealtor® Associate405.612.5733BROOKS THOMAS, MBA, GRI, SRESRealtor® Associate405.880.3476CANDY YUNDT, CRSRealtor® Associate405.742.4525Dedicated professionals providing unrivaled service.
You deserve a Real Estate expert equally as impressive as your home. One who knows the area and its intricacies. Discover how our concierge level service and expertise can accommodate all of your Real Estate needs.Locally owned and operated. We Support Our Community. A TRADITION OF TRUST | 405-372-5151 | STW-REALESTATEPROS.COMTable of Contents Letter from the Chair 2023 Board of Directors Connecting the Agribusiness Community Downtown Nightlife How Bout Them Cowgirls? Honorable Mentions The Legacy of Business Opportunity Orange Scholars Dancing With Saville Teacher of the Year Why Join the Chamber? USA Rare Earth Business of the Month Young Professionals Leadership Stillwater Stillwater Pioneers Take State 2022 Event Review Lions Meadows of Hope Here’s to our Volunteers New Members & Sponsors Agribusiness of the Year Next Generation of Agriculturalists Farm Family of the Year Leaders Under 40 Hall of Fame Citizen of the Year Young Professional of the Year Leading Edge Award Family-Owned Business of the Year Nonprot of the Year Large Business of the Year Small Business of the Year Chamber Choice Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award Ambassador of the Year Thank you! DemographicsCOMMERCE is a publication of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce | 409 S. Main, Stillwater, OK 74074 | 405-372-5573 | www.stillwaterchamber.org | info@stillwaterchamber.org | COVER PHOTO by Teri Collier | LAYOUT & DESIGN by Pennie Works Studio | www.pennieworks.netThe Stillwater Chamber of Commerce, a 501 (c)(6) non-profit organization, provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promo-tion, termination, layo, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. Copyright©2021, Stillwater Chamber of Commerce. All rights reserved.2COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
You deserve a Real Estate expert equally as impressive as your home. One who knows the area and its intricacies. Discover how our concierge level service and expertise can accommodate all of your Real Estate needs.Locally owned and operated. We Support Our Community. A TRADITION OF TRUST | 405-372-5151 | STW-REALESTATEPROS.COM
LETTER FROM THE CHAIRHello My Stillwater FriendsThe New Year brings a renewed spirit to Stillwater Chamber of Commerce. With great anticipa-tion, we look forward to driving economic development, fulfilling new strategies and celebrating success in 2023. • Our Strategic Plan provides a focus going forward for our Board of Directors, Administration and Sta, as we embrace plans to march forward with a mission to advance economic prosperity for the community. An accomplished success will include measurements aligned with Leadership; Resource Hub; Talent and Community Prosperity.If you are not a member of Stillwater Chamber of Commerce, I encourage you to join and take part in the many programs and committees oered. Through my experience as a member, I’ve gained leadership skills, made numerous contacts and gotten involved in community activities that have brought much joy into my life.I was not born, nor raised in Stillwater. I didn’t come here to attend the University. I arrived in my last year of secondary edu-cation with every intention to return to my home state once I grad-uated. Forty years later, I gratefully nd myself the Chair of the Chamber of Commerce, a proud Stillwater resident, a volunteer, an OSU Graduate, a banker and an advocate for our community.For the coming two years, I will be completing my fourth term on the board after serving two full terms in the late 90’s and presently in my second term which began in 2019. While I have seen several changes over the years, the common goal to thrive and build business remains strong.The Stillwater community continues to rally together for the best in education, business, quality of life and growth. Let’s bring in the New Year with a promise that myself and our board will do our best to assist the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce to continue this rally of prosperity for Stillwater.Here’s to Prosperity and Success in 2023!TERRI COLLIER, 2023 Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Chair5COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
DIRECTORSPaul Priegel, Stillwater Regional AirportArista Lopp, Lopp ConstructionKendra Phears, Simmons BankBarrett Aueger, CStar ManagementHunter Robinson, Central Rural Electric CooperativeMicah Sexton, Houston, Osborn, Sexton & ThomasEX-OFFICIONorman McNickle, City of StillwaterCommissioner Chris ReddingMayor Will JoyceDr. Doug Major, Meridian Technology CenterDiana Watkins, Northern Oklahoma CollegeGina Hubbard, Oklahoma Department of Career & TechnologyPresident Kayse Shrum, Oklahoma State UniversityRepresentative John Talley, District 33Representative Trish Ranson, District 34Representative Ty Burns, District 35Senator Tom DuggarDenise Webber, Stillwater MedicalUwe Gordon, Stillwater Public SchoolsBlaire Atkinson, Visit StillwaterKari Chance Moore, Young Professionals of StillwaterSTILLWATER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE2023 Board of DirectorsEXECUTIVE COMMITTEETerri Collier Chair BancFirstJustin Hazzard Past Chair Meridian Technology CenterDaniel Thrasher Vice Chair Oklahoma Community Credit UnionJim Rutledge Treasurer Community InvestorMichelle Nabors Harrison & Mecklenburg LawClyde Wilson Oklahoma State University James Wells A&B Eco-Saf Pest Control7COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
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CHAMBER OUTREACHConnecting the Agribusiness CommunityThe Stillwater Chamber of Commerce takes great pride in the work done by the Agribusiness Commiee. Members of this commiee work to promote agriculture in our region by hosting events relating to agriculture and focus on ways to develop and retain agricultural businesses and programs within the Stillwater community. Aside from these initiatives, the Agribusiness Committee also coordi-nates the Annual Agriculture Banquet, to honor and award businesses and families who work to promote the industry. As a whole, this committee focuses on the educational and support needs of our agri-cultural businesses.A majority of the events put on by mem-bers of this committee revolve around the youth in our community. As the average age of today’s farmer continues to increase, it is important to educate the youth on the agriculture industry and the importance of its continuation. One way the Agribusiness Committee edu-cates young people is through their annual Ag Days program. This program invites third-grade students from each elemen-tary school to visit the Stillwater Ag Barn and learn from high school FFA members about dierent aspects of agriculture and how they can get involved in agriculture. Members of the committee spend the day at the Ag Barn helping lead groups to each station and getting to know the students. Perhaps the most anticipated events hosted by the Agribusiness Committee is the Annual Barnyard Olympics. This event takes place during the Payne County Fair and invites students of all ages to participate in games that tie back to the industry. Each winning team receives a gift card and brag-ging rights for a year. The committee also allocated a portion of their budget to purchase a book every fourth-grade student in the Stillwater com-munity this year. The book titled, “How to Grow a Monster” is a ctional story that teaches the reader about gardening. As you can see, the Agribusinesses Committee remains committed to fostering education within the youth of Stillwater.The educational outreach of the committee does not stop with the younger generation. Each year, the Agribusiness Committee hosts a Business Person Judging Contest, where members of local businesses create a team of four to judge classes of livestock, as well as participate in meat judging. This allows the committee to educate commu-nity members about the importance of agri-culture as well as debunk myths associated with the industry.The Stillwater Community is stronger because of the Agribusiness Community and the Chamber is thankful for the work they do to foster agriculture in the community. If you or someone you know want to get involved with this commiee contact the Chamber at (405)-372-5573.9COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
Downtown NightlifeTry the new 1890 Original, the oicial cra beer of OSU Athletics, at Iron Monk Brewing Company. Sit on the outdoor patio and watch a sunset while sipping a new drink at Zannoi’s Wine Bar. Grab a board game and enjoy a cra beer or seltzer at Stonecloud Brewing Company.Downtown Stillwater oers the latest foodie hotspots, cra breweries, a wine bar, live music, unique boutique shops, arts and cultural aractions, and special events throughout the year.Enjoy handcraed brews and local flavor with friends and family at popular hangouts for locals as well as for visitors who are welcomed as one of our own.Iron Monk Brewing Company• Stillwater’s Oldest Brewery • 18 beers on tap with a new beer every Thursday, plus beer flights, wine, and more • Oicial Cra Beer of Oklahoma State University• Most medals won at this year’s Oklahoma Cra Beer Awards • Core brands include 1890 Original, Stilly Wheat, Milk Stout, and Exit 174• Weekly trivia, new beer releases, live music, and rotating food trucks • Brewery tours are oered every Saturday at 3 p.m. STILLWATER10COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
Stonecloud Brewing Company• Opened in 2022• 35 dra lines including wine, seltzers, and non-alcoholic options available on dra• Core beers include Neon Sunshine, Stonecloud Lite, and Mellow• Family-friendly environment with board games, non-alcoholic options, & more...• Well-behaved dogs are welcome to hang out in the backyard• Weekly events and live music (weather permiing)• Rotating food trucks each weekZannoi’s Wine Bar• Established in downtown Stillwater in 2008• Extensive wine selection, cra cocktails, and dra beer selection• Stillwater’s largest scotch and small-batch bourbon selection• Shop Dibble Landmark Gallery’s one-of-a-kind photography of local iconic landmarks • Private event space includes the Tasting Room and outdoor deck• Weekly live music from acoustic and smooth jazz to Indie folk • Chef-created unique small plates and meals to decadent dessertsFor a full listing of events and more information about the downtown Stillwater scene, go to VisitStillwater.org11COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
COMMUNITYHow ‘Bout Them CowgirlsOne of Stillwater’s greatest aributes is ultimate access to collegiate athletics. Unlike other towns our size, community members are able to enjoy live sporting events at almost all times of the year with Oklahoma State in our backyard. Now, more than ever, female athletics at OSU are on the rise. “With Title IX celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, being a female athlete is nothing but positive,” said Kelly Maxwell, All American and Oklahoma State Softball pitcher. Oklahoma State’s softball team is second to none. In 2022, they made their third straight appearance at the Collegiate Soft-ball World Series, and ended up placing third in the tournament. According to ESPN, the Softball World Series averaged 1.7 mil-lion viewers, while the Collegiate Baseball World Series topped out at 1.63 million. “It’s starting to transform,” said Taylor Tuck, Senior Catcher for OSU. “It’s changing to a place where women are actually being seen in the sports world.” That transformation can be seen in ticket sales. “It kind of speaks for itself,” said Cheynne Factor, Senior Outelder. “We have no room in our stadium.” Aside from standing room and single game tickets, the Cowgirl Softball Stadium is sold out of season tickets for the upcoming season. A team as successful as this one owes a lot of their accomplishments to hard work and great leadership. Coach Gajewski and his sta have been recognized twice as the NFCA Midwest Region Coaching Sta of the Year and under his leadership the team clinched the title of 2022 Big 12 Conference Champions. “Being a part of this team has shaped me into who I am today,” said Katelynn Carwile, Junior Outelder. “It’s hard work and it’s a grind, but it’s also so rewarding. We get to be around amazing people who would do anything to see us succeed, and I’ve never been a part of an environment like this until I got to Oklahoma State.” It’s no secret that Oklahoma State values cowgirls in all capacity. We can see this with the hire of Dr. Kayse Shrum as OSU’s rst female president, and Coach Jacie Hoyt joining the Cowgirl Basketball sta as Head Coach. For Coach Hoyt being a student athlete means receiving the same treatment and tools as the others around you. “It doesn’t look any special way to be a female athlete and it’s not supposed to,” Hoyt said. “It’s sup-posed to look like everyone gets the same amount of access and resources and I cer-tainly feel like Oklahoma State has given us all the resources we need.”12COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
PHOTOS / OSU ATHLETICSHoyt is currently the only female head coach at Oklahoma State and she takes that very seriously. “Every coach here has had an amazing amount of success, especially with female sports, and I am their biggest fan and supporter,” said Hoyt. “At the same time, I do understand what I represent and I don’t take that lightly. I want to be a light to my players and females at Oklahoma State, I want them to know that they can do any-thing they set their mind to.”Coach Hoyt is currently heading into con-ference play with a win-loss record of 8-2. Her rst season here is sure to be exciting for not only her players, but the fans that come with OSU. “I’m just thankful to be in a place where our fan support is there across the board,” said Hoyt. “You see our fans supporting all of the sports and that’s not the case everywhere.”Oklahoma State has celebrated many more female athletic successes in the past year. Such as the Equestrian team win-ning a National title, the Women’s Cross Country team making the podium at the NCAA Cross Country Championships for the rst time in program history, and the Cowgirl Golf team’s 23rd trip to the NCAA Championships.13COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
HONORABLE MENTIONS1. Chamber Sta host a pit stop at the Mid South.2. Stillwater Chamber of Commerce’s Membership Development Coordi-nator, Maggie McCracken is recognized as a Leader Under 403. Stillwater Chamber of Commerce’s Project Manager, Mandy Lyons and Communications Coordinator, Grace Welch compete in the Sav-ille Center’s Dancing With the Stars Fundraiser4. Chamber Sta participate in United Way of Payne County Day of Caring5. Leadership Stillwater Class XXXI tour Stillwater Regional Airport14COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
COMMUNITYThe Legacy of BusinessThere is no investment more worthwhile than the ones that we make in people.The life and business of Rose McKeown reect that truth. At 103 years old, Rose’s deepest gratitude is to the people who marked her time as a business owner in Stillwater.Rose owned McKeown’s Showcase, a wom-en’s clothing boutique, in Downtown Still-water for over two decades. When Rose was asked about her favorite thing about being a Stillwater business owner, her reply was immediate,“I enjoyed working and doing the things I had to do to be a businessperson. I had to learn, from start to nish, how to be a good businessperson.”While reflecting on her career, Rose attributed the success of her business to the help of her family, employees, and commu-nity. Rose understood the value of a strong team and built a team that could provide the best shopping experience for customers.Talking with Rose, her love for her com-munity and serving others shined through everything that she said. People in the Stillwater community who know Rose, either personally or as a customer, consistently rave about the intention and care that Rose brings into her interactions with people. Rose is a friend and example to many, and that leadership translated into her conduct as a businessperson.Working with a buying oce in New York City, Rose shopped with her customers’ spe-cic needs in mind. Rose knew what was happening in the lives of her customers, and she worked diligently to provide clothing in her store that would help women, in any circumstance, to put their most condent foot forward.Echoing the theme that customers were her asset, Rose shared these words as advice to current business owners in Stillwater,“I knew that if I wanted to be successful as a female Stillwater business owner in 1966, I needed the help of my customers, so I always took good care of my customers,” McKeown said.“I never let a woman walk out of my store in a piece of clothing that did not feel ‘right’ for her. It was more important to me that women felt beautiful than I make a sale.”Therein lies the heart of business in Still-water: People over prot. Rose had a long and successful career in Stillwater but her distinction, decades later, was her commit-ment to the customers she served.Rose is an example to Stillwater business owners of today, standing rmly on this simple truth: If you take care of your com-munity, your community will take care of you.Story by Reagan Mitchell“I knew that if I wanted to be successful as a female Stillwater business owner in 1966, I needed the help of my customers …” — ROSE MCKEOWNRose McKeon, 103-years young, recalls her secrets for business success.15COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
Opportunity Orange Scholars is an inclusive post-secondary education program designed for students between the ages of 18 and 26 who have intellectual disability and do not meet the admissions criteria to be degree seeking students at OSU.“The goal of this program is to help our students become independent and help them live a life that is enviable,” said Dr. Emily Tucker, Opportunity Orange Scholars program director. The program is designed to foster aca-demics, career exploration and prepara-tion, interdependent living, and community engagement and belonging, Tucker said. Specically, OOS works to provide each student with an individual study plan that aligns with the program cornerstones.“This fall, all ve scholars are enrolled in the Human Development and Family Sciences freshman seminar class, a Relationships 101 class, and program specic courses,” said Dr. Kami Gallus Opportunity Orange Scholars faculty co-founder.In the spring, the idea is for students to nd a class in the course catalog that ts their personal goals, Gallus said. Once a student nds a class they want to take, OOS faculty work with the academic college and create an education plan for the student.“The idea is that they’re not just taking classes for classes sake,” Gallus said. “It’s not a cookie cutter approach, it is very individ-ualized to assist students in nding mean-ingful work and careers.”To be accepted into the OOS program, pro-spective students must submit an applica-tion and participate in an interview process, Tucker said.UNIVERSITY Opportunity Orange ScholarsThis past August, Oklahoma State University welcomed its first cohort of Opportunity Orange Scholars to the Stillwater campus.When we do interviews, we ask, ‘How does your life look right now and what would you like for it to look like?’ — DR. EMILY TUCKER 16COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
“Our big things we look for interview day is students or potential students wanting their lives to look dierent than how they look right now,” Tucker said. “I don’t want families and students to pay for college and move right back to where they are. When we do interviews, we ask, ‘How does your life look right now and what would you like for it to look like? And can we support you, in being a steppingstone to that or helping you gain the skills you need?’”One way OOS supports their students is through residential, academic, and engage-ment undergraduate partners, Gallus said. Partners work with each student to deter-mine their goals and areas they may need help in, she added. “We want it to be individualized to each student and what those supports look like,” Tucker said, “For some of our students, that means their family members or their sup-porters from home play a bigger day-to-day role and for some of our students, they utilize our undergraduate partners more heavily.” Aside from support from OOS faculty, uni-versity administrators and faculty have played a large role in getting this program to where it is now.“I’ve been a professor at OSU for 15 years and it was in the last year and a half watching my cowboy family come together for this program, to make it happen and to do it the right way that made me feel a lot prouder of being a cowboy than ever before,” Gallus said. Each university oce and ocial who work with Gallus and the OOS faculty, display immense excitement and support for this program.“I have yet to go to a meeting where someone doesn’t want to help grow or support this program,” Tucker said. “Even people who may have never interacted with someone with intellectual disability before want to understand how they can best support our students.”“Our big things we look for interview day is students or potential students want - ing their lives to look dierent than how they look rightnow.” — DR. EMILY TUCKERTO LEARN MORE ABOUT OPPORTUNITY ORANGE SCHOLARS visit their website at https://educa-tion.okstate.edu/departments-programs/human-development-family-science/opportunity-orange-scholars/ 17COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
18COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
KristenKristenGajewskiGajewskiEmilyEmilyCartisanoCartisanoJakeJakeGreenGreenThe Talley-Morris TeamThe Talley-Morris Team(405) 269-9137(405) 269-9137CallDeniseTalley@kw.comCallDeniseTalley@kw.com(405) 520-0891(405) 520-0891KristynMorris@kw.comKristynMorris@kw.comDenise TalleyDenise TalleyKristyn MorrisKristyn Morris911 S Main St. Stillwater, OK 74074O: (405) 332-5553BaileighBaileighReppReppBrookeBrookeStoryStoryYour LOCALYour LOCAL Real Estate Team!Real Estate Team!Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated.Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated. Lobby | Drive-Thru | ITM / ATM800 W. 6th Avenue, Stillwater, OK ITM / ATM1020 N. Boomer Road, Stillwater, OK405.624.2265 www.thebankna.bank19COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
Whether flying into Stillwater or out... Whether flying into Stillwater or out... Stillwater Regional Airport is the oicial airport for OSU AthleticsUse airport code “SWO” at aa.com to book your next flight. FLY LIKE A
Dancing With SavilleThe Saville Center for Child Advocacy held their second annual “Dancing With the Stars” fundraiser on December 3rd. This fundraiser was created to help pay o the mortgage on the Saville Center’s brand new medical cottage. The medical cottage allows children of abuse to be examined in a state of the art exam room that is inviting for children.Participants in the fundraiser were ran-domly given a partner and a dance style. Abbie Graves, owner and operator of Okla-homa Dance Project, choreographed each routine and practiced with each couple.The night was lled with 10 dances from 20 Payne and Logan County locals. Audience members could donate money to each couple to vote for them as the Fan Favorite. Through ticket sales, fan favorite votes, and other donations the Saville Center raised $36,316.47 to put towards the new med-ical cottage’s mortgage.Participants danced many styles throughout the night including jazz, disco, salsa, jive, waltz and more. Dancers practiced for mul-tiple months prior to the event, dedicating a portion of their time to this non-prot.“This has been one of the best experiences ever and I feel so privileged to have made such good connections with everyone,” said Aaron Matheson, third place dancer.At the end of the evening the group danced together to “All I Want for Christmas is You”. They danced into the crowd collecting money for the cause one nal time. At the end of the event rst place was awarded to Jillian Detwiler and Matt Sullins who performed a medley from the hit musical “Grease”. The couple was also awarded fan favorite. “We may have bought fan favorite,” said Detwiler. “But we earned rst place.”None of the couple’s hard work would have been possible without Abbie Graves. Graves donated over $10,000 of her time, choreog-raphy, and show skills to make this event possible for the Saville Center. 21COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce“This has been one of the best experiences ever and I feel so privileged to have made such good connections with everyone” — AARON MATHESONCOMMUNITY
B R OKER ASSOCIA T E , G R I , C R S 405.612.0016connie@teamstillwater.comWWW.TEAMSTILLWATER.COMSTOKESCOMMUNITYMEMBER OF THEPENNIE WORKS STUDIO HEAVY-DUTY GRAPHIC DESIGN INCLUDES THIS MAGAZINE. BRANDING • PRINT • DISPL AYS • DIGITAL • ORIGINAL ART • CONSULTINGwww.pennieworks.net22COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
TEACHER OF THE YEARTheresa CampbellAs I walked into Theresa Campbell’s pre-k class I was greeted by some of the happiest kids I’ve ever seen. Quickly Mrs. Campbell was able to get all of her students quiet so I could announce why I was visiting. “Mrs. Campbell is really spe-cial,” I said. “Because she was named the best teacher”. Next we talked about what we like about Mrs. Campbell. All the kids began jumping up and down with pure excitement, ready to share how Mrs. Campbell has touched their little lives. “She teaches us how to keep our hands to ourselves.” one child said. “She sings us songs” chirped another. “She gets me food” another little boy said as I giggled. Although these may not seem note-worthy to us, I could tell they meant everything to her class. Campbell has been teaching Pre-K at Highland Park for 20 years and continues to give each of her students undi-vided attention every single day. The most impressive part of visiting Mrs. Campbell’s classroom was watching her students play on their own while she vis-ited with them one at a time. Each student had the chance to sit with Campbell and do a counting activity. One by one I watched as Campbell took the time to count apples with each of her kids. Although when I visited it had only been ve weeks into the school year, Campbell had already grasped each kid’s person-ality and needs. “She provides an excellent developmentally appropriate learning envi-ronment,” says Highland Park Principal Laura Gordon. “Theresa has a deep under-standing of the social, emotional, and aca-demic needs of four year olds — no small feat! She helps students learn to self-regu-late and manage all the feelings and behav-iors that come with being a four year old in school for the rst time.” When asked what she likes about teaching she said “Teaching is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. Seeing a child’s face light up when something nally clicks, former students stopping by to share some exciting news, a parent relieved that their child is doing well in school are just a few of my favorite things about this profession.”Campbell was announced as Teacher of the Year during a districtwide virtual ceremony honoring all SPS site Teacher’s of the Year on April 20. Interim Superintendent Gay Washington visited Campbell in person to congratulate her with the news. Story by Grace Welch“Theresa has a deep understanding of the social, emotional, and academic needs of four year olds — no small feat! — PRINCIPAL LAURA GORDON23COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
MEET YOUR CHAMBER STAFFMandy Lyons Project ManagerGrace Welch Communications CoordinatorMaggie McCracken Membership Development CoordinatorYOUR CHAMBER OF COMMERCEWhy Join the Chamber?When you join the Chamber, you become one of more than 700 members who are dedicated to seeing Stillwater continue to prosper. As a member, you have a voice in the community and an opportunity to work with other community leaders to build your business and the Stillwater community.LEADERSHIPThe Chamber’s Board of Directors is com-posed of 36 businessmen and women who represent a selection of the Chamber mem-bership and business community. Twen-ty-One are elected or appointed directors and 15 are ex-ocio directors. The Chair of the Board appoints two directors to one-year terms, and the elected directors serve three-year terms. Members have the opportunity to nominate directors each year.BENEFITS OF JOINING THE CHAMBERBusiness ExposureAs a member you will heighten your com-pany’s visibility with a free listing in the Chamber’s online business directory, which provides both alphabetical and categorical listings of members. Not only will you max-imize business exposure, but the Chamber will also share your organization’s news-worthy events on the website’s news section. The Stillwater Chamber provides increased exposure by the way of special events, publi-cations, new resident bags and social media platforms. Chamber members also receive free business exposure through events like ribbon cuttings, open houses and ground breaking ceremonies.Ainity Programs & Special ServicesMembers receive exclusive members-only pricing for events and other Chamber activ-ities. Members also have access to educa-tional opportunities and useful business tools. You may obtain a membership mailing list with a preferred membership.Business RecommendationsThe Stillwater Chamber of Commerce pro-vides business referrals to the thousands of potential customers who call, visit the Chamber or go to the Chamber’s website. The Chamber sta refers visitors, new-comers, businesspeople, and area residents requesting information on goods and ser-vices to Chamber members only.Credibility by AssociationBeing successful in the business world is all about who you know. Take advantage of the many opportunities the Chamber pro-vides for cultivating and maintaining valu-able business prospects and relationships. As a Chamber member, you and your busi-ness are recognized as an engaged member of the business community committed to improving our economic future and sus-taining our quality of life in Stillwater. 24COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
Reagan Mitchell Economic Development CoordinatorEmily Crisp Events InternEmily Garrett Communications InternLiz HaralsonCommunications InternMany members of our community con-sider Chamber membership to be a sign of a reputable, solid business. When you join the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce, you will receive a decal to display in your busi-ness so people know you are invested. You can also request an e-decal to put on your digital platforms.Promotional OpportunitiesPromote your business through exclusive, members-only advertising and sponsorship opportunities through various Chamber publications. We have options to t every budget. You have the option of enhancing your directory listing to include your busi-ness logo and description.NetworkingThe Stillwater Chamber of Commerce cre-ates the opportunity to connect with more than 700 businesses. We organize many events where members have the chance to meet today’s business leaders in the com-munity. These events are designed to get you in touch with peers and potential cli-ents. Networking events include Business@Lunch, Business After Hours, Recharge: A Series for Women or the Golf Classic.Professional DevelopmentThe Chamber provides opportunities for members to attend training sessions, work-shops and seminars to help your business succeed. Be sure to check out our events cal-endar often to nd upcoming opportunities.ADVOCACYThe Stillwater Chamber represents and advocates for local businesses. One of the roles of the Chamber is to bring focus to those issues that can have an impact on business and the community. The Chamber serves as a unied voice to represent the interests of its business community at the local, state and federal levels of government. The Chamber oers various opportunities to learn about government at events that also allow members to meet and speak with political leaders.LEADERSHIP INVOLVEMENTMembers have the opportunity to join a Chamber committee and have direct impact on business and the community. The Still-water Chamber of Commerce depends on dedicated volunteers to help make decisions, support the local business community and coordinate events. A Chamber committee is your chance to get involved, meet other business leaders and help shape the deci-sions that aect the businesses and com-munity of Stillwater.COMMUNITY INVESTMENTYour Chamber membership is a form of community investment that helps provide resources for other businesses operating in the Stillwater area as well as attract new industry to Stillwater. The economic devel-opment team at the Chamber helps support programs like Make My Move and Startup Stillwater to promote entrepreneurship in our economy as well as maintain an indus-trial park and recruit industry to relocate in our community.INFORMATION RESOURCEThe Chamber will help you nd a wealth of available resources and planning tools to t your needs. Let us connect you with others than can help your business succeed. Your Chamber membership is an investment that provides resources for busi-nesse growth as well as attracting new industry and jobs toStillwater.25COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
A Tradition of Trust26COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
Senator Tom Dugger, Former Chamber President & CEO Justin Minges, Jessica Springer, Rare Earth President Thayer Smith, Gov-ernor Kevin Stitt, Mayor Will Joyce, deputy city manager Melissa Reames, House Representative Trish Ranson, and Secretary of Energy and Environment Ken WagnerECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTUSA Rare EarthStillwater is now home to America’s first rare earth metal manufacturing plant, USA Rare Earth. USA Rare Earth plans to invest $100 million to create this one of a kind facility.After touring over 50 sites in nine dif-ferent states, Rare Earth settled on a 309,000 square foot facility built by the World Color Press in the 1970’s. “We were looking for the traditional things in site selection — a business-friendly envi-ronment, a good tax regime, good infrastruc-ture, and low-cost power, ‘’ said Thayer Smith, President of USA Rare Earth. “Stillwater is where Oklahoma State University is located with good geology and engineering depart-ments. The state has rich history in energy, meaning oil eld services companies, chem-ical and energy rening companies. There is a good workforce there that understands industrial technology. We put those things together, and said Oklahoma really is the ideal place”.The Stillwater Chamber of Com-merce’s economic development team worked tirelessly to land USA Rare Earth in Stillwater. They are expected to begin pro-duction in 2023, creating at least 100 jobs, and generating more than $6.6 Million in annual wages. “That’s what it’s all about”, said Justin Minges, former Chamber President and CEO, “Our job is to look for companies like this that will provide a more prosperous economy here in Stillwater. I can’t tell you how much work the economic development team put into not only recruiting USA Rare Earth, but making this space worthwhile for them as well.”On June 9th, 2022, the project’s leaders gathered in the new site to announce the launch of USA Rare Earth in Stillwater. They were joined by Governor Kevin Stitt.“This is truly a once-in-a-generation an-nouncement for our city, for our state, for our country.” Currently, this kind of manufac-turing is only happening in China, making the US and much of the world reliant on them for these materials. “… This is a huge win for the state of Oklahoma, but it’s also, I believe, a huge win for our country, as well. Now, the United States can stop relying on China for these resources and start count-ing on Oklahoma … If you think about it, it doesn’t make sense for our Army, our Navy, our Marines to rely on China for our de-fense technologies. It’s dangerous for our security” Stitt added.Stillwater is looking forward to welcoming USA Rare Earth to town. The state of Okla-homa and the city of Stillwater oer a unique business, labor and operating environment for USA Rare Earth and will be a catalyst for economic devel-opment,” Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce said. “We are excited to work along-side USA Rare Earth, state and local leaders and our residents to solidify a healthy economy, productive work-force and vibrant community.” Story by Grace WelchThis is truly a once-in-a-generation announcement for our city, for our state, for our country. This is a huge win for the state of Oklahoma, but it’s also, I believe, a huge win for our country, as well. — GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT27COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
YPS is committed to developing leaders andconnecting members through educational,social and service opportunities for personaland professional growth!stillwaterchamber.org/ypsYPS is committed to developing leaders andconnecting members through educational,social and service opportunities for personaland professional growth!stillwaterchamber.org/yps
YPS is committed to developing leaders andconnecting members through educational,social and service opportunities for personaland professional growth!stillwaterchamber.org/ypsRECOGNITIONBusiness of the Month The Stillwater Chamber of Commerce Business of the Month award recognizes outstanding achievement for both for-prot and nonprot organizations in our community. This award is presented to a member business that shows strong support in the areas of community involvement, economic growth and pro-fessional relationships. Organizations are nominated by the memberships and then selected by the Chamber’s Board of Directors each month based o the following criteria:• Must be a Stillwater Chamber of Commerce member for a minimum of (1) year• Account must be in good standing• Must be in business for at least (2) years• Have demonstrated outstanding support to the community of Stillwater• Be actively engaged with the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce• Provide superior customer service and/or products• Be considered a successful and professional business by peers• Can only be awarded Business of the Month (1) time per calendar yearFebruary: April: May: July: August: October: December: TMCongratulations to these businesses recognized in 2022 for Business of the Month!29COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
30COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
Chamber ribbon cutting for the opening of Allstate Insurance — Mason Agency. David and Collin Mason with the giant scissors.YOUNG PROFESSIONALS OF STILLWATERFostering Young ProfessionalsGrowing up in Enid as a lifetime Oklahoma State fan, which college to aend was an easy choice for Collin Mason and his wife, Madison.After graduating from OSU, they returned home to Enid but always hoped for an opportunity to move back to Stillwater. That opportunity came in 2021 when an existing insurance agency became available for purchase. In May 2021, Collin and his father, David, an insurance agent in Enid, opened Allstate Insurance — Mason Agency.“Stillwater does an outstanding job promoting small businesses and their employees,” Collin said. “This played a really big factor in our decision-making; we wanted to be able to grow in the community.”Two months after opening its doors, the Mason Agency joined the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce as a member. It was at a Chamber event where Collin learned about the Young Profes-sionals of Stillwater.“Meeting new people can be a challenging thing to do, especially in a professional setting,” he said. “I chose to get involved with YPS because I found that this group had a lot of like-minded people professionally, but also had a truly great group of people dedicated to making Stillwater better.”Not only did Collin start attending YPS events, he decided to sponsor them. In 2022, Collin’s agency sponsored a YPS Coee & Conver-sation and a Business After Hours. These events brought dozens of young professionals into his agency where they were able to learn more about his business and build relationships.“I think YPS does a remarkable job of fostering young professionals to become strong business leaders as well as being involved in their community,” Collin said. “YPS has allowed me to gain such a broad amount of knowledge across numerous industries. Whether it is listening to one of my friends in the lending business or learning about the future developments of Stillwater, you can learn so much about Stillwater.”If, like Collin, you are looking for networking, leadership, and social opportunities for young working adults in Stillwater, Young Pro-fessionals of Stillwater is for you.Story by Kylie Moulton“I chose to get involved with YPS because I found that this group had a lot of like-minded people professionally, but also had a truly great group of people dedicated to making Stillwater better.” — COLLIN MASON31COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
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CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF XXXIJan Anderson, Community Investor Courtney Callison, Payne County Election Board Tony Cro, Oklahoma Department of Career & TechnologyAmy Jo Dearinger, Community Investor Matthew Dickey, Payne County Housing Authority Torin Dougherty, 3M Company CLASS XXXILeadership StillwaterEach year the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce Leadership Stillwater (LSW) class members select a nonprofit project to fundraise for and contribute to as a class. This year, LSW Class XXXI chose to support Lake McMurty and Friends’ new program “Ride to Thrive”. The program is focused on at-risk middle school students. Through this program, youth will be able to earn a bike, helmet, lock, water bole, and a ten-year membership to Lake McMurtry by participating in classes or volunteering at Our Daily Bread, aending bike repair and maintenance clinics, and joining a Lake McMurtry bicycling group.Riding bikes develops an increased understanding of the ben-ets of exercise and good nutrition. Participating in positive and healthy riding adventures brings kids together, beneting everyone, especially those from underserved communities. The class believes this program will further intertwine Stillwater citizens, students, and businesses with local outdoor recreation.The median household income of Stillwater residents is $34,906, and 33% of those residents fall below the poverty rate creating barriers for underserved youth to experience the joy of riding a bike and the freedom to explore the natural world on two wheels.LSW Class XXXI hosted a Holiday FUNdraiser event at Stone-cloud on Dec. 18, 2022. The full day included holiday activities for kids; letters to Santa, face painting, crafts, cookie decorating, and pictures with Santa. In the evening, the event turned into a silent auction accompanied by a game of bingo and holiday trivia.“There’s no way we could have pulled o our event without the amazing businesses who sponsored us,” said Macy Stokes, LSW Class XXXI member and OSU Wellness Department Employee. “Seeing all of my classmates come together to nd funds for this nonprot has been an invaluable experience.”In the end the class raised more than $15,000 for Lake McMurt-ry’s Ride to Thrive. 34COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
Tim Ebey, Manhattan Construction Barry Fuxa, Stillwater Public Schools Kristen Gajewski Sarah Gooden, Mexico Joes Quint Lockwood, Dighton Marler Funeral Home Aaron Matheson, Great Plains Bank Maggie McCracken, Stillwater Chamber of CommerceKristin Merrill, Simmons Bank Kandi Morris, Blue Cross Blue Shield Tiany Munday Kelly Naas, Central Rural Electric Cooperative Amy Noyes, Kinnunen Amy Parsons, Real Estate Professionals Callie Prochaska, USDA Sarah Sherif, Eskimo Joe’s Promotional Products GroupMacy Stokes, Oklahoma State University Community WellnessHeather Thompson, RCB BankKarena Tyler, Oklahoma State University First Year SuccessHannah Venus, Venus Sports Performance & Rehab Grace Welch, Stillwater Chamber of Commerce Shelby Wright, Stillwater MedicalTHE LEADERSHIP STILLWATER PRO-GRAM was created to enhance lead-ership and professional skills while teaching members how to become advocates for the community. Most importantly, the class helps create lasting friendships with people who they may have never had the chance to meet if not for Leadership Stillwater. Each class provides behind the scenes information about Stillwater’s city ser-vices, nonprofits, economy, and overall structure. Many entities make the pro-gram possible, and this collaboration helps develop employees of various businesses and organizations into beer community leaders.35COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
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COMMUNITYPioneers Take State!For the first time since 1967 the Stillwater Pioneers have taken home a State Football Championship, which may forever memorialize Coach “K”.Mrs. Kilpatrick, lovingly known as Coach K, lost her battle with breast cancer the week before the state championship game. The former high school math teacher and girls basket-ball coach had fought her cancer since 2020. Twenty-four hours before the state cham-pionship game the Stillwater community, including about 40 football players in their game jerseys, showed up to pay their respects to Kendra Kilpatrick. The following day SPS canceled school in order for sta, students, and the community to show up at Oklahoma City University for the 6A-II State Championship game against Choctaw. The student section was decked out in pink, to honor Coach K’s battle with breast cancer. Each of the players helmets was complete with a “K” decal attached to angel wings. With nine seconds left the Pioneers recov-ered a nal onside kick attempt and stole the win. As the players, students, and fam-ilies rushed onto the eld to celebrate the emotional victory, it was Kilpatrick’s hus-band, Ross, who delivered the Golden Ball to Stillwater’s Coach Barnard.38COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
Stillwater has appeared in the State Semi-Fi-nals each of the past 5 years and advanced to the nals 3 times, but they nally clenched the win this year with an undefeated season. In the past 5 years Stillwater football is a 4 time district champion, a 5 time confer-ence champion, and 5 time Academic State Champion with a win-loss record of 55–6. “I am so excited for our kids, school and com-munity,” said Head Football Coach Tucker Barnard. “There are so many people who have worked tirelessly for a long period of time to make this possible. Our kids have been so strong and showed such consistent, disciplined eort to achieve this champi-onship… and this will forever be a part of their legacy at SHS. I’m thankful to all of them as well as our coaches and the former players who have positioned us in this way,” Barnard added. Coach Barnard was named 6A-II’s District Coach of the Year and Central Oklahoma Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. “I am so excited for our kids, school and commu-nity. There are so many people who have worked tirelessly for a long period of time to make this pos-sible.”— TUCKER BARNARDPHOTOS / JUSTIN REEDY39COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
February March AprilUsually, the Awards Gala is held in January but due to COVID-19, it was post-poned until May.First Place winners of Tinker Federal Credit Union’s cornhole tournament at Business After Hours.BUSINESS@LUNCH2nd Friday, 8 times a yearBusiness@Lunch (B@L) combines building relationships and making connections with business education. For many years, mem-bers have selected this as the most ben-eficial event the Chamber provides. Each month, the program features speakers and presenters who provide important information about the community, lead-ership training and other business-related tools. B@L is held eight times a year on the second Friday of the month.BUSINESS AFTER HOURSUsually 3rd Tuesday, 12 times a yearOne of the most loved Chamber events, Business Aer Hours (BAH) oers the perfect opportunity for businesses to showcase their stories. This program is a relaxed, casual networking event that gives Chamber members a great oppor-tunity to promote their products and ser-vices by hosting other members at their businesses. BAH is usually held the third Tuesday of each month..LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST FORUM3rd Friday, Jan | JuneThe Legislative Forum is held on the third Friday of each month during the Legislative Session (January-June) and brings infor-mation to the Stillwater community on relevant local and state policies. The Legis-lative Forum breakfasts provide Chamber members the opportunity to establish and strengthen their relationships with key decision-makers while voicing their opin-ions on issues moving forward.WALK THIS MAY / WALKTOBERMay 1-30, 2022 & October 1-31, 56 ParticipantsThe Stillwater Chamber of Commerce partnered with Payne County Live Well Coalition to put on a community-wide steps challenge. The steps chal-lenge took place the entire month of May and October. The goal of this friendly challenge was to get our community up and moving while fostering a healthy lifestyle.Sponsored by Stillwater Medical Premier Sponsors | DEARINGERS, Coldwell Banker – Connie Stokes, Marble Slab Creamery, ProValue.NetTRANSFORMATION U:March 11, 104 AttendeesOur Annual Transformation U was held Friday, March 11, with keynote speaker Amy Downs. Amy was one of the last survivors found in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Aer the bombing, Amy completely transformed her life and is now a published author and CEO of a Credit Union.Sponsored by ASCO Aerospace2022 Events Review TimelineReaching 900 + attendees and viewers40COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
April May June July Augu stLEGISLATIVE LUNCHEONJune 17, 120 AttendeesOklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister joined us Friday, June 17, at Meditations Ban-quet Facility. She discussed the cur-rent state of education in Oklahoma and answered many questions from the audience. Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Dustin P. Rowe joined us Friday, June 4, at Meditations Banquet Facility to discuss his position and how his career has taken him there.BUSINESS PERSONS JUDGINGCONTESTJune 3, 40 ParticipantsThe Chamber’s Agribusiness Commiee invited Stillwater’s business community to participate in a meat and cale judging contest.The event was held at the Payne County Expo Center in conjunc-tion with the Oklahoma Junior Calemen’s Association Summer Preview Show Friday, June 3. Teams judged three classes — cuts of beef, cuts of bacon, and show cale.1st Place | Chris Peterman, Payne County Bank2nd Place | Hallie Barnes, BancFirst3rd Place | Carol Robbins, Payne County Assessor’s OceANNUAL AWARDS GALAMay 20, 200+ AttendeesThe Chamber’s Annual Awards Gala was held Saturday, May 20, at Oklahoma State University’s (OSU) Mcknight Center. The event, presented by, Metro First Realty, highlighted the Chamber’s success in 2021 as well as businesses and individuals who make a significant impact on the Stillwater community. Aendees recognized Leadership Stillwater XXX and their fundraising eorts for the Stillwater Com-munity Center. More than 200 members were in aen-dance to honor the following award recipients:Hall of Fame | Ron & Cara BeerCitizens of the Year | Necia Kimber & Dr. Matt PayneChamber Choice | Stillwater Public SchoolsFamily-Owned Business of the Year | Lee Glass CompanyNonprot of the Year | Central Oklahoma Adult & Teen ChallengeLarge Business of the Year | BancFirstSmall Business of the Year | Whisper Intimate ApparelAmbassador of the Year | Kylie MoultonYoung Professional of the Year | Haley AnnuschatLeading Edge Award | Dr. Steve CummingsANNUAL AGRICULTURE BANQUETMay 10, 200+ AttendeesThe Chamber’s Agribusiness Commiee hosted the Annual Agriculture Banquet Tuesday, May 10, at the Payne County Expo Center. The banquet honored multiple high school students who earned scholarships for their commitment to agriculture as well as agriculture producers who make many contributions to our economy. The Commiee also recognized the winners of their Annual Awards, listed below.Farm Family of the Year | Johnny & Monica JohnsonAgribusiness of the Year | Stillwater Milling CoNext Generation of Agriculturalists | Brian HarrisonAttendees at September Business After Hours gather around for a doorprize drawing41COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
Septemb er October NovemberBARNYARD OLYMPICSAugust 25, 60 participantsThe Chamber’s Agribusiness Com-miee invited youth to participate in the Barnyard Olympics in con-junction with the Payne County Fair on Wednesday, August 25. Children competed in various games with the help from OSU’s agricultural students.ECONOMIC SUMMITNovember 18, 120 AttendeesPiyush Patel, founder of Dream Big and best selling author, joined us to talk about retaining employees, creating a culture that maers, and learning how to be an eective leader. Aendees were given a copy of his book “Lead Your Tribe, Love Your Work”.MAYORAL STATE OF THE CITYSeptember 9, 115 AttendeesMayor Will Joyce joined us on Friday, September 9 at Meditations Banquet Facility. Joyce, who was re-elected in February, shared his vision for Stillwater and upcoming plans for the city.BUSINESS AT LUNCHOctober 21, 2022, 150 attendeesWe hosted Governor Sti at our October Business at Lunch to give an update on our State and it’s cur-rent happenings.CHAMBER GOLF CLASSICSeptember 29, 40 teamsWe hosted the Chamber Golf Classic at the Stillwater Country Club on Thursday, September 29. The Golf Classic is always a great opportunity for our members to network and and connect with clients in a fun and casual way. Teams par-ticipated in either the morning or aernoon flight. Congratulations to Daniel Thrasher with Oklahoma Community Credit Union for win-ning the ball drop sponsored by Chickasaw Telecommu-nications; and Aaron Wilson with Wilson Family Auto, for the longest drive.Team Winners:1st Place | Shelter Insurance – Je Bryant2nd Place | CStar Property Management3rd Place | Simmons BankSimmons Bank hosting April Business After Hours at Obrate StadiumChamber Sta hosts Joy Hofmeister at the Annual Legislative Luncheon42COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
Sta and board break ground on the family center.PHOTOS / BBJNDESIGNSCOMMUNITYLions Meadows of HopeLions Meadows of Hope is a local nonprofit organization focused on uniting brothers and sis-ters in foster care, surrounding them with a community of hope, and helping them grow into caring and productive adults. They envision an end to the cycle of abuse and neglect that passes from one generation to the next, by keeping sibling groups together, properly training, and sup-porting foster parents.In 1938, the Main family donated 160 acres of land to serve kids with no parents. This started as the Oklahoma Lions Boys Ranch and served boys in a group home setting. In 2015 the organi-zation transitioned to a foster care setting. In the group home setting adults were employed by the organization, in a foster care setting the adults are volunteers with full time jobs elsewhere.“We started that program with the intention of keeping brothers and sisters together,” said Bryan Larison, Executive Director. “We have ve homes on our campus that were built specically for foster families to serve large sibling groups.”Foster parents live in these homes for free when they agree to take in sibling groups of four or more. On average there are about 30 children living in these ve homes at any given time. This makes it extremely dicult for families who want to host birthday par-ties, have people over for dinner, or simply just entertain. Because of this, Lions set out to build a 4,500 square foot family center.“That’s really the reason we built the family center,” said Larison. “We wanted a gathering space for our families, not just the fami-lies on the campus but all of the foster families we have”.To start this project LMOH received a $200,000 grant from the Mabee Foundation, $100,000 from the Lions Club International Foundation, and a $100,000 donation from the Downtown Okla-homa City Lions Club. The rest of the funding came from the LMOH Capital Campaign, including all of the LMOH board members who each gave a gift of personal signicance.“The hope is that we will also have ongoing opportunities for counseling, tutoring, after school programs and more at the center,” said Larison. “We want it to be a place where our community can volunteer and serve our foster families.”LMOH broke ground for the family center on February 7, 2022. Lions Meadows of Hope new family center43COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
913 E 6th Street • (405) 332-5671 44COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
AMBASSADORHere’s to some of our volunteers!The Stillwater Chamber of Commerce would be incomplete without our Ambassador Committee. These volunteers give their time and resources to advocate on the Chamber’s behalf. You can nd them helping us celebrate new businesses at ribbon cuttings, attending Business After Hours or Business@Lunch, and of course visiting our members and ensuring their needs are being met.Chamber Ambassadors each have their own professional career in the Stillwater community, making them experts on what busi-nesses need to succeed. Our Ambassadors love making new con-nections and pride themselves on welcoming Stillwater’s businesses.The Ambassador Committee is imperative to the Chamber and the business community,” said Maggie McCracken, Stillwater Chamber Membership Development Coordinator. “Each committee member has their own set of skills that they bring to the table, creating a wide set of connections and dexterity. I personally could not do my job without them — they are a fun, organized, passionate set of individuals who thrive on community enrichment. Their sup-port for me, the Chamber, and their community can’t be dupli-cated. It is beyond important to have a community that shows up for each other and celebrates one another’s wins. This group does that for all of Stillwater.” AMBASSADORSAaron Malin, KickerAaron Matheson, Great Plains BankAustin Pollard, RCB BankBryan Langford-Loftis, Lois & Wetzel InsuranceCecily Morris, First National Bank & Trust Co., Commiee ChairCollin Mason, AllState Insurance – Mason AgencyDarrin Kinser, JUVO WebEmily James, Legacy VillageHeather Houle, The Saville CenterJeery Corbett, Stillwater Medical FoundationJennifer Scott, ZurvitaJosh Dean, Josh Dean PhotographyKaysie Nicholas, AAAKeri Garrison, AFLAC InsuranceKristen Hadley, WorkIt Coworking CenterKylie Moulton, CareerTechPage Provence, Fisher Provence RealtorsPatrick Ketcher, Arvest BankTerri Collier, BancFirstTerri Kerr, Lions Meadows of HopeTimothy Adams, InterWorksWill Townsend, BancFirst“It is beyond important to have a community that shows up for each other and celebrates each other’s wins. This group does that for all of Stillwater.” — M AG G I E MCCRACKEN45COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
New Chamber Members for2022A-1 Septic SystemsAAMCO TransmissionAirmative Business SolutionsAllstate Insurance – Rachael OgletreeArche Property ManagementBeaver Creek PropertiesBible Baptist ChurchBluepeakBronco Equipment Rental & SalesBualokie MarketCimarron Valley CommunicationsCJN PropertiesClub Car WashClub SelfieComplete Home HealthConstellationCulligan of StillwaterDuncan Catering Co.Eyelove VisionFirebrand ConstructionFirst Bank & Trust CompanyFrontline Roofing & ConstructionGraze CrazeGreat American CookiesGreeting PopzHer Seekretz & CoHicks Lawn & LandscapeHolmes Yates & Johnson Law FirmInsuricaIvy Construction & DesignJunk-B-GoneKona Ice Stillwater Laymance ServicesLIFE Adult Day CenterLooking Glass Integrative WellnessLyons Diversified CompanyMRobinson CounselingMUSE Beauty Co.The OAKPioneer Health DPCPokey Pulling Towing & RecoveryPowerhouse Truckbeds & TrailersPure Skin & AestheticsThe Range Wedding & Event VenueRed Rock Bakery & DeliSelect Physical TherapyThe Seventh RaySmokin Joe’s StillyStilly’s Daq ShackStill Haulers Hauling & Junk RemovalStonecloud Stillwater Patio & TaproomTiny Paws Kien RescueUnion Home MortgageVarnish & VelvetWild Pines WashesWingstop2022 Chamber Event SponsorsA&B Pest ControlAdvantage PlumbingAlexander ConstructionAllstate Insurance, Mason AgencyArkansas Electric CooperativeArvest BankASCO AerospaceBad Brad’s BBQBancFirstBank NABarry Sanders Super CenterB&L Heating & Air ConditioningBill Knight FordC-Star Property ManagementCentral Oklahoma Adult & Teen ChallengeCentral Rural Electric CooperativeCity of StillwaterChickasaw TelecommunicationsCockrell EyecareColdwell Banker, Connie StokesCowboy TechnologiesDane ElectricDearingersDr. EnmeierDrumright DentalEdward Jones – HumanEick AgencyEl TapatioEmpire RoofingEnbridgeEverymanExchange BankFarmers Insurance, Candace RobinsonFreddie Paul’sFirst Bank & Trust Co.First National Bank of WeatherfordFirst Republic Title CompanyGose & AssociatesGrand River Dam AuthorityGreat Plains BankHabitat for HumanityHideaway PizzaHouston Osborn Sexton and ThomasJenkins Mortgage TeamKeystone EngineeringKwik KarLambert ConstructionLegacy VillageLois & WetzelLopp ConstructionManhaan ConstructionMeridian Technology CenterMetro First Realty UnlimitedMill Creek Carpet & TileNorthern Oklahoma CollegeOklahoma Ag CreditOklahoma Closing & TitleOklahoma Community Credit UnionOklahoma Natural Gas CorporationOnCue MarketingOSU Career ServicesOSU Research FoundationP&K EquipmentPayne County BankPayne County Youth ServicesPayne County Farm BureauPayne County Farmers UnionPeak PestProValue.NetRay Smith Wealth ManagementRCB BankRE/MAX, Cheryl Carpenter MartinReal Estate Professionals, Ann MorganServProShelter Insurance – Je BryantSimmons BankState Farm, Lucas GroundsStillwater Martial ArtsStillwater MedicalStillwater Milling Stillwater Steel & SupplyStolhand WellsTinker Federal Credit UnionThe Saville CenterThe Talley-Morris TeamUdoka LawUniversal Surveying & MappingWhisper Intimate ApparelWilson Auto Family46COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
Each year, the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce seeks to recognize those who have made a significant impact in the Stillwater community. Ten annual awards are presented to deserving businesses and individuals who promote a positive business experience and civic environment and have a powerful impact on both the Chamber and the community. 2022 ANNUAL CHAMBER AWARD RECIPIENTS
Stillwater Milling CompanyStillwater Milling Company was originally founded in 1891, as the Thomas and Plummer Perfection Mills. In 1906, Stillwater Milling Company was incorporated by the Babcock family to produce our under the name “Stillwater’s Best Flour.” In 1918, Andy Goodholm purchased the company and added a line of home our called “Good Home Flour.” They began to manufacture feeds for livestock and poultry in 1922, while the company continued to develop the our business until the mid-1950’s. Stillwater Milling Company branded its livestock feed as A&M Feeds; named after Andy, and his wife, Mandy, Goodholm. The feed business con-tinued to grow through the years because of the large agricultural population in North Central Oklahoma.Haskell Cudd began working for Stillwater Milling Company as a bookkeeper in August 1933. Cudd, Paul Wise, and James Berry purchased Stillwater Mill in 1933. The Berry family sold their interest in the company after James’ death in the late 1960s. Mr. Cudd bought controlling interest of the company at age 64 in about 1971. His work ethic followed him through his 74 years with the company. He stepped down as President and CEO, Feb-ruary 2006, at age 98. In 2010, the Wise family bought most of the Cudd family shares and now have controlling interest in Still-water Mill. The remainder of the mill’s shares are owned by cur-rent and former employees.Stillwater Milling Company has continuously increased the man-ufacturing capacity and eciency of the mill. They were the rst computerized feed mill in the state of Oklahoma and the largest independently owned feed mill in the state. All the feed manu-facturing is done in Stillwater. They can manufacture about 1400 tons of feed a day. That is enough to ll 60 semi-trucks. About 90% of feed manufactured is beef cattle feed. They also manu-facture feed for dairy cows, horses, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, quail, rabbits, and deer.Stillwater Milling Company direct markets A&M Livestock Feeds to farmers and ranchers in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Arkansas and supplies feed to 125 dealer locations. In 1938 Stillwater Milling Company established a branch operation in Perry, OK. In 1970, a branch was added in Davis, OK followed by the Claremore Branch in the mid 1970s. In August of 1975 a large general farm store, The Agri-Center, was established in Stillwater. This concept was later added at the other 3 locations. The stores handled A&M feeds as well as other products for farming operations such as fencing, live-stock equipment and animal health supplies. The four stores have been expanded since that time into AgriCenters adding a variety of products for the home as well as the farm. In October 2017, a new larger store was built in Stillwater facing 6th Street. The old store was converted into much needed warehouse space including a drive-thru pick up. Stillwater Milling Company will always be a place where your business is appreciated.Stillwater Milling Company currently has about 165 employees. A total of 85 full and part time employees are employed in Stillwater. At the end of March 2022, they had two employees retire — one that had worked there 56 years and one for 52 years. There are currently 2 employees that have worked there over 50 years, 4 between 40 and 50 years, 7 between 30 and 40 years, 11 between 20 and 30 years and 8 between 15 and 20 years — for a total of 32 employees with 15 or more years with the company.Agribusiness of the Year48COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce48COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of CommerceAWARDS
Next Generation of AgriculturalistsBrian HarrisonFrom a very young age, Brian Harrison knew he wanted to be a farmer. Many young children dream of returning to the family farm, only to lose interest as they grow older. This was not the case for Harrison, in fact, you could say farming is in his blood. When Harrison wasn’t in school, he could be found working alongside his dad or spending countless hours sitting on the tractor oorboard. Harrison’s passion for agriculture remains just as strong now as it did when he was younger.At the age of 14, Harrison purchased a John Deere 4520, his very rst tractor. With this tractor and a couple hundred acres of farm-land, Harrison was determined to have his own successful oper-ation. After graduating high school, Harrison tried his hand at various o the farm jobs. He worked for oil companies and a local oil and gas supplier, all while maintaining a successful farming operation. As the years went on and the farm’s success grew, Har-rison had to make a choice between working on the farm or pur-suing his other job. Naturally, Harrison made the choice to leave his town job and begin farming full time.Harrison has raised a variety of crops throughout the years. He has grown corn, oat hay, soybeans, alfalfa, wheat and milo. Through trial and error, Harrison has found the best crop combination for his operation to be wheat and alfalfa. Diversication has been the key to his farming success. In the last few years, Brian has worked to further diversify his operation by incorporating bailage practices into his hay opera-tion. Harrison’s operation lies along the Cimmaron River, north of Cushing, where they courrently farm approximately 300 acres of wheat, 200 acres of alfalfa, and 130 angus cross cows. His oper-ation holds diversication and conservation at the forefront of all practices. In 2006, Harrison married his wife Whitney and in 2012 they welcomed their son, Tyler. Harrison has spent the last 10 years instilling the same love for farming he had when he was young. In the summertime, you can nd Tyler working with his dad on the farm, just like Harrison did when he was a boy. The agricul-tural industry thrives because of farmers like Brian Harrison and his commitment to instilling a genuine love and appreciation for farming in the next generation. 49COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of CommerceAWARDS
Farm Family of the YearJohnny & Monica JohnsonGrowing up, Johnny Johnson worked cattle with his family on his faithful horse “Blue”, which was also his primary source of transportation. He wanted to work for the railroad, but the only way he could get hired was by learning Morse code. In 1968, he entered service in the US Army and was stationed in the Mekong Delta region in South Vietnam. After returning home from South Vietnam in 1970, his faithful horse “Blue” was waiting for him. Johnny purchased 160 acres of land and 32 heifers, opening his very own, “Old Blue Ranch”. Johnny continued working with the railroad for 42 years but his true passion was always with cattle and ranch work. Johnny and Monica met on the railroad and were married in 1972, it didn’t take long for the city girl to turn country. Monica received her Bachelor and Masters degrees in Education from Oklahoma State University. She taught school at Yale for 32 years. The couple started building their ranch operation with their rst land purchase in 1976. Through the years, they have tried about every possible cross of cattle and nally settled on Angus Cross cattle. Johnny and Monica have two daughters, Charity and Sabrina. In 1980, the family built their rst home, the ranch headquarters, where they still reside today. The family enjoyed riding horses, having picnics, and attending rodeos. In the late 80’s, the Johnson family started raising their own replacement heifers in an eort to improve the quality of cattle on Old Blue Ranch. They enjoyed seeing the positive results from this management decision and the cowherd genetics positively changing in their cowherd. In 2019, the heifer selec-tion changed from retaining heifers to purchasing bred heifers or young cows as needed. Their daughter Sabrina married Jeremy Prince and they have 3 children; Johnny, Frank, and Abigail. The kids, like their mother, have been willing to help and do what they could when spending time at Nana and Papa’s. 50COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of CommerceAWARDS
Citizen of the YearKristine WaitsKristine Waits is dierent from any other Citizen of the Year we have had. According to Waits she lives a “life of volunteering”, and it’s a full-time job. She hates the question “what do you do for a living?” Waits said she “doesn’t want to be dened by the job I have but by the volunteering I do and the impact I make.”Waits was born in Louisiana, but as part of a military family, grew up all over the United States. She graduated from Oklahoma State in 2000 with a degree in Marketing, fell in love with a Stillwater boy and hasn’t left since. Together Kristine and Matt have three children: Sam (16), Katherine (14) and Isaac (12).“When our kids were born, I retired from making money and now I work for progress”. Kristine’s passion is bettering this commu-nity, one that she says “is far more giving than most.”In 2014 Waits was asked to join the Allene Brown Foundation as a Board Member. “This single act changed my life,” Waits said. “The Brown Foundation has allowed me a top down view of philanthropy in this community and the ability to see connections and missed opportunities for our neediest neighbors.” Over its life, the Foun-dation has given almost $5.5M.One of Waits’s biggest accomplishments is the co-creation of Our Daily Bread. What started out as 42,000 pounds of potatoes turned into a realization that Stillwater didn’t have a place for these pota-toes to go. In 2015, Waits and a small team decided to pioneer a new food pantry concept. One that would not only be open daily but give choice and dignity to hungry neighbors. Waits’s role was awareness and fundraising. $2.5 Million dollars and a whole pile of loyal volunteers later, Our Daily Bread was founded. Her work and love for the organization continues today.In 2020, Waits felt Stillwater needed to renovate the prominent corner of 6th and Western to give the gift of art to the commu-nity. After approaching the City of Stillwater, navigating various hurdles and organizing a team of citizens, a meaningful sculpture greets all who pass by.Waits is a member of the book club “Women with Spines” who received a Vibrant Stillwater grant to create a Bigfoot scavenger hunt in Stillwater. It’s based on the geo-caching fad from the 2010’s and meant to get community members and visitors to explore Still-water. Stilly Bigfoot will be ready in spring 2023.Waits is a board member of the Aline Brown Foundation, Women for OSU Council Member and Co-Chair of Council Relations, Waits Family Foundation Board Member, Our Daily Bread Fundraising Committee and Volunteer, Oklahoma State Student Aairs Advi-sory Council Member, Stillwater Arts & Humanities Public Art initiative, and Block 34 Advisory Council.This is why Kristine Waits is our rst stand-alone female Citizen of the Year. 51COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of CommerceAWARDS
Jerry & Suzanne CarpenterHall of Fame52COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of CommerceAWARDSPops was full of ideas and visions and Momo was always willing to do the groundwork. They believed they were put on Earth to make a dierence, and they did.
Jerry Carpenter grew up in Lawton, OK, and moved to Stillwater to attend Oklahoma State University after graduating from Lawton High. During his time at Oklahoma State, he met Stillwater High School graduate, Suzanne Fenton, in the late 1950’s.Suzanne’s Stillwater roots ran deep. Suzanne’s father Dale and mother Marguerite, opened Fenton Oce Supply in 1941, at 809 S. Main St in downtown Stillwater, where all three worked during Suzanne’s childhood. Jerry and Suzanne married after college and moved to Denver, CO, where Jerry accepted a sales job. In 1967, Jerry and Suzanne moved back to Stillwater to work at the family business, and eventually bought Fenton’s. Jerry saw a vision to expand the business from oce supplies to include oce furniture, growing their customer base and sales area. This was also an oppor-tunity for the local business to create jobs and careers for many people, who subsequently became part of the “Fenton’s Family”.Jerry was a visionary. Most of his life was focused on seeing a need, and fullling it. Alongside Fenton’s, he also started a real estate development company with other partners in 1991 and developed many of Stillwater’s neighborhoods that are still standing today, such as Westbrook Estates, Brooke Hollow, Crosswinds, Pecan Hill, Deer Crossing, and more.Jerry continued his small business spirit by opening Carpenter Insurance in 1998, where he was able to continue his love of con-necting people and fullling customer’s needs, while also continuing to help the Stillwater community grow through business expansion.He was an investor. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to invest in real estate and businesses, but more importantly in the people around him. He often created jobs for people who may otherwise not have one. He was passionate about second chances and believed every person deserved to live an abundant life.Aside from all of his business ventures, Jerry, also known as Pops, had a heart for the greater Stillwater community. He was inuen-tial in bringing Big Brothers Big Sisters to Stillwater, creating the annual Christmas Dinner for those less fortunate, and was a huge supporter of the YMCA. He always saw the big picture and when met with a problem his famous line was “we can take care of that.”Another passion of the Carpenter’s was First United Methodist Church. Jerry played a signicant role in FUMC’s Family Life Center. He believed there was a need for families, kids, and church goers to have a space to spend time together building relationships.Jerry and Suzanne were lifelong Oklahoma State fans. You could always nd them in orange supporting the cowboys even outside of game day. Their house was open to numerous athletes, having them over for dinner to give them a sense of community while away at school.Behind Jerry’s ideas and adventures was always Suzanne, also known as Momo or Mama C. Momo was witty and artistic, she would draw caricatures of people and was able to put personali-ties onto paper. She was a musician who played the ukulele. But overall Momo was a mother to all. She left each person she met better than how she found them. She was humble and seless and likely would have hated the idea of this recognition.She spent most of her 80 plus years involved with Fenton’s. She fol-lowed her father’s footsteps doing Mobile Meals for thirty plus years.Suzanne was servant-hearted and looked for ways to make Still-water a better place. She created a fundraiser for the Mission of Hope that still continues today. She went out of her way to help families facing hardship. She contacted DHS to pinpoint people in need that she could help. She would feed those families, she made sure the kids got to school, and ensured that they would have Christmas presents.Momo was constantly looking for ways to help, and she was deter-mined to teach her children and grandchildren to embrace being involved as well. One of the Carpenter family’s greatest traditions was Christmas caroling. All the kids and grandkids would load up in Christmas attire to visit nursing homes, shut-ins, and more as they sang carols alongside Momo and her ukulele.Suzanne had a real soft spot for the special needs community. She could often be found leading music at MPower or FUMC’s Faith Class. Later in life she partnered with a group of women known as the E-angels who secretly met the needs of families in our community.Momo was known for her storytelling and she consistently brought happiness wherever she went. She had friends from all circles; her Theta sisters, bridge club, Bible Study, her neighborhood and more.Most importantly, Momo was a gatherer. She was committed to her family and keeping them together. Each of her children and grandchildren felt as though they were her favorite because she had the ability to make everyone feel special. The door to her home was always open and she consistently fostered a spirit of inclusivity.Momo and Pops were a perfect match. Pops was full of ideas and visions and Momo was always willing to do the groundwork. They believed they were put on Earth to make a dierence, and they did.Jerry and Suzanne Carpenter’s legacy is one of a kind. They chose to invest in our town and in our people and asked for nothing in return. They were small business owners, entrepreneurs, servants, and leaders. Their love of Stillwater continues through their three children; Terry (Pam) Carpenter, Cheryl Carpenter Martin, and Steve (Tricia) Carpenter. That love of community also continues through their seven grandchildren; Luke, Joshua (Marcy), Sarah, Rachel, Adam, Jacob, and Kate. 53COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
Top Row L to R: Lauren Sneed, Tyler Sparks, Maggie McCrackenMiddle Row L to R: Heather Houle, Allison KeysBottom Row L to R: Melinda Bell, Courtney Callison, Kylie Moulton, Baleigh ManseldLeaders Under 40On November 30, 2022 the Young Professionals of Stillwater held their Annual Leaders Under 40 ceremony. Out of all the nominees there were 10 nalists who received the Leaders Under 40 award. The Leaders Under 40 program recognizes and cele-brates those who are making a dierence in the Stillwater community profession-ally, civically, and personally.BLAYNE AURTHUR, the Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture, aended the program as the keynote speaker. She spoke about what it means to be a leader and shared her own perspective on leadership throughout her life and professional career. MELINDA BELL has transformed her commu-nity through her service and diligent dedica-tion to the Junior Service League, University Heights Baptist Church, and by serving on the advisory board for the early childhood center at First Methodist church. She has been recognized as the only female owner/advisor under 40 to reach Elite status nation-ally by the National Broker/Dealer Advantax. MIK BOWLAN is passionate about inclusion and community outreach. They have made a significant impact through their service as the Payne County Pride Association Exec-utive Director as well as their time volun-teering with both Lions Meadows of Hope and Wings of Hope. COURTNEY CALLISON has helped shape our community through her work as an advocate with CASA for kids, a Big Brothers Big Sis-ters board member, and at her role with the Payne County Election Board. She believes in the power of community voice through the election process.HEATHER HOULE’S passion and love for Still-water families shines through her work as the Executive Director of the Saville Center and her years as a CASA for kids advocate. This embodies her belief that the ideal young pro-fessional should be dependable, consistent and driven by a mission to help the commu-nity around them. ALLISON KEYS is dedicated to making a dif-ference. She serves on the City of Stillwater Innovation Team, The Boutique Hub and the Washington St. Merchants Association Board. She is also a YMCA Council member and does a lot of work with the Junior Service League. BALEIGH MANSFIELD works with age groups ranging from our youngest community to our eldest community members. She is dedicated to upliing those around her and she believes that the ideal young professional strives to make others feel noticed and appreciated while staying humble and being willing to take ownership and accountability. MAGGIE MCCRACKEN serves on the Wings of Hope and Relay for Life Board. She is a member of Leadership Stillwater Class 31 and she believes the ideal young profes-sional should be immersed in the commu-nity, have confidence and initiative to bring their ideas to life, and to lead with energy, activism and individuality. KYLIE MOULTON serves on the Payne County Youth Services Board, the Young Profes-sionals of Stillwater Board, and is a commiee member for Resilient Payne County. She was recognized as the Chamber Ambassador of the year in 2021, and the 2021 Payne County Youth Services Board Member of the year.LAUREN SNEED has a passion for making a dierence, empowering and developing future leaders, as well as building up the his-toric districts of Downtown Stillwater. She is a certified women empowered instructor and serves as the Vice President of the Down-town Stillwater Association. TYLER SPARKS is focused on the safety and support of the Stillwater community. He has worked for the Stillwater Fire Department for 14 years and truly embodies a servant leader. His ongoing commitment to training, advanced equipment needs and willingness to be a part of our local hazmat and rescue departments makes our community a safer place.Leadership54COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of CommerceAWARDS
Young Professional of the YearBrittney FederkoBrittney Federko was born and raised in Carmen, Oklahoma. She graduated from Cherokee High School. Following grad-uation Federko made her way to Stillwater and attended Oklahoma State University. She has now lived in Stillwater as long as she lived in her hometown. Federko has been working at Oklahoma Community Credit Union for 11 years and her current role is Vice President of Lending. Throughout her banking career she has explored various areas of the Credit Union, but she always found her way back to the lending department. Federko is an active member of the Saville Center’s board of direc-tors and beginning in 2023 she will serve as President. Federko is also on the Young Professionals of Stillwater board where she is a co-chair of the event planning committee. Federko was in the very rst Citizens Academy put on by the Police Department in 2017. That opportunity allowed her to get involved with one of her favorite community outreach events, Shop With a Cop. Federko has also volunteered with the United Way Day of Caring, Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build Day, First United Methodist Church and the Weekend’s Food Sacks program.Federko has been named a Leader Under 40, she received the Oklahoma Community Credit Union’s Membership Growth Award in 2021 and she is also a graduate of Leadership Stillwater Class XXVI. In 2012 she was also named Oklahoma Community Credit Union’s Employee of the Year. Federko loves being a mother to her 8 year old son Nolan. He is a second grader at Richmond Elementary who loves animals and minecraft.55COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of CommerceAWARDS
Leading Edge AwardTrenton InselmanTrenton Inselman grew up in Morrison, Okla., but spent much of his time growing up in Stillwater. It was no question that Inselman would attend Oklahoma State after graduating from Morrison. His entire life was spent traveling to Stillwater for home games, rooting for the cowboys, and bleeding orange.Inselman graduated from OSU with a degree in Agricultural Eco-nomics and went on to work at the Stillwater Chamber of Com-merce as an Economic Development Coordinator. As Inselman worked through the pandemic on his couch he had the opportu-nity to think about where he would go next.With no experience in brewing, Inselman said his passion was always about what breweries stood for. “Breweries are always wel-coming, each one is a little dierent and they all have their own style,” Inselman said. “But I fell in love with what they could do for friends and family and collaboration.”Inselman took a risk, applied at Iron Monk and was hired as an assistant to the head brewer. After working under him for 6 months, Inselman was promoted to head brewer and took the reins to the entire brewery. As head brewer he is responsible for anything that happens behind the glass wall, this includes brewing, canning, cleaning, carbonating beers, and packaging beer for distribution. Everything that Iron Monk produces is created right here at the Stillwater location. A few months into Inselman’s tenure, Iron Monk was asked to submit a request for proposal to Oklahoma State Athletics, as they were searching for an ocial craft beer. Inselman and his bosses, the owners of Iron Monk, Jerod Mil-lirons and Dave Monks, spent countless hours crafting a response to the RFP. There was no doubt that they would be a respondent and they knew they had to do it right. They put together a com-pelling package and presented it to Athletics Leadership in his-toric Gallagher Iba Arena. At the time of the proposal, they had no beer name, no beer, and no ocial can. Inselman sold the group solely on themselves and what Iron Monk means to Stillwater. They knew they wanted to make a blonde ale, something they did not already make. While awaiting the RFP decision, they used their pilot system to start working on dierent blonde ales. After nding out they won the proposal the team had a quick turnaround. They scaled up their favorite pilot blonde ale, brewed the beer on their 40 barrel system, and were blown away. “It’s been the same since that day” said Inselman. “And it will always be the same. We’ve brewed it over 28 times since then, and are on track to quadruple our production just on this beer alone.”As for the name, the group wanted a name that stood alone, some-thing that looked good on a beer menu but still had meaning to the University. “We wanted something that was true the second OSU existed and will be true for the rest of OSU’s existence,” said Inselman. “OSU was founded on Christmas day of 1890. We don’t have a beer without the founding date of 1890, we probably wouldn’t even have a brewery if OSU wasn’t founded in Stillwater.” Given the gravity the group felt from the year 1890, they settled on “1890 Original”. “We wanted something that was true the second OSU existed and will be true for the rest of OSU’s existence. We don’t have a beer without the founding date of 1890, we probably wouldn’t even have a brewery … .” — T R E N T O N INSELMAN56COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of CommerceAWARDS
The can was designed by Iron Monk’s can designer who is also an OSU Alum. They knew they wanted Pistol Pete on the can as well as the Iron Monk logo next to the OSU logo, showing the collab-oration between both organizations. They plan to continue to put out special Homecoming cans each year and they are currently working on a can specically for baseball games. Inselman is adamant that this project would have never been accomplished without the support from his friends and family, especially his wife. This was the rst ever beer he brewed on his own without an ocial Iron Monk recipe, and what a beer to be your rst. 1890 Original could have never happened without Jerod and Dave, Iron Monk’s owners, who took a chance on him when hiring him as head brewer. Since the release of 1890, Iron Monk’s business is booming, which is a win for Stillwater. “If this would have landed in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, or elsewhere, we would have missed out on a huge eco-nomic impact as a community,” said Inselman. “The tap room is more full, people are spending more sales tax here and we are giving people even more reasons to visit Stillwater.”“Breweries are always welcoming, each one is a little dierent and they all have their own style. But I fell in love with what they could do for friends and family and collaboration.” — TRENTON INSELMAN57COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
Family-Owned Business of the YearCochran BellCochran Bell Wealth and Tax Strategy began in 1981 as an accounting practice located in Shawnee Okla. Danny Cochran, founder and senior wealth and tax advisor of Cochran Bell, started this business to help clients file their annual taxes. In the late 1980s, Cochran helped change legislation and allow accountants to receive commissions for providing financial services. Once the legisla-tion passed, Cochran adapted his accounting practice to provide financial service opportunities.In 2005, Cochran bought an accounting practice in Stillwater, and made the move from Shawnee to Stillwater. Five years later, his daughter Melinda Bell returned to Stillwater and began working for her dad.“I think for the most part I always knew I was going to come back,” Melinda said. “Growing up, my dad was always nding something around the oce for my twin sister and I to do and I was always helping around the oce.”Kevin Bell, Melinda’s husband and co-owner of Cochran Bell, said he always knew Melinda was going to end up working for her dad. The Bell’s lived and worked in Dallas for a few years before Melinda got the call from her dad to come back to Stillwater.“What makes Cochran Bell a family business is that the clients we work with truly feel like family,” Melinda said. “We like to be involved in every aspect at all stages of life, so we are able to help our clients, and then maybe their kids and so on.”Cochran Bell helps clients in three dierent physical locations, the original oce in Shawnee, an oce in south Oklahoma City and the Stillwater oce. Across the three oces, Cochran Bell employs eight full time employees.The sta at Cochran Bell do everything they can to help clients better prepare for their future. Once you become a client at Cochran Bell, you become family and can expect to be treated as such. After your nancial plan has been created, the sta at Cochran Bell con-tinually monitors and searches for ways to improve your plan. They take pride in remaining in close contact with their clients, so they never feel they are left in the dark.“Stillwater is unique because everyone genuinely cares about each other,” Kevin said. “Seeing the community dive in during good and bad times is truly what I think makes Stillwater home.”Cochran Bell will always be a place clients can make informed and condent decisions about their future. The value of treating customers like family is just as present now as it was when the company was founded in 1981, and the business will continue to thrive for years to come.As for the future of this family-owned business, Kevin and Melinda say it’s too soon to tell if their young daughters will carry on the business.“One when she counts always skips 15 and 20, but we’re working on it,” Melinda said.“What makes Cochran Bell a family business is that the clients we work with truly feel like family. We like to be involved in every aspect at all stages of life, so we are able to help our clients, and then maybe their kids and so on.” — MELINDA BELL58COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of CommerceAWARDS
59COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
60COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
Non Profit of the YearWings of HopeWings of Hope began in 1979 with three friends who wanted to provide help to victims of domestic violence. The original three and other community members created a hotline that was staed day and night. Initially victims were housed in hotel rooms until they were able to create a registered non-profit in 1981 and open a safe house.Their current mission is to break the cycle of violence by pro-viding safety, hope, and empowerment to individuals and fam-ilies experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and child abuse or neglect. They seek social change through community awareness and client advocacy.In 2011, Wings of Hope received a capital grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation and signicant funds from the commu-nity with which they were able to build a secure state of the art facility. The facility has completely changed the way Wings of Hope operates for the better. The shelter can house multiple fam-ilies at once, each family has a private room and bathroom as well as access to a kitchen, living room area, child play rooms, laundry facility, quiet room and playground.Victims at the shelter are also oered counseling services by a licensed professional. They oer one on one therapy, group therapy, and play therapy for children. Wings of Hope provides advocates that meet with victims in their time of crisis. Advocates help fam-ilies plan for safety, assist with ling emergency protective orders, oer organizational services and help with immediate needs.Aside from sheltering victims, Wings of Hope is dedicated to ending cycles of abuse. They have multiple prevention programs where they discuss healthy dating relationships, signs of abuse, and making good choices. They also oer a batter’s intervention class that focuses on confronting issues of anger, assertiveness, self-esteem, marital conict, depression, problem solving and life changes. The program is 52 weeks and is frequently court ordered.One of Wings of Hope’s most impressive fundraising eorts is the Wings of Hope buttery. Businesses and other organizations can purchase these butteries to put out in front of their locations. Although it is more than a fundraiser, each buttery has the Wings of Hope hotline on it for anyone who walks by to see. Another inte-gral part of Wings of Hope is Thrifty Buttery, an upscale resale store that not only helps fund Wings of Hope, but also provides clothing to victims at the organization.Wings of Hope Family Crisis Center belives that all people regard-less of race, status, age, gender, sexual orientation, or economics deserve safety and well being. In the past year they have oered services to over 1,000 adults and children, ranging from safe shel-tering, counseling and advocacy. 277 women and children were housed in the shelter, their 24 hour crisis line elded over 1100 calls and their prevention eorts were present through outreach services in our community. This organization is an illustration of what Stillwater nonprot agencies are capable of by engaging with local partners, cultivating community support, and leveraging their resources to best serve families in our community.In the past year Wings of Hope have oered services to over 1,000 adults and children, ranging from safe sheltering, counseling and advocacy.AWARDS61COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
Large Business of the YearOnCueOnCue was founded in 1966 and is based in Stillwater. Jim Griith has overseen the company since purchasing it from his father in 1995. OnCue has grown from 11 stores in 1995 to 75 stores today; they employ over 1,500 people in Oklahoma and Texas. The mission of OnCue is to beer the lives of those they serve through innovation, exceptional customer experiences and invested team members.OnCue has been named a Top Workplace in the US and Oklahoma. This is based solely on feedback from an employee engagement survey completed by the employees of participating work-places. OnCue’s retention rate is well over industry average, and almost all General Managers, Training and Development Managers and Supervisors have been internally promoted.OnCue has a strong sense of community, they have several ongoing charitable outreach programs that help keep OnCue and its employees at the forefront of community improvement eorts. Their charitable focus is to wisely invest dollars in community eorts that support groups of children and youth through health and education. OnCue stores in Oklahoma City and Stillwater are certied Safe Place locations, and they even received the Outstanding Corpo-rate Sponsor Award for 2022 from Payne County Youth Services.OnCue has a 16 year long partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and they have raised a total of $3,239,164 during this time. In addition to their regular community dona-tions, in 2018, OnCue began a charitable collector’s cup program where they donate 50 cents from every cup sold to a designated nonprot. Since starting the program, the company has given over $245,000 to local branches of organizations such as United Way, CASA, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Stillwater Schools, Safe Place with Payne County Youth Services, Special Olympics and more.OnCue is an ongoing supporter of the Regional Food Bank of Okla-homa and its local aliate, Our Daily Bread. Over $190,000 in supplies and funds has been given to these organizations in the last four years alone. OnCue is also a longtime sponsor of Stillwater Public Education Foundation, Stillwater Library, Stillwater Med-ical Foundation, United Way of Payne County and more.OnCue has been voted Best Convenience Store almost every year in towns where it operates in Oklahoma, including in the Stillwater News Press and the Oklahoman. OnCue is consistently ranked among convenience retailers with the strongest store oerings and growth by industry organizations like CSP, C-Store Decisions, the National Association of Convenience Stores, Oklahoma Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association and more.The company built its rst convenience store drive-thru in 1971, four years before McDonald’s started building drive-thrus. They began serving custom-made food in stores back in 1980. Now they have about 21 locations of the Grill in OnCue stores along with sev-eral other fresh food concepts.There are six locations in the state with dog parks. The parks include separate areas for large and small dogs, as well as watering troughs, faux re hydrants and agility courses. They have been praised for their commissioned works from local artists to create unique sculptural pieces for OnCue stores. Incorporating local artists into OnCue landmarks has been impactful on customer recognition as well as showing commitment to the community.OnCue has been voted Best Convenience Store almost every year in towns where it operates in Oklahoma … 62COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of CommerceAWARDS
63COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce63COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
Small Business of the YearOklahoma Community Credit UnionOCCU originally started as O. S. University Employees Federal Credit Union in 1968. It was estab-lished originally to serve faculty and sta of Oklahoma State University. Over the years the credit union amended the charter to add more employee groups. By the 90’s the credit union switched to a community charter allowing them to serve the Stillwater community as a whole.In 2018, Oklahoma Community expanded again and now serves over 13,000 members throughout Payne, Lincoln, Logan, Noble, and Pawnee County. As a credit union, Oklahoma Community is a not-for-prot group meaning all of their prots are reinvested back into the business for their members. The Oklahoma Community board of directors consists of volunteers who are elected by the membership and all currently live in Payne County. Oklahoma Community is the only nancial institution headquartered in Stillwater, meaning all of their members are taken care of locally.Being the only nancial institution in Stillwater, Oklahoma Com-munity has the unique opportunity to get to know their members on a personal level. “We really get to know our members and hear their stories and we try to nd ways to help them meet their nan-cial goals,” said Daniel Thrasher, President and CEO. “Whether it’s the dream of owning a home or buying a car to be able to get to work, or saving for retirement, our team is dedicated to helping our local members and communities grow.”Oklahoma Community has given back to multiple dierent com-munity organizations like Our Daily Bread, the Humane Society, Turning Point Ranch and more. Beginning in January, Oklahoma Community will launch OK Community Cares. OK Community Cares is a foundation that will accept grant applications from dierent community organizations. The foundation will have a board made up of Oklahoma Community members who will allo-cate funding to community organizations. The committee will be looking for opportunities to enhance educational opportunities, pro-vide nancial literacy, address food insecurity, encourage healthy living, and address housing needs. “We are hopeful this founda-tion will help us expand our giving,” said Thrasher. “Now we can have a bigger impact in our 5-county service area.” For the rst time since 1995, Oklahoma Community decided to build another full-service location for their members on the north-east corner of 19th and Sangre. This location will be the rst branch to match Oklahoma Community’s new branding. Following the completion of that location, they will be remodeling their current headquarters on McElroy. “We talked about branching outside of Stillwater rst,” said Thrasher. “But at the end of the conversation we said Stillwater is our home market. It’s where our organization started, we want to make sure our foundation is rm and that we are investing in our home com-munity rst before we branch beyond Stillwater.”The remodel will bring a fresh look to Oklahoma Community but also lots of room for growth. The drive-thru will be moved from behind the building to the east side, which is much better for vis-ibility and security. About 4,000 square feet will be added to the back of the building for oce space and future growth. The remodel is particularly important for the 41 credit union employee’s expe-rience, and will ensure they have a great place to work throughout the day. Oklahoma Community Credit Union is proud to make this new investment in the Stillwater Community and looks for-ward to serving its members for years to come. 64COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of CommerceAWARDSOK Community Cares is a foundation that will accept grant applications from dierent com-munity organizations.
65COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
The Expo Center is a top venue in the nation. Shows and auctions from all over the United States have chosen to make the Expo Center their home … . 66COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
Chamber ChoicePayne County Expo CenterThe Payne County Expo Center sits on 80 acres of land on the east side of Stillwater. It’s most famously known for the Payne County Fair held every August, but it’s home to much more. On average, the Expo Center hosts about 4 events a week, sometimes even 5 events at once. They do all of this with just six full time employees.The Expo Center houses multiple dierent meeting areas of over 85,000 square feet making it a versatile place to host an event. It’s home to an Expo Hall, Community Building, Heritage Hall, McVey Arena, a Livestock Pavilion, and an RV layout with hook ups. It includes indoor display space, covered barns for livestock and horses, and an outdoor grassy area for car-nival rides and outdoor shows.Each year the Expo Center hosts hundreds of livestock shows, craft shows, baby showers, weddings and receptions, meetings, confer-ences and more. Having such a versatile event venue in our com-munity brings thousands of visitors each year. This is great for our local economy, and even better for the ⅜ cent sales tax. This tax, which renews every 5 years, funds a portion of the Expo Center. Economic impact has been measured by the OSU Agricultural Economics department at more than 5 Million dollars a year. The highest gross sales tax weekend for Stillwater comes from the weekend of the Monaco Coach Show at the Expo Center, sur-passing all home OSU games. Aside from all of their commercial events, Payne County Expo Center is dedicated to serving the Stillwater community. The Expo Center is available for rent to many diverse groups and many are able to use the Center at reduced or no cost. Youth events such as 4-H and FFA contests and gatherings are allowed to use the facility for free. The Expo Center is incredibly supportive of the education of our next generation of citizens. The Expo Center hosts some of Stillwater’s most notable events such as the Payne County Fair, Home and Garden Show, Taste of Stillwater, OSU Homecoming Chili Cook O, Oklahoma Cattle-men’s Preview Show and many more. The Expo Center works closely with many Chamber activities and hosts the Annual Chamber Agri-culture Banquet, The Annual Chamber Business Persons Judging Contest and the Annual Barnyard Olympics.Aside from oering a space for community and fundraising events, the Expo Center was also an integral part of Stillwater overcoming the pandemic. In 2020, the Expo Center housed an area for com-plete COVID-19 testing and eventually a place for COVID-19 vacci-nations as well. Hundreds of people visited the Expo Center during the pandemic to get tested and vaccinated, without the venue step-ping up, there may not have been a place for our community to go.wThese shows include regional and national horse shows, livestock shows, and even motor coach association shows. The Expo Center is centrally located not only in Oklahoma but also in the United States, making it a middle ground for everyone. The Stillwater community would be incomplete without the Payne County Expo Center. 67COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of CommerceAWARDS
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion AwardEarl and Bernice MitchellThere is nothing quite like the wisdom that we hear from the passenger’s side of a grandparent’s vehicle. It was from the passenger’s seat of an old truck that Earl Mitchell gave me some of the best advice that I’ve ever been given, “Do as much good as you can, for as many people as you can, for as long as you can.”Growing up, I had a limited understanding of the importance of Earl and Bernice Mitchell’s impact in the Stillwater com-munity and the state of Oklahoma. To me, Earl and Bernice were just “Grandma and Grandpa,” To others, they were trail blazers and thought leaders, beacons of hope and the promise of a better tomorrow.People marveled at them in lecture halls and board rooms, awards dinners, and galas, soaking up all they could in short spans. I realize now how lucky I am to say that I learned from them over car rides and dinner tables. Despite having lists of accomplish-ments longer than most, the enduring sentiment about my grand-parents is that they were incredibly humble people who knew and loved people well. Those who benetted from their work often be found in their living rooms and around their dining tables. Their inuence never made them inaccessible. The groups that they served were quickly regarded as chosen family.When I think about the impact of my grandparent’s lives, and their enduring commitment to the communities they served, a foun-dational conviction of doing good towards one’s neighbor rises quickly to the surface. In part because of their faith, and in part because of their experiences, my grandparents seemed to see life as an opportunity to oer other people the opportunity that they were not always given.Their professional and academic accomplishments were impres-sive at the very least, but the core of who they were was less about what they did, and more about what they did for others.In a culture that tempts us to use our giftings and inuence to pro-mote ourselves and our interests, my grandparent’s consistently chose to use their platforms as a means for empowering other people, serving in roles that advocated for minorities, women, chil-dren and the good of their community.Coming to Stillwater Oklahoma in 1967, Earl became the rst African American faculty member to gain tenure at Oklahoma State University by 1969. His work and research in the eld of bio-chemistry and molecular biology, as well as his commitment to the advancement of STEM in Oklahoma, were some of the dening contributions of his decades-long career in academia.Amongst his professional accomplishments, Earl also found time to invest in the lives and education quality of his students. Serving as the assistant dean of the Graduate College, and as the Associate Vice President of the Multicultural Aairs Oce, Earl found ways to foster a culture within the university setting that was founded on academic excellence and social consciousness.My grandpa valued perspective and inclusion more than most people, and he was always looking to understand the experiences of others. He was an incredibly gifted scientist and researcher, but a skill set he had that blows me away was his ability to connect and empathize with anyone from anywhere. His brilliance, cou-pled with his humanity, left its mark on Oklahoma State and the State of Oklahoma.Bernice was formidable in her own right and worked diligently within her chosen sphere of inuence. Enrolling at OSU at 33-years-old, Bernice was a non-traditional student. Using her experience as a non-traditional student, Bernice organized a group 68COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of CommerceAWARDS
Fiery and determined were words often used to describe Bernice Mitchell. She was deeply passionate about people.He was an incredibly gifted scientist and researcher, but a skill set he had that blows me away was his ability to connect and empathize with anyone from anywhere.of other women who were also non-traditional students. This group eventually came to be the OSU Women’s Council.Continuing in her professional career, Bernice worked as a baili in the Payne County Court House under Judge Ray Wall. Her work with the courthouse led her to run for the Payne County Commis-sioner seat for District 2. She held this oce for two terms.Through all of her career phases, most central to her passions were the issues that aected women, children and those experiencing homelessness. Working to address the issue of domestic violence, Bernice advocated for the creation of what would become Wings of Hope and the Stillwater Domestic Violence Center. Fiery and determined were words often used to describe Bernice Mitchell. She was deeply passionate about people. At state and local levels, my grandma was a champion for human-rights and fairness.In honor of their legacy, The Chamber of Commerce honors a com-munity member who models the commitment to diversity and advocacy that my grandparents did. As a chamber employee, this award lls me with hope for our community. As Stillwater grows and changes the drive to be a community that serves and uplifts all people is central. As Earl and Bernice’s granddaughter, I am lled with pride for a dierent reason. I am proud of the legacy that my family and I have been left with. I am thankful that the values I learned over car rides and dinner tables were lived out in our community in a meaningful way.Writing about my grandparents in a strictly biographical way felt wrong. Their accomplishments are archived in more articles than I can count. What I feel more inclined to speak to is the kind of people they were. They were mindful and dutiful, poised, and pas-sionate. They were diligent in the work that they did for the com-munities they served. But above all, they were devoted friends, family, mentors, teachers, coaches and advocates for all people. In their lifetimes, my grandparents lived to the fullest what they encouraged me to do and what I now encourage anyone reading this article to do: “As much as good as you can, for as many people as you can, for as long as you can.”I am thankful for two examples of what that conviction looks like lived out, and I look forward to the people in the Stillwater com-munity who will carry that legacy forward.69COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
Chair of the Chamber Ambassador committee. Emily James, back center, at a recent ribbon cutting.Ambassador of the Year“Emily James is a ray of light. She is truly a business- woman to look up to in the Stillwater community. Her level of relationship building has set the bar high for us all.” — MAGGIE MCCRACKENEmily James was born and raised in Muskogee, Okla., and grad-uated from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor’s degree in Child and Family Services. James devotes most of her time working at Legacy Village as the Director of Sales and Marketing. Her passion for others is con-stant inside and outside of the workplace. James is an integral part of Legacy Village where she recruits and retains many of the seniors who live there. In 2021 she was awarded Marketing Director of the Year by the Oklahoma Assisted Living Association. The group stated that she has “...shown excellence in the care of Oklahoma seniors and exceptional per-formance of her duties within an assisted living community in the State of Oklahoma”. She serves the community not only as a Chamber Ambassador but also as a childrens ministry volunteer. She’s very invested in her community at Center Church where she has been either an elder or sta member since 2012. James has been married to her husband, Reed, for fteen years. They have two girls, Piper and Reese who attend Richmond Elementary.James has served as a Chamber Ambassador for four years and will serve as the Chair of the committee this year. “Emily James is a ray of light. She is truly a businesswoman to look up to in the Stillwater community,” said Maggie McCracken, ambassa-dors committee sta liaison. “She exudes grace, kindness, and knowledge. She is always the biggest cheerleader in the room, oering a helping hand and a smile to everyone. Emily’s creativity, passion, and experience have helped create and maintain what is so special about the Ambassadors Committee. Her level of rela-tionship building has set the bar high for us all.”Emily James70COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of CommerceAWARDS
JUST INMore Than My HometownIn the spring of 2017 I graduated from Stillwater High focused on one thing- to get out of Stillwater. I accepted a leadership scholarship at the University of Oklahoma, completely against my loyal and true mother’s wishes. Aer a quick first semester in Norman, it was very clear that my home was where my heart was. I missed the kindness of Stillwater, a place where strangers wave as you pass by, a place where everyone is greeted with a smile and an open door. In the fall of 2021 I graduated from OSU with a Bachelor’s in Strategic Communications and this time I was set on making a dierence in the town that shaped me. In February I started my dream job as Communications Coordinator for the Chamber of Commerce. This job gave me exactly what I wanted, an opportunity to serve the community who served me for so long. A community that was safe, I could walk to and from West-wood each day without my parents worrying if I would make it home. A community with amazing teachers, when my class-mates and I witnessed a tragedy at the Junior High, the sta were the first people to help each of us mourn and move for-ward. A community with state of the art healthcare, making scary surgeries like geing my tonsils removed a lot easier. A community that gave my parents good jobs and opportunities to support me and my siblings. A community with well trained law enforcement that are focused on the security of this town. Not everyone gets the opportunity to see the town they grew up in from a dierent perspective. Working for the Chamber has given me just that. I get to support and work alongside the people I mentioned before, the ones who have truly made a dierence. Puing together this magazine has given me even more insight on the place I call home. Thank you to everyone who let my intern Emily and I step into their lives and learn about their businesses, their projects, their families and their passions. I’ve heard before that it’s the people who make the place, and here in Stillwater the people are unmatched. I’m proud of my hometown, and even prouder to work here as a young professional.71COMMERCE |2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
DEMOGRAPHICSStillwater at a GlanceAREA UNIVERSITIES/ COLLEGES/ TECHNOLOGY CENTERSOklahoma State UniversityLangston UniversityNorthern Oklahoma College-StillwaterMeridian Technology Center-StillwaterMeridian Technology Center-GuthrieTRANSPORTATIONAverage local commute time ¼ hourTime to OKC & Tulsa (car) 1 hourTime to DFW (air) 1 hourLABOR FORCE STATISTICSBachelor’s Degree 47.23%High School Diploma 94.33%Payne County Unemployment Rate 1.9%State Unemployment Rate 2.7%National Unemployment Rate 4.6%Source: Applied Geographic Solutions, 2021POPULATIONStillwater 49,939Payne County 81,008Oklahoma 3,990,443Source: US Census 2021 Population EstimatesTOP JOBS BY OCCUPATIONEducation 13.2%Oice 14.2%Sales 9.0%Healthcare 6.6%Food Preparation 12.6%Source: OKCEDIS Occupation Data-StillwaterMEDIAN INCOME BY EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTHigh school degree $25,120Some college $25,921Bachelor’s Degree $37,466Graduate of professional degree $51,060Source: US Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesHOUSEHOLD INCOME<$10,000 3,494 18.8%$10,000–$14,999 1,375 7.4%$15,000–24,999 2,435 13.1%$25,000–34,999 2,082 11.2%$40,000–$49,999 2,119 11.4%$50,000–$74,999 2,230 12%$75,000–$99,999 1,803 9.7%>$100,000 3,011 16.2%Source: US Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesBUSINESS BY EMPLOYEE SIZE1–4 58.94%5–9 18.26%10–19 9.9%20–49: 6.56%50–99 3.23%100 + 3.17%Source: Applied Geographic Solutions, 202172COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce