Brent Wheelbarger
President
Trifecta Communications
Larry Watts
Vice President
American Fidelity
A native of South America, Maria Martinez shares her talents and vast knowledge of Latino culture serving as a Latino Outreach Specialist for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma. Maria represents the brand making meaningful connections and business opportunities in Oklahoma City. She is involved in many volunteer projects with different non-profit organizations like the Health Alliance for the Uninsured, Possibilities Inc., La Luz and LCDA. Maria also serves as Ambassador for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and is excited to continue to learn more about serving others.
Maria Martinez
Secretary
BCBS of Oklahoma
Brent Colgan
Treasurer
Armstrong Bank
Larry Hopper’s career has been about transforming the built environment and quality of life (QOL) in greater Oklahoma City. Born and raised here and raising a family here, his work and collaborative spirit as an urban planner and transit planner have impacted urban redevelopment, improved transportation (trails, streetcar, and bus), furthered TOD, and bolstered both community health and intercultural relations. He transitioned his career into occasional private land, planning, and transit consulting while continuing to provide community service and leadership to nonprofit boards such as Possibilities and the Gold Dome Multicultural Society, to his church and to a Rotary Club. Past work regarding Bricktown, trail planning, OKC Streetcar, NW BRT, plat review, rezoning, Tax Increment Finance (TIF), and OKC annexations/deannexations are just a few items in OKC marked with his smudgy fingerprints. A key element of Possibilities’ mission that has kept him inspired to support the mission is the way that Possibilities prepares disadvantaged people and others to lead to make their communities greater. Community karaoke crooning is an offbeat passion of his, and many will donate large sums just to get him to let go of the mic! And, in 2020 he became the latest and only living Oklahoman inducted into the urban planning field’s College of Fellows (FAICP), and so now is forced to continue to live up to that honor (or else??).
Larry Hopper
Community Volunteer
Lane began her tenure at OKC FRIDAY, 13 years ago, when she joined the staff as News Editor. She was promoted to General Manager when Gordorn Walker purchased Night Owl Publications and left the position. In 2015 she was promoted to Editor and has served in that role ever since. Prior to that, she had a 15-year career with Lake Media, based in Camdenton, Mo., where she served in many positions, including Associate Editor of a daily newspaper, Editor of two different weekly newspapers and Sales Executive. Lane’s husband then took a job in Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame selected Lane as an inductee in April of 2015. Lane has covered city governments, the schools, non-profits and the social scene, since coming to work at OKC FRIDAY. Lane is married to Bob Lane. They have two children. Bobby is married and lives in Lacey, Wash. Her daughter Carrie is a graduate of John Brown University.
The Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame selected Lane as an inductee in April of 2015. Lane has covered city governments, the schools, non-profits and the social scene, since coming to work at OKC FRIDAY. Lane is married to Bob Lane. They have two children. Bobby is married and lives in Lacey, Wash. Her daughter Carrie is a graduate of John Brown University.
Rose Lane
OKC Friday
Davonna Milam
Stride Bank
Traci Tabyanan
American Fidelity
ADVISORY BOARD
Carol Blackwood
Community Volunteer
Annette Ellis
Oklahoma Natural Gas
Lucy Fritts
Community Volunteer
Janis Hodges
BancFirst
Linda Lambert
Enertree
Ed Pulido
Folds of Honor Foundation
Pat Schonwald
Community Volunteer
Ted Streuli
Oklahoma Watch
STAFF
Over the past 30 years, Byron Jackson has created an impressive track record of community training on many subjects, including cultural diversity and team building. These experiences have led him to develop a “special sauce” of experiential learning, humor, music, and fun that creates a safe environment where people can deal with their differences and share who they truly are. His skills in working within diverse groups, along with his extensive community contacts, his humor, and his odd assortment of clothing, have touched the lives of many around the world.
Byron holds a degree in social work from the University of Oklahoma. After graduation, Byron worked as a family and adolescent counselor at the Norman Alcohol Information Center and also served as youth director at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Norman. He has trained in group process with Virginia Satir (People Making), Don Lowery (True Colors), and many other innovators of group work. He joined Possibilities, Inc., twenty years ago as a Training and Facilitation Specialist, and was named Executive Director in April 2019.
Byron’s goal for the mission work of Possibilities is always the same - to create safe environments where people can find their own voices. Byron believes humans are social beings, meaning we work best in interaction with one another. His mission with Possibilities is to help humans connect and work toward common goals. A recent focus has become helping people talk about issues of race and injustice in safe spaces to help them move from oppression and anger to healing, harmony, and creating new paths for the future.
Byron Jackson
Executive Director
Kelly started her relationship with Possibilities landing fresh from New York City as their next door neighbor in Mesta Park. After a few years getting to know the group and discovering how much the organization's mission and values aligned with her own, she joined the team. As a Community Development Specialist, she is able to draw from her background in marketing from her past life in New York working in the non-profit theater arena. Though she's from Houston originally, we don't hold it against her - she's an Okie, through and through. When she's not working with participants and helping make OKC a better place to be, she enjoys the antics of her two sweet kids and humorous husband.
Kelly Johnson
Associate Director
Laurin, better known as Peaches, is a recent Okie. She moved from Spokane Washington to be close to family. She is a nerd, Aunt, book worm, volunteer, people person, and lover of learning new things. She is excited to be a part of the Possibilities Team and to make Oklahoma her forever home.
Laurin Keller
Office Manager
Kat Post
Brand Manager
A musician at heart, she graduated from the Academy of Contemporary Music in Oklahoma City, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Business Management with a focus on organizational leadership and sound design. With over a decade focused on artist and event support, she is now aiming to bring communities together through education, advocacy, and a reunion of spiritual/healing practices through the arts. In her free time, Jaz enjoys playing tabletop games, baking sweets, and experimenting with new music projects that she creates with her friends around the world.
Jazmin Bryan
Podcast Producer
Santiago Ramones
Podcast Producer
