Pivot

The weird thing about culture is that it is not just formed from a top-down approach. Culture plays off a vision, but the team and individuals help shape it. No one has been more a part of our culture than Jamie Ratchford. Today, we are celebrating her fifth anniversary. Since she started at Pivot, we have been through COVID-19, had two founding partners depart, and added three companies (Pivot Construction, Pivot Brokerage, and Pivot Property Management.) Amidst all that change, Jamie has continued to grow in her roles and responsibilities and has maintained a sense of care and empathy for all her team members. We would not be who we are today without her. Join me in congratulating Jamie on five years!

Pivot started pursuing this development over two years ago and we are grateful to have Guernsey - Engineers/Architects/Consultants join us as they relocate their HQ to this site. It is such a gift when we get to partner with individuals and companies that share a vision of transit, placemaking, and walkability. On an aside, we continue to see strong leasing demand in the midtown OKC market. The proximity to I-235, restaurants, bars, and walkability have created a place where people want to work. So much work has been put in by our City and its leadership and I am thankful we get to continue to build off it.

I am incredibly excited to announce Candace Baitz's new role as President of Pivot Development. She has been with Pivot since our inception and over the past nine years, she has performed every role within the company. Within our team we have discussed the various levels of trust. Trust related to honesty, trust related to work competency, and trust related to looking after the needs of the team, not just oneself. She exudes that type of trust within our team and has grown into someone that leads with empathy and excellence. I could not be more excited for the future of our company with her leading the way.

Of all of the components of development, Property Management is one of the most important. It requires empathy and excellence and is the one department that primarily engages with our tenants and partners once the development is completed. Over the past year, I have gotten to know Tandell Veleker, RPA, FMA, see her work ethic, vision for the City, desire to make a difference, and her level of care towards those she engages with at a tenant and asset level. Pivot is incredibly excited to have her join the team and lead our Property Management.

Over nine years ago, David Wanzer, handed me the contract to the Tower Theatre and asked me and Ben Sellers to join him in the redevelopment of the building. Shortly thereafter, through the help of Steve Lackmeyer, we were able to purchase the Sunshine building. Those two assets laid the foundation for what Pivot was to become and through a lot of debt, good fortune, wonderful tenants and partners, equity that believed in us, and a City on the rise, we have been able to build a small company that out-punches its weight class. Weirdly, Pivot is turning another page. One thing that was important for Ben, David and myself was to build a company that was bigger than any individual or personality. When Ben stepped away almost two years ago, Pivot carried on. As of Decemeber 31st, David has also stepped away. Pivot is committed to build off of the foundation those two founding partners laid. Empathy, Excellence, Resilience, Thoughtfulness, and Joyous Disruption are and will remain the bedrock of who we are and what we do. Pivot and Pivot Real Estate Brokerage were able to celebrate David at our Holiday Party. In closing, I reminded David that he has been a friend and mentor first. Moving forward, those things will also not change. Cheers to great friend and a new chapter.