Action City

Emmi and Katherine look back at their first season of Action City. They reflect on the 65 episodes (Can you believe it?) they have hosted over the past 15 months including their most listened to and most impactful ones. Tune in to hear their thoughts on the ride of a lifetime getting to know our city and some of its most loyal supporters including Emma Ryan, Emma Butler, Nyakio Grieco, Dr. Murali Krishna, Kaleo Maclay, and Megan Redford - just to name a few. We look forward to Season Two this spring. Welcome to Action City!

Kristen Fares wasn’t born in Oklahoma but boy was she bred. Kristin grew up in a close-knit family attending several different schools before graduating from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Spanish. She met her husband at summer camp and now they have three wonderful children. Kristin didn’t become a runner until after her third child was born. She attended a boot camp with friends and the rest is history. She and her husband, Eric, found a love of running together and have participated in races all over the country. Kristen jumped at the opportunity to host the first and only marathon podcast, Run to Remember Memorial Marathon Podcast. You would never know she isn’t a professional podcaster. She hosts the show with grace and ease. You’ll love listening to the stories of everyone involved in the marathon from survivors to first responders coaches, volunteers, city officials, and even the mayor. We can’t wait for you to listen to this beautiful oral history of the bombing, its impact on our city, and how we have risen from the ashes all told from the perspective of the Memorial Marathon. Welcome, Kristin to Action City!

Tanner Muse grew up in Yukon and has been creating art and music for as long as he can remember. As a kid, he spent his time sketching, dreaming, and researching art. He took a few piano lessons but for the most part, taught himself to play and even played keyboard in a band in high school. Tanner followed in his parents’ and siblings’ footsteps and attended OSU where he majored in Spanish and spent a semester abroad in Madrid. After graduation, Tanner began working as a property manager. Now that he had his own space, he was able to experiment with paint and created larger pieces influenced by his home and his travels. It was only a year ago that Tanner hung his first true collection in Picasso Cafe. He would call his genre Western Contemporary Pop Art. From there, he gain representation from two galleries in the Paseo. Keeping his day job gives Tanner the freedom to create art when he is inspired. His plan is to keep it that way for as long as he can. Welcome to Action City Tanner!!

Whitney McClendon is the co-owner of Organic Squeeze. After growing up in Coweta, OK she attended high school at Holland Hall in Tulsa and college at Baylor University majoring in Chemistry and Biology, After graduation, she decided she wanted to be on the preventative side of medicine as opposed to the treatment side and so she turned down medical school to peruse her masters in epidemiology and biostatistics from UT Southwestern in Dallas. Whitney worked in epidemiology research focusing on nutrition at MD Anderson and then as a director at the Baylor College of Medicine Human Genome Sequencing Center. She met her husband, Jack, on a flight from Houston to OKC and the rest is history! She’s been in OKC for almost 10 years and has spent that time working on her passion for nutrition, health, and preventive medicine through food. She owned and operated Provision Kitchen and has now set her sights on growing Organic Squeeze. Welcome to Action City, Whitney!

Sarah bytyqi is a Texas-born, Oklahoma City-based real estate broker. She is the owner and founder of Verbode. Her 4 children keep her on her toes, and she wouldn't have it any other way. Sarah started Verbode in 2011 alongside Gary Caplinger because she wanted a brokerage that focused on Ethics, Professionalism, Community, and Teamwork, rather than sales metrics. She helped pioneer the niche market of urban real estate in OKC. Sarah began her real estate career in Oklahoma City as a Mortgage Originator at J.P. Morgan in 2001. She then moved to CA which helped her gain a larger understanding of real estate. This also opened her eyes to the necessity of Green sustainable design in Oklahoma. After moving back to Oklahoma City, she began investing in and restoring residential properties and saw an opportunity to get her real estate license. After getting licensed in 2007, she worked in new construction as an agent representative and saw a need in her network for her real estate knowledge. UI Since opening Verbode in 2011, Sarah has been able to serve her clients in over 350 transactions personally and has helped oversee 1800+ transactions company-wide. Welcome, Sarah to Action City!

Dr. Bob Schoaps grew up in Seminole, Oklahoma before attending OU where he obtained a bachelor's degree and a medical doctorate. He went on to Penn State Medical Center where he completed a residency in Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine and a fellowship in Neurocritical Care. He then completed a fellowship in Critical Care Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center before returning to Oklahoma. He is currently on faculty at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center with the Specialty Critical Care & Mechanical Circulatory Support Service. His career passions include cardiogenic shock, ECMO & other forms of mechanical circulatory support, and advanced ventilator management. Dr. Schoaps is married to his high school sweetheart and has three children. Shannon Ohmann, BSN, RN, CCRN is an ECMO Coordinator with a nursing degree from SWOSU. She has been a member of the ECMO team at Integris since 2018. She is part of the rescue team charged with collecting patients from rural hospitals and transporting them back to Integris to be treated with ECMO. She has an 18th-month-old son and is an OKC metro native! Welcome to Action City Dr. Schoaps and Shannon!

Cléo Rajon is the Executive Director of the Independent Shopkeepers Association, a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization for local shops in the state of Oklahoma. Prior to ISA, Cléo worked closely with local shops for seven years, including through the management of the Holiday Pop-Up Shops in Midtown. She also worked as the Internal Communications Coordinator for the City of Oklahoma City’s Public Information Office for five years. Cléo was born and raised in France and moved to Oklahoma City in 2011. Welcome, Cleo to action city!

Dr. Douglas Horstmanshof is Co-Director of INTEGRIS Advanced Cardiac Care and the program director of the Heart Failure Institute (HFI) at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City. “Dr. Doug” came to Oklahoma in 2005 to serve patients suffering from advanced heart failure with a complete array of services, including personalized medical management, heart transplantation, and left ventricular assist devices. Dr. Doug was raised in Michigan and earned his undergraduate degree at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He attended medical school at Northwestern University School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois, and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society while there. Subsequently, he completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine, followed by a fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease at Washington University in St. Louis / Barnes-Jewish Hospital. He also served as Chief Resident for the internal medicine training program, providing administrative and educational oversight to approximately 150 medical residents. He received advanced training as the Hawes Fellow in Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplantation at Washington University, which was followed up by a faculty appointment there until moving to Oklahoma. He is board-certified in both Cardiovascular Disease and Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplantation by the American Board of Internal Medicine. As Co-Director of the Advanced Cardiac Care team at INTEGRIS Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute (NZTI), Dr. Doug has always focused on individualized patient care with a human touch while utilizing the most advanced heart therapies available in the state of Oklahoma. He and the IACC team have made important contributions to research in the field of advanced heart failure, with publication in multiple journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine. He is also an internationally active educator and speaker with a passion for educating health care providers and patients about heart failure and mechanical circulatory support. Dr. Doug is married to his college sweetheart and has three children. Welcome to Action City, Dr. Doug!

Clay Taylor is the principal lobbyist of Taylor Capital Group, an Oklahoma City-based political consulting and lobbying firm, and the principal attorney for Clayton C. Taylor Jr PLLC. Taylor is a native of Oklahoma City but has lived in Houston, TX, Denver, CO, Washington, D.C., Muskogee, OK, and on the island of Aruba. A graduate of Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School, Taylor went on to earn a degree from Oklahoma State University in Political Science and then completed his Juris Doctor at Oklahoma City University. Taylor has been involved in Oklahoma politics all his life and has made it his profession, choosing to lobby full time at the state capitol. Politics is the family business, but Taylor branched out early to forge his own path running a successful congressional campaign before starting his lobbying career. Taylor attended law school while lobbying full time and has blended a career of lobbying and legal work that allows him to offer clients a full range of services, whatever their needs might be. Representing a wide array of organizations from independent businesses, associations, to large corporations, Taylor continues to focus his lobbying work on helping businesses maintain and create a strong climate in the state. Taylor also boasts strong contacts with members of the Oklahoma congressional delegation and has helped Oklahoma clients navigate federal issues. Outside of politics, Taylor is passionately committed to community involvement in his hometown of Oklahoma City and across the state. Over the years, Taylor has been involved with nearly every major non-profit and charitable cause in Oklahoma and most recently serves on the board of Infant Crisis Services and the Men’s Dinner Club as well as being a member of Rotary Club #29. Taylor is married to his college sweetheart Becky and together they have two children, Josie and Trip and they have a third on the way. Taylor and his family are avid travelers and maintain a very active lifestyle between sports and children’s activities.

Jo Lynne Jones was named the John Kirkpatrick Executive Director of Oklahoma City Ballet in February 2018. As Executive Director, she has the primary responsibility of fundraising, financial accountability, administrative management and board engagement. Prior to joining the staff at Oklahoma City Ballet, she spent almost 17 years as Director of Development and Communications at Infant Crisis Services. She has won numerous awards for her public relations and marketing campaigns including Best of the Best from the American Marketing Association for a social media campaign. The Edmond native attended Oklahoma State University and the University of Central Oklahoma, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. Before her nonprofit career, Jones worked in the broadcast industry both out-of-state and locally, where she anchored the Saturday morning newscast on KWTV and the evening news on OETA. She also owned a successful children’s clothing boutique, The Bean Stalk. Jones is a member of Leadership Oklahoma City Class 30 and serves on the Alumni Board. Welcome Jo to Action City!

Tori Arnold is the franchisee with her husband, Chad, of Summer Moon Coffee, a Texas-based wood-fired coffee roaster that people drive across town to savor. They are opening the third Summer Moon location in the metro soon. Tori grew up in Dallas, the middle of three daughters. She has a close-knit family and was home-schooled by her mother until she went to college on a volleyball scholarship to Southwestern Christian University in Bethany. Tori and Chad met in college and have a shared love for God, family, and entrepreneurship. Their first venture together was flipping a house and since then they have started a business and built a house together. We are impressed! Welcome, Tori to Action City!

Special episode with our first return guest, Rosemary Walker! She shares her secrets for staying fit and gives a sneak peek into the restaurant she planning on opening in LA next year. Using her sommelier and general management expertise, she's on a roadshow to raise the funds it will take to get to the finish line. Welcome Rosie to Action City, again!

Willy James McNeal III is an entertainer at heart. Born in NE Oklahoma City, Will loved being on stage as a kid. When he was in middle school he joined a dance group, Sex Mob. They traveled all over the southeast during his teenage years experiencing the highs and lows of childhood fame. In his early twenties, Will met his wife, Toni, of 15 years of and they have built a beautiful family of five. Will co-hosts, Go Ask Your Daddy, a live Facebook show on Tuesday nights. He produces content for his YouTube channel, Macordie, and his Instagram, @willymac_. We’re on the edge of our seats waiting to hear what he’ll be up to next. Welcome to Action City Will!

Megan Radford is a #FreeBritney advocate from Oklahoma City, OK. She helps plan courthouse rallies in LA and co-manages @FreeBrineyLA social accounts. Megan has appeared in the documentaries Framing Britney Spears and Controlling Brinet Spears both by the New York Times and available on Hulu. She is a marketing director, wife, and mom to 3-year-old Brecken. Welcome to Action City. To Donate, please click here> #FreeBritneyMovementFund

Today, I had the pleasure of talking to two of the three hosts of the podcast, OKC Foodcast. Nabeel and Cristina are immigrants who made their way to OKC in their late teens. Becoming friends as adults, they bonded over their shared love for food. They now host OKC Foodcast with their third cohost, Josh, who couldn’t make it today. I loved talking about all things food and learning about their favorite OKC spots. You can catch their podcast, OKC Foodcast, every Monday. Welcome, Nabeel and Cristina to Action City.

Melissa Pepper has served as the Chief Development Officer of Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma since April 2017 when she was recruited to manage fund development, business and community relations and a $13.2 million dollar capital campaign to build a new urban STEM camp. Prior to Girl Scouts, she worked for OETA Foundation as their Major Gifts Officer and Myriad Botanical Gardens as their Director of Festivals and Events. Before moving to Oklahoma City in 2012, she was the Event Manager for The Kansas City Zoo. A graduate of The University of Kansas, she earned a BS in Journalism and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She has been a long-time community volunteer in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma for organizations such as Head Start, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault, and Ronald McDonald House, just to name a few. Melissa was a member of Leadership OKC Class 37 and a proud mother of her five-year-old son, Jack. Please welcome Melissa to action city!

Lynn Muir is the co-founder and head baker of Railyard Pie Company. Growing up, Lynn learned to make pies from her grandmother. After living all over the United States as a kid, she learned the skill of making friends. She made her final stop in Edmond, Oklahoma, where her pie shop resides today. Her story is, in a word, inspiring, and she’s living proof that believing in yourself means you can accomplish anything. Now you can find her pies at Sunnyside Diner, and her shop is located in the railyard. Please welcome Lynn to Action City!

Jenee Naifeh Lister is a Wealth Management Advisor in Oklahoma City providing high net worth clients a wide array of investment services including wealth management, retirement planning, estate planning, and investment development. After graduating Casady School in 1982, Jenee completed an undergraduate degree in Finance and Economics from Oklahoma State University. Jenee joined her current firm in 1988. In 2004, she earned the Certified Investment Manager Analyst (CIMA®) designation through the Investment Management Consultants Association in conjunction with the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Jenee currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Casady School, Oklahoma City University, and The United Way of Central Oklahoma. Jenee and her husband, Darren, reside in Oklahoma City. They have two children, Dylan age 33, and Madelyn age 19, a current student at Tulane University.

Cody Laurendi is a native of Melbourne, FL! Growing up near NASA, he watched numerous space shuttle launches and that must have planted the seed to explore the world around him. Luckily professional soccer, hard work, and a ton of resilience have taken him from Belgium to Puerto Rico, Austin, Los Angeles, and finally OKC. After 5 years as OKC Energy’s starting goalie, Cody is retired and settled into life as an entrepreneur. He still has his hands in the soccer world as a registered intermediary or soccer agent, an advisor to Soccer Allies, and a soon-to-be podcast host. Cody is met his wife, Allison, in 2018. They call Oklahoma City home. Welcome to Action City Cody!!

Alison Naifeh Dick brings 25 years of experience as a Location Professional in Oklahoma. Alison began her career in Los Angeles working for Canon Film Group and NBC Productions. She has served many roles in the industry: Location Manager, Assistant Location Manager, Location Directorial/Location Scout, and Production Coordinator. Alison’s current credits include feature films; “ Stillwater”, “American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story” and Hulu/ FX Series, “Reservation Dogs”. Additional credits include: “August Osage County” (2013), “The Veil” (2014), “Starbright” (2016) Location Management Department, “WildLife”(2016) Scout, and “I Can Only Imagine” Directors Scout/Location Scout (2016). Alison’s prestigious National Commercial resume includes work with Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Nike, Foot Locker, Sprint, True Religion, Mountain Dew, Air Jordan/Michael Jordan, NBA, and numerous national works. Allison is a native of Oklahoma. She grew up in Enid and attended Oklahoma State University and the University of Southern California both in their Film and TV schools. Alison, welcome to Action City!