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Each spring, Mayor Mick Cornett hosts the Mayor’s Development Roundtable. This event highlights the public and private sector’s commitment to developing a great community by bringing together national speakers, local panel members, and attendees to discuss topics relevant to Oklahoma City’s growth and development.
Program:
- Welcome and Opening Remarks
- Kick-off Keynote
- Session 1
In the ‘Center’ of It All
What are the economic impacts and opportunities of elevating Oklahoma City to Tier II status? - Roundtable 1
Facilitated discussion with local panel and attendees - Session 2
From Streetscapes to Skyscrapers
How will the Devon Tower, Myriad Gardens, and new streetscapes transform Downtown? - Roundtable 2
Facilitated discussion with local panel and attendees - Mayor’s Keynote
- Award Presentation
Speaker Bios:
Mayor Mick Cornett
Mick Cornett became Oklahoma City's 35th mayor on March 2, 2004. Cornett was re-elected on March 7, 2006 with over 87 percent of the vote, the highest percentage in Oklahoma City history. When first elected at age 45, Cornett was the City's youngest mayor since 1959.
Cornett has quickly developed into a statewide and national spokesperson on municipal issues. He is frequently asked to speak to Congress and the White House on behalf of cities across the nation.
In 2007, he was elected as a Trustee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the highest governing body in that organization. He had previously served on the Advisory Board and as Chair of the Urban Economic Policy Committee. Cornett is also the national President of the organization representing Republican Mayors and Local Officials (RMLO). In June, 2007, Mayor Cornett made the exciting announcement that Oklahoma City had secured the 2010 Annual Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Standing for efficient government and responsible leadership, Mayor Cornett has worked to promote an inclusive and optimistic vision of Oklahoma City, one driven by bold ideas. Cornett's humble nature, intense work ethic and optimistic attitude have become emblematic of a city that, as Cornett says, "works hard and dreams big."
As mayor of America's 29th-largest city, Cornett has focused on two fundamental priorities - education and jobs. At the top of his list has been the implementation of MAPS for Kids, which continues to keep its promise to renovate or rebuild every single building in the Oklahoma City Public Schools system, while also providing capital funding to the 23 other school districts that serve Oklahoma City. In 2007, the U.S. Conference of Mayors awarded Cornett the "City Livability Outstanding Achievement Award" for those efforts. Later that year, Mayor Cornett led the charge to pass another initiative addressing school infrastructure in the inner city.
Since Cornett's arrival in the Mayor's Office, the City has continued an economic renaissance, strengthened by significant and rapid growth, and marked by thrilling accomplishments that seem to arrive almost every day.
Over 72,000 new jobs have been created in Greater Oklahoma City since Mayor Cornett took office, led by the arrival of Dell Computers on the Oklahoma River in 2004. The arrival of the NBA in 2005, the permanent attainment of major league status in 2008, and the announcement of the new Devon Tower that same year have all underscored Oklahoma City's emergence as a world-class city.
In addition, Cornett successfully spearheaded initiatives to improve the State Fair facilities in 2004, our City streets in 2007, and the Ford Center in 2008. Cornett's efforts to use sports as an economic development tool won him the Abe Lemons/Paul Hansen Award from Oklahoma City University in 2006 and the Ray Soldan Media Award from the Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association in 2008.
On December 31, 2007, Cornett put Oklahoma City on a diet (www.thiscityisgoingonadiet.com), a movement to change the culture of obesity in Oklahoma City. For those efforts, the Oklahoma State Medical Association awarded him the "Prevention in Practice" award, Blue Cross Blue Shield awarded him the "Rodney L. Huey, M.D. Memorial Champion of Oklahoma Health award" and the Oklahoma Fit Kids Coalition awarded him the "Public Official" award.
For all of this success, Cornett is quick to credit the vision of his predecessors, the hard work of the City Council, the City Manager, the staff of the City, and the people of Oklahoma City. Because of them, Oklahoma City is proudly becoming a model of progress for the nation.
By nearly every measure, and on nearly every front, Oklahoma City is booming like never before, and no one is happier about that, or more anxious to share the credit, than Mayor Mick Cornett.
Cornett represents the fourth generation of his family to make their home in Oklahoma. Cornett was born and raised in Oklahoma City, the son of a postman and a school teacher.
He graduated from Putnam City High School, where he was honored as the most outstanding student in government. He went on to the University of Oklahoma, where he earned a degree in journalism, and graduated on the Dean's Honor Roll.
Cornett then embarked on his career in broadcast journalism. He spent 20 years in local television, first in sports and later in news. He served as a reporter, anchor and manager, and simultaneously worked as a newspaper columnist and sports play-by-play announcer.
As a news anchor, he covered City Hall from 1997 to 1999, where he gained a deeper appreciation for the importance of city government in our daily lives, and to our city's future growth.
In 1999, Cornett left local television and started his own video production business, which he still operates today. He also returned to the University of Oklahoma as a journalism professor.
In 2001, Cornett entered politics by challenging a two-term incumbent on the City Council, and won his seat by the largest margin over a sitting incumbent in City history. He served on the City Council until being overwhelmingly elected mayor in 2004.
Mick and his wife Lisa began dating when they were high school sophomores and have been together ever since. They have raised three sons-Michael, Casey and Tristan.
For more information on Mayor Cornett's current policies, read his 2009 State of the City Address here.
Bill Boyd, CMP, CMM, CITE Sunbelt Motivation & Travel, Inc.
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Bill Boyd, CMP, CMM, CITE, is the founder, President and CEO of Sunbelt Motivation & Travel, Inc, a full-service incentive travel and merchandise, meeting and convention management company. Founded in 1980, Sunbelt is headquartered in Dallas. Additionally, Boyd owns the PRA Destination Management franchise for Dallas/Fort Worth and Austin, Texas.
Long active in numerous industry organizations, Boyd was International President of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) in 1994-95. In 1995, he was named by Meeting News as one of the “25 Most Influential Persons” in the meetings industry. In 1997 he was named MPI's International Supplier of the Year. He has served on the Society of Incentive & Travel Executives (SITE) International Foundation’s Board of Trustees and was the International President of SITE from 2004-2005. In 2006 he was named SITE’s Member of the Year. Also in 2006, Boyd was inducted into the Convention Industry Council’s Hall of Leaders, the convention industry’s highest honor.
Boyd is a founder and organizer of the two-year Associate Degree Program for Travel, Exposition, and Meeting Management at Richland College in Dallas, Texas, and currently serves on its Advisory Board.
He is currently serving or has served on the Advisory Boards of Sonesta Hotels and Resorts, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Vail Resorts, Greater Phoenix CVB, Chicago CVB, LA, Inc., Continental Airlines, Westin Hotels, Omni Hotels and Incentive Magazine. He is a Director on the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau Board and Chairs the Convention Center Hotel Committee. Boyd is also Director Emeritus for Love for Kids, a Dallas-based charity for children in need.
Boyd is an active member of both MPI and SITE and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. He was awarded his CITE certification in 2002, his CMM designation in 2001 and the CMP certification in 1983. Boyd resides in Dallas, Texas and San Diego, California.
Catherine O’Connor, Assistant City Manager City of Oklahoma City
Ms. O’Connor began her career with the City in 1981 as an intern in the Water Department. Cathy has held positions in the Parks and Recreation Department, the City Manager’s Office, the Fire Department and the Finance Department. During her service with the Fire Department Ms. O’Connor led the City’s financial recovery efforts after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Building. Catherine was appointed Assistant City Manager in May 2001 and also served as the City’s Finance Director from 1998 until August 2007. Cathy oversees the departments of Finance, Planning, Information Technology, the City Clerk’s Office and Public Information and Marketing. Ms. O’Connor also has responsibility for the City’s economic development efforts and was instrumental in developing the incentives to bring Bass Pro Shops, QuadGraphics and Dell to the Oklahoma City area. She led the City’s team to structure the terms for the redevelopment of the Skirvin Hotel. She oversees the City’s Tax Increment Financing program and has directed the use of TIF for several new residential developments in downtown Oklahoma City. Most recently she developed the City’s Strategic Investment Program, a $75 million local economic development incentive program that was approved by the voters in December 2007.
Ms. O’Connor has a daughter, Rachel who attends Bishop McGuinness High School and is active in several organizations including the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City, Leadership Oklahoma City, Youth Leadership Exchange, Historic Preservation Inc., the Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City and the United Way.
Jane Jenkins,President and CEO Downtown OKC
Jane Jenkins is the new President and CEO OF Downtown Oklahoma City, Incorporated. Previously, Jenkins was Executive Director of the Downtown Boulder Business Improvement District in Boulder, Colorado. With over 23 years experience in downtown revitalization and management, (a career she began with the Oklahoma Main Street Program in Wagoner), Jenkins is an internationally recognized speaker and expert on urban issues and currently serves as Chairman for the International Downtown Association Board of Directors. As a former high school educator, she was named Teacher of the Year at Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Texas in Denton.
John Kaatz, Principal CSL International
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Kaatz's experience includes in-depth analyses for over 300 convention, tradeshow, hotel, hospitality, visitor and sports industry projects. The results of these studies have been have been used to assist public and private sector entities in assessing market support for investment in event facilities; projecting financial operating performance, enhancing marketing efforts; and in developing policies and procedures for effective visitor industry room-night generation.
Prior to joining CSL, John was the Director of Coopers & Lybrand's Convention and Visitor Industry Consulting Group based in Dallas. John has been asked to speak at various industry forums and seminars related to the convention, visitor and sports industries. He has also testified before local and state-wide public bodies related to the financial and economic implications of public sector investment in the convention and visitor industry.
John has led studies within the industry focusing on a variety of areas including:
- Financial operating analysis
- Market demand analysis
- Economic and fiscal impacts
- Business plan development
- Site analysis
- Benchmarking analysis
- Facility programming analysis
- Evaluating marketing plans
- CVB operational analysis
- Management structure analysis
John holds a B.S. in Economics from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. He has been quoted in periodicals such as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Meeting News and numerous local publications on topics related to the public assembly industry. John is a member of the International Association of Assembly Managers.
Jon Pickard, AIA, Principal Pickard Chilton
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Jon Pickard has been recognized internationally for his achievements in architecture. He has designed or collaborated in the design of some of the world’s most recognized buildings. He has collaborated in the design of such prominent projects as the 1.9 million gsf Devon Energy World Headquarters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; The Atrium (LEED Gold), a 2.9 million gsf luxury residential tower in Dubai, UAE; 1180 Peachtree (LEED Gold), the fifty-story headquarters for King & Spalding in Atlanta, Georgia; 300 North LaSalle (LEED Gold), a sixty-story headquarters for Kirkland & Ellis in downtown Chicago, Illinois; the 1.1 million gsf CalPERS Headquarters Complex (LEED Gold), in Sacramento, California for the largest pension fund in the United States; Wells Fargo Financial Headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa; ConocoPhillips Headquarters West Campus expansion in Houston, Texas; the US Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters (LEED Gold), a 1.0 million gsf headquarters in Arlington, Virginia; and Four Seasons Place, a 3.2 million gsf mixed-use complex comprising luxury residential, hotel and retail in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Prior to the founding of Pickard Chilton, he collaborated with Cesar Pelli in the design of numerous landmark and award-winning projects, including two of the largest commercial developments ever built: the World Financial Center in New York, and Kuala Lumpur City Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a development that includes the Dewan Philharmonic, Malaysia’s National Symphony Hall, and two of the world’s tallest buildings, the Petronas Towers.
He received a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Iowa State University and a Master of Architecture from the Yale University School of Architecture. In 2007 he received the Christian Petersen Design Award from Iowa State University, the highest award from the College of Design, and in 1989 was awarded the Design Achievement Award from Iowa State University for distinguished contributions to the arts. The Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture at the University of Houston recognized Pickard as its 2006 Honoree. Pickard is actively involved in architectural education and regularly serves as visiting critic at Yale University and has led an advanced design studio at Iowa State University. Mr. Pickard has lectured extensively at numerous institutions including Rice University, Louisiana State University, Iowa State University and Harvard University. Pickard currently serves as a member of the Yale School of Architecture Dean’s Council.
J. Larry Nichols, Chairman and CEO Devon Energy
J. Larry Nichols is a co-founder of Devon and has been a director since 1971. He was named chairman of the board of directors in 2000 and serves as chairman of the Dividend Committee. Nichols served as president from 1976 until 2003 and has been chief executive officer since 1980. Nichols serves as a director of Baker Hughes Inc. and Sonic Corp. Nichols has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geology from Princeton University and a law degree from the University of Michigan.
Mark Beffort Grubb & Ellis | Levy Beffort
At Grubb & Ellis | Levy Beffort, Mark is primarily responsible for the marketing activities of the Firm’s office and investment portfolio. Mark’s responsibilities include strategic planning to broaden its depth in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa office market, developing specialized marketing programs and tailored processes that meet the goals and objectives of each client. This is accomplished through industry contacts, in–depth market data and knowledge, unique marketing techniques and consistent and respected reputation within the Commercial Real Estate community.
Mark began his career at CB Commercial in Oklahoma City covering the Oklahoma City and Tulsa office markets. Mark's tenure at CB included highest first year sales in 1987 followed by eight consecutive years in the top five including top salesperson in 1994. Mark has been a member of the Circle of Excellence for each year we have been an affiliate of Grubb & Ellis. During his career, Mark represented many corporate clients in the successful negotiation of their leases, sales of excess properties and acquisitions of strategic assets totaling in excess of eight million square feet.
In addition to Mark’s activities at Grubb & Ellis | Levy Beffort, Mark leads a Management Team that oversees a portfolio of owned and un-owned properties in excess of four million square feet located in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The portfolio includes Leadership Square, Oklahoma Tower, Corporate Tower, Valliance Tower and their most recent acquisition, City Place, where they are renovating the facility including creating six “owned” residential units on the top seven floors of the thirty-three story structure.
Michael J. Carrier, President Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau
Carrier has more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, working in hotel sales and marketing, convention and visitor bureaus and convention center management.
Before joining the Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau, Carrier was the General Manager of the Shreveport Convention Center, which opened in January 2006 and is the second largest facility of its kind in Louisiana. Prior to the Shreveport Convention Center, Carrier served as President & CEO of the Knoxville Convention & Visitors Bureau, where he was closely involved in the construction, opening and marketing of Knoxville’s Convention Center. He was also Executive Director of the Columbia (South Carolina) Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau and Greater Greenville (South Carolina) Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Roy H. Williams, President & CEO Greater Oklahoma City Chamber
Roy became the President & Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber on January 1, 2004, after having served as Executive Vice President of Economic Development since mid-2002.
Roy has held numerous executive leadership positions in Chambers of Commerce and Economic Development organizations in Texas, Arizona, Ohio, and Oklahoma. Some of these include the Texas Governor's Office, the Texas Department of Commerce, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (Arizona), the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce (Ohio), and the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. His experience in economic development however, is not just limited to domestic activities. Roy also was responsible for international trade and investment offices in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Korea, India, Belgium, Germany and Mexico.
Additionally, Williams was partner, co-founder, and president of The Economic Development Group, Inc., an international economic development consulting firm with offices in Ohio and Arizona. In that capacity he helped build economic development strategies and tools for cities, counties, regional partnerships, states, utility companies, universities, private companies and even foreign countries. As well, he performed corporate site location consultant work for companies and executive searches for economic development organizations.
Williams also has served on the faculty for several professional certification programs including the United States Chamber's Institute for Organization Management and the International Economic Development Council's Economic Development Institute. And he is an active participant of numerous domestic and international Councils and Associations, holding both membership and appointed positions. Nationally, Roy serves on the American Chamber of Commerce Executive's Board. Statewide and locally, Roy serves on numerous Boards of Directors, some of which include the Oklahoma Business Roundtable, the State Chamber of Commerce, the Oklahoma State Fair, the Oklahoma Health Center Foundation, Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce Executives, Oklahoma Industries Authority, Downtown YMCA, the Oklahoma Technology Development Corporation - i2E, Downtown Oklahoma City, Inc., United Way, Leadership Oklahoma City, and several others.
Williams has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Texas Lutheran University and pursued his M.B.A. at Sam Houston State University. As well, he is a graduate of the Institute for Organization Management at Southern Methodist University, successfully completed the American Chamber of Commerce Executive Leadership Program at the Center for Creative Leadership in North Carolina, and is a graduate of the Governor's Center Strategic Leadership for State Executives program at Duke University.