A visiting consular delegation from the Korea led by Ambassador Joohyeon Baik, Ph.D. visited the Sooner State on November 3, stopping by the University of Central Oklahoma and the Citizen Potawatomi Nation in Shawnee. Many thanks to Dr. Dennis Dunham at UCO’s Global Affairs Department for assisting in the delegation’s visits!
A delegation from China’s Gansu Province visited Oklahoma to mark the thirtieth anniversary of Governor George Nigh’s 1985 Sister State agreement, signing an accord at the Oklahoma State Capitol with Secretary of State Chris Benge, head of protocol Chris Morriss and gifting Governor Nigh for his contribution to the relationship. The trip was highlighted by an evening reception to the famed Petroleum Club in downtown Oklahoma City, with a special guest performance by Kyle Dillingha, all organized with support organized by the Oklahoma Governor’s International Team and its members.
Cementing the OKGIT’s ties with foreign countries, companies and peoples are organizations like the Oklahoma Israel Exchange, or OKIE, an Oklahoma-based non-profit focusing on developing exchanges between Oklahoma and Israel. OKGIT member and OKIE Executive Director Susan Robertson spoke with OKGIT.com about her organization’s mission, her role and their upcoming November 5 gala event.
What is OKIE’s history?
“The Oklahoma Israel Exchange was endorsed by Governor David Walters in 1992 and became an official non-profit organization during the administration of Governor Frank Keating in 1997. OKIE was a joint endeavor between the Oklahoma City and Tulsa Jewish communities to encourage opportunities for exchange between Oklahoma and Israel. After some refining and updating, today OKIE’s mission is to promote increased collaboration between the two states in agriculture, commerce, culture and education by coordinating activities, sponsoring projects, ensuring responsiveness to economic development opportunities and cultural exchanges, building networks through people-to-people exchanges and serving as an intermediary to further relations.”
How is OKIE funded?
“OKIE is supported mainly by memberships and a yearly fundraising event. We also receive funding from the Jewish Federations of Oklahoma City and Tulsa, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Food and Forestry and grants. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce Israel office is funded in partnership by OKIE and the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, serving the Middle East, and is one of three international offices maintained by the state.”
What is your role with the organization?
Susan Robertson
“I serve as the executive director of OKIE and I am responsible for carrying out the policies as set forth by the board of directors and achieving the goals and objectives of OKIE. I work with the Israeli Consul Generals’ and Economic Office in Houston, as well as state, private businesses, cultural organizations and individuals that have an interest in pursuing programs or partnerships with Israeli counterparts.”
How did you become involved with OKIE?
“I began to learn about Israel while living in Oklahoma in 1986 and made my first trip there in 1989. I was originally connected with a Christian organization, the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, and traveled to Israel every fall for a worldwide conference. During my visits I made many Israeli friends and began to learn more about the country and experience the many challenges they face every day. Each trip brought me closer to a desire to do more than just visit. I moved back to Oklahoma in 1998 and in 2004 the executive directors’ job for OKIE became available, I interviewed and was hired. Ten years later I still enjoy the job and look forward to new partners and programs between the two states.”
What does OKIE do on a day-to-day basis?
“We constantly look for opportunities for exchange or connection in agriculture, commerce, culture or education. Israel has so much high-tech coming out of it. Everyday there’s some new device or app for phones or cure for some disease. We look for a business in Oklahoma that’s interested in partnering with one of those Israeli companies either for research or marketing opportunity. Oklahoma has state-of-the-art medical facilities doing research, is a leader in the oil and gas industry and is also a leader in aerospace. There are definitely a lot of opportunities.
“An example is with the Riata Entrepreneurial Center at OSU. They are interested in partnering with a school in Israel. OKIE contacted the office in Jerusalem and after some preliminary conversations, a school was identified in Israel that was interested and a program is being formed. This is the way we approach all exchanges in any of the four pillars of our mission, like a matchmaker. It is then up to the partnering organizations to move forward with the process.”
Tell us a bit about the annual gala and guest of honor Robert Henry’s presence.
“For the last five years we’ve held what has become the Light, Leadership and Legacy Award gala where we honor distinguished members of the Oklahoma community who have demonstrated unwavering support of OKIE. Honorees recognize the ongoing importance of projects and programs that link Oklahoma and Israel.
“This year on November 5, 6:30PM, at the Skirvin Hotel, Robert Henry is being honored for his commitment to Oklahoma and the relationship with Israel. We try to make sure the program is not only informative about OKIE but also entertaining. Proceeds help to support new and ongoing opportunities between the two states. For more information or to purchase tickets they can call 405-848-3132 or email okie@okisrael.org.”
To learn more about the Oklahoma Israel Exchange, please visit www.okisrael.org or follow them on Facebook page.
Walking across the University of Central Oklahoma, it’s not uncommon to hear a number of languages spoken as students traverse the Edmond, Oklahoma-based campus. Home to students from a wide range of destinations, UCO has become a premier draw for international students seeking an affordable and well regarded education. One of the first stops for many of these students is the UCO International House, a place focused on facilitating global engagement between students, professors and staff from the U.S. and abroad.
The OKGIT spoke with the UCO International House’s Jared Scism, international activities specialist, about his organization’s mission inside the wider UCO community.
What is the purpose of the UCO International House? Practically speaking, why is it important for an Oklahoma university to have these international connections?
“The UCO International House facilitates global engagement and intercultural proficiencies by bringing UCO’s students, faculty, staff together with the Edmond and greater Oklahoma City community. Having these international connections at UCO provides UCO and the Oklahoma City metropolitan community with an unmatched intercultural environment as well as showcasing UCO as a center for globalism.”
What are some of the activities and services that UCO International House provides to students? Is it only for those students who are from abroad, or are the American students welcome too?
“Whether it is to celebrate a holiday from their home country or to promote their culture, at least one or two country associations from UCO’s International Student Council host a cultural activity each month. The International House can also be reserved by students, domestic or international, to host their own events, such as student association meetings, fundraising events and personal gatherings.
“Every Friday from 1-4 p.m., the International House staff conducts a British high tea ceremony. This cultural experience allows guests to learn about and taste tea from high mountain areas of different parts of Asia, as well as providing them the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue with people from around the world.
“The International House also provides accommodations for international students in emergency situations as well as visiting professors and delegates from all over the world.
“Although the main purpose of the International House is to facilitate global engagement, it is open to the entire UCO community as well as members of the Edmond and Oklahoma City metro.”
Why has UCO, a university in the middle of the country and hours away from the nearest international border, become home to so many students from abroad?
“There are several reasons for UCO becoming home to international students, one of which is the International House. International students also appreciate the affordability, hospitality, small class sizes, the interaction they have with their professors and UCO’s intercultural programs. There is also a lot of intensive recruitment and retention taking place at UCO.”
How often do students that are affiliated with the International House stay in Oklahoma after graduation? Are there any “success stories” that come to mind of former participants who are now succeeding in OK or the nearby region?
“The story below is a success story about the former manager of the International House, Nela Mrchkovska:
“I am currently an occupational injury examiner at Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. Risk Management Department. UCO in general helped me to become the person I am and to have the passions and aspirations I now pursue. The welcoming environment, the quality of education and the evident diversity on campus helps every student, and international student in particular, to feel welcomed and motivated to learn and grow. The UCO International House was an especially important involvement of mine during my college years. I believe that the UCO International House’s vision embodies all of the characteristics that I cherish about UCO, and I believe that when I write this, I speak on behalf of the majority of students who have had a chance to be guests of the International House. Being a manager of the International House, interacting with such a diverse community and being a part of something so unique, definitely gave me the confidence I needed to pursue what I sometimes would forget was entrenched in me, and that is the desire to help create equal opportunities for all of the children and young people by expanding the borders of opportunities for all.
“I will be forever grateful for the opportunities I was given here in Oklahoma. Because of that, my plan is to continue grow in this state and hopefully with that, give back and contribute to the well being of it.”
What is the biggest challenge that you and your staff face in stemming from your experience working at the UCO International House?
“The biggest challenge the International House currently faces is lack of funding. While we are very pleased about the success the International House has had thus far, limited funding prevents us from fulfilling some of the visions we have to bring the House to its full potential. We hope to see the International House continue to grow and carry on as a “rising showpiece” of the University of Central Oklahoma.”
Robert Portiss, director of the City of Tulsa-Rogers County Port Authority, was recently named a White House Transportation Champion of Change at a ceremony in Washington D.C. for his work in forging a partnership between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Arkansas-Oklahoma Port Operators Association.
An editorial in the Oct. 13 Tulsa World described Portiss’ work on Oklahoma’s largest seaport, saying “Portiss has been the driving force and head cheerleader for the Port of Catoosa almost since it opened.”
Located just outside Catoosa, Oklahoma, the Port of Catoosa is the head of navigation of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. The port itself is home to Foreign Trade Zone 53, where foreign goods and domestic products are considered outside of the U.S. Customs official territory, making goods inside the FTZ international commerce.
The Tulsa Port of Catoosa has an economic impact of $300 million on Oklahoma, with nearly 5.7 million tons of freight traveling the Oklahoma portions of the waterway in 2012 alone. Customers send and receive more than 2.2 million tons of cargo each year by barge, rail and truck. With more than 60 companies employing more than 4,000 Oklahomans, the Tulsa Port of Catoosa is one of the premier economic engines of Oklahoma. Costing $1.3 billion to complete in 1971, it was the most expensive civil works project ever undertaken by the U.S. Army Corps of Eningeers. To date, more than $1.5 billion has been invested at the port by private industry, supporting jobs across the northeast parts of Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Chef Kurt Fleischfresser and Barbara Charlet in a recent visit to Stuttgart, Germany demonstrating Oklahoma Products
Another great piece in the October 13, 2015 edition of The Journal Record by Brian Brus about the continued efforts of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture’s Barbara Charlet.
Charlet, who serves as the department’s international market development coordinator, recently traveled to Germany with OKC Coach House Chef Kurt Fleischfresser to promote Oklahoma-made food products in Europe’s largest economy.
As noted in the piece by Charlet, who is also a member of the Oklahoma Governor’s International Team, food stuffs made in Oklahoma such as Griffin Foods and Clements peanut butter are already on the shelves of many German stores.
Fleischfresser gave a his take on the draw of products from this part of the U.S. to international consumers, saying ““The thing about overseas market is that they’re intrigued by the old Southwest,” he said. “Oklahoma has a musical named after it that everyone seems to know.”
Read the full article by Brian Brus here.
Charlet is a regular attendee at trade shows and export conferences around the world, spreading the good word about Oklahoma’s food offerings. And it’s not just German stores that are fans of ‘Okie-made products. Charlet cites Ponca City’s Head Country as a success story for its increasingly popularity in Scandinavia, where a Swedish importer began buying the Oklahoma-based company’s BBQ sauce and repackaging it for resale under another name.
Just two short months after her posting as the new British Consul General to Houston, Karen Bell visited the Oklahoma State Capitol on October 6, 2015 for a meeting with state leaders and officials, including members of the Oklahoma Governor’s International Team. The visit, which included a meeting with Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, and luncheon with members of the state house, senate and supreme court and other cabinet members took place in the senate lounge. OKGIT member and honorary British Consul for Oklahoma, Roger Randle, organized the event for the incoming Houston consul, which was attended by other OKGIT members including State Superintendent of Schools Joy Hoffmeister, Secretary of State Chris Benge as well as former U.S. Ambassador Edwin Corr.
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- Oklahoma Secretary of State Chris Benge and British Consul General Karen Bell.
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- Members of the OKGIT visit inside the OK Senate Lounge ahead of British Consul General Karen Bell’s visit to the capitol.
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- Honorary British Consul from Roger Randle discusses the Anglo-American special relationship inside the capitol during the visit of British Consul General Karen Bell.
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- British Consul General for Houston Karen Bell and Red Devil Inc.’s George Lee in 2015.
Located forty miles east of Oklahoma City along Interstate 40, Pottawatomie County isn’t where one would typically think to look for an executive search firm. Yet in the heart of Shawnee, Oklahoma sits Wolf Gugler Executive Search, a human resource consultant for retailers and their suppliers in Canada, the U.S. and the Caribbean.
Gugler sat down with OKGIT.com to speak about his firm’s mission, its international scope and his life as a Canadian working in the Great Plains.
Wolf Gugler
Where are you from?
“I’m originally from Toronto, Canada. My parents were immigrants from Austria in the 1950s after WWII. I graduated from Ryerson University in Toronto specializing in human resources management.
“I relocated to OK in 2000. I was fortunate enough to meet a wonderful woman from McLoud, Oklahoma who I married in 2000.”
Do you only focus on Oklahoma-based recruitment now?
“I began in the executive search field in the late 1980s in Canada. I worked for two national firms before incorporating my own practice in 1997 when I realized that clients were calling me to partner with them, not the company I worked for. I’ve recruited on behalf of multinationals (Rust-Oleum, Home Depot, Jeld-Wen, Emerson Electric) and entrepreneurial firms or those owned by PE’s looking to make significant strides.
“When I relocated to Oklahoma most of my Canadian clients followed me, especially those doing business in the U.S. and the Caribbean.Fortunately with the advent of online video and research tools, where I’m based really doesn’t factor into how successful we are; it has more to do with investing the necessary time to meet with a client, understand their environment and human capital needs, draw up a competency profile for each position and then set out to identify the appropriate types of candidates to succeed in each role.
“I’ve always been a fan and student of technology, so invest the necessary resources to ensure we have the latest sourcing tools available to cast the widest candidate net possible. Oklahoma firms we’ve recruited for include Blastrac, Petra Industries, Mills Machine Company and others.”
Have you found it challenging operating a business that does business in Oklahoma and in Canada?
“When I first moved to Oklahoma, I was concerned that Canadian clients would think I’d ‘deserted’ them in my move to the U.S. This is far from the truth; I’m still back in the Toronto area at least on a quarterly basis where I maintain an office and attend trade shows and visit with clients and candidates on each trip. With the technology available to us, I can video-interview candidates and flight schedules are friendly enough that I can return to Canada on short notice when necessary. I obtained my NEXUS card to make frequent travel that much easier.
“I am still very current on Canadian market conditions and opportunities. On an average I’d put my business split now at 50/50 Canada/US with some Caribbean clients in addition.”
What are some challenges and benefits to doing business in Oklahoma when looking at your experience?
“At first, I didn’t know anyone in the business community other than Tinker Air Force Base folks my wife worked with. I looked for opportunities to engage myself in the local community; I volunteered and became the first Emergency Manager for McLoud which did expose me to others in local businesses and tribes, especially when assisting them with disaster preparedness plans.
“Because of my human resources background I joined the local Society For Human Resources Management chapter and currently serve as president. I also became involved with the Canadian Association of Oklahoma; a number of members are GIT members too. This gave me good insight into the challenges Oklahoma employers face with respect to exporting products to Canada in addition to human capital issues such as compensation, labor law and employee recruitment and retention.
“This has all morphed into where now it seems that no matter where I go, I meet someone who I already know. I also have to say that my first trip to Oklahoma convinced me that this would be a great place to live and work; the people I’ve met are genuine, engaging and as you know, stand together during tough times. I’ve seen it time and time again through our extreme weather and other disaster events when everyone is there for one another. What more can one ask for?”
What makes Wolf Gugler Executive Search stand out in your view?
“I still take great pleasure in working with repeat clients; to me it reaffirms that we’ve met their hiring expectations to the point of calling when another need arises. Typical retained searches are VP, Sales, Marketing Director, General Manager, Distribution Director, Human Resources Manager, National Accounts Manager. With Oklahoma clients, I meet face-to-face to ensure we have a good fit.
“I think we’re great at what we do, based on what clients tell me. I do have an excellent network of experts in their own human resource specialty areas, so if an employer is in need of advice regarding compensation and benefits, labor law, skills training I’m happy to recommend someone I know that may be able to assist them without the thought of ‘what’s in it for me?’
“That’s the ‘Okie way, isn’t it?”
To learn more about Wolf Gugler Executive Search, please visit www.wolfgugler.com for a full list of current searches the firm is engaged in, articles themed around various human resources aspects and more company background information.
Another great opportunity to learn about the second largest economy in the world and a major player on the global stage as Tulsa, Oklahoma plays host to a “China Town Hall: Local Connections, National Reflections” on Mon., October 5, 2015 at the OU-Tulsa Schusterman Learning Center.
Hosted by the National Committee on United States-China Relations, Confucius Institute at the University of Oklahoma, the East Asia Institute at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Oklahoma Tulsa, the evening will feature a panel discussion on the findings of the recent report by the National Committee and Rhodium Group concerning the increase in Chinese FDI in the U.S.
Former Clinton Administration Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and Thomasville, Alabama Mayor Sheldon Day, Daniel Rose of the Rhodium Group will participate in the panel discussion, while Weiping Wu, Ph.D. and Chair of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University will give the keynote address.
The topic of China’s increasing interest in FDI in the U.S. is not new, but its focus on markets in the central U.S. like Texas and Oklahoma has grown in recent years, as examined in this June 2015 Washington Post ‘Wonk Blog’ piece.
RSVP for the China Town Hall event is required and more information can be found by contacting Rex Burnett at rexburnett@ou.edu.
While many their counterparts near international borders or the coasts have a distinct advantage to forging international ties, landlocked states like Oklahoma often rely on building on personal connections through well-known public servants and private citizens. One former Oklahoma politician, Roger Randle serves just such role as the honorary consul for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The Tulsa-born Randle first went abroad as a member of the Peace Corps, a volunteer program begun during the Kennedy Administration that sends Americans abroad to tackle the most pressing needs of people around the world. When asked on how a native Tulsan found himself heading across international borders and time zones to serve others on behalf of the United States at the height of the Cold War, Randle laughs.
“That’s a natural question us Peace Corps people ask each other, ‘Why did you go into the Peace Corps?’” said Randle. “I was at the very beginning of the program, and in those days it was quite a romantic undertaking. It was a combination of a sense of adventure and a confidence of believe in our ability to go out into the world and do good based on our best intentions.”
Randle explained that the sense of Americans’ “can do” mentality often ran into the reality of life on the ground once their assignments began.
“We learned that these local people know about some things a lot better than we do. We got caught up in reality.”
Randle served a year in the Peace Corps, stationed in the Brazilian of Pernambuco. In a somewhat strange twist, Randle’s future wife was also serving in Brazil at the same time in the adjoining state, though they did not meet until years later.
Though his stint in Brazil was cut short due to the death of his father, Randle is fluent in Portuguese. In fact, he says that the majority of the reading he does to this day is in it or Spanish.
“When I was a civil servant for the City of Tulsa, there wasn’t very much global interest in Oklahoma, but I did travel. Whenever I had my vacation time, I would leave the country and head to Mexico or South America. I went because in those days, with airplane tickets being so expensive, I tried to visit places that didn’t require a lot of flying.”
Returning to Oklahoma, he was elected to the state house of representatives in 1970 and state senate in 1972. He served four terms total as a senator, twice as President Pro Tempore. While focused on Oklahoma’s domestic concerns as a member of the legislature, Randle maintained an interest in the world outside America’s borders. He credits the vision of Governor George Nigh and Lieutenant Governor Spencer Bernard with helping expand Oklahoma’s international ties.
“We had leaders who had a vision of the value of being international, and I wanted to be a part of it,” he recalled.
In 1988, Randle moved from the statehouse to city hall as the elected mayor of Tulsa. In that role he led the way in developing that town’s international ties, including extending invitations to the then-president of Venezuela.
“We tried to raise the horizon of the community of the value and importance of international ties,” he explained. “We had activities to get the community involved, and I supported the effort to bring the national conference of the Sister Cities Program to Tulsa while I was mayor.”
As the former mayor looks back at the conference, in which he and the Sister Cities’ representative entered on horseback, he notes it as another great opportunity to build Oklahoma’s international ties. Through Tulsa’s hosting of the event, then-Mayor Randle served on the Sister Cities’ national board of directors, a position that eventually led to a term as the president and chairman of the group.
Randle also sits on the board of the Governor’s International Economic Development Team, the Oklahoma Governor’s International Team and the Tulsa Global Alliance. He is past chairman of the Tulsa Committee on Foreign Relations and a former member of the U.N. Association of Northeastern Oklahoma. He is currently Director for the Center for Studies in Democracy and Culture and a professor of human relations at the University of Oklahoma’s Tulsa campus.
Prominent amongst those roles is his current position as the Honorary British Consul in Oklahoma. Randle is amongst a handful of honorary consuls in the Sooner State working as local representatives of foreign nations in their relations, be they commercial, cultural or educational with Oklahoma.
“I have enjoyed being able to observe the British administrative system,” noted Randle. “It’s fascinating for me to see administrators in a different national and cultural context operate when we have meetings. We have such close cultural ties to the U.K., but the differences are very interesting.”
If you would like to learn more about the honorary consuls based in Oklahoma, please contact the Rico Buchli of the Oklahoma Governor’s International Team. If you would like to learn more about Roger Randle, Honorary Consul for the United Kingdom, please email randle@ou.edu.
(Top photo: Tulsa Skyline – By Caleb Long)