Speakers

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. 

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.

Let's welcome Sheriff Tommie Johnson III as speaker tonight!

Oklahoma County Sheriff Tommie Johnson III is an Oklahoma City native and a decorated law enforcement professional. The son of a grocery store butcher, Johnson attended Oklahoma City Public Schools his entire life. He went to Hillcrest Elementary; Northeast Middle School; and graduated from U.S. Grant High School where he and his wife, Amanda, were classmates.

Johnson was an all-state baseball player at Grant and played at East Central University where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Biology.

Johnson began his law enforcement career with the University of Oklahoma Police Department. In 2015, he joined the Norman Police Department, where he was promoted to the rank of Master Police Officer and was recently honored with the City of Norman Police Department’s Centennial Award. Johnson has served on the hiring board, bargaining committee and uniform committee, in addition to earning the Department’s lifesaving award.