Area auto sales fall 5.2 percent in May

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Jun 21, 2002

The top award, Best of the Best, was awarded to Crossroads Mall. Phase 2 Development and the Oklahoma Department of Commerce were runners-up.

Crossroads Mall built a campaign with the objectives of creating an incentive for Oklahomans to shop in their own state during Texas' tax-free weekend, increasing back-to-school shopping sales, generating publicity for the mall using a limited budget and building relationships with merchants. Crossroads Mall's strategy was to create a tax-free weekend. Some mall merchants reported sales increases of 50 percent to 75 percent. Crossroads Mall also received statewide media coverage including more than 40 print articles, radio and television stories.

The Excellence in Marketing Awards began in 1995 as a means to showcase the talents of marketers in the state of Oklahoma. The Excellence in Marketing Awards for exceptional marketing campaigns are the highest awards the American Marketing Association offers at a state level.

OU budget approved

The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents voted unanimously to approve a $1.09 billion budget that will mean a pay freeze for most employees and a few layoffs.

The budget is 2 percent less than last year's revised budget, said President David Boren.

Although the school raised tuition, it was not enough to offset declining revenues and increased health care and facility expenses, Boren said.

"We thought we would have a flat budget for next year, but we realized we had to cut 2 percent more," he said.

Boren said about 10 positions would be eliminated.

Declining revenues have meant budget cuts for most of Oklahoma's public colleges and universities.

About $506 million will go to the Norman campus and $585 million will go to the OU Health Sciences Center. About $1 million will be earmarked for nursing and pharmacy programs at the College of Medicine in Tulsa.

Badgett joins The Michael Group

Scott Badgett has joined The Michael Group as director of sales and marketing.

Badgett has been with BellSouth Business Systems since 1991 in both Knoxville, Tenn., and most recently in West Palm Beach, Fla. For the past four years, he was BellSouth's large business sales manager in the West Palm Beach office. Badgett spent five years with Southwestern Bell in installation/maintenance based in Lawton and Oklahoma City. Badgett is a graduate of Oklahoma State University and received a master's of business administration from Oklahoma City University. The Michael Group was founded in Oklahoma City 17 years ago.

Elected in Norman

Lois Lawler has been elected to the Norman Economic Development Coalition's board of directors.

She will replace Cheri Cartwright, whose term expires July 30. Cartwright has served on the board of directors for six years. She cannot serve longer because of term limits.

Lawler has lived in Norman for 30 years and served on the Norman City Council. She is a Spanish teacher and chairperson of the foreign language department at Norman High School and a Spanish adjunct instructor at the University of Oklahoma.