DOWNTOWN OKC PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCES
2026 DEAN A. McGEE AWARD HONOREES
Avis Scaramucci, Elizabeth Eickman, Chris Fleming to be honored
OKLAHOMA CITY (June 8, 2026) – Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership will honor three visionary leaders whose extraordinary contributions have helped shape the future of downtown Oklahoma City at the 39th annual Dean A. McGee Awards on Friday, August 28, at The Skirvin Hilton Hotel located at One Park Ave. in Oklahoma City.
Avis Scaramucci will be honored with the Dean A. McGee Award in recognition of her lifetime of transformative leadership and investment in downtown Oklahoma City. Elizabeth Eickman will receive the Stanley Draper Award for her outstanding contributions to enhancing the visitor experience and cultural vitality of downtown. Chris Fleming will be presented with the Neal Horton Award for his visionary role in driving the revitalization of a downtown district.
The 2026 Dean A. McGee Awards is a black-tie event beginning with a 6 p.m. reception, followed by dinner and the awards program at 7 p.m., and concludes with an After-Party. This year’s event co-chairs are Deborah McAuliffe Senner and John Michael Williams. Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership President & CEO Jennifer Nakayama will deliver the State of Downtown Address.
Downtown Oklahoma City has been shaped by bold visionaries, and this year’s honorees opened doors to new downtown districts, their impact continues to define our city’s momentum and vibrancy that will be enjoyed by future generations. – Deborah McAuliffe Senner, Event Co-Chair
The Dean A. McGee Award
Recognizes individuals for a lifetime of contributions, ensuring that Oklahoma City has a strong, energetic core. The award is named after Dean A. McGee, an Oklahoma City business leader who led efforts to construct the Myriad Gardens and was passionate about developing downtown as a gathering place for future generations.
Her influence extends far beyond her business through decades of civic leadership and service with organizations, such as Downtown OKC Partnership, Bricktown Association, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber and Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau, dedicated to strengthening downtown, promoting tourism and advancing Oklahoma City’s growth. She also serves on Myriad Gardens Executive Board, St. Anthony Foundation Board, and OK Humane Board of Directors. Through her commitment to guest experience, community engagement and unwavering enthusiasm, Scaramucci has helped shape the welcoming spirit and sense of pride that define Oklahoma City today.
From the arts and residential to retail and commercial, the honorees envisioned an ever-finer downtown by building communities that attract more people and innovative downtown experiences. These leaders inspire the future of downtown as a dynamic and inclusive destination. – John Michael William, Event Co-Chair
The Stanley Draper Award
It is presented to an outstanding nonprofit staff member, volunteer or non-elected government employee who has made an enduring impact. The award is named after city visionary Stanley Draper, who inspired everyone to dream impossible dreams and was known as the country’s greatest “city builder.”
Elizabeth Eickman will receive the 2026 Stanley Draper Award. Her legacy of advocating and leading arts initiatives has made an enduring impact downtown. As Director of Festival of the Arts throughout the 1980s, her leadership kept people coming downtown. Later, she served as Executive Director of the Arts Council of Oklahoma City and led community support to grow arts programs and visibility of the arts in downtown Oklahoma City.
She served on Downtown Oklahoma City’s Comprehensive Plan Work Group in 2001, the Mayor’s Core to Shore Steering Committee in 2008 to expand downtown’s boundaries, and on MAPS 1% for Arts Committee in 2014. As early as 2000, she was honored with the Edwin D. Hatfield Award by Downtown Now, the predecessor to Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership, and the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center recognized her with the Marilyn Myers Founders Award in 2020 and the Founders Award in 2025 for her leadership in advancing the arts and culture.
The Neal Horton Award
It is presented to a visionary who sparked a renaissance in a downtown area. It is named after Neal Horton, who dreamed of revitalizing the decaying red brick warehouses east of downtown into an entertainment, dining and retail district known today as Bricktown.
As the 2026 Neal Horton Award honoree, Chris Fleming’s vision for Midtown has transformed a downtown area of blighted, vacant buildings and empty lots into a vibrant, walkable district while preserving the neighborhood’s historic elements and engaging in active placemaking. Since 2006, his work and leadership as Partner of Midtown Renaissance have driven new housing, offices, retail, and restaurants.
Fleming’s contributions help define the district’s character, with his work spanning micro spaces at Make Ready, major anchors like the Phillips Murrah and Monarch buildings, more than 10 historic preservation projects, and community-centered efforts such as the MAPS 4 Palomar building, Midtown Mutts dog park, and Let’s Wrap Midtown. In January 2026, Fleming began a two-year term as Chairman of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum Board of Trustees, focusing on Foreword, the Museum’s new entry lobby, orientation area, and education experience.
He also serves as Chairman of the Dean McGee Eye Institute Foundation and is Past President of the Myriad Gardens Community Board. His current board service includes Downtown OKC Partnership, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, and SSM Health Oklahoma.
Sponsorship opportunities to the Dean A. McGee Awards, presented by Downtown OKC Partnership, are available. This event benefits Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership’s 501(c)(3) organization, Downtown Oklahoma City Initiatives, which funds public art and other downtown improvement projects.
Reservations are required and may be made by contacting Jones Strategies at (405) 516-9686. For additional information about the Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership and the Dean A. McGee Awards, visit DowntownOKC.com.
