30
Treasurer, Cherokee Nation
Vian
College and a career as a CPA took Horn from her native Vian, but she eventually made her way back to Oklahoma and the small town to open a private accounting practice. She recently put that practice on hold, however, when Chief Bill John Baker appointed her treasurer of the Cherokee Nation. As treasurer, Horn is responsible for all financial aspects of the tribal government. “My days are fast-paced and exciting,” she says. “There is something new all the time. I am passionate about my job and am honored to serve in this role.” She hopes to make a positive difference in the lives of her fellow Cherokees.
Lacey Horn
Jason Holuby
36
Architect, Senior Associate and Project Manager, Frankfurt Short Bruza Associates, P.C.
Edmond
In his role at FSB, Holuby’s primary responsibility is to lead team projects in the design and development of large-scale commercial, institutional and government projects. Holuby says his childhood spent in the small town of Eufaula instilled in him a strong work ethic, solid morals, a can-do attitude and an overwhelming sense of community and cultural identity. Holuby was part of the team that designed the grand prize-winning submission for the Oklahoma City International Bus Stop Design competition. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children and volunteering for organizations such as the American Heart Association, HeartLine 2-1-1 and KidDesign, a program that educates grade-school children about what it means to be an architect.
Brittany M. Novotny
32
Attorney
Oklahoma City
In 2010, Novotny ran for political office, a House of Representatives seat, against veteran Oklahoma politician Sally Kern. She lost the race, but it hasn’t hindered Novotny’s belief that with big risks come big rewards. “You have to take risks if you want to do big things,” she says. “You will undoubtedly fail and make some mistakes, but it’s learning from those mistakes that will help you reach your dreams.” A private practice attorney, Novotny sees herself as an advocate for Oklahomans whose rights have been violated. “Sometimes my job entails a lot of reading and paperwork, and other times it involves public speaking and convincing jurors to see my case the way I see it,” she says. Novotny serves on the Community Advisory Board for the SKIL program at Youth Services of Oklahoma County, which helps teens who find themselves without a home to stay in school and get their diploma. She also volunteers on local political campaigns and does pro bono legal work for needy individuals or organizations.
Marquay Baul
31
Assistant Vice President; Private Banker, Arvest Private Bank
Tulsa
As a private banker, Baul specializes in serving professional athletes, medical professionals and business executives with respect to their overall banking and wealth management needs. Success at such a young age is something that Baul has worked hard for. “Sustainable success doesn’t just happen by chance or luck,” he says. “I was taught that luck is when preparation meets opportunity. Wait for your moment and grab it.” As an open-heart surgery survivor, Baul serves as an ambassador for the American Heart Association. He also serves as a mentor through his church, volunteers for Junior Achievement, Tulsa Dream Center and Youth Services of Tulsa’s North Tulsa Youth Program. He’s also co-founder and vice president of Vision In Progress, Inc. (VIP), a local youth mentoring organization. When he wants to relax, Baul enjoys listening to music and visiting his best friend: his father.
Cory King
34
Attorney and Director of Human Resources Operations, Chaparral Energy
Oklahoma City
King is a performer. Whether she’s acting onstage or in front of a camera, singing, dancing or socializing, she is always “on.” “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing with gusto and aplomb,” says King. As the director of HR Operations at Chaparral, King oversees all aspects of human resources management for the more than 800 employees at the energy company, including payroll, benefits, policies, performance management and compliance. Born to a British father, King enjoys proper football (what we know as soccer) and spends her free time coaching the sport. She is also a Sunday school teacher and serves on the board of UR Special Ministries, a nonprofit self-esteem based program that provides clothes to all the children under the poverty level in Edmond three times a year. And when she wants to unwind, this mother of one loves to sing while she cleans, play the piano and dance.
Kayvon Olomi
26
Founder, AppTank
Tulsa
Olomi has found himself on a lot of lists of young achievers lately. Most notably (besides our 40 Under 40, of course), he was recognized in the January 2012 issue of Forbes magazine as a 30 Under 30 achiever, an honor he received as founder of AppTank, an app development marketplace that connects individuals and businesses with professional app developers and firms. In 2011, AppTank was a Webby Award finalist, an honor that put the company among the ranks of Dropbox, Tumblr and Eventbrite. This homegrown Tulsan advises fellow young professionals to not be afraid to take a risk. “Be true to yourself, and everything will work out in your favor,” he says. “Go after what you are passionate about and give it everything you have. Don’t make decisions solely based on the financial benefit because if you do, you will get burned out and throw in the towel. Nothing in life that is worth it comes easy.” ??
Craig Immel
36
Green Building and Geothermal Energy Advisor, Founder of GPF Building Solutions and Native Geothermal
Tulsa
Perhaps it was his first job mowing lawns at age 11 that began Immel on a path toward green, sustainable living. His company consults with property owners to assess energy performances of homes, businesses or investment real estate. Utilizing the latest technology and financial analysis techniques, Immel helps property owners make building, construction and renovation decisions that improve both “the bottom line and the environment,” as he says. In fact, Immel is one of the only LEED- (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and IGSHPA (International Ground Source Heat Pump Association)-accredited building professionals in the world. When it comes to volunteerism, Immel prefers to devote his time to green building and sustainability-oriented groups. “Their educational missions are important to me, and ultimately help create a better-informed market for my businesses’ products and services,” he says.
James Wagner
30
Transportation Planner and Transportation Projects Coordinator, INCOG
Tulsa
Wagner has a tough job. He is tasked with building infrastructure that will encourage Tulsans to get out of their cars and bike or walk to their destinations. It’s certainly not easy in a city that loves its wheels. “My job is to make sure we’re planning a future for this region where we have options besides the car for getting around,” says Wagner, who chooses to ride his bike or take public transportation. A graduate of Oklahoma State University and Georgia Tech, Wagner was chosen in 2009 as an Eno Transportation Foundation Fellow, an award bestowed on the nation’s top 20 transportation graduate students in the country. When he’s not working to improve Tulsa’s transportation infrastructure, he loves to travel the world and look for new ideas of transit, bike lanes and paths.
Joe Ketzner
37
Upstream Oil & Gas Operations, District Manager – South Texas, Chesapeake Energy Corporation
Edmond
Ketzner’s career in oil and gas has taken him all over the globe, from West Africa to Oklahoma City. It was the latter where Ketzner and his wife decided to settle to raise their family six years ago, and Ketzner says he has thoroughly enjoyed his time at Chesapeake as an asset manager, a position in which he works with a team to maximize the value of Chesapeake’s South Texas assets. A self-professed die-hard St. Louis Cardinals fan, Ketzner volunteers his time as a coach for youth sports. And when he wants to unwind, he doesn’t have to go far: He enjoys spending time with his family, all of whom enjoy outdoor activities.
Safety First
As spring approaches, so does the threat of extreme weather. Two Oklahoma companies offer locally manufactured solutions to enhance year-round personal safety.
In 1999, Richard Crow and his family lived through the terror of the EF5 tornado that tore through his hometown of Perry, so he bought an underground garage shelter and learned how to install it. That was the beginning of Ground Zero Shelters.
“It started with one crew – Richard and one other person – installing other brands of storm shelters,” says Debbie Schaefer, office manager and Richard’s mother, part of the four-generation family business. “Today we have 10 crews (serving) 18 states installing storm shelters and safe rooms that are totally manufactured by Ground Zero Shelters with a lifetime warranty.”
Outdoor underground concrete shelters have been the common home option for storm safety in this region for decades, and Ground Zero Shelters offers an updated version. But their most popular product is the large, flat-top, underground garage unit that accommodates at least seven people, can be installed in new or existing homes and doesn’t require families to go outside in the storm to seek safety. The extra-large model holds at least 12.
“A hand winch allows the lid to be opened even when covered by debris,” explains Schaefer. “And they come equipped with GPS coordinates so homeowners can notify local authorities of their location.”
The above-ground safe room is the newest alternative in storm safety. Often placed in the garage, these heavy steel units are just as safe installed outside as long as it is anchored into a four-inch thick reinforced concrete slab. Ground Zero Shelters offers units from four-by-six feet up to custom sizes of 10-by-10 feet.
The late Tulsa meteorologist Jim Giles was committed to weather safety both on and off television. In a partnership with Sapulpa’s Bennett Steel, Jim Giles’ Certified Safe Rooms also offers above-ground safe rooms engineered to withstand the force of an EF5 tornado.
The company deals exclusively in various sizes of safe rooms that are compliant with the Americans for Disabilities Act and promotes a special three-lock system that makes their units double as a walk in safe – perfect for storage of guns, jewelry and important papers – and a safe haven from burglars and other home invasion crimes.
Products from both companies exceed the standards established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and are certified by either the American Tornado Shelter Association (ATSA) or the National Storm Shelter Association (NSSA).
Crow is so passionate about giving back to the community and promoting storm safety that Ground Zero Shelters has donated numerous shelters to victims of recent storms, from Joplin, Mo., to Piedmont, including working with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and providing three units to Homeland Security.
For more information, visit their websites at www.groundzeroshelters.com and www.jimsafe.com.
