FINA NCE journalrecord.

com » THE JOURNAL R ECORD » June 23, 2020 » 9A

Stride Bank moving to
Automobile Alley
OKLAHOMA CITY – Stride Bank is
moving to the former Mercedes-
Benz dealership location at 1225 N.
Broadway Ave. in Automobile Alley.
Stride Bank signed a lease with
Midtown Renaissance Partners.
“This is just a perfect part of
town for us. Just like Automobile
Alley, we have an extensive history
in this state,” said Kevin Guarnera,
Oklahoma City market president.
The new banking center will
provide a full range of banking
services, including commercial
lending and wealth management.
The office will also house human
resources and administrative staff
led by Shelly Connolly, senior vice
president and director of human
resources and communications, as
well as the legal department headed
by Rusty LaForge, Stride’s chief
counsel.
Joe Shockley, who recently joined
the bank’s board of directors, also will
office at the new location.
Brian Fitzsimmons of Fitzsimmons
Architects was selected as project
architect and Lingo Construction
Services will serve as the general
contractor. The bank is scheduled to
take occupancy in the fourth quarter.
The new banking center and its
location near the Innovation District
will provide space for the company’s
planned growth.
“Not only is this part of town a
perfect mix of what the bank itself
represents – a long history of solid
service and an innovative spirit –
the employees and clients they will
FINANCE BRIEFS
bring with them make this a solid
win-win for the entire district,” said
Chris Fleming, partner at Midtown
Renaissance Partners.
Accounting firm HoganTaylor
became the first occupant of the
former car dealership in November.
Founded in 1913, Stride Bank has
more than $800 million in assets and
branches in Enid, Tulsa, Oklahoma
City, Bartlesville, Blackwell, Woodward
and Mooreland. –Staff report
Public sector finance
seminar set
EDMOND – A seminar is set July 8 for
public sector finance and accounting
professionals focusing on issues
affecting governmental
practitioners.
Edmond accounting firm Arledge
& Associates will conduct its annual
Government Accounting Seminar
for municipal, county, state, higher
education and tribal government
finance and accounting officials and
employees. The seminar is set for 8 a.m.
July 8, with all presentations live via
Zoom.
Seminar topics will include payroll,
fraud prevention, fiduciary activities,
auditor communication and leases.
The seminar also will include a session
entitled Balancing the Budget During
Economic Downtowns and a COVID-19
business issues panel discussion.
Accounting and auditing
professionals from Arledge & Associates,
along with other guest speakers, will
lead the sessions.
The cost to attend the virtual seminar
is $25. Registration information is
available at jmacpas.com/seminars.
–Staff report
Martinez-Leeper named
Professional of Year
OKLAHOMA CITY – Cornerstone Credit
Union League named Lisa Martinez-
Leeper, Tinker Federal Credit Union
senior vice president
of operations, its
2020 Credit Union
Professional of the Year.
The award
recognizes Martinez-
Leeper’s professional
accomplishments and
her contributions to
Lisa Martinez- operations, leadership
Leeper and member service
within the credit union
industry during her 38-year career with
TFCU. Martinez-Leeper joined TFCU in
February 1982.
Martinez-Leeper worked with CCUL
and Oklahoma’s Credit Union to bring
the Cornerstone Leadership Academy
to the Oklahoma City area, where she
served as the dean of the academy for
the 2019-2020 school year. She currently
serves as an advisory board. –Staff report
Valliance names VP
NORMAN – Valliance Bank named Don
J “DJ” Nuzum as vice president of
commercial lending in Norman.
Nuzum has over 15 years of banking
experience.
Prior to joining
Valliance, Nuzum
served as vice president
of private banking
for Armstrong Bank,
formerly known as
Don J “DJ” Republic Bank and Trust
Nuzum in Norman. Nuzum has
a bachelor’s degree in
aviation with a minor in
business from the University of Oklahoma.
Nuzum is board president for Food
and Shelter Inc. and Norman Chamber
of Commerce Leadership Norman Class
graduate. –Staff report
CPA candidates win awards
for high exam scores
OKLAHOMA CITY – Two certified public
accountant candidates, both graduates
from the University of Oklahoma, received
awards from the Oklahoma Society of CPAs
for high scores on the universal CPA exam.
Josue Castro Lopez Jr., who earned a
bachelor’s degree from the University of
Oklahoma, received a Silver Medal award
for the highest scores over windows I and
II of the CPA exam. He works for Deloitte in
Oklahoma City.
Hannah Kamphuis, a provisional
member of the OSCPA, earned a Silver
Medal award for the highest scores on
windows III and IV of the CPA exam.
Kamphuis, who also has a bachelor’s
degree, is a tax associate with BKD CPAs &
Advisors in Oklahoma City.
–Staff report

NJ sets reopening of Atlantic City

casinos for July 2 at 25% capacity
BY WAYNE PARRY
Associated Press
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Atlantic City’s
casinos will be able to reopen July 2 at 25%
capacity, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said
Monday.
In a Twitter post, the Democratic
governor also said indoor dining can resume
on that date, with restaurants also operating
at 25% capacity.
The city’s nine casinos have been waiting
for a reopening date for weeks, even as
casinos in other states reopened.
“We’re delighted to get the reopening
date,” said Joe Lupo, president of the Hard
Rock Casino. “We thank the governor that
we’ll be able to be open for the July 4th
weekend to meet the demand on the world-
famous Atlantic City Boardwalk.”
The governor said additional safety and
health guidelines will be released in the
coming days for casinos and restaurants.
Many of the casinos have been planning
on their own for a reopening, and have
adopted measures including increased hand
sanitizers and social distancing to help curb
the spread of the coronavirus.
But some were planning more stringent
measures than others. For example, Hard
Rock says it will require masks to be worn by
all employees and guests, while some other
casinos say they will recommend mask use
for guests.
Lupo said he is confident that what Hard
Rock was planning on its own will meet –
and probably exceed – whatever standards
the state imposes.
“Our air filtration is better than most
hospitals,” he said.
He also said the casino’s player database
will be able to assist health authorities
with any contact tracing that may become
necessary.
“With 85% of our customers being rated,
we can provide details on when the played,
for how long, which beverage servers were
in the vicinity, which room they stayed in,
where they ate,” he said.
Resorts Casinos plans to utilize air
ionization, and ultraviolet light as part of
its sterilization protocols, and every other
slot machine will be disabled to keep guests
separated.
Atlantic City’s casinos have been shut
since March 16, and revenue has plunged
since then.
The casinos had been informally
planning to be open in time for the July 4
weekend, a goal Murphy had said he wanted
to meet several weeks ago. The holiday is one
of the busiest times of the year for Atlantic
City casinos.