We Need Another Jeanna Sellmeyer; Nominate Someone for Oklahoma Small Business Person of the Year

Dottie Overal, Oklahoma Director of the Small Business Administration, invites you to nominate people for Oklahoma’s small business person of the year.  Last year, Oklahoma City entreprenuerJeanna Sellmeyer, founder of ASSET Group, Inc., won the state award and went on to win the national small business person of the year award! Read the Oklahoman article HERE.

Two of my husband's recent studies now on the Internet

Grrrrr - I just tried to put the links to two reports that Larkin did recently on Twitter/Facebook. The titles of his reports are longer that 140 characters - let alone adding the link. And the State Chamber and the Oklahoma City Chamber have them as pdf files that have to be downloaded. WHY can't they just put them out on the Internet as a unique URL, please?!?! Then I screwed up the " bitly" shortened links. I HATE that Twitter/Facebook don't let you delete a post when you realize it contains inaccurate information.  Whats with that? (Or maybe they do and I'm just too old to figure out all this new fangled stuff.) As far as I am concerned, blogging isn't dead; I still prefer it to tweeting!

And, in case anyone is interested, here is:

"Executive Summary: Impact Analysis of Oklahoma City's MAPS and Other Significant Central City Investments" prepared for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce by Larkin Warner and Eric Long (Revised February 2009)

and

Dr. Warner: The Administration of Oklahoma State Government Promotion of Economic Development

Wants to watch our legislators live on OETA?

Oklahoma soon may have live streaming of all activity in the Oklahoma State House and Senate (see Cameras may be put in House, 10-16-2009).  We already have some live audio streaming to the Internet from the House and live audio and video streaming to Internet from the Senate. But it  isn’t gavel to gavel and some areas of Oklahoma still don’t have access to high-speed Internet. I'd prefer it got broadcast on OETA; what do you think? If it was on OETA, would you watch? Why or why not?

Univ of Central Oklahoma/Rose State focusing on domestic violence

UCO is hosting a series of events drawing attention to domestic violence during October which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Kudos to Kathryn Touhty for helping organize UCO's events. 

I know Rose State College is also holding several events because one of my interns staffed a table today at Rose. She reports the event was filled with people learning about domestic violence awareness and prevention.

Do you know of any other Oklahoma colleges or universities that have hosted or will be hosting DV awarness events this month? If so, leave a comment and tell us about it! Thanks.

Cathy Cummings and Vito's Ristorante in North Oklahoma City

There is a great restaurant review in today’s paper about Vito’s Ristorante in north Oklahoma City which is owned and run by a woman, Cathy Cummings. I can vouch for the very high quality of both food and service at this restaurant at 7512 N May Avenue. My grandson, Andy, occasionally helps with the cooking week nights or on Saturday night because (a) he has so much respect for Cathy and (b) it is such a pleasuure to cook there. The food is all made on site and fabulous. Andy has a full-time day job cooking for folks at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation but he just loves to hang out and cook with Cathy at Vito’s, too. With a degree in culinary arts and restaurant management from Johnson & Wales in Providence, RI, he knows great restaurants and Vito’s is one. Check it out and see if you don’t agree!

Congrats to Oklahoma's Faye Garrison - Outstanding Principal

An elementary school principal in Muskogee, Oklahoma - Faye Garrison - has been selected as one of 63 for a  2009 National Distinguished Principal award. She's at Hilldale Elementary School. Way to go, Faye!  Read more here.

Guy Kawasaki - 500 years of women portraits

Take a look at about 500 years of portraits of women in three minutes by Guy Kawasaki of AllTop posted to Holy Kaw and sent to me by posterous. Just Click HERE  and then click on the image. Amazing, delightful, hideously Western European (sorry - wished there were more women of color but it is still lovelyl).

Google Guy Kawasaki, Alltop, and posterous. You'd know about all these very cool services already if you'd gone to BlogWorld so start planning NOW to attend SXSW in Austin, TX next March.

Tulsa's Getting Women's Professional Basketball

From Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor:

Well, it's official! Women's professional basektball is coming to Tulsa!
A formal announcement was made yesterday, but Bill Cameron ended the speculation late Monday night, in a brief e-mail to the Tulsa World confirming the three-time WNBA champion Detroit Shock is moving to Tulsa.

"We're thrilled to not only have a team, but one of the most successful teams in league history," Cameron said in the e-mail. "Under Coach Nolan Richardson, we're eager to build upon this team's success, and continue its winning tradition here in Tulsa."
We look forward to welcoming the Shock to our community. We know that having world class athletes and a thriving sports industry in Tulsa adds to the appeal of living and working here. Our arms and doors are open.

Extraordinary Bartlesville Women

I recently briefed members of the Bartlesville Women's Network on the purpose and programs of the Oklahoma Women's Coalition. This image was take that night. On the left is Joanne Bennett, the first woman to be elected to the position of County Commissioner in Oklahoma except for women appointed/elected to fill their deceased husband's office. She served several terms as County Commissioner in Washington County. On the right is Carolyn Price, Bartlesville community leader and long-time women's rights advocate.

Breast Impressions, Others Kick Off Breast Cancer Month in Tulsa

Breast Impressions, Inc. over in Tulsa is busy this month. Their Woodland Hills Mall Kick Off to Breast Cancer Awareness Month was a great success. They gave out 3,000 pink ribbons at the 4 entrances to the mall (they were all gone by 12:30!) with help from the Green Country Roller Girls, The Tulsa Oiler Hockey Ice Girls, Tulsa Craft Mafia and the Girl Scouts for making sure everyone knew it was Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Lots of wonderful Oklahoma groups had booths while Sparkles the dog kissed her heart out and raised $165 dollars!

Their Breast Impressions Survivors 2010 Calendar is now taking pre-orders. You can order them for $10 each plus $1.50 for shipping. They should arrive by October 25th. To view, click on the hotlink above; you can also order them there or send a check to Breast Impressions at 4645 S Vandalia Ave., Tulsa, OK 74135.

On October 25th at 3 p.m. get over to Woodland Hills Mall for the Breast Cancer Survivor Fashion Show. It's going to be one of the most moving shows the runway will ever host. Thanks to Linda Layman Modeling Agency for coordinating the show, and to all the wonderful stores who are participating!

Then on October 25th at 7 p.m. the Mall will be transformed into a wonderland of black and pink (Breast Impressions colors) and for just $25 you can be fed, entertained and bid on your favorite cast with all proceeds from the auction going to Tulsa Project Woman! You won't BELIEVE the fabulous gifts the merchants have donated to the $10 raffle! Even a $500 Coach Purse! The men won't be left out either.. some great gifts they might win too, if their number is drawn!

Kudos to Breast Impressions founder and director, Judi Grove, and her team working hard to meet the needs of women who are facing breast cancer now and educate those who may face it in the future.

NPR's "Weekend Edition" host Scott Simon Visits

National Public Radio's "Weekend Edition Saturday" host Scott Simon and Director, Sarah Beyer Kelly, with Oklahoma economist (and my darling husband) Larkin Warner. Scott and Sarah taped an interview with Larkin in our living room last week. It should be featured either this coming Saturday or the following Saturday. :-)

Journal Record Names Catherine O'Conner 2009 Woman of the Year; Many OK Women's Coalition members also honored

Congratulations to Catherine O'Conner, assistant city manager for the city of Oklahoma City, who was named 2009 Woman of the Year at the Journal Record's Woman of the Year banquet in Oklahoma City last night. You can read the Journal Record article about Ms. O'Conner and event highlights by clicking here.

Oklahoma Women's Coalition members who were honored as one of this year's "50 Making a Difference" were Barbara Butner, Calm Waters Center for Children and Families; Robyn Elliott, The Chickasaw Nation; Rhonda Godwin (InvesTrust); Senator Debbe Leftwich; and Penny Voss (Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation). Robyn Elliott was one of six women inducted into the Journal Record's "Circle of Excellence" for having been a Women of the Year honoree three times.

Four programs were honored including two run by Oklahoma Women's Coalition members -- Jan Peery, CEO of the YWCA of Oklahoma City and Katie Fitzgerald, Director of the Women's Leadership Program at the Carl Albert Center at OU. (The other two Okahoma-based programs recognizedwere World Neighbors and Peace Through Business.)

Best of all (excuse my bias), the 2008 Woman of the Year honoree (Ret.) Major General Rita Aragon made a few brief remarks. She ended her talk by giving the Oklahoma women's Coalition a HUGE plug - ending with "Tomorrow, Google 'Oklahoma Women's Coalition,' go to their website and become a member!" Rita sits on the Women's Foundation of Oklahoma board and, obviously is a big OWC supporter.Thank you, Rita!!!!!

The guest speaker was Immaculée Ilibagiza, a Rwandan genocide survivor who has written a New York Times best-seller, Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust. A major motion picture is about to be made about her remarkable story. The Rwandan Ambassador to the US and the Rwandan Minister of Gender and Family Promotion were also present.

It was a glorious night. Congratulations to Mary Melon for the Kudos to the corporate partners for the Woman of the Year program are Coppermark Bank, Cox Business Services, Crowe & Dunlevy, Eide Bailly, OGE Energy Corp., Oklahoma City University’s Meinders School of Business, Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center and University of Phoenix.