Speakers

Please welcome Jennifer Nakayama!  Jennifer has served as the President and CEO of Downtown OKC Partnership since February 2023. She brings a wealth of experience from her previous six years as President and Executive Director of the Waikiki Business Improvement District (WBID) in Hawaii. Nakayama holds a bachelor’s degree from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, and a master's degree from the University of California, Davis. As a licensed professional engineer (P.E.) in civil engineering, she skillfully combines her technical expertise with her executive leadership abilities.

Since joining Downtown OKC Partnership, she has concentrated on building strategic relationships and utilizing partnerships to improve downtown Oklahoma City's environment for residents, employees, and visitors. Her commitment to public spaces drives her collaborative vision, connecting residents, businesses, and government to reinforce community ties. She currently oversees a team of 13 staff members and oversees a budget exceeding $5 million across seven organizational structures.

Nakayama maintains active engagement in community governance, serving on the Board of Trustees for the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum in an ex-officio capacity, as Secretary and Executive Committee member on the International Downtown Association's Board of Directors, and as a member of the John Rex Charter Schools Board of Directors.

 

ABOUT DOWNTOWN OKC PARTNERSHIP Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership (DOKC) is the 501(c)(6) nonprofit urban place management organization created in 2000 and is responsible for creating and championing a vibrant and diverse downtown through placemaking, advocacy, and promotion. DOKC also manages and maintains the Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) and fosters an environment of creativity and culture through public art and activation via Downtown OKC Initiatives. The BID delivers street-level amenities such as street cleaning, landscaping and trash pickup, produces events, and provides additional services such as marketing, branding and programming. For more information, visit DowntownOKC.com

 

Lets welcome Mark Beffort. Mark Beffort serves as Chief Executive Office of Robinson Park, Newmark Robinson Park and Chief Operating Officer and Portfolio Manager of Square Deal Investments. His commercial real estate career began in Oklahoma City in 1985, after graduating from Washburn University.  After several years as a successful commercial real estate broker, Mark began building a personal investment portfolio in addition to assisting several private and public entities build a strategic partnership.  MARK BEFFORT mbeffort@robinson-park.com O: 405.879.4757  C: 405.850.6600 204 N Robinson Ave., Suite 700 Oklahoma City, OK 73102 For nearly 40 years he’s built a solid reputation as a trusted partner and leader in the community.  Mark’s robust portfolio is valued at over $2 billion and spans across 15 million square feet across nine markets including Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma; Rogers, Arkansas; Indianapolis, Indiana; Winston-Salem and Charlotte, North Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; Columbus, Ohio; and New York City, New York. The portfolio started as a Class A high rise office strategy, but has since grown and diversified through hospitality, multi-family, industrial and storage investments. Mark’s leadership reaches beyond his real estate portfolio and into the lives of those that he mentors and employs.  Between Newmark Robinson Park and Square Deal Investments, Mark employs over 200 individuals with jobs that provide competitive compensation, benefits, and strong company culture. During the pandemic, Mark led a strategy to buy hotels during a distressed market.  The acquisition of 5 hotels during 2021 preserved over 350 jobs. Mark’s professional and community involvement includes Trustee for Washburn University Foundation, and Casady School. Chair of the Council of Bond Oversight for the State of Oklahoma, Myriad Gardens Foundation, and the Oklahoma City Chamber Board of Directors.