8-6-2024
“Fueling OKC’s Fastest Growing Industry” – Kari Watkins, Oklahoma City National Memorial; Harshil Patel, Champion Hotels; Moderator: Lindsay Vidrine, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce; Craig Cress – ED USA Softball; Scott Munz – Okla. State Fair
Moderator
Lindsay Vidrine is a passionate advocate of Oklahoma City and currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Destination Marketing for Visit OKC. In this role, she spearheads the destination’s PR and marketing strategy for convention, leisure and sports audiences. Prior to coming to Visit OKC, she spent five years at the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department and more than 10 years at PR and marketing agencies in Oklahoma City and St. Louis.
Kari Watkins, a third-generation journalist, became the Oklahoma City National Memorial’s first staff member as the Communications Director in March 1996. She was named Executive Director in 1999. Today, as President and CEO, she oversees the operations of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum; one of Oklahoma’s most visited sites and is Race Director for the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. Kari oversaw the design competition of the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial and
the building of the Memorial Museum and worked with board and staff to raise $29 million dollars for construction.
In 2013, Kari recognized the future of museums was changing and the Memorial had to adapt to maintain relevance. As a result, the Memorial began the $10 million 9:03 Campaign to update and enhance the existing Museum. Through
the next two years, Kari led a team of board, staff, consultants and construction teams to design and build todays award-winning Museum. For the 20th Anniversary, the Memorial opened the Uncover-Discover Lab, an academically oriented experience geared toward middle and high school students. The Lab integrates STEM concepts with lessons learned from the bombing, in an interactive environment connecting the past with the future.
Kari guided 2020’s signature educational/outreach/training program for the 25th Anniversary – Better Conversations. Through online and in-person programs, visitors experience a safe space to have candid conversations about tough
subjects including racial reconciliation, collective memory and uniting and moving a city forward.
Looking Back. Thinking Forward. written by Kari and Founding Memorial Chair,Robert M. Johnson, reveals the story of the violence of the Oklahoma City bombing turning to hope as the world witnessed a response characterized by courage, compassion and unity in the building of the Memorial. Locally, she has been recognized with several awards including the 2000 Womenin Communications Byliner Award, 2005 Journal Record Woman of the Year, 2006 Stanley Draper Award for Community Excellence, 2011 University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism Distinguished Alumni Award, 2016 Lee Allan Smith Oklahoma Legacy Award, and the 2017 John F. Kennedy Community Service Award.
Kari leads a staff that has been awarded the highest national recognition, accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums. The Memorial Museum has won numerous awards including The Videographer Award of Excellence, a Gold American Alliance of Museums MUSE, the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award, multiple Addy’s, PRSA Awards, and Oklahoma Tourism RedBud Awards. Kari currenty serves as the Chair of the Board of the OKC Convention and Visitors Commission, Maps 4 Civil Rights Clara Luper Center Subcommittee, Board of
Visitors for the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord College of Journalism & Mass Communications and is an elder at Crossings Community Church. She previously served on Maps 3 Scissortail Park Subcommittee for 12 years. She and her husband Hardy have two children, Ford and Caroline
Harshil Patel is the Vice President of Champion Hotels & Development. He was born in Weatherford, OK and has lived in Oklahoma his whole life. Harshil is a second-generation hotelier and grew up in the family business. Harshil graduated from The University of Oklahoma Price College of Business with a bachelor’s degree in Finance. His current role as Vice President entails building and maintaining franchise relationships, working with the operations teams, as well as managing several parts of Champion’s new development pipeline. Harshil also serves on the OKC Convention & Visitors Bureau Commission, Board of Directors of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, Hilton Product Advisory Council, and Embassy Suites Owner Advisory Council.
Scott Munz, Executive Vice President of Marketing & Sales, started his tenure with the Oklahoma State Fair in July 1988 as promotions coordinator for the State Fair Speedway. He was named Manager of Promotions/Special Events in March of 1991 and has maintained a high energy and positive profile for the Oklahoma State Fair. He was promoted to his current position in Spring, 2023.
A Brooklyn, New York native, Munz earned a B.A. in psychology from the State University of New York at Fredonia. Upon graduation, Munz moved to Oklahoma in 1976 to pursue a career in concert promotions.
With over 50 years of accumulated experience, Munz has been involved in promoting several different entities, including Little Wing Productions, Cain’s Ballroom, Cheyenne Entertainment, Mid-South Sports, The National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling and Murphy Enterprises.
Munz has served on the Board of Directors for the Oklahoma Association of Fairs and Festivals and the Oklahoma City Ad Club. He is a member of the International Association of Fairs and Expositions, Oklahoma City Advertising Club (30+ years), Showmen’s League of America and the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Bricktown Association.
On a personal note, life has been very good to Scott. In July 1998, he married the lovely Lisa Atkinson (now Munz). Since that time, they have had two daughters, Ciara and Kylie, 25 and 22 respectively. Both daughters are graduates of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communications. Ciara currently works at Candor and Kylie is employed at Ackerman McQueen.
Craig Cress (Terre Haute, Ind.) has served as the Chief Executive Officer for USA Softball since November 2013. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, Cress leads the USA Softball National Office staff and various local associations across the United States while also stewarding Oklahoma City as the ‘Mecca of Softball®’ with various legendary events brought to the Devon Park each year. His involvement with USA Softball started as a player and umpire, calling the game at the highest level at many National and International Championships before earning the honor of enshrinement in the National Softball Hall of Fame in the umpire category in 2005. Cress also served as the Director of Membership for 11 years for USA Softball, where he was tasked with leading the administration of youth and adult leagues, in which USA Softball registers over one million per year. Under Cress’s guidance, USA Softball most recently fielded a 2020-21 U.S. Olympic Softball Team at the Tokyo Olympic Games, where the sport of softball returned to the Olympic program for the first time since 2008. In addition to his impact at USA Softball, Cress also serves as the Softball Division Chairman for the World Baseball Softball Confederation where he assists with supervising the execution of decisions at Biennial Meetings. Cress and the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States aim to continue their efforts in the international softball world, recently regaining Olympic status for the sport of softball in the 2028 LA Olympic Games.
Chair of the Day
Brooke Haneborg
