Region24 Program

Wednesday, Sept. 25 | 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. NATIONAL COWBOY & WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM

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WELCOME Teresa Rose Chair, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber Executive Director, Communities Foundation of Oklahoma

PRESENTING SPONSOR RECOGNITION

TOP 10 PRESENTATION Christy Gillenwater President & CEO, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber

LUNCH SERVICE

CHALLENGES OF GROWTH IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA Moderator: Teresa Rose Chair, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber Executive Director, Communities Foundation of Oklahoma

Tim Gatz Executive Director, Oklahoma Department of Transportation

Pat McFerron Founding Partner, CMA Strategies

Jeff Seymour Executive Vice President of Economic Development, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber

Dr. Jason Simeroth Superintendent, Yukon Public Schools

TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA Moderator: Christy Gillenwater President & CEO, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber

Brad Henry Chair, Regional Transportation Authority

Marion Hutchinson Vice Chairman, Regional Transportation Authority

James Boggs Treasurer, Regional Transportation Authority

Michael Falencki Principal, Cornerstone

CLOSING REMARKS & ADJOURN

EMCEE, MODERATOR & PRESENTER

TERESA ROSE Chair, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber Executive Director, Communities Foundation of Oklahoma

Teresa Rose is the executive director at Communities Foundation of Oklahoma, where she helps people and foundations thrive, grow and contribute to causes meaningful to them. She has spent her career serving others and improving her community, holding a variety of executive positions, including senior leadership roles at Oklahoma City Community Foundation and Chesapeake Energy Corporation.

EMCEE & MODERATOR

Her expertise in community relations, government affairs, philanthropy and legal matters, combined with her heart for giving, enable her to provide individuals, families and organizations with guidance and options as they choose the best way to approach giving. Serving the donors of more than 900 donor-driven and scholarship funds and over 20 community funds, Teresa supports and guides impact giving across the state. Teresa earned both her bachelor’s and her law degrees from Oklahoma City University. She practiced law for several years, traveling the state and representing school districts in 150 different communities. Teresa has been active in numerous civic and community organizations and in addition to serving as the chairperson of the MAPS 4 Citizens Advisory Board.

CHRISTY GILLENWATER President & CEO, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber

Christy Gillenwater serves as the president and CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. Currently, she serves as chair of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. She is a member of the US Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100, and the Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy National Advisory Council. Christy previously served as president and CEO of the Chatanooga Chamber of Commerce, Southwest Indiana Chamber, and prior to that,

PRESENTER & MODERATOR

president and CEO of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce in Indiana. Christy led both of those organizations to win the National Chamber of the Year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. Christy was born and raised in Cincinnati. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in public affairs from Indiana University and a Master of Business Administration from Ball State University. In 2012, Christy was named a Certified Chamber Executive (CCE), the only national certification for chamber professionals.

CHALLENGES OF GROWTH IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA

TIM GATZ Executive Director, Oklahoma Department of Transportation

Tim Gatz was appointed Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation by Gov. Kevin Stitt in 2019 and reappointed in 2024. Prior to that, Gatz served as Secretary of Transportation and Executive Director of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority. He has dedicated more than three decades to transportation.

PANELIST

Gatz started his career at ODOT as a drafting technician, becoming the Enhancements Program coordinator and then Special Projects manager. In 2000, he became division manager of the Project Management Division followed by Director of Capital Programs and Information Management in 2006 where he led the department’s coordination with county governments to develop and deliver the County Improvements for Roads and Bridges Program, which provides dedicated funds for high- priority county transportation projects statewide. Gatz is credited with streamlining many project delivery processes at ODOT during the course of his transportation career. Gatz has received several honors including the Oklahoma Good Roads & Transportation Association’s Bill Skeith Stewardship Award, the Governor’s Public Service Award and the Federal Highway Administration’s Partners in Quality Award.

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CHALLENGES OF GROWTH IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA PAT MCFERRON Founding Partner, CMA Strategies

McFerron brings more than 35 years of election, grassroots, lobbying, and voter opinion research experience to help CMA clients win both at the ballot box and in the legislature. McFerron cut his campaign teeth in the once reliably Democratic parts of Oklahoma.

PANELIST

He was intricately involved, either directly, through the state party, or through an independent expenditure, in every Republican takeover in the Oklahoma State House and State Senate from 1994 through 2008, when both chambers became Republican controlled for the first time in state history. This net change of more than 50 legislative seats ushered in a new era of leadership in Oklahoma, and McFerron remains at the forefront. In addition to his work with CMA, McFerron serves as President of Cole Hargrave Snodgrass & Associates, a nationally recognized survey research company that has worked in more than 40 states. All totaled, McFerron has worked with multiple Presidential campaigns as well as more than 80 successful U.S. Senate, gubernatorial, and congressional campaigns, over 150 winning legislative races, and more than a dozen statewide or major city mayor victories.

JEFF SEYMOUR Executive Vice President of Economic Development, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber

Jeff Seymour serves as the Executive Vice President for Economic Development for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. In this role he leads the Chamber’s effort to expand the regional economy through new business recruitment, providing support to existing businesses and entrepreneurs and meeting the talent and workforce needs of current and future employers.

PANELIST

Prior to serving at the Chamber, Seymour served as Executive Director of the Franklin County Development Council, a county-wide economic development organization in the greater Kansas City region and the Executive Director of the Blackwell Chamber of Commerce and Blackwell Industrial Authority in Blackwell, OK. Jeff also worked at the Ponca City Development Authority. Seymour lives in Northern Oklahoma City with his wife Natasha and daughter Emmaline. He is an avid biker and traveler and is a graduate of Oklahoma State University and Northern Oklahoma College with degrees in economics and international business. Jeff holds the status of a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) through the International Economic Development Council.

CHALLENGES OF GROWTH IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA DR. JASON SIMEROTH Superintendent, Yukon Public Schools

Dr. William “Jason” Simeroth has spent twenty-nine years in public education. As a three-time graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Bachelor, Masters and Ph.D., his career began at Mustang Public Schools. Dr. Simeroth started as a history teacher and coach before transitioning into the role of Secondary Curriculum Coordinator. He was then hired by Putnam City Schools, as the Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction.

PANELIST

In 2008, Dr. Simeroth accepted his first Superintendent position at Durant Independent School District where he led the district out of financial hardship, completed construction on a new high school and ushered in the first 1:1 laptop program for a 5A district in Oklahoma. In May 2014, he became the Superintendent for the Yukon Public School District, which has been named a Top Workplace in Oklahoma eight consecutive years in a row. An increase in teachers’ salaries by 35% received nationally recognized inclusivity awards after rebranding their special education programs. In 2019, Dr. Simeroth received the OU College of Education Jeanine Rainbolt Career Achievement Award and was voted the CCOSA District 14 Superintendent of the Year.

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TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA BRAD HENRY Chair, Regional Transportation Authority

Elected governor of the State of Oklahoma in November 2002, Charles Bradford Henry was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, on July 10, 1963, to Charles T. and Audre L. Garrett Henry. Henry attended the University of Oklahoma, receiving a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1985 and a doctorate in jurisprudence in 1988. He also served as managing editor of the Oklahoma Law Review in 1987–88.

PANELIST

Henry served as president of Brad Henry Oil Company, Incorporated, from 1987 to 1989 and as a private-practice attorney before becoming city attorney of Shawnee in 1990. A Democrat, in 1992 Brad Henry was elected to represent District Seventeen in the Oklahoma Senate in the Forty-fourth Legislature. Reelected in 1996 and 2000, he served until his election as governor. During his tenure in the Oklahoma Senate, he chaired the Judiciary Committee and served as vice chair of the Economic Development Committee, and sat on the Appropriations Committee. Henry was inaugurated as Oklahoma’s twenty-sixth governor on January 13, 2003, and was reelected to a second term.

MARION HUTCHINSON Vice Chairman, Regional Transportation Authority

Marion Hutchison is a Certified Petroleum Geologist and President of Titan Energy Corporation, an oil and gas exploration company he formed in 1990. He is an Eagle Scout and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. Hutchison dedicates significant amounts of his time to promoting rail transit opportunities, protecting valuable public lands and supporting outdoor recreational activities for the citizens of Oklahoma. He has served on

PANELIST

numerous boards and committees for various local, state and national non-profit and governmental organizations, including the Regional Transportation Authority of Central Oklahoma; OnTrac, a local non-profit rail transit advocacy organization; Association of Central Oklahoma Governments; Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation; Canadian River Conservancy; and the Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education. Hutchison has received numerous awards for his volunteer service from organizations such as Red Earth Group, Oklahoma Chapter, Sierra Club; Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge; Quartz Mountain Arts & Conference Center and Nature Park; Oklahoma Chapter, Sierra Club; and the Access Fund (Menocal Lifetime Achievement Award).

TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA JAMES BOGGS Treasurer, Regional Transportation Authority Prior to joining the team at Citizens, Jason Boggs was the President (Community & Tribal Banking) for Sovereign Bank where he implemented the growth and profitability initiatives for the 7 statewide community banks, launched the national tribal banking team, and played a vital role in the bank growing average assets from $250 million in August 2021 to over $1.0 billion in March 2024. Prior to that he worked for over two decades at MidFirst Bank, the nation’s largest privately owned bank, and from 2016 to 2021 was President of First Fidelity Edmond. PANELIST An Oklahoma native, Boggs was an honors graduate of Oklahoma State University and holds a degree in Business from the Spears School of Business, and serves on the OSU Foundation Board of Governors. Active in the community, Boggs serves on the OSU Foundation Board of Governors, is Chairman of the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center, past President of the Edmond Rotary Club, past Chairman of the Bill Teegins Memorial (OSU Plane Crash) Golf Championship and currently serves as Treasurer of the Central Oklahoma Regional Transportation Authority Public Trust Board of Directors.

MICHAEL FALENCKI Principal, Cornerstone

Michael Falencki brings over two decades of policy expertise advancing legislative objectives within transportation, commerce, financial services, appropriations and engineering, among other sectors. Michael joined Cornerstone after spending nine years on Capitol Hill with the office of Representative Sam Graves (R-MO). In his last role at the

PANELIST

House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, he served as Deputy Staff Director, where he led the legislative strategy and implementation for six subcommittees and was responsible for executing Full Committee hearings and markups. He coordinated with Leadership and other Committees to advance major bills and implemented Agile project management processes. Michael also served as Staff Director at the House Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittees on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials and Highways and Transit. In these roles, he developed and wrote the alternative Surface Transportation bill (STARTER Act, STARTER 2.0 Act), drafted two Pipeline Safety Reauthorization bills, and executed internal and external stakeholder outreach activities.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

OCTOBER 16 CHAMBER FORUM 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Petroleum Club of Oklahoma City, Inc. 100 N. Broadway Ave., Suite 3400

NOVEMBER 14 STATE OF THE ECONOMY 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum 1700 NE 63rd St.

NOVEMBER 20 CHAMBER FORUM 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Petroleum Club of Oklahoma City, Inc. 100 N. Broadway Ave., Suite 3400

DECEMBER 18 ANNUAL MEETING 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum 1700 NE 63rd St.

EQUINE & LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY: ECONOMIC IMPACT ON OKLAHOMA CITY Wednesday, Oct. 16 | 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Petroleum Club of Oklahoma City