Pivot Awards
By: J. David Chapman/March 30, 2017
This week at the annual Commercial Real Estate Summit hosted at the University of Central Oklahoma, the Central Oklahoma Commercial Association of Realtors and the UCO Real Estate Program presented four awards to deserving real estate professionals. These awards, named the Pivot Awards, are awarded to the real estate lender, real estate broker, real estate developer and architect who have made the most pivotal advances in our industry.
The Pivot Award for real estate lender went to Paul Lienhard, who is a senior vice president at MidFirst Bank. Starting his career in 1982, Paul’s story is one of perseverance, surviving roller coaster oil and gas prices, failed banking institutions, and many mergers and flag changes. Since then, he has found a home at MidFirst, managing a department with $400 million in commitments. This portfolio includes apartments, retail centers, office buildings, self-storage, industrial buildings, and hotels. Congrats to Paul.
Gary Brooks was awarded a Pivot Award in the category of real estate developer. He is president and CEO of Cornerstone Development. He has shown pivotal leadership in the multifamily development space with several successful urban apartment projects, but his most adventurous venture to date is the purchase of the historical First National Center with plans to return the iconic building to its once prominent stature. Thanks and congratulations, Gary.
In the architect category, Wade Scaramucci was honored with a Pivot Award. He is associate director at Allford Hall Monaghan Morris Architects. He Skyped in to accept his award due to him spending half of his time in the company’s London office. With successful historical rehabilitation projects such as the Plow Building in Oklahoma City and high-profile projects in London such as the Google headquarters in King’s Cross, Wade was an obvious choice in this category. Thank you for making a difference in our design community, Wade.
The final Pivot Award was awarded to Stuart Graham in the category of real estate broker. Stuart Graham is first vice president with CBRE in Oklahoma City, specializing in the sale and leasing of shopping centers, retail buildings, restaurant properties, commercial land, and large development tracts. He also specializes in tenant representation and site selection services for those looking to relocate or expand their business in the OKC market. Kudos, Stuart.
J. David Chapman is an associate professor of finance and real estate at the University of Central Oklahoma (jchapman7@uco.edu).