08/28/2026
I spent nearly the entire day in Oklahoma City today asking questions.
Before I share what I learned, I want to thank Mayor David Holt, the City of Oklahoma City (Kristy, Bailey, and David) and the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber (Shaun, Marcus, Mike, Jonathan and Cynthia) for being incredibly gracious with their time. They opened their doors, walked me through more than 30 years of decisions and lessons learned, and answered some pretty direct questions about how their community got from where it was to where it is today. If I learned nothing else today, I learned this: Oklahoma City takes hospitality to another level. The generosity, openness and time they gave me was extraordinary.
Thirty years ago, Wichita and Oklahoma City were much more comparable communities. Today, their trajectories look very different in population growth, downtown development, amenities, private investment and momentum.
My favorite quote from one of Wichita’s founders, J.R. Mead: “Cities are not the result of chance, nor do they make themselves. Their prosperity and greatness are in large measure due to the sagacity and enterprise of their founders.”
That was true when Wichita was built, and I think it is just as true today. Cities do not simply become great. People make choices that determine their trajectory.
So after a day in Oklahoma City, the question I keep coming back to is:What have they been doing differently, and what are we willing to do differently? I filled pages of a notebook today. Over the next several days, I’m going to share what I learned.
Some of it is about MAPS. A lot of it isn’t.
It’s about vision, trust, ex*****on, transparency, keeping promises and having the courage to decide where you want your city to go. Wichita does not need Oklahoma City’s vision. Wichita needs a vision of its own.