NextGen Under 30
Winners Archive
2020 Winners
Some good news for 2020!
This year is our 10 year anniversary and NextGen Under30 set another record for participants.
Congratulations to all our Winners!
2019 Winners
2018 Winners
2018 Awards Ceremony Program
(Order a printed copy here, or click image for a PDF version)
NextGen Under 30
Award Winners, 2011 to 2017
History
2011 to 2016
Don Swift, publisher of ionOklahoma Magazine, founded the 30 Under 30 NextGen Award program in 2011. Since then, over 3,000 outstanding individuals aged 30 years and younger have been nominated for their contribution to their organizations and communities. Originally focused primarily on Oklahoma City, in 2016 the program was enlarged to the whole state of Oklahoma. The number of winners was increased to 297 winning in sixteen career categories, and category sponsors joined the program to promote nominations in their respective fields.
The 2016 NextGen Awards Ceremony filled the banquet hall at the Cox Convention Center in downtown Oklahoma City with 1,100 NextGen winners, employers, colleagues, family, and friends.
2017
In 2017, the program was scaled back to 185 winners in 15 categories, along with other improvements that helped us serve the entire state. There were hundreds of applications that year, each including an essay that sometimes ran to three pages. The judges had a great challenge to choose the 2017 NextGen Under 30 Winners and the 2017 Honorable Mention Winners.
The 2017 NextGen Awards Ceremony was moved to a new home at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Convention Center in Norman.
2018
In 2018, the program was once again expanded, with 267 winners in 15 categories. The Awards Dinner and Ceremony was largely redesigned, streamlining the introduction of winners and featuring charismatic speakers from around Oklahoma. About 900 winners and their friends, colleagues, and family filled the convention center’s hall.
2018 NextGen Under 30 Awards Dinner & Ceremony
2016 – Sixth Annual NextGen Under 30
Award Winners at the Oklahoma State Capitol
2015 – Fifth Annual 30 Under 30
Award Winners

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Jarod Armstrong | Enterprise Rent-a-Car |
Crystal Bland | Milo & Lily Boutique |
Tyler Bolton | Continental Resources, Inc. |
Wesley Burt | Hogan Taylor |
Ryan Cargill | Chesapeake Energy Corporation |
James Cotter | Cotter & Sons, Inc |
JaNiece Cranmer | KFOR |
Ryan Cunningham | Gaillardia Country Club |
Mickey Dollens | OKCPS Teacher |
Lauren Ferguson | Paycom Software, Inc. |
Sarah Finley | Addison Group |
Dalton Funkhouser | St. Anthony Foundation |
Nathan Gardocki | Nathan Gardocki Productions |
Jessica Green | Capital Distributing |
Philip Grenier | Booz Allen Hamilton |
Tessa Hager | Attorney Generals Office |
Baird Harper | MidFirst Bank |
Mike Hoang | KM Marketing |
Jon Hocker | Safe Families Oklahoma |
Katherine Horn-Davis | Heritage Hall |
Whitney Hufnagel | Heritage Trust Company |
Mary Johnston | First Liberty Bank |
Shannon Lavicky | Hall Capital, LLC |
Ben Lindsey | Legacy Bank |
Brent Nagtegaal | Armstrong International Cultural Foundation |
Erika Oliveira | Cars.com |
Jacob Oller | Love’s Travel Stops |
Christian Pearson | MidFirst Bank |
Jen Roberts | Kimray Inc. |
Chloe Shelby | Jordan Advertising |
Pervez Soomar | MillennialCFO and BOK |
Mitch Steichen | Jones Public Relations |
Katylee Strange | Liquidfish |
Clay Taylor | Taylor Capitol Group, LLC |
Ieshia Thomas | IT Music Group LLC |
Kyle Thompson | Gateway |
Peter Tran | American Fidelity Assurance Company |
Rachel Webb | Sonic Drive In |
Carlisha Williams | Lighthouse Academies |
Outside Oklahoma City
Ruth Addison | Crowe & Dunlevy |
Sarah Brown | Municipal Judge |
Taryn Calico | Cherokee Nation |
Bryce Chitwood | The Artesian Hotel and Spa |
Marissa Lightsey | Oklahoma Baptist University |
Martin Madewell | Cherokee Nation |
Brittney Orr | The Chickasaw Nation |
NOTE: September 22nd at 10:00, photo in the Blue Room at State Capital
with the Lt. Governor.
2014 – Fourth Annual 30 Under 30
Award Winners

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Anthony Hendricks | Crowe & Dunlevy |
Andy Campbell | Nix Law Firm |
Amanda Essalli | Elias Books Brown & Nelson Law |
Alixandra Marie Orza | Chesapeake Energy |
Ann Gray | Gray Strategy Consultants, Inc |
Ashlee Adams | St Anthony Foundation |
Chelsea Canada | Oklahoma Dental Association |
Carolyn Colby Wedel | Sandridge Energy |
Cory Jenkins | IBC Bank |
C Lauren Clark | Pruitt & Associates |
Canaan Duncan | Cherokee Nation |
David Adams | Chesapeake Energy |
Gina Yannarell | Koch Communications |
Jeff Kline | Bays Law Firm |
Jake Krattiger | Gable & Gotwals Law |
Jamie Bramble | Heritage Hall |
Jessica Webb | Feed The Children |
Katie McKnight | Ernst & Young |
Kelsey Quillian | Renegar Riggs, Abney |
Keshav Tyagi | Writer/Producer/Director |
Kirby Foster | Devon Energy |
Kristen Cory | Kaisers |
Kristina Evans | American Fidelity |
Lauren Ottaway | Crowe & Dunlevy |
Leif Francel | Deer Creek Schools |
Lincoln Ferguson | AG’s office |
Travis Stephens | The APP Shop |
Travis Brauer | OK Governor’s Office |
Whitley O’Connor | The Curbside Chronicle Founder |
Mark Pahl | Pharmaceutical Professionals |
Mary Ellen Knewtson | Gooden Group |
Matthew Bjork | Development Director at KIPP Reach. |
Megan Tilly | OK Asst ATT GEN |
Rachel Hays | OCPA |
Scott McGregor | Scott McGregor Homes |
Scarlet Le | Omega Investments, LLC |
Zach Summer | OK Lt Governor’s Office |
Steven Curry | Bank of Oklahoma |
Outside Oklahoma City
Katy Tipton | ONE Gas |
Shagah Zakerion | Tulsa Regional Chamber |
Lindsey Sage | Bama Companies |
Koshia Silver | Langston University |
Nicole Schultz | Chickasaw Public Relations |
Ryan Thorley | McDonalds |
Brett Knight | Chickasaw Nation Youth Program Director |
Cody Mosely | City of Guthrie Director |
2013 – Third Annual 30 Under 30
Award Winners

Adam Christensen | Christensen Law Group |
Allison Kennedy | Jasco Products |
Amy Hubble | Heritage Trust Company |
Anna-Marie Costello | Miss United States Organization |
Armand McCoy | Trifecta Communications |
Ashleigh Arnall | United Way of Central Oklahoma |
Bailey Lynn | Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb’s Office |
Barbara Miller | Mercy Hospital |
Becky Taylor | Infant Crisis Services |
Brian Burget | McAfee & Taft |
Brian Winslow | Interstate Helicopters |
Cameron Brewer | Downtown OKC |
Carly Hill | Chickasaw Nation |
Christopher Gilchrist | American Fidelity Group |
Colleen Burns | St. Anthony Hospital |
Dustin Akers | The Alliance For Economic Development of Oklahoma City |
Erica Gray | Addison Group |
Heath Hornbeek | Hornbeek Blatt Architects |
Isaac Rocha | BAMA Companies |
Jason Henderson | MAKO Surgical Corp. |
John Riesenberg | Devon Energy |
Karen Tibbets | Frates Insurance & Risk Management |
Katherine O’Brien | True North Living |
Lauren Dennison | Urban League of Greater OKC |
Lisa Riley | Dale Rogers Training Group |
Macie Craven-Tims | Designer/Artist |
Madeline Mitchell | Gov. Mary Fallin’s Office |
Matthew McCombs | Heritage Trust Company |
Megan Parrish | Community Learning Council |
Michael Reel | Chesapeake Energy Corp. |
Miranda Wilson | YMCA |
Mitch McCuistian | Evans & Davis |
Nam Do | Sonic Corp. |
Paige Williams | Chickasaw Nation |
Paul Goodman | Goodman Ventures |
Phil Wheeler | Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club |
Phillip Mazaheri | Price Edwards & Company |
Sarah Glaser | DRE Lighting, LC |
Shelby Norman | Orange Leaf |
Tina Dzurisin | Archdioceses of Oklahoma City |
Travis Jett | Fellers Snider |
Travis Mason | Cushman & Wakefield |
Whitney Rainbolt | Medallion Management |
2012 – Second Annual 30 Under 30
Award Winners

Jason Acock | Sonic, America’s Drive-In |
Nicole Bryce-Howell | OPUBCO Communications Group |
Britnee Bryles | KFOR/KAUT |
Sara Celi | KFOR/KAUT |
Christa Copeland | Midwest Regional Medical Center |
Caitlin Dempsey | Grubb & Ellis |
Holly Faurot | Paycom Payroll |
Elizabeth Gillum | Heritage Hall |
Bailey Gordon | Allied Arts OKC |
Elizabeth Gray | Walters Power International |
Robert Hefner V | Hefner Energy |
Jason Hines | Chesapeake Energy Corporation |
Ashley Hurney | MTM Recognition |
Kyle Impson | Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma |
Garrett King | U.S. House of Representatives |
Blake Lawrence | Hall Estill |
Katie McDonnell | Devon Energy |
Abigail Ogle | KSBI |
Blake Patton | Fellers Snider |
Greta Puckett | VI Marketing and Branding |
Jeff Riles | Phillips Murrah Law Firm |
Aasim Saleh | OKC Boathouse Foundation |
Jessica Shadid | Ackerman McQueen |
Andrew Silvestri | Office of Governor Mary Fallin |
Christine Soileau | Greater OKC Chamber |
Christopher Staine | Crowe and Dunlevy |
Juliann Strange | OKC Beautiful |
Mike Turner | State Representative-Elect |
Chris Watkins | Gaillardia Country Club |
Kelly Weldon | Precision Therapy Services |
Laura Duprez | Gaberino’s Homestly Italian Restaurant |
2011 – First Annual 30 Under 30
Award Winners

Bose Akadiri | American Red Cross of Central Oklahoma |
Trudy Baidoo | Verizon Wireless |
Matt Beckham | Quibids |
Mandi Briggs | Heritage Trust Company |
Joleen Chaney | KFOR |
Ashlie Cornelius | University of Oklahoma Career Services |
Jay Doyle | A-Tech Paving |
Kelli Dupuy | Sunbeam Family Services |
Taylor Fudge | Claims Management Resources |
Dacia Harris | The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs |
Lindsay Houts | NewsOK.com |
Blake Jackson | Chesapeake Energy Corporation |
Mike Jones | Scissortail Creative |
Amanda Kirkpatrick | Heritage Hall |
Brian Kouhdari | Cole & Reed, P.C. |
Lacey Lett | KOKI |
Regan Lynn | Oklahoma City Thunder |
Christopher Lloyd | Lloyd Entertainment Media Group |
Elisa Milbourn | Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau |
Lauren Nelson | KWTV |
Wyas Parker | Chickasaw Nation |
Emily Rothrock | Science Museum Oklahoma |
Chauncey Shillow | Santa Fe South High School |
Emily Sutton | KFOR |
Lauren Toppins | Paycom Payroll |
Even Vincent | Crowe & Dunlevy |
Emily Virgin | State Representative |
Ryan Waters | Creative Oklahoma |
Zach Weldon | Precision Therapy Services |
Kyle Austin Young | Devotionality, LLC |