Thursday, November 5, 2026

Skirvin Hilton Hotel

One Park Avenue, OKC

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!
 

11:00 - 11:30 11:30 - 12:00	Registration and Networking Lunch
12:00 - 12:15	Introduction by Event Emcee Megan Gelmers, Robinson Park
12:15 - 12:25	Trivia
12:25 - 1:25	History of OKC/Thunder Bob Blackburn
1:25 - 1:35	Break
1:35 - 1:40	Trivia
1:40 - 1:55	What's Happening in the OKC area? Dennis Pruitt, Greater OKC Chamber
1:55 - 2:15	Tourism Outlook - Bringing Events to OKC Adam Wisniewski - Greater OKC Chamber
2:15 - 2:25	Break
2:25 - 2:30	Trivia
2:30 - 2:50	Olympics 2028 Michael Byrnes, Team OKC
2:50 - 3:10	Strategic Plan for OKC Joshua Brooks, Sasaki
3:10 - 3:40	The Trio Gary Brooks, Mark Beffort, Richard Tanenbaum
3:40 - 3:45	Trivia
3:45 - 6:00	Happy Hour - Red Piano

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Bob Blackburn

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Dennis Pruitt, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber

In March 2025 joined the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce as Senior Vice President of Economic Development.  Pruitt leads the Chamber’s business recruitment and expansion efforts, economic research, industry sector development and destination retail initiatives. He also leads the Greater Oklahoma City Partnership, a 10-county regional economic development alliance.

Dennis spent 17 years with Missouri Partnership, a statewide public-private organization focused on economic growth across urban and rural communities.  He served as Vice President of International Business Recruitment and later as Vice President of Business Development.  Prior to this he was the Executive Director of the Montgomery County Action Council, a county-wide economic development organization based in Independence, Kansas.

Dennis is a certified Economic Developer and a graduate of the Economic Development Institute. He is active in the International Economic Development Council, having served for two years as Chairman of the International Committee.  In 2020, he was recognized as Economic Developer of the Year by the Missouri Economic Development Council. 

He holds a Master's degree in urban planning from Texas A&M University, a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and French from Harding University, and a French language certificate from the Sorbonne.  He is an honorary member of Pi Delta Phi, a French national honor society.  Dennis attended high school in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Iowa.

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Adam Wisniewski, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber 

Originally from Allen, Texas, Adam Wisniewski is no stranger to Oklahoma. He previously earned undergraduate degrees in both sports management and economics from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, where he also started his career in sports working in recruiting for the OSU football team. He then earned dual graduate degrees from the University of South Florida's Vinik Sports and Entertainment Management MBA/MS program. 
 
As Vice President of Sports Development for Visit OKC & the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, Wisniewski primarily works with Visit OKC staff and other partners to attract local and national sporting events to Oklahoma City. He also develops and maintains relationships with various stakeholders locally, regionally and nationally, to increase Oklahoma City’s brand and image within the sports market. Since joining Visit OKC, Wisniewski has overseen the local collaboration with some of Oklahoma City’s largest sporting events including NCAA Women’s College World Series, OKC Memorial Marathon, UFC Fight Night and various youth and amateur tournaments and championships through groups such as ESPN Events, USA Gymnastics, Big 12 Conference, International Canoe Federation and the Savannah Bananas. Prior to accepting his role with Visit OKC, Wisniewski spent time with the Arlington (TX) Sports Commission, and the Tampa Bay Sports Commission.

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Michael Byrnes, Team OKC

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.

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Joshua Brooks, Sasaki

 

Joshua is a partner at Sasaki with a deep passion for creating successful human habitats across scales. In addition to leading projects across the country, he also manages the Denver office of our practice.

Trained in both planning and design, Josh’s work spans disciplinary lines and scales but is deeply connected to the revitalization of urban places. His experience includes work across North America and select projects in Europe, Australia, and Africa. All of Josh’s work centers around the intersection of people and infrastructure, where we work with public and private clients to develop solutions to complex urban design, public space, redevelopment, and policy challenges. He has a keen understanding of social dynamics, the development of local vernacular, and long-term implications on ecological integrity, economic impacts, and technological change. He uses his experience to craft resilient solutions for cities and people.

A fierce advocate for the power of planning and design, Josh specializes in downtown planning, large-scale urban redevelopment, mixed-use master planning, corridor redevelopment, infrastructure planning, riverfront planning and design, neighborhood design, and public space design.

Josh is a frequent lecturer on urban development issues. He is involved in advocacy for positive urban change. His strategic and human-centric approach is cherished by clients. As a result, he forges deep and long-standing relationships with cities, developers, organizations, and institutions.

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Registration:

Early Bird Registration until October 16th          $125 CREC Members $150 NON-CREC Members

Advance Registration $145 CREC Members $170 NON-CREC Members

Day of Event $155 CREC Members $180 NON-CREC Member

 

 

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SIGNATURE SPONSORS

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