THE OKLAHOMAN | OKLAHOMAN.
COM  Thursday, September 26, 2019  B9
Q & A W I T H E M I LY L A N G
Renewed funding presents
opportunity for organizations
that advocate well
Emily Lang is a founding partner
at Price Lang Consulting strategic
communications firm. Legislation
impacts businesses and organiza-
tions of all industries and sizes. As
things start to take shape at the
state Capitol, how do you think
things will be different this year?
Over the past several years,
state lead-
ers chose to
increase taxes
in a few areas,
which means
the Legislature
will be looking
Lang at a signifi-
cant increase
in funding this year. That’s a
good thing, as state employ-
ees, nonprofits and state
services have all been cut
significantly during the down-
turn of the past two decades.
This year marks a real oppor-
tunity for the Legislature to
define priorities and restore
funding in key areas.
What do you think those key
areas will be? How will they be
determined?
The agencies and orga-
nizations likely to be most
successful in earning a share
of the available funding will
be the organizations that have
the best story to tell in terms
of real, measurable results.
Messaging and money go
hand-in-hand. That’s true
whether you’re fundraising
for a nonprofit or asking for
increased appropriations at
the state Capitol.
What should organizations be
OKLAHOMA BUSINESS BRIEFS
Parent-child well data available  capital infusion and business
Enverus, a software and data
analytics company, is offering
customers new data that high-
lights the importance of well
spacing, it announced this week.
Officials said the company
is providing the data through
a Well Spacing Solutions
report it offers as part of its
FundamentalEdge series of
products.
Decisions on optimal well
spacing should be made after
considering numerous geolog-
ical, engineering, operational
and economic variables, com-
pany officials noted.
“Well spacing is complex and
incredibly important in today’s
current free cash flow era,”
Sarp Ozkan, Enverus’ energy
analysis director, stated as
part of the announcement. “As
documented in this report and
the case studies supporting it,
understanding well spacing is
like peeling back an onion. It is
far more complex than some-
thing that can be understood by
a single distance measurement.
An inaccurate, simple spacing
metric has ripple effects across
all parts of the industry."
DURANT
Oklahoma Small Business
Development Center celebrates
its 35th anniversary
The Oklahoma Small Business
Development Center (OKSBDC)
celebrated 35 years of serving
Oklahoma’s small businesses
and entrepreneurs on Friday
with a program and open house
held at the State Office on
the campus of Southeastern
Oklahoma State University.
Southeastern Oklahoma
State University has served as
the host for the statewide pro-
gram since 1984. The center
has evolved over the past five
years. The number of partner-
ships throughout the state has
increased during a time when
budgets are being cut. The
center has been creative with
engaging partners that have
goals that align with job cre-
ation, job retention, starting
businesses, and infusing capital
into the economy.
“We are excited about having
a history of helping grow
Oklahoma’s economy through
job creation and retention,
thinking about in terms of telling
their story effectively?
There are a couple of things
that can really make a dif-
ference. First, organizations
need to be consistent in telling
their story. Make it personal.
Identify success stories and
third parties who are willing to
speak publicly on your behalf.
Review all of the appropriate
messaging channels, and make
sure you’re on the platforms
that best fit your message
and your target audience. It’s
important to build your fol-
lowing now — before session
starts — so that if you need
to mobilize followers, you’ve
already built a network of
people who know your story
and can help you turn up the
volume when needed. 
There are a lot of organiza-
tions competing for attention
and funding. What makes some
stand out while others fade into
the background?
Consistency really is key.
It’s not enough to spread your
message once — you have to
do it every day if you want to
be part of the conversation
once budget talks start. While
impactful, consistent messag-
ing is important, always keep
in mind that honesty is vital.
Back up what you say with
data. Put your best face for-
ward, but above all else, tell
the truth. When it comes to
advocacy, honesty isn’t just
the best policy — it’s the only
policy.  economy into recession.
 
Paula Burkes, Business writer
starts and expansion,” said
OKSBDC State Director Michele
Campbell. "And, we look for-
ward to the future as we are
expanding into new initiatives
such as services that include
cyber security and connecting
clients with innovative products
and technology with the United
States Department of Defense,”
said OKSBDC State Director
Michele Campbell.  Ameristar Vice President Clay
TAHLEQUAH
Cherokee Nation's outpatient
health facility to open in
October
The largest tribal outpatient
health facility in the country
is set to open in Tahlequah in
phases beginning in October
after two years of construction.
The Cherokee Nation's four-
story, 469,000-square-foot
outpatient health center on the
Hastings campus is expected to
open its optometry, audiology,
physical rehabilitation, behav-
ioral health, radiology, lab and
pharmacy services on Oct. 7.
Primary Care, dental and resi-
dential clinics are scheduled to
open in the new center on Oct.
21. A grand opening ceremony is
planned for November.
“The Cherokee Nation is
excited to open this beautiful
new facility that allows us to
serve more of our citizens, and
offer more services than they
ever had before,” Principal
Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said.
“This facility is a real game
changer that will improve our
overall health system and is a
huge investment in our local
economy. It is a blessing for me
to see former Chief Bill John
Baker’s vision come to fruition
because of what it means for our
citizens.”
TULSA
Ameristar Perimeter Security
wins certification  6% senior notes due 2022 and
The U.S. Department
of Homeland Security has
approved Ameristar's Active
and Passive Barriers for
homeland security projects
as defined by the Support
Anti-terrorism by Fostering
Effective Technology Act of
2002 (SAFETY Act), company
officials have announced.
The certification covers
A woman walks by a money exchange shop decorated with different countries currency banknotes at
Central, a business district in Hong Kong. [AP PHOTO]
China rejects Trump
criticism on trade
The Associated Press
BEIJING — China urged
President Donald Trump
on Wednesday to listen to
developing countries and
oppose bullying after the
American leader criticized
its trade status at the United
Nations.
A foreign ministry spokes-
man called on Trump to
"meet China halfway" in
settling trade disputes.
The two governments are
locked in an escalating tariff
war over complaints about
Beijing's trade surplus and
technology ambitions. It
threatens to tip the global
Trump complained
Tuesday that the World
Ameristar's active and passive
anti-ram barriers, providing
them with the highest level of
liability protection available
under the SAFETY Act.
The company now offers 11
SAFETY Act Certified products,
officials said.
"SAFETY Act certification
is a great benefit to customers
and end-users of Ameristar bar-
rier and bollard technologies,"
Haman said. "We are excited
about the opportunities this
certification will bring through
future projects and value the
designations SAFETY Act pro-
vides to current installations of
our barrier and bollard system."
Conner & Winters names
leadership team
Conner & Winters LLP has
announced P. Scott Hathaway
of Tulsa and Jared D. Giddens
of Oklahoma City will continue
the firm’s president and chair-
man, respectively, after electing
its management team.
Officials said J. Ryan Sacra
of Tulsa will continue as sec-
retary and chief operating
officer while Robert J. Melgaard
of Tulsa will continue to serve as
chief financial officer. Melodie
Freeman-Burney of Tulsa,
David S. Randolph of Tulsa,
Todd P. Lewis of Fayetteville,
Arkansas, and G. Daniel Miller
of Washington, D.C., also were
elected to serve on its executive
committee.
“Our leadership reflects the
regional nature and nationwide
capabilities of the firm, having
representatives from Tulsa,
Oklahoma City, Washington,
D.C., and Fayetteville serving on
our leadership team," Hathaway
said. "We will continue to focus
on growing to meet the increas-
ingly complex needs of our
clients, not only regionally but
on a nationwide basis, as well.”  tender offer for its outstanding
Magellan Midstream pipeline
operational
Magellan Midstream Partners
LP announced this month
it started operating a 135-mile,
refined products pipeline from
its East Houston terminal to
Hearne, Texas.
The company also completed
construction of a spur from the
new system to the George Bush
Trade Organization improp-
erly gives China preferential
treatment. He was referring
to complaints China, the
No. 2 global economy and
biggest trader, is abusing
the leeway given to devel-
oping countries to subsidize
exports or delay opening
markets.
The United States should
"listen to developing
countries' calls for rapid
development, opposition
to bullying and suppression
and aspirations for peace and
stability," said the Chinese
spokesman, Geng Shuang.
China has insisted it has
the right to pursue devel-
opment in response to
complaints by Washington
Intercontinental Airport, and
plans to bring it online Nov. 1.
Magellan also has reversed
an existing pipeline segment
between Hearne and Dallas to
carry up to 85,000 barrels per
day of refined products from
Houston to Dallas and has
started to build a new refined
products terminal in Midland,
Texas, it hopes to bring online
in mid-2020, it announced.  Braxton can provide a full range
ONEOK added to green index
ONEOK Inc. announced
Monday it has been added to
the Dow Jones Sustainability
North America Index, which
lists companies recognized
for industry-leading environ-
mental, social and governance
performance.
Officials said ONEOK is the
only U.S.-based midstream
energy company included in
the index.
"ONEOK's inclusion in the
DJSI underscores our com-
mitment to operating safely
and responsibly," Terry K.
Spencer, ONEOK's CEO, stated
in the release. "For ONEOK,
sustainability is a continuous
commitment. We've made tre-
mendous strides in the area,
but work remains to be done to
achieve long-term success."
ONEOK officials said the sus-
tainability index was created by
Dow Jones in 1999 to track stock
performance of global compa-
nies that meet certain economic,
environmental and social crite-
ria. Visit oneok.com to learn
more about ONEOK's environ-
mental, social and governance
performance can be found in
the company's corporate sus-
tainability report.  Processing. The training will
WPX increases cash tender offer
WPX Energy Inc. has increased
its previously announced cash
8.25% senior notes due 2023.
The company now is offering to
buy back up to $550 million of the
senior notes, up from $450 mil-
lion previously. The offer is set
to close Sept. 10, but noteholders
as of Sept. 23 offered up nearly
$456 million in the 2022 notes
and almost $221 million in the
2023 notes. WPX officials said
they now plan to buy back all of
the outstanding 2022 notes and
and other trading part-
ners that its industry plans
violate Beijing's market-
opening commitments and
are based on stealing or
pressuring companies to
hand over technology.
U.S. and Chinese nego-
tiators are due to meet in
October for a 13th round of
talks aimed at ending the
trade war. There has been no
sign of progress since talks
deadlocked in May.
"The United States should
see China's development
with an open, inclusive
and win-win attitude and
meet China halfway to
control differences on the
basis of mutual respect,"
Geng said.
about $95 million in 2023 notes.
NOBLE
Friday appointments available at
Primary Care Noble
Family nurse practitioner
Bianca Braxton is accepting
new patients for Monday-Friday
appointments at Primary Care
Noble, the business announced.
of primary, acute and specialty
health care services, including
prescribing medications, diag-
nosing and treating acute and
chronic conditions, ordering
diagnostic tests and managing
patients’ overall care.
Braxton received her Master
of Science, Family Nurse
Practitioner from Clarkson
College in Omaha, Nebraska,
and her Bachelor of Science
in Nursing from Langston
University. She has been a reg-
istered nurse since 2009 and a
family nurse practitioner since
2016.
Primary Care Noble is located
at 408 N Main in Noble.
WAYNE
Beef seminar scheduled
A training seminar titled
“From Hoof to Plate — How do
your cattle grade and rate?” will
be presented at Mid-America
Technology Center in Wayne on
Thursday, organizers have said.
The seminar is scheduled for
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will fea-
ture guest speakers Heather
Buckmaster with the Oklahoma
Beef Council, Mark Teague with
AgBoost, Justin McDaniel with
McClain County Extension
and Kris Rittenberry of Hilltop
feature examination of beef
retail cuts and a tour of Hilltop
Processing and Harvesting Plant
in Lexington.
The event will be held at
the MATC Health Seminar
Center and is a cooperative
effort between Cleveland,
Garvin, and McClain coun-
ties Extension Services and the
MATC Agriculture Business
Management Program.
Registration is $10, which
includes lunch. Registration is
available at jsquires@matech.
edu or by calling 449-7623.
Staff reports