City of Oklahoma City

If you took Oklahoma history in junior high, there’s a good chance you never learned about one of the state’s most influential early leaders — Charles Gasham “Gristmill” Jones. Today, city and county leaders unveiled a life-size bronze sculpture honoring Jones, whose entrepreneurial spirit and civic pride helped shape Oklahoma City and the state of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma City/County Historical Society donated the monument and plaza, which are located northeast of the Bennett Event Center, south of the Centennial Building at OKC Fair Park. The monument was created by Oklahoma City sculptor LaQuincey Reed, a member of the National Sculpture Society whose public art can be seen across the state. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gUXmSxQ8

NobleReach™ Foundation today announced three members of the 2025 class of NobleReach Scholars will join the Oklahoma City Office of Innovation and the Department of Information Technology for yearlong placements focused on data science and business process innovation. “Oklahoma City has been working to use advanced technology to streamline government processes and help our teams to work faster and better for our residents, and we're already seeing amazing results,” said Oklahoma City's Chief Innovation Officer, Kelly M. Williams, PhD. “Positioning ourselves to make the most of technology into the future means ensuring we have the right people in place to implement it.” Across the nation, Scholars will engage in four critical areas – artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, business process innovation and materials manufacturing – to support and advance public service. “The depth and dedication of our applicant pool shows that young people continue to be extremely interested in public service,” NobleReach CEO Arun Gupta said. “We’re in a moment when all levels of government are refreshing traditional ways of managing their workforces to better fit the demands of today’s mission, and we must be ready with a pipeline of top mission-oriented talent to meet that need.” NobleReach Scholars are a group of 28 recent graduates and early-career professionals skilled in areas like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and more placed in public service tech roles across 15 federal, state and local government agencies, including Oklahoma City, and five mission-driven industry partners. This year’s second-ever cohort of Scholars was selected from a pool of over 1200 applicants from over 100 universities nationwide. An easy button for public service tech talent In addition to full-time employment by their host organization, Scholars will receive a pre-placement stipend to cover relocation and setup costs, an orientation bootcamp, quarterly professional development workshop and one-on-one mentorship from leading public and private sector leaders across the four core themes. “The challenges we face can only be solved with the full participation of all our national assets, across sectors, disciplines and localities,” said the Honorable Lisa Disbrow, NobleReach Board Chair. “The NobleReach Scholars program ensures tomorrow's leaders have the opportunity to learn the importance of public service to our national security and help strengthen collaboration between the public and private sector wherever their careers take them.” NobleReach will begin accepting applications for the 2026 cohort in Fall 2025.

Today, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt unveiled preliminary conceptual architectural renderings of the Oklahoma City New Arena to a sold-out audience attending his annual State of the City address. The building will be a first-class, state-of-the-art NBA arena and entertainment venue. "The primary purpose of our new arena was to secure a long-term future with major league professional sports, and to keep us competitive for concerts, but there are secondary benefits as well," said Mayor Holt. "One of those other benefits is the opportunity to raise the aesthetic bar in our downtown and to make an architectural statement. This arena has the potential to become a signature building for our city, known around the world. I believe this design absolutely seizes that opportunity, and I am grateful to David Manica and his colleagues, as well as the Thunder and everyone who has been a part of this process the last few months. This arena design truly is one of one." The Oklahoma City New Arena was designed by the architectural team of MANICA Architecture as the design architect and TVS as the architect of record. The final design will require approval of City Council. In March, City Council approved the hiring of Flintco Construction and Mortenson Construction to serve as the construction team on the project. The new arena, which is scheduled to open by late summer 2028, will serve as a catalyst for the city's ongoing economic and cultural renaissance. Architecturally, the conceptual design for the new venue includes a 360-degree glass curtain wall, offering panoramic views from all interior concourses, emphasizing transparency and connection. The arena's west-facing main entrance, aligned with the adjacent Myriad Botanical Gardens and reflecting Oklahoma sunsets, features Thunder Alley—a vibrant fan activation zone at street level designed within the arena footprint. An elevated main entrance, situated on a grand podium, creates an inspiring sense of arrival and opens to the main concourse, fostering a welcoming atmosphere. The interior concept prioritizes basketball, with optimized sight lines and a seating design that fosters an energetic, loud, and intimate experience. "I'm thrilled and honored to be leading the design of the new arena in downtown Oklahoma City," MANICA owner David Manica said. "The collaboration between my team, the City, and the Thunder has certainly resulted in a design that will set a new standard for multi-use sport venues around the world. The design is truly a one-of-a-kind, and there is nothing else like it in the world. It will be an icon for the future of this growing city, and a place for the community to come together to share incredible new memories for generations to come." Renderings and video of the preliminary arena conceptual designs, along with additional information, can be found at okcnewarena.com.

Oklahoma City Manager Craig Freeman has announced the appointment of Angela Pierce as the City’s next Finance Director. Pierce will begin her new role on August 22. She succeeds Brent Bryant, who was promoted to Assistant City Manager in March. “Angela is a proven leader with more than two decades of financial management experience, including four years as the City’s Deputy Chief Financial Officer,“ Freeman said. “We have one of the most effective finance teams in the country, and they will be in good hands with Angela. She is a strategic thinker, skilled communicator and an expert in government finance.” Pierce will oversee 87 positions across the Finance Department’s seven divisions that include Administration, Accounting and Financial Reporting, Community Enhancement, Financial Planning and Management, Procurement, Revenue Management and Risk Management. During her time with the City, Angela successfully managed a $22 million budget and a $1.6 billion investment portfolio, while also serving as the City's Debt Coordinator. “I'm incredibly humbled and honored to step into the role of Finance Director for the City of Oklahoma City,” said Pierce. “Having dedicated my career to municipal finance, I’m excited to lead such an incredible team of hard-working people. We’ll remain committed to the conservative financial stewardship that our residents expect and deserve, ensuring a strong and stable future for Oklahoma City.” About Pierce Pierce is the founder and CEO of AAA CPA, a strategic and financial management firm. Her career includes leadership roles as Finance Director at 929 Strategies and Deputy Chief Financial Officer for the City of OKC. Before that, Pierce worked for the State of Oklahoma as the Director and Administrator for the Oklahoma Capitol Improvement Authority. Pierce holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Central Oklahoma and is a Certified Public Accountant. She is an active member of the Government Financial Officers Association, where she has contributed through committee work and advisory roles. She is married to Adam Pierce and is the proud mother of two children, Andrew and Anna.

The City of OKC offices will close, and most City services will not be available on June 24 to accommodate the historic Champions Parade. - No trash or recycling pickup on Tuesday. Makeup day is Wednesday, June 25. - All OKC Municipal Court dockets will be cancelled for June 24. - The Animal Shelter and Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center will also be closed. - OKC Parks satellite services will be operating during normal business hours. This includes all camps, community centers, senior centers, recreation centers, gymnasiums and pools. City services resume on June 25. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g46XDZeY

Who's ready to celebrate this team?? Thunder Nation is invited to the 2025 Champions Parade in downtown Oklahoma City, starting at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. Check out the parade route and fact sheet. https://lnkd.in/gqF_5sv9

On Tuesday, the Oklahoma City Council approved four agreements that will retain the Oklahoma City Thunder NBA basketball team in OKC through at least 2053. The agreements are as follows: - Arena Use License Agreement - New Arena Food and Beverage Agreement - Amended Facility Management Agreement - Preferential Rights Agreement “Becoming a big league city has changed us forever, as the last few weeks have reminded us,” Mayor David Holt said. “Since 2022, we have worked as a community to secure our long-term status as a big league city. This agreement represents the culmination of that work. I thank the team ownership and staff, the Council, the City staff and ultimately the voters and residents for their work to bring about this day. Now, we know officially that our relationship with the Thunder is secure through at least 2053.” Read more a bout the agreements: https://lnkd.in/gfAwexCS.

Oklahoma City Presiding Municipal Judge Philippa C. James will retire on June 30 after 28 years of service with Oklahoma City Municipal Court. Judge James began her career with the City on July 1, 1997, when members of the Oklahoma City Council appointed her a Municipal Judge responsible for the City’s juvenile docket. She was appointed Oklahoma City Municipal Court Presiding Judge July 1, 2013. “Judge James’ commitment to criminal justice reform leaves an indelible legacy for the OKC Municipal Court and the community,” Judiciary Chairman and Ward 8 Councilman Mark Stonecipher said. “Judge James personifies justice for all. She will be greatly missed.” At the Municipal Court, Judge James championed Criminal Justice Reform and supported the court’s outreach with community agencies such as the Homeless Alliance, NorthCare, Remerge Oklahoma, City Rescue Mission, The Education and Employment Ministry (TEEM), Department of Corrections, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Oklahoma County District Court Specialty Dockets, Diversion Hub and the Latino Community Action Agency. Judge James, along with the Court Administrator and the Criminal Justice Division Head of the Municipal Counselor’s Office, helped create Community Court, which serves people experiencing housing insecurity. She was a major influence in the court’s warrant reform, creating dockets to determine ability to pay, thus eliminating arrests for debt alone, implementing more transparent processes for pro se defendants and advocating for the court’s participation in Warrant Clearance Events throughout the metro area. Judge James is the recipient of the 2025 Oklahoma County Bar Association Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2019 Oklahoma Bar Association Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher Diversity Award. Prior to her tenure at Oklahoma City Municipal Court, Judge James was General Counsel for the State of Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board, and the first African­ American attorney to hold that position. She was also the first African American attorney assigned to work as an Assistant Public Defender in the Juvenile Division of the Oklahoma County Public Defender's Office. Judge James is a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the Oklahoma County Bar Association, the Association of Black Lawyers (Oklahoma County), the Oklahoma Municipal Judges Association, as well as the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. Judge James has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She received her Juris Doctorate from the Oklahoma City University School of Law in 1992. President John Adams said, “If we don’t lay out ourselves in service, what else is there?” Her presence will be missed: her legacy will live on.

We’re hiring a Housing Strategy Implementation Manager. In this role, you could make a difference in OKC. This position oversees developing and implementing new and enhanced affordable housing-related policies and programs with City partners and departments, including funding mechanisms, housing production and preservation efforts, partner coordination, and capacity-building. Apply by June 28 at okc.gov/careers. Learn more about the role and the programs you’d manage: https://lnkd.in/g3AAdmPh