Developer – Richard McKown
While some people are aware of Richard’s art, many appreciate his housing concepts even if they don’tnknow his name. He and his family have developed suburban housing in Oklahoma City, Edmond, Piedmont, Mustang, Choctaw, Moore and just about every other suburban area in the OKC metro area. He talks about how art and green development in their suburban developments has given them a competitive edge against their business competition, but more importantly, how it creates a valuable living space for those who buy in.
Lately, Richard has moved his efforts to downtown, with the Level and Mosaic apartments in the Walnut and 2nd street area, as well as the OKSEA shipping container building just across the street. Also, he makes an announcement about a new tenant coming into the OKSEA building. His latest project to turn the historic Rock Island Plow Company building in Bricktown into The Plow office building is his first development of an office building and an historic building. Richard’s love of art and providing great spaces for his clients are evident throughout this conversation.
List of Accomplishments
- 27 years of experience in the housing industry as a homebuilder, real estate developer, and community designer.
- Specializes in low-impact development techniques integrated into open-space communities.
- Developed 357 residential units in Downtown Oklahoma City over the last decade.
- Created 5 commercial retail spaces in Downtown Oklahoma City.
- Established 7 office spaces in Downtown Oklahoma City.
- Continues to work on both suburban green-field development and urban infill projects.
Richard Mize, now a Staff Writer for The Oklahoman covering Oklahoma County government and the city of Edmonhd, covered housing, commercial real estate, construction, development, finance and related business from October 1999 until September 2024, for 24 years and 11 months. He was The Oklahoman’s Real Estate editor, curating and editing the newspaper’s residential Real Estate section, for 22 years, until September, 2021. From 1989 to 1999, he worked for the Times Record News in Wichita Falls, Texas, as a crime reporter, then general assignment reporter, farm-ranch-agribusiness editor, regional editor and city editor. Mize grew up on a farm and cow-calf ranch in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, and attended Muldrow public schools. He holds a bachelor of science degree in journalism (news-editorial), and a bachelor of science degree in political science (state and local government) with a minor in economics, from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. He also holds a master of arts degree in history from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, and a master of divinity degree from Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa. He also is an ordained minister in the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference of the United Church of Christ, and, as a Temporary Member of the Indian Nations Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (USA), serves part-time as pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church, 2301 NE 23, Oklahoma City.
List of Accomplishments:
1. I am particularly proud of my coverage of industrial development, logistics, and related retail and e-commerce during the recent boom.
2. Over the years, the ups and downs of the retail market, mosty from consumers’ perspective.
3. Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honorable Mention awards from The National Association of Real Estate Editors.
4. Awards for business reporting, business feature, business spot news, and personal columns from The Associated Press/Oklahoma News Executives, and the Society of Professional Journalists Oklahoma Pro Chapter.
5. B.H. Prasad Honorary Award from American Institute of Architects-Central Oklahoma Chapter.
6. Media Public Affairs Award from the Oklahoma City Mayor’s Committee on Disability Concerns.
Journalist – Richard Mize
Real Estate Broker – Vicki Patterson, CCIM
Vicki Patterson, CCIM, is an advisor at Wiggin Properties, LLC, out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. She graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in Business. Vicki specializes in all things Retail including shopping center leasing, pad site sales and investment sales. Her expertise includes Landlord and Tenant representation, analysis and sales of investment/income producing properties, and ground-up real estate development opportunities.
In April 2019, she earned the coveted CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member) designation, which is held by only 4% of commercial real estate practitioners. Additionally, she was President of the CCIM Oklahoma Chapter in 2021 and 2022. She is currently serving as the CCIM Regional Vice President of Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas, serves on the Member Services Board, and on the Board of Directors for the CCIM Institute. She is passionate about education and continues to serve the CCIM Oklahoma chapter promoting and encouraging others towards their designation. Vicki is also involved with ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers), NAIOP (National Association of Industrial and Office Properties), and GTAR (Greater Tulsa Association of Realtors). Vicki and her husband Nick reside in Tulsa and have 3 children, Dylan, Kennedy and Cole.
Proud Accomplishments and Current Assignments:
- CCIM Oklahoma Chapter of Excellence Award
- CoStar Powerbroker Award
- Retail Sale of the Year Award
- Transaction Volume: $50m+ last 5 years
- Current Landlord Assignments: 1m+ square feet
- Clients include Maverik (Former Kum & Go), Crumble, Popeye’s, Slim Chickens and Axis Healthcare.
Jeff Seymour serves as the Executive Vice President for Economic Development for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. In this role he leads the Chamber’s effort to expand the regional economy through new business recruitment, providing support to existing businesses and entrepreneurs and meeting the talent and workforce needs of current and future employers.
Prior to serving at the Chamber, Jeff served as Executive Director of the Franklin County Development Council, a county-wide economic development organization in the greater Kansas City region and the Executive Director of the Blackwell Chamber of Commerce and Blackwell Industrial Authority in Blackwell, OK. Jeff also worked at the Ponca City Development Authority.
Jeff lives in Northern Oklahoma City with his wife Natasha and daughter Emmaline. He is an avid biker and traveler and is a graduate of Oklahoma State University and Northern Oklahoma College with degrees in economics and international business. Jeff holds the status of a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) through the International Economic Development Council.
For the list of accomplishments, the best thing to probably say is:
- Provide leadership for the Chamber’s regional economic development efforts including business recruitment, existing business growth, research, retail and new industries (including film, bioscience, aerospace and support for entrepreneurship)
- Role includes working with other economic development partners to support announcements by Tinker, Amazon, Costco and others to locate major projects in the regional market. Also provided support for ARPA funding that has been used to provide needed support for small and diverse businesses effected by COVID and pandemic related economic challenges
- Proud of the work the Chamber has done to expand its partnerships with a broader swath of the greater region and diverse business partners in the OKC metro
- Provided leadership to help support the launch of the Oklahoma City Film+Creative Industries Office (supported by the City of Oklahoma City) and the re-envision a statewide bio and life sciences leadership organization (Life Science Oklahoma) to connect bio science partners in the state and share Oklahoma’s life science story to the world
Real Estate Advocate – Jeff Seymour
Title/Escrow – Lorri Magrini
a dedicated Title/Escrow Officer at First American Title in Oklahoma City. With extensive experience in the real estate industry, Lorri specializes in managing complex commercial transactions and ensuring smooth escrow processes. Her expertise in title insurance and settlement services makes her a valuable asset to clients navigating the intricacies of real estate deals. Lorri is known for her meticulous attention to detail, exceptional customer service, and commitment to facilitating successful closings. Outside of work, she enjoys staying updated with industry trends and contributing to community initiatives. Lorri has a demanding job in a high-pressure industry and she handles it beautifully.
Grant Cody has been serving as The Executive Director of the Oklahoma Real Estate Commission (OREC) since early 2020. When Grant took over our regulatory body, we barely had enough money in the bank to make payroll. Under his leadership, the Commission has become one of the most financially healthy agencies in the state. He has implemented a “common sense” approach to enforcement and significantly improved customer service.
Before joining OREC, Grant Cody held several key positions in public service. He served as an Assistant Attorney General and General Counsel to the State Medical Board, State Election Board, and the Office of Juvenile Affairs. Additionally, he worked as an Assistant District Attorney for the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s office. Grant is known for his dedication to innovation and efficiency, always striving to enhance the core services of the Commission. He credits his team for their continuous efforts in driving these improvements and looks forward to further advancements in the real estate sector.
Commercial Real Estate Summit Foundation 