Oklahoma Creativity Ambassadors

Paul Silverstein, M.D. is a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon educated at Harvard College, Univ. of Pennsylvania Medical School, and trained at Boston City Hospital and Emory University. He served as a Major in the army during the Vietnam War, where he was first exposed to the horrific wounds from burns. For his service, he received the President’s Meritorious Service Medal upon discharge. He was recruited to Oklahoma City in 1974 to establish his practice and design and direct a Burn Center for the care of those requiring this type of specialized treatment. The American Burn Association awarded him the Burn Prevention Medal in 1993, and the Harvey Stuart Allen Medal in 2003, the highest achievement award presented to an American Burn Surgeon. In 2000, the Burn center at Integris Baptist Hospital was renamed the “Paul Silverstein Burn Center, marked with a Proclamation from the Governor. Paul spent many years in burn care and research, directed towards enzymatic debridement of burn wounds, the use of artificial skin grafts to promote healing, and the prevention of scar tissue.

A project of George Kaiser Family Foundation, Gathering Place: Tulsa’s Riverfront Park will ultimately transform 100 acres along the Arkansas River into a dynamic and active space. The first phase, 66.5 acres, opened in September 2018, blending nature with an urban setting to provide Tulsans and visitors a creative space to play, relax and gather together along the river. The centrally located park as more than a hundred unique experiences and attractions including a lodge, boathouse, nature trails, two land bridges, a five-acre adventure playground, a skate and bike park, international sports courts, multiple dining options and a pond that can be navigated by canoe, kayak or paddle boat. In addition to the attractions, Gathering Place offers world-class programming and events from music and dance, to education and art, all at no cost to the guest. Gathering Place is committed to creating a community space that is a recreational, civic and cultural destination for all walks of life to enjoy. Already, the nationally acclaimed destination has delighted more than one million guests in the 8 months since its grand opening. It is one of the largest and most ambitious public parks ever created with private funds.

James is an actor/writer/director now living in Los Angeles. His credits include popular television shows such as NCIS, Criminal Minds, The Mentalist, Casual, and Scandal. He has acted in many feature films including Wake Up, a thriller shot in Guthrie, where he stars alongside Johnathan Phys Myers, Francesca Eastwood, and William Forsythe. Prior to that, he joined an ensemble cast with C. Thomas Howell and Judd Nelson for Dauntless; a WWII epic surrounding the Battle of Midway. Both will be releasing this year. The film You People, in which he had a leading role, won Best Oklahoma Film at the 2018 deadCenter film festival. James would like to thank his parents, grandparents, extended family, & friends for their love and support.

Ken Fergeson has been a major contributor to the banking industry nationally and has played key roles in his community and state as the Chairman of NBC Oklahoma in Altus, Oklahoma. But it is his national advocacy and personal interest in supporting and promoting the arts and arts education that places him as a natural recipient of a Creativity Ambassador Award. He is the immediate past chairman of Oklahoma Humanities and both the Mid-America Arts Alliance Board and the national organization, Americans for the Arts. He is the past chairman of Creative Oklahoma, Inc. and also serves on the board of directors of the Oklahoma Heritage Association. Fergeson has also served on the Oklahoma Arts Council Board, past chairman of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. He received the Oklahoma Governor’s 1994 and 2000 Arts Awards. He was the recipient of the 2001 Business in Arts Leadership Award by the Business Committee for the Arts, Inc. (BCA) and FORBES Magazine. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s in economics from Texas Tech University.

A student of history, Mike Larsen researches the past events of the subjects he paints and sculpts. As an ongoing student of art, he is influenced by the beauty of the world around him. He has been a professional artist for 50 years. Mike likes to think of his sculpture as three-dimensional painting. He leaves the marks left by his fingers in the clay as he does the brushstrokes he leaves on the canvas in his paintings, believing that shows most effectively the emotion of the painting or sculpture.

He is known for his very large paintings, and also for one very tiny one – the U.S. postage stamp commemorating the Oklahoma Centennial in 2007.

Illusionist Rob Lake has dazzled millions around the world on TV. His appearances on NBC’s America’s Got Talent (2018) have over 60-million YouTube and Facebook video views. Rob has performed at countless theatres, casinos, resorts, and arenas across the US, Europe, Australia, and Asia with notable performances including Times Square, Atlantic City, Hollywood, Lake Tahoe, The Las Vegas Strip, and a 3-year multi-million-dollar residency at the iconic Atlantis Resort in The Bahamas. Rob has performed 11 annual tours for the US Military, bringing his magic and a bit of home to troops overseas.

A native Oklahoman, Rob Lake still resides in Norman, and returns home annually for animal rescue benefit performances.

Susan McCalmont is a founding board member of Creative Oklahoma in 2006, and has served as President/CEO of the nonprofit from 2011 to 2018. A noted nonprofit leader and creativity advocate, she helped Oklahoma shine attention on the critical importance of nurturing creative thinking and how that leads to game-changing innovation in a variety of disciplines and professions. Through her work, she helped us imagine an Oklahoma that truly nurtures creativity across the full spectrum of education, business and culture.

McCalmont has also provided innovative leadership at the national level, serving a variety of nonprofit organizations and public institutions over the last 30 years in Washington, D.C. and Virginia.

Aside from Creative Oklahoma, she most notably served as the leader of the Kirkpatrick Foundation for 19 years as well as other educational, cultural and innovative organizations, such as the DaVinci Institute.

BJ Thomas owns one of the most distinctive voices in American pop music-a reassuringly masculine timbre conveyed with a smattering of unique embellishments that represent a distillation of the most influential genres in pop culture. With over multiple million records sold, BJ’s vocal versatility is as apparent today as it was when he recorded his first hit in 1967, “I’m so Lonesome I Could Cry”. Since the mid-1960s, BJ Thomas has become one of the most recognized and respected voices of the American musical landscape. He has impacted many areas of popular music with 15 Top 40 pop hits, 10 Top 40 country hits, 5 Grammys, 2 Dove awards and 15 Gold and Platinum Records. He is the only artist to successfully move to the top of three music genres not as a crossover and also have crossover success.

University of Central Oklahoma President Don Betz life’s mission is to help students learn. Throughout his distinguished career of more than 47 years in higher education, Dr. Betz maintains a reputation of unmatched energy and enthusiasm for teaching and encouraging our future leaders. He is currently serving a three-year term on the International Association of University Presidents (IAUP) executive committee and chairs its North
American Council.

As a student of political science, philosophy and international studies, and a lifelong global issues interest, Dr. Betz is well known for his diplomacy skills and work on international issues, most notably with the United
Nations.

President Betz took his post as the 20th president of the University of Central Oklahoma in August of 2011, but is no stranger to the university. He previously served as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs from
1999-2005. Between then and now he served as Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, and President of Northeastern State University in Tahlequah.

Dr. Betz is active in many professional and civic organizations. He has received numerous accolades – most recently being inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame.

Prior to becoming Principal Chief of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, Enoch Kelly Haney served in both the Oklahoma Senate as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Oklahoma House of Representatives as the Vice Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. He was the first full-blood Native American to serve in either house of the Oklahoma Legislature.

Haney is an internationally recognized artist. In 1976, The Five Civilized Tribes Museum declared him a Master Artist. Most notably, he created “The Guardian,” a 22-foot bronze sculpture which adorns the Oklahoma State Capitol dome. Modeled after Haney’s own relatives, “The Guardian” took 10 months to complete, weighs 4,000 pounds, and was erected on June 7, 2002.

Kelly Haney produced and hosted his own weekly television program. He also narrated and worked as a consultant for the Seminole series of the Discovery Channel’s 1993 television documentary series, “How the West was Lost.” He currently resides in Norman, Oklahoma where he continues to create his beautiful artwork in his Norman studio.

As an active leader in the community of Oklahoma City as well as the state of Oklahoma, Lou C. Kerr has committed her time and expertise to organizations which correspond with her beliefs and expectations. As President and Chair of The Kerr Foundation, she evaluates and allocates funds to non-profit organizations, programs and institutions which enrich opportunities for all Oklahomans with an emphasis on the young.

Lou has given many years of local and national public service and sits on the Board of Directors of several organizations. As an advocate for education, Lou spends time focusing on programs that serve to educate and stimulate the minds of others. She has received numerous awards for her duty and service to the community.

Lou continues to look to new opportunities and issues that will enable her to expand her knowledge base and personal experience while continuing to give back unselfishly to what she believes in most; people and the community.

Richard Sias is a former director of Mustang Fuel Corp., a diversified energy company in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, former owner of Joullian Vineyards LTD, in Carmel Valley, California, managing director of Bint LLC, a family enterprise involved in real estate and energy, and serves as President of the Ad Astra Foundation, an Oklahoma non-profit dedicated to the support of the arts in Oklahoma.

He and his late wife, Jeannette, have one daughter, Alice Sias Pippin, a son-in-law, Phil Pippin and three grandsons, all whom reside in Oklahoma City. Richard holds an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Oklahoma City University and in 2002 was inducted in the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.

Originally from Oklahoma City, Wade moved to the United Kingdom in 1999 following completion of a Bachelors in Architecture from the University of Oklahoma in 1996.

Wade is an architect and Associate Director of London based Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) and has completed a series of high profile projects including Horseferry House, the global headquarters for the fashion house Burberry, the Stirling Prize shortlisted Angel Building and Google’s DeepMind headquarters.

Fascinated with the ongoing regeneration of Oklahoma City, Wade established AHMM’s Oklahoma City office in 2008 and has completed several ambitious projects including Level and Mosaic Urban Apartments, The Plow Building, The AEP Fitness Center / Oklahoma City Ballet, Bob Moore Auto Group Headquarters, Jesus Saves, The OkSea Project and Squirrel Park.

In addition to his project work, Wade is active in wider architectural discussions including being a frequent lecturer, teacher and as a design advisor for the UK Design Council and London Borough of Wandsworth.

Wade lives in London with his wife Diana Osman and son Maximilian Philip Scaramucci.

Broadway & Television Actress.

Country Music Superstar.

Television Host.

Chief of the Choctaw Nation.

Forensic Artist.

Chef, Restaurateur & Author.

Petroleum Geologist, Author & Philanthropist.

General Manager of the NBA Thunder.

Governor of the Chickasaw Nation.

President, COO & Board member at Cole Haan.

Co-Founder & CEO, NextThought.

Retired Chairman & CEO, OGE Energy Corp.

World-Renowned Singer/Songwriter.

EVP/Creative Director, Ackerman McQueen.

Founding Director, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.

Executive Director, deadCENTER Film Festival.

Executive Director, Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation.

FAIA President, Elliott + Associates Architects.

The 19th President of the University of Central Oklahoma.

Vice President and CFO, Sprinkles Cupcakes.

sprinkles.com

President, Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions.

Co-Founder, Sprinkles Cupcakes.

sprinkles.com

Founder, President, Chief Developer, Kimray, Inc.

AIA, LEED AP and the S-X-L team for designing the Oklahoma City SkyDance Bridge.

butzergardner.com

Singer/Songwriter

johnfullbrightmusic.com

Chairman, Oklahoma Events, LLC.

Emmy award-winning producer, past vice president of Disney Entertainment and Costuming, past Dean of the Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts.

ou.edu/finearts

Artist and retired NBA athlete.

dmasonart.com

Author, television personality, and 1967 Miss America.

janejayroe.com

Lead vocalist for the new-wave orchestra band Other Lives.

otherlives.com

Sir Ken Robinson is the founding adviser for Creative Oklahoma and an internationally recognized leader in the development of education, creativity, and innovation.

sirkenrobinson.com

Composer, producer, and creative force behind the orchestral pop band, Starlight Mints.

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Leading American Indian visual artist, Seminole-Shawnee tribe; 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award, NAASA.

benjaminharjojr.com

with band
Terry Scarberry, guitar
Richard Sharp, bass
Steve Short, drums

Byron Berline is a three-time National Fiddle Champion who turned to a musical career after earning a B. A. in Physical Education at the University of Oklahoma. Originally from Oklahoma where he began playing the fiddle at age five, Byron lived and worked in Los Angeles for 26 years before returning to his home state in 1995.

Byron’s professional career reads like Who’s Who in the music business as he has performed with or recorded with so many notables. He has led or been a member of the following bands: Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys, 1966 – 67; Dillard & Clark, 1969-1970; Dillard Expedition, 1970-71; Country Gazette, 1971- 75; Sundance, 1975-85; Berline, Crary & Hickman, 1978-90; L. A. Fiddle Band, 1978-93; California, 1990-96; Byron Berline Band, 1996- Present. Byron is one of the most sought after session fiddlers and his long list of recording credits are proof: The Band / The Byrds / The Eagles / The Rolling Stones / Manhattan Transfer / Bob Dylan / John Denver / Elton John / Olivia Newton-John / Burt Reynolds / Linda Ronstadt / Rod Stewart / Kay Starr / Hoyt Axton / Alabama / Susie Bogus / Mary Chapin Carpenter / Joe Diffy / Vince Gill / Arlo Guthrie / Mickey Gilley / Emmylou Harris / Kirs Kirstofferson / Johnny Lee / Willie Nelson / Red Stegall / Doug Stone / Tammy Wynette / Jethro Burns / The Dillards / John Hartford / Bill Monroe / Nitty Gritty Dirt Band / Don Reno / Earl Scruggs / Mason Williams and numerous symphony orchestras.

Byron has extensive movie and commercial sound track credits including work with Henry Mancini, Jerry Fielding, Johnny Williams and Lalo Schifrin. Byron scored his first major motion picture in 1975, STAY HUNGRY for director Bob Raphelson. He has appeared in STAR TREK, BLAXE, BACK TO THE FUTURE III and BASIC INSTINCT. He has been interviewed by major city newspapers and music magazines throughout the world, and has toured the United States extensively, Europe often, China, Japan, Australia, Northern Africa and the South Pacific. In his spare time Byron enjoys producing albums for his friends and himself. Byron was inducted into Oklahoma’s Musicians Hall of Fame, named Oklahoma’s Ambassador of Goodwill, been featured artist at the international convention of the Violin Society of America, and conceived and planned the Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival since its beginnings in 1997.

Byron Berline has been touted as “one of the most inventive fiddlers ever.” His skill, versatility and artistry continue to be recognized by his peers, the press and audiences worldwide. He is a witty, charming personality and his music is evidence of that.

doublestop.com

President, University of Oklahoma and Former Governor, State of Oklahoma & United States Senator

Oklahoma Author and motivational speaker.

daynadunbar.com

Director, NYPD Blue, Crossing Jordan and director and/or producer of 60+ movies and mini-series for network and cable television including several Hallmark Hall of Fame movies.

dicklowryphotography.com

President, Harpo Productions and board member, The Oprah Winfrey Network.

American pop singer-songwriter with his hit song “Best Days” appearing on American Idol and Kyle XY.

grahamcoltonmusic.com

Three brothers, Isaac, Taylor and Zac, natives of Tulsa; launched their own independent record company in 2003, 3CG Records, with millions of records sold.

hanson.net

Composer and musician and only artist to receive Grammys for music, lyrics, and orchestration; chairman, Songwriters Hall of Fame.

jimmywebb.com

Emmy award-winning casting director – True Blood, Desperate Housewives, Big Love, NYPD Blue, and Prison Break.

The Ambassador in Residence for the University of Central Oklahoma, also the Ambassador for the Oklahoma City University and for the University’s Centre for Global Competency.

horseshoeroad.net

Illustrator and painter with 23 works of Oklahoma history on display at the Oklahoma State Capitol.

mikewimmer.com

Christian artist receiving 39 Dove awards and five Grammys and Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductee.

sandipatty.com

Founder, MUSE School and former actress, Titanic, Twister, and The Usual Suspects.

museschool.org

Country and rockabilly musician and 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.

wandajackson.com

Grammy Award-winning rock musician, singer, guitarist, and songwriter for The Flaming Lips.

flaminglips.com

Oscar-winning movie producer – The Godfather, Part II and Apocalypse Now.

Film Producer – A Walk to Remember, Last of the Mohicans and A Time to Kill.

Composer and award-winning Native American musician, Chickasaw.

jerodtate.com

Former NASA astronaut & US Naval Commander; First Native American in Space.

rocketrek.com

Retired former Executive Vice President of Operations, Walt Disney World Resort and board of trustees member, the Culinary Institute of America.

leecockerell.com

Soprano

Grammy Award-winning soprano, Leona Mitchell has emerged as one of America’s most beloved and celebrated sopranos.

Miss Mitchell spent 18 Seasons as a leading Spinto Soprano at the Metropolitan Opera in New York where she essayed many dramatic and lyrical roles such as: Aida, both Verdi Leonoras from La Forza Del Destino and Il Trovatore, Manon Lescaut, Boheme, The Masked Ball, Madame Butterfly, Liu in Turandot, Madame Lidouine as well as Mozart and Handelian roles.

She has three DVD’s with The Three Tenors: “Ernani” with Luciano Pavarotti, “Turandot” with Placido Domingo and “Carmen” with Jose Carreras. Ms. Mitchell has sung for four of our United States Presidents: Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. She also sang for George Bush Sr. when he was Vice President.

Leona has also sung at some of the world’s most prestigious opera houses: The Berlin, Rome, Caracalla, Vienna, Verona, Paris, London, Chili, Buenos Aires, Rio, Canadian, Mexican, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Santa Fe, Bordeaux, Marseille, Parma and Hamburg companies to name a few.

Leona Mitchell sang with most of the major symphonies of the world. Many of the world’s greatest conductors have worked with Miss Mitchell: Zubin Mehta with The New York Philharmonic, James Levine and The Chicago Symphony, Seji Ozawa of The Boston Philharmonic and Kurt Mazur with The Israeli Philharmonic.

Miss Mitchell is a highly regarded recitalist and has been presented in concert at New York’s Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Geneva, Sydney, Hong Kong, Japan, Tokyo, The Los Angeles Music Center, Australia, The UCLA Concert Series, Ambassador Auditorium, Paris and Australian Centers.

Leona is no stranger to television. She has appeared on The Merv Griffin Show, Good Morning America, The CBS Morning Show, Dick Cavett Show, Jerry Lewis Telethon, The Kennedy Center Honors, The Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala, The ABC coast to coast Gala Statue of Liberty celebration, along with many “Live from Lincoln Center” and Met Series.

Leona has been the recipient of many wonderful awards from her state. She belongs to The Oklahoma Hall of Fame, The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, The Jazz Hall of Fame and The Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame. The Honorable Governor of Oklahoma, Brad Henry made Leona The State’s Cultural Ambassador in 2003.

Leona has a Bachelor’s of Music Degree from OCU and two Honorary Doctorates: one from OU and the other from OCU. She also attended The Master’s Program at The Julliard School of Music. She is married to Elmer Bush, her manager, and they have one son, Elmer Bush, 1V.

leonamitchellsouthernheightsindianmuseum.org

Six time X-Games medalist winner and 2002 ESPN Action Sports Lifetime Achievement Award.

mathoffman.com

Award-winning Reporter and Best-selling Author – Route 66: the Mother Road, Oil Man the Story of Frank Phillips & The Birth of Phillips Petroleum.

michaelwallis.com

Nine-time Olympic gold medalist; founder, International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

bartandnadia.com

Film maker, script writer & director – Goodnight Irene & Four Sheets to the Wind.

NASA astronaut and Commander, Apollo 10; Retired, U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General.

staffordmuseum.com

Country musician and actor receiving four AMA Awards, five Billboard awards and two CMA awards; named 2004 Oklahoman of the Year.

tobykeith.com