Events

Please welcome Major Dan Stewart, Division Commander of Bricktown Division. The Bricktown Division houses specialized units such as the Bike Patrol Unit, the Ambassadors, and the Police Service Technicians. 

Major Daniel T. Stewart has proudly served with the Oklahoma City Police Department (OKCPD) since 1999, building a 25-year career grounded in evidence-based policing and community-focused leadership.

He holds an associate degree in Police Science from OSU-OKC, a bachelor’s in Behavioral Science from Mid-America Christian University, and a master’s in Criminal Justice Management from the University of Central Oklahoma. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

Early in his career, Major Stewart served in patrol as a Field Training Officer, Firearms Instructor, and Defensive Tactics Instructor. He later joined the Recruiting Unit, enhancing OKCPD’s hiring strategies.

Promoted to Lieutenant in 2009, he served in Operations and later in the Planning and Research Unit, where he led initiatives on vehicle equipment, early intervention systems, and policies for body-worn cameras and Naloxone.

As a Captain, he commanded Operations shifts and Property Crimes in Investigations. A 2016 Scholar in the National Institute of Justice’s LEADS Program, he conducted research on investigator caseloads, contributing to national conversations on policing efficiency. He returned to Planning and Research to further shape department policy and also served as Public Information Officer.

Since his promotion to Major in 2021, he has led the Uniform Support Division, overseeing units such as Airport Police, Air Support, Bricktown, SPEER, Traffic Safety, and the Homeless Outreach Team. His leadership in Bricktown applied Koper Curve strategies and led to key public safety ordinances, including a 9 O’clock Bricktown curfew (2023) and food truck ordinance (2025). He also spearheaded safety training for local clubs.

Beyond policing, Major Stewart has served six years on the Earlywine Park YMCA Board and volunteers with Special Olympics, reflecting his deep commitment to the Oklahoma City community.

Please join us at 5:30 PM at Charleston's Bricktown to discuss upcoming events for our club!

Please welcome Jennifer Goodrich, President & CEO of Pivot.

Pivot, A Turning Point for Youth’s vision is that no youth navigate life alone through our mission of being a force for good that turns young lives around setting their course for a hopeful future.  We provide wrap around services in the areas of Housing, Sheltering, and Basic Needs, Education and Employment, Permanent Connections, and Health and Well Being.  Through our 2 shelters, 41 Tiny Homes, our own Social Enterprise Pivot Preserves, Juvenile Justice Diversionary work, quality counseling services and case management, pantry access and so much more we are making an impact on over 3,500 youth a year. 

With over 30 years of professional experience, Jennifer has served in multiple capacities in the mental health and substance abuse field. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor, and an approved supervisor for both licensures.  She has served as the President and CEO of Pivot, A Turning Point for Youth since May of 2019.  As a part of Pivot since 1999 she has had the opportunity to address the needs of youth who experience layers of trauma, involvement in child welfare and juvenile justice, and youth experiencing homelessness, alongside a talented and dedicated staff who put the needs of clients first.

Jennifer is led by her faith and desire to be of service to others.  “For me leadership is not a job title, it is an action and example.  You don’t achieve it.  You live it.”

Calling all Rotarians and Friends.  We will be using this evening to support one of favorite Community Service project for TEEM, The Employment, Education, Ministry for prisoners returning to the work force. We will be putting together 25 TEEM Hygiene bags. Please be on the look out via email for what Hygiene Items to bring. If you have a friend invite them to our casual meeting where we place out hygiene items in bags.

Let's Welcome Inger Giuffrida Executive Director of Oklahoma Wildcare she will share about the new projects upcoming, the Raptor Center, and their work assisting wildlife in Oklahoma.  A little about Inger: 

Inger joined the WildCare team in August 2019 although she has admired WildCare’s work since moving to Oklahoma in 2004 from Washington, DC. She served in the U.S. Peace Corps in East Africa, directed a regional nonprofit women’s economic development organization, started a microenterprise and financial wellness program within a nationally recognized federal credit union, and ran the field services division of a think tank in the nation’s capital. For the past 20 years, she has operated a consulting business providing services for a wide variety of clients including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the FDIC, the CFPS, United Way Worldwide, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and many others, working in all 50 states and Canada. She has a B.S. from Miami University, M.B.A. from Western Michigan University, is a graduate of Leadership Grand Rapids `98 and Leadership Norman `19. She also serves on numerous boards and in a wide number of volunteer positions in the community.

A lifelong animal lover, she lives on a mini-farm in Norman with her husband of 25 years, children, Sam and Sofia, and an ever-growing population of pets including Stella and Penelope, two American Guinea Hogs.

Please welcome Michael Byrnes, President of Team OKC! Team OKC is partnering with LA28 to stage Softball and Canoe Slalom in Oklahoma City during the 2028 Summer Olympics. He will share what it takes to plan and execute the delivery of the Summer Games.  By the end of the discussion, you’ll be ready to volunteer for one of the most historic events to happen in our City!

Bio:

Michael Byrnes is the President of Team OKC tasked with the planning, operations, and logistics for Oklahoma City staging Canoe Slalom and Softball in the LA28 Summer Olympic Games.  Team OKC’s Games delivery plan has a critical focus on venue operations, safety & security, transportation logistics, and community engagement initiatives in support of the Games. His deep background in sports management and large-scale event coordination is instrumental in helping Oklahoma City prepare to deliver a world-class Olympic experience.

Prior to his current position, Michael served as the President & General Manager of the Oklahoma City Comets, the city’s Triple-A baseball franchise, from September 2010 to April 2025. During his tenure, he oversaw all facets of the organization, including corporate partnerships, ticket sales, fan experience, marketing strategy, and Major League affiliate relations. Under his leadership, the Comets franchise earned several top honors, including Baseball America’s 2018 Triple-A Bob Freitas Award winner for organizational excellence, Minor League Baseball’s 2021 Golden Bobblehead Award for Best In-Game Promotion and the Journal Record’s 2024 Beacon Award for charitable influence in the OKC community.  Personally, Michael was named a 2024 VisitOKC Hometown Hero and recognized on the Journal Record’s PowerList: Most Influential Oklahomans in 2022 and 2024.

Please welcome Todd Pauley, Esq. with The Boeing Company. He will be speaking on the state of aerospace in Oklahoma, including opportunities for advocacy for continuing to strengthen the industry and support our warfighters and national security and provide a briefing on Boeing in Oklahoma.

Todd's bio:

Todd Pauley serves as director, State & Local Government Operations, for The Boeing Company. His responsibilities include representing the company and leading political outreach at the local and state levels of government in the central region of the United States.

Pauley brings nearly two decades of federal and state political, legislative and legal experience to his current role. Prior to joining Boeing, Pauley was director of the Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives at the U.S. Small Business Administration, where he was responsible for coordinating with faith-based and community leaders and organizations to encourage entrepreneurship, improve economic development and spur job creation.

Pauley previously served as an advisor and aide to members of Congress from Oklahoma and provided public affairs, public policy and fundraising support to nonprofits, higher education, as well as faith-based community organizations.  

He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Belmont University and juris doctor degree and certificate in alternative dispute resolution from Oklahoma City University School of Law.

Pauley is licensed to practice law in Oklahoma.

Good Afternoon Rotarians: Tonight we have a venue change we will be meeting at Dunlap Codding at 5:30pm

The Location is: 

609 W Sheridan Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73102

See you soon!

Please welcome fellow Rotarian, Dr. Tugba Sevin from the Weatherford Rotary Club! Her presentation will focus on the global grant project the Weatherford Rotary Club is undertaking in partnership with two Italian Rotary clubs.

Bio:

Dr. Tugba Sevin is a full tenured Professor and the World Languages Coordinator at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, where she teaches Spanish and Italian language and literature courses. With more than 25 years of teaching experience, she holds a Doctorate from Vanderbilt University and a Master of Arts in Teaching Spanish from Florida Atlantic University.

Dr. Sevin currently serves as the Regional Vice President of Alpha Mu Gamma, the National Foreign Language Honor Society, and as the Southwest Regional Representative for Gamma Kappa Alpha, the National Italian Honor Society.

She has presented her research at numerous national and international conferences and has published extensively. Among her recent recognitions are her selection as a Da Vinci Fellow and her receipt of the Oklahoma Online Excellence Award for Teaching by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

Beyond her academic work, Dr. Sevin has been an active member of the Weatherford Rotary Club for almost ten years, where she serves as the Chair of the International Relations Committee. Over the years, she has volunteered as the club’s International Liaison, giving presentations, and fostering connections with Rotary Clubs across Europe by creating sister club partnerships and collaborating on humanitarian projects.

Dr. Sevin comes from a multicultural family with roots in Greece. A fun fact about her—she speaks five languages and is currently working on improving her sixth!

Our Rotarian of the Day: Jordan Maldonado

Enjoy your Family. There should be some Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, and all the sides.  Let's not forget Football and/or the Macy;sThanksgiving Parade. Make a wish with the Turkey wishbone if you like, but most importantly try to give Thanks for all that you have and those you have in your life. Blessings to you and your family this holiday season. Gobble gobble!

The Board Meeting has been rescheduled to (to be announced) after our normal meeting.

Come one Come all.  All hands on deck.  If you have family or friends visiting you for the Holiday, send them over for a helpful hand at smoking, injecting and deep frying Turkeys at Paul Brockhaus's home.  There is also help needed wrapping and placing them in coolers in addition to distributing them to people who have purchased these most delicious birds.  This community service event helps out the North Winds Living Center, Aid's patients who would not have Christmas other wise a very worthy cause. If you cannot attend please sign up to purchase one as the proceeds help those in need!

Blaine T. Browne is emeritus professor of history at Broward College, Fort Lauderdale, Florida where he taught American history, Western Civilization and modern world history. Most recently he has taught as an adjunct instructor at Oklahoma City University and as a lecturer at the University of Oklahoma, where he taught a course on the Vietnam War. He is a long-time member and three-time president of the Florida Conference of Historians, in which he is still active. He currently resides in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with his wife, two dogs and five cats. In November 2023 he shared with us his book,  Dazed and Confused: America Confronts the 1970s, published by Rowman & Littlefield. He will share with us his most recent work, The Genesis of an American Superpower : Nation and Society, 1945-1952. This book covers all aspects of postwar America in those years ( foreign policy, politics, culture, music, film, etc). Nominated for the Harry Truman Library Award. Let's welcome Blaine Brown!

We are celebrating our annual Christmas Party at Senator Mark Mann's home: From 6:00pm to 8:30pm, you will receive an email with his address. Remember to bring your spouse or guest. We will have gift exchange bring wrapped gift under $30 if you wish to participate. Merry Christmas!!

Thank you again for Bricktown Rotary’s sponsorship of our Annual Client Holiday Party on Friday, December 12, 2pm – 4pm at our office.  I’ve ordered the supplies for our client gift bags and have enough funds left to purchase refreshment.   Following is information about volunteering, so feel free to share with your members. Anyone who would like to volunteer should contact Alicia Terry aterry@upwardtransitions.org.  Annual Client Holiday Party Sponsored by Bricktown Rotary is Friday December 12, 2pm-4pm at Upward Transitions located at 1134 W Main St, OKC, OK Any volunteers that can help will be greatly appreciated.

WE DO NOT MEET AT CHARLESTON'S....CLUB MEEING and Board Mtg to follow at The Lamp Post.

Northwind's will be having their Annual Christmas Party on Wednesday December 17, 2025 at 1pm their location is: 3718 N Portland Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73112

Please join us at 4415 N Classen, OKC, OK 73118 at 12:30pm to load up Christmas Gifts stored at Key Realty and Property Management and help deliver them to Northwinds.  We will have Christmas Songs and Gift Giving to the Northwinds patients!! Anyone who would like to volunteer can come!!

In honor of the Christmas holiday we will not meet. Please enjoy your family and friends. May your season be blessed. Please enjoy this holiday break!!

Sleigh Bells Ring are you listening? HO Ho Ho Merry Christmas!!

Good Bye 2025...Hello 2026!! New Year’s Day is observed every year on January 1, the first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. If January 1 falls on a weekend, the federal government may observe the holiday on the closest weekday. Enjoy the New Year by Watching Parades, making New Year Resolutions and let's not forget... eating black-eyed peas, collard greens, and cornbread is believed to bring good luck and prosperity in the coming year. Time to excercise and watch Football! Out with the Old and in with the new, may your new year be blessed with success, good health and happiness!

We will be meeting at Charleston's in Bricktown

Please welcome District 5750 District Governor, Mukesh "Mack" Patel will be speaking about District 5750 and his vision for the 2nd half of the Rotary Year!

Welcome our very own Patrick Gaines!

Patrick will discuss what is going on at the Capital this session.

Gaines Government Services, Inc. Patrick began his long and varied political career over twenty-five years ago with his first job out of college. As a new graduate from the University of Oklahoma, Patrick went to work on the staff of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Patrick served in this position for over three years, becoming well versed in government and the political process. He has also served as the Legislative Director for the State Insurance Department, State Director for the Oklahoma Republican Party and as an assistant to Higher Education Chancellor Hans Brisch. In 1999, Patrick left state service and began his government relations career working for a statewide medical group. In 2003, Patrick formed his own consulting company, Gaines Government Services, Inc. His clients include a wide variety of professions and industries. Patrick is dedicated to community service serving on numerous boards and commissions. Patrick is also the owner of Gaines Properties LLC, a real estate investment firm in Oklahoma. He and his wife Jennifer Carr Gaines are the proud parents of boy/girl twins.

Rotarian of the Day: To Be Determined! :)

Happy Groundhog Day everyone!

Tonight we welcome back one of our own, the wonderful JOHN MALGET!

He will be sharing info on Chain Reaction Ministries. Since 2009 they have repaired over 7,000 gently used bikes to return to the community to close the gap on the privilege of transportation.

They provide opportunities by recycling bicycles back into the community.

The gift of a bike comes with the gift of transportation for those who could not otherwise afford the luxury. Chain Reaction Ministries repairs gently used bicycles and returns them to the community through homeless assistance programs across the nation.

Tonight’s Speaker: Rachel Newman, Community Health Manager at RestoreOKC

The Bricktown Rotary Club of OKC is pleased to welcome Rachel Newman from RestoreOKC, an asset-based community development organization dedicated to restoring health, the environment, reconciliation, and equity alongside neighbors in Northeast Oklahoma City.

Rachel is a proud Oklahoma City native who earned her degree in Global Health with a minor in Environmental Studies from Georgetown University. She returned home to pursue her dream job as Community Health Manager at RestoreOKC, where she works to connect with local residents and create programs addressing the social determinants of health.

Her passions for health promotion, food access, and equity continue to guide her work and studies as she pursues a Master’s degree at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. We’re excited to hear how Rachel and RestoreOKC are making a difference in our community!

Rotarian of the Day:  London Oluwami

Rescheduled! :)

Tonight's speaker is Chase Parsons, Executive Director and Co-Founder at OKC Dream Center.

The Oklahoma City Dream Center exists to reach, rescue, and restore people isolated by poverty in OKC by meeting basic needs, preventative programs for at-risk kids and youth, relationships and referrals through our Community Resource Center, and our Dream Living Transitional Program for men.

Their vision is to build a community of resilient people who have been transformed by God’s love. The people whose lives are impacted by their programs go on to share that love with others, serving in the community and making transformation possible for others.

Rotarian of the Day: Jeff Gabelsberg

Please welcome Jennifer Nakayama!  Jennifer has served as the President and CEO of Downtown OKC Partnership since February 2023. She brings a wealth of experience from her previous six years as President and Executive Director of the Waikiki Business Improvement District (WBID) in Hawaii. Nakayama holds a bachelor’s degree from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, and a master's degree from the University of California, Davis. As a licensed professional engineer (P.E.) in civil engineering, she skillfully combines her technical expertise with her executive leadership abilities.

Since joining Downtown OKC Partnership, she has concentrated on building strategic relationships and utilizing partnerships to improve downtown Oklahoma City's environment for residents, employees, and visitors. Her commitment to public spaces drives her collaborative vision, connecting residents, businesses, and government to reinforce community ties. She currently oversees a team of 13 staff members and oversees a budget exceeding $5 million across seven organizational structures.

Nakayama maintains active engagement in community governance, serving on the Board of Trustees for the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum in an ex-officio capacity, as Secretary and Executive Committee member on the International Downtown Association's Board of Directors, and as a member of the John Rex Charter Schools Board of Directors.

ABOUT DOWNTOWN OKC PARTNERSHIP Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership (DOKC) is the 501(c)(6) nonprofit urban place management organization created in 2000 and is responsible for creating and championing a vibrant and diverse downtown through placemaking, advocacy, and promotion. DOKC also manages and maintains the Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) and fosters an environment of creativity and culture through public art and activation via Downtown OKC Initiatives. The BID delivers street-level amenities such as street cleaning, landscaping and trash pickup, produces events, and provides additional services such as marketing, branding and programming. For more information, visit DowntownOKC.com

Lets welcome Mark Beffort. Mark Beffort serves as Chief Executive Office of Robinson Park, Newmark Robinson Park and Chief Operating Officer and Portfolio Manager of Square Deal Investments. His commercial real estate career began in Oklahoma City in 1985, after graduating from Washburn University.  After several years as a successful commercial real estate broker, Mark began building a personal investment portfolio in addition to assisting several private and public entities build a strategic partnership.  MARK BEFFORT mbeffort@robinson-park.com O: 405.879.4757  C: 405.850.6600 204 N Robinson Ave., Suite 700 Oklahoma City, OK 73102 For nearly 40 years he’s built a solid reputation as a trusted partner and leader in the community.  Mark’s robust portfolio is valued at over $2 billion and spans across 15 million square feet across nine markets including Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma; Rogers, Arkansas; Indianapolis, Indiana; Winston-Salem and Charlotte, North Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; Columbus, Ohio; and New York City, New York. The portfolio started as a Class A high rise office strategy, but has since grown and diversified through hospitality, multi-family, industrial and storage investments. Mark’s leadership reaches beyond his real estate portfolio and into the lives of those that he mentors and employs.  Between Newmark Robinson Park and Square Deal Investments, Mark employs over 200 individuals with jobs that provide competitive compensation, benefits, and strong company culture. During the pandemic, Mark led a strategy to buy hotels during a distressed market.  The acquisition of 5 hotels during 2021 preserved over 350 jobs. Mark’s professional and community involvement includes Trustee for Washburn University Foundation, and Casady School. Chair of the Council of Bond Oversight for the State of Oklahoma, Myriad Gardens Foundation, and the Oklahoma City Chamber Board of Directors. 

Calling all Rotarians and Friends. WE will be Meeting at "The Goat's Nut" located at 5229 NW 5th St, OKC, OK 73127 at 5:30pm.  We will Bring in Food and drinks.  We will be using this evening to support one of favorite Community Service project for TEEM, The Employment, Education, Ministry for prisoners returning to the work force. We will be putting together 50 TEEM Hygiene bags. Please be on the look out via email for what Hygiene Items to bring. If you have a friend invite them to our casual meeting where we place out hygiene items in bags.

Please welcome Mark Ivey from NewView Oklahoma!  Mark will share his personal journey with vision loss, offering insight into his eye condition and how it led him to NewView Oklahoma. He will highlight NewView Oklahoma’s mission and services, discuss common misconceptions about blindness — particularly in today’s workforce — and introduce the world of adaptive sports for individuals who are blind.  

About the Speaker:

Mark Ivy was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and moved to Edmond to attend the University of Central Oklahoma. He has spent the past 12 years with NewView Oklahoma, where he serves as Financial Development & Adaptive Sports Manager.

After losing his eyesight to retinitis pigmentosa, Mark found a passion for adaptive sports. He has trained with the USA Paralympic Goalball Team and competes nationally in beep baseball. Mark started the NewView Oklahoma Beep Ball team, the Lookouts in 2022. Their first World Series ended with a 15th-place finish. This past year? They shattered expectations finishing 6th in the world at the National Beep Baseball World Series. Mark was also selected to play as an All-Star at the 2025 Ultimate BeepBall tournament at George Mason University.

Mark is married to his wife, Alyssa, a first-grade teacher, and is the proud dad of seven-year-old Evelyn June, who says, “Blind dads are super fun.” He’s also a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan— and despite what his wife says, he still considers himself funny.

Please welcome Rian Smoak to our club tonight! 

As an Oklahoman native, Rian Smoak is an accomplished endurance athlete and keynote speaker whose journey began with a single childhood moment that taught him the power of following through. After growing up with limited resources and learning to persevere through personal adversity, Rian went on to achieve what first inspired him at age twelve: competing in the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii, the very race that lit the spark in him as a kid. That experience not only fulfilled a lifelong dream but also reshaped his sense of purpose and the impact one person can make.

 His personal life now centers on inclusion, adaptive athletics, and helping others reach finish lines they never thought possible. After completing his own Ironman journey, Rian began guiding athletes with disabilities — including Bryce, who lives with cerebral palsy, and Carla, who lives with autism — through triathlons and the Ironman World Championship. These partnerships transformed his mission into one of advocacy, leadership, and community impact. Today, as a speaker, Rian challenges audiences to identify their own “follow through” moment and take meaningful action that creates a more inclusive world.