Public Forums

The Bill W. Burgess, Jr. Business Research Center presents Business Forums throughout the course of each year. The forums address current issues of significant interest that impact upon the regional business community.

The Business Forums are typically held on campus in the CETES Conference Center. Admission is free and open to the public. Information advertising Business Forums is distributed across southwest Oklahoma in advance of each event and is posted on the University Calendar. Please check back frequently for information about upcoming Business Forums.

Past Public Business Forums

2024

The Potential Impact of Raising the Minimum Wage – November 7, 2024 

• Panelists: Dr. Abdulhamid Sukar, Cameron University; Leader Cyndi Munson, House  Democratic Leader; and Adam Maxey, VP of Government Affairs, The State Chamber

Adolescent Mental Health and the Impact of Drug Use – March 14, 2024

• Panelists: Andrea Tracy, Assistant Principal, Eisenhower High School; Carmela Rendina, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Project AWARE, Lawton Public Schools; Chad Kirchen, Principal, Lawton High School; and Jason Hall, Program Manager, Harm Reduction Services 

2023

Addressing Mental Health Needs of Children and Adolescents – November 16, 2023

• Keynote speaker: Mark Woommavovah, Chairman of the Comanche Nation
• Panelists: Lawrence Spottedbird, Chairman of the Kiowa Tribe; Michael Cleghorn, City Manager, Lawton; Stan Booker, Mayor, Lawton; and Brad Cooksey, President, Lawton Economic Development Corporation

Artificial Intelligence: The Disruptive Engine - September 25, 2023

• Keynote speaker: Dean Hougen, Interim Director & Associate Professor School of Computer Science Gallogly       College of Engineering University of Oklahoma
• Panelists: Dr. Jawad Drissi, Associate Professor Cameron University; and Stan Booker, Mayor, Lawton

Challenging Issues Facing Our Youth – March 13, 2023

• Keynote speaker: Representative Daniel Pae
• Panelists: Charles Kirchen, Principal, Lawton High School; Kim Jones, Teacher, MacArthur High School; Jeff     Fletcher, Assistant Principal, Cache High School; and Sheila Maxson, Teacher, Eisenhower High School.

Civic Partnerships with Native American Nations – March 9, 2023

• Keynote speaker: Mark Woommavovah, Chairman of the Comanche Nation
• Panelists: Lawrence Spottedbird, Chairman of the Kiowa Tribe; Michael Cleghorn, City Manager, Lawton; Stan Booker, Mayor, Lawton; and Brad Cooksey, President, Lawton Economic Development Corporation

2022

Meet the Candidates: Election 2022 - October 18, 2022

• Lieutenant Governor: Melinda L. Alizadeh-Fard and Chris Powell
• State Treasurer: Charles De Coune and Gregory J. Sadler
• State Labor Commissioner: Will Daugherty
• State Corporation Commissioner: Margaret Warigia Bowman
• State House of Representatives, District 63: Trey Caldwell
• State House of Representatives, District 64: Zachary A. Walls

Meet the Candidates: Election 2022 - October 12, 2022

• Oklahoma Senate District 32: Johnny Jernigan and John Michael Montgomery
• Fifth District Judge, Office 3: Jay Walker and Neil West
• Fifth District Judge, Office 4: Brad Cox and Scott D. Meaders
• Oklahoma Labor Commissioner: Will Daugherty
• Oklahoma Attorney General: Lynda Steele

Problems and Prospects of Renewable Energy - March 23, 2022

• Keynote: Travis Roach, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Economics, University of Central Oklahoma
• Panelists: Matthew Newman, Advisor to the Secretary of Energy & Environment; Ken Wagner Facilitator for the  Oklahoma Hydrogen Task Force; Russell Philpott, Co-Founder and Lead Consultant, Precise Building Performance LLC; and Dr. Jay Watson, Business and Industry Services Director, Canadian Valley Technology Center, El Reno
  

2021

The Impact of Supply Chain Issues on the Local Economy - November 18, 2021

• Keynote: Dr. Chad Wilkerson, Branch Executive of the Kansas City Fed’s Oklahoma City Branch office.
• Panelist: Phil Kennedy of LEDC 

2020

Covid 19 and our community - December 3, 2020

• Panelists: Barry Ezerski, Owner, Pam & Barry’s Team; Kevin Hime, Superintendent, Lawton Public Schools;     Elizabeth Jones, CEO, Southwestern Medical Center; Dr. Edward Legako, Physician and Vice President, Board of Trustees, Comanche County Memorial Hospital; and Krista Ratliff, President/CEO, Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce.

Propel: 2020 Capital Improvements Plan - February 4, 2020

• Speaker: Michael Cleghorn, City Manager
• Panelists: Stan Booker, Mayor, Lawton; Brad Cooksey, LEDC President; Ross Hankings, Parks and Recreation Commission Chairman; and Brenda Spencer-Ragland, President and CEO of the Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce

Community Banking Forum - March 10, 2020

• Speaker: Brett Leavell, Managing Examiner, Supervision and Risk Management, Oklahoma City Branch – Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
• Panelists: David Madigan, President and CEO, Arvest Bank; Dennis Vernon, CEO, Frazer Bank, Altus; and Tara Deavours, Business Development Officer, BancFirst

Inside the Opioid Addiction Crisis - April 1, 2020

• Speaker: Ryan Hampton, Former White House Staffer

2019

Workplace Violence Prevention Forum - October 15, 2019

• Speaker: Amy Morgan, Founder and Director of Academy Hour
• Panelists: James T. Smith, Chief of Police, Lawton; Danny Ford, Chief of Police, Duncan; and John DeBoard, Director of Public Safety, Cameron University

Battling Oklahoma Obesity - April 17, 2019

• Speaker: Dr. Deana Hildebrand, Associate Professor and Associate Department Head, Department of Nutritional Sciences Oklahoma State University
• Panelists: Dr. Ben Cooper, President, FitKids of Southwest Oklahoma; Brenda Spencer-Ragland, President/CEO, Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce; Dr. Rosemary Bellino, Physician, Internal Medicine; Brandie Combs, Regional Director, Oklahoma State Department of Health; and Marilyn Figueroa, Director, Comanche Nation Diabetes Program

Money Matters: College and Beyond - March 13, 2019

• Speaker: Bridgette Nichols, Oklahoma Money Matters Outreach Specialist

2018

Meet the Candidates: Election 2018 - October 11, 2018

• Labor Commissioner Candidates: Brandt Dismukes, Fred Dorre, and Leslie Osborn
  
• Insurance Commissioner Candidate: Kimberly Fobbs
• State Representative, District 62 Candidates: Larry Bush and Daniel Pae
• District Attorney, District 5 Candidates: Fred C. Smith and Richard Tannery
• State Representative, District 65 Candidate: Toni Hasenbeck
• State Corporation Commissioner Candidate: Ashley Nicole McCray
• State Treasurer Candidate: Charles de Coune
• State Superintendent of Public Instruction Candidate: John Cox and Larry Huff
• State Auditor and Inspector Candidate: John Yeutter
• County Commissioner, District 1 Candidates: Charles Hale and Gail Turner
• County Commissioner, District 3 Candidates: Alvin Cargill and Kerry Givens
• District Judge, District 5, Office 1 Candidates: Emmit Tayloe and Jay Walker

State of Medicare and Medicaid in the USA - March 14, 2018

• Panelists: Michael Coulter, Health Insurance Specialist, Center for Medicare and Medicaid, Dallas Regional Office; Shari Kinney, DrPH, RN, CPH, Assistant Professor, Health Administration & Policy, College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center; Jenny Breeden, Director of Education, Oklahoma Healthy Aging Initiative (OHAI SW); Jonathon Small, President, Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs; and Dr. Rosemary Bellino, Physician, Internal Medicine

2017

Are We Forfeiting Global Economic Leadership? - November 2 ,2017

• Speaker: Dr. Mitchell Smith, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, College of International Studies, Professor of Department of International and Area Studies, University of Oklahoma
• Panelists: Dr. Rebecca Cruise, Assistant Dean, College of International Studies.; Assistant Professor of International and Area Studies, University of Oklahoma

How To Revitalize The Cities - March 2, 2017

• Speaker: Dr. Charles Warnken, Associate Dean, Division of Regional & City Planning, College of Architecture, University of Oklahoma
• Panelists: Fred L. Fitch, Mayor, Lawton; Dr. Tom Thomas, President, Lawton-Fort Sill Economic Development Corporation; Richard Rogalski, Director, Lawton Enhancement Trust Authority; and Dr. Rosemary Bellino, President, Lawton Beautiful, Inc.

2016

The Power of the Wind - Challenges and Prospects for Wind Energy in Oklahoma - October 5, 2016

• Speaker: Dr. John Scott Greene, Professor, University of Oklahoma and Director of OWPI (Oklahoma Wind Power Initiative)
• Panelists: Kylah McNabb, Energy Policy Advisor, Oklahoma Secretary of Energy & Environment; and Russell Philpott, Lead Consultant, Precise Building Performance

U.S and Oklahoma Economic Update: Oil Price Worries - February 18, 2016

• Speaker: Megan Williams, Associate Economist and Manager, Oklahoma City Branch, Federal Reserve Bank
• Panelists: Debra Welch, President and CEO, Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce; and Chris Deal, President and CEO, Duncan Chamber of Commerce

2015

Dynamics of Labor Market and Job Opportunities - a State and Regional Perspective - October 28, 2015

• Speaker: Lynn Gray, Chief Economist, Oklahoma Employment Security Commission
• Panelists: Lyle Roggow, President, Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation; Debra Welch, President and CEO, Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce; and Phil Kennedy Chairman, Lawton Fort Still Economic Development Corporation
  

2013

Changing Dynamics of Energy: Looking Back to Go Forward - September 24, 2013

• Speaker: Dana Murphy, Commissioner, Oklahoma Corporate Commissioner of Health and Secretary
• Panelists: David Blatt, Director, Oklahoma Policy Institute; David J. Bond, Director of External Relations Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, Inc.; and J. Terry Snider, Vice-President of Production and Explorations, Co-owner of Perkins Energy Company, Duncan, OK

What Makes the City Beautiful - April 10, 2013

• Speaker: Fred L. Fitch, City of Lawton Mayor
• Panelists: Gene Brown, City of Duncan Mayor; Dr. Rosemary Bellino, Lawton City Council Member, President of Lawton Beautiful Inc.; Bryan Long, City Manager, Lawton;and  Jay Burk, Chairman of Lawton Enhancement Trust Authority

2012

Oklahoma Weight War: Battling Obesity -  November 15, 2012

• Speaker: Dr. Terry L. Cline, Oklahoma Commissioner of Health and Secretary of Health and Human Services
• Panelists: Dr. Ed Legako, Comanche County Memorial Hospital Board Member; Lori Cummins, Director of Community Relations, Comanche County Memorial Hospital; and Steve Hyde, Southwestern Medical Center; Candace Benson, Dietician

Challenges and Opportunities for the Indian Economy - September 4, 2012

• Speaker: Dr. Amit Gupta, President of Fort-Sill National Bank
• Panelists: Arun Tilak, Director, CETES, Cameron University; and Dr. Ankur Nandedkar, Assistant Professor of Management, Cameron University

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or PPACA - September 4, 2012

• Speaker: Constance N. Johnson, Senator from State Democratic Party
• Panelists: Matt Pinnell, Chair, Oklahoma State Republican Party; David Blatt, Director, Oklahoma Policy Institute; Wallace Collins, Chair, Oklahoma Democratic Party; Steve Hyde, Southwestern Medical Center; Toby Pedford, CEO, Legacy Wealth Strategies Group; and Jonathan Small, Fiscal Policy Director, Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs

2009

Current Issues in Banking in the State and the Nation - March 31, 2009

• Speaker: John Davis, President of Fort-Sill National Bank
• Panelists: William Wilson, Jr., Senior Vice-President, Bancfirst Lawton; and Ron Martin, Executive Vice President and Loan Manager, Arvest Bank Southwest Oklahoma
  
• Speaker: Michael Clingman, Director, Office of State Finance
  
• Panelists: Fred L. Fitch, Mayor, Lawton; Gene Brown, Mayor, Duncan; and Larry Mitchell, City Manager, Lawton
  

2010-2011 Oklahoma Budget: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - March 31, 2009

• Speaker: Michael Clingman, Director, Office of State Finance
• Panelists: Fred L. Fitch, Mayor, Lawton; Gene Brown, Mayor, Duncan; and Larry Mitchell, City Manager, Lawton
  

Healthcare Reform - November 19, 2009

• Speaker: Kim Holland, Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner
• Panelists: Jeff Raymond, Executive Director, OKWatchdog; Wayne Rhode, Co-founder of Oklahomans for Health Care Reform; and Dr. Brent Smith, Personal Care Physician, Lawton

Continuing to Build Oklahoma's Economy in Times of Uncertainty - April 23, 2009

• Speaker: Natalie Shirley, Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Tourism

2008

Economic Issues - 2008 Presidential Election - October 22, 2008

• Speakers: Jed Green, State Campaign Director for Obama for America and Vice President of Membership for the Young Democrats of Oklahoma; and Gary Jones, Chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party

The Housing Market Crisis and Its Fallout on the Local Economy - August 28, 2008

• Speaker: Chad Wilkerson, Vice President and Branch Executive, Oklahoma City Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas

2007

Budget: Deficit and Surplus - 2007

• Speaker: Dr. Syed Ahmed, Cameron University

2006

Your Taxes in Lawton - December 6, 2006

• Speaker: Tom Thomas

2005

Social Security Reform  - April 13, 2005

2004

How to Start a Business: Make It a Reality - February 25, 2004

• Speaker: SIFE, Cameron University

Will this Year's Stock Market Recovery Persist? - January 30, 2004

2002

Charitable Giving Strategies - October 30, 2002

• Speakers: Gary Miller, Cameron University; and Court Newkirk, Lawton Ft. Sill Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Marketing the Military: An Examination of Recruitment Slogans from "I Want You" to "An Army of One" - April 24, 2002

• Speakers: Dr. Suzanne Clinton, Cameron University; and Dr. Sylvia Miller, Cameron University

The Economic Impact of the Recession on Southwest Oklahoma - March 12, 2002

• Speakers: Dr. Syed Ahmed, Cameron University; and Dr. Robert Yuyuenyongwatana, Cameron University

Coping with Stock Market Disaster - January 29, 2002

• Speaker: Dr. T.K. Bhattacharya, Cameron University

2001

Violence in the Workplace - November 14, 2001

• Speakers: Dr. Sylvia Burgess, Cameron University; Dr. Suzanne Clinton, Cameron University; and Dr. Doug Brady, Cameron University