Gary Brooks – UCO distinguished alumnus

By: J. David Chapman/September 28, 2023

It is homecoming week at the University of Central Oklahoma. One of the highlights of the week is honoring an alumnus who has had an impact on an industry, community and society. This year, we recognize my friend and real estate developer Gary Brooks. Many people define Brooks as the guy who took the million-square-foot First National Center out of bankruptcy and disrepair and remodeled it into the art-deco masterpiece it is today.

While that is true, that is not what defines him to me. I met Gary Brooks in the early 1990s. Julie and I had just moved to OKC to start a technology company and were looking for office space. We were introduced to Mark Beffort and Brooks – office real estate brokers. These guys were successful in finding us office space and we operated the business for 10 years.

A decade later, Brooks had moved into a managerial leadership role in their growing real estate firm and I had the opportunity to work with him again as an executive coach for a company called Vistage.

Fast-forward another decade and I got to see him in a different light as I had moved into real estate myself, now seeing him as a colleague in the real estate industry.

Many have characterized Brooks as a risk-taker as he successfully performed the most difficult real estate remodel project in the history of the state of Oklahoma, now known simply as The National. Not me – I see a guy who felt he had been chosen by God, for whatever reason, to take on this important project and really never saw failure as an option. He overcame more adversity in this seven-year project than anyone I have ever witnessed. It took faith, character, confidence and support to do what he did.

So, having been a client, an executive coach and a colleague to Gary Brooks, what defines him to me is, first and foremost, a follower of Christ. He is a dedicated husband to his wife, Michelle, a proud father to Austin and Jennifer, a loyal partner to many, such as Mark Beffort. He is also a trustworthy steward of resources such as assets like the First National Center, as well as a dedicated “distinguished” alumnus to the UCO Real Estate Program and someone I am proud to call a friend. Thank you for your contribution to our industry and community, Gary!

J. David Chapman is a professor of finance and real estate at the University of Central Oklahoma (jchapman7@uco.edu).