Woman of the Year profile: Judi A. Elmore, Antiques Etc.

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Sep 15, 2006 by Journal Record Staff

From originating the idea of The Black Gold Festival in Ardmore, to building alliances promoting passenger rail service in the state to running her own business, Judi Elmore puts her heart and soul into anything she does.

Elmore and her husband, Lynn, have owned and operated an antique store in Ardmore since 1988. Prior to that she managed the family's farming and longhorn breeding operation for eight years. She also worked for the Federal Aviation Administration for 14 years, first as an administrative assistant and then as an air traffic controller.

"I resigned from the FAA a couple of months before the infamous strike when our CPA told us that one of us needed to quit work to improve our tax situation. My work schedule occasionally made it difficult to spend time with my children, so it was an easy decision to make," Elmore said. "My husband already owned the farm and a few head of cattle. When I quit work, we purchased a herd of registered Texas longhorn cattle and they became my responsibility since my husband was flying and away from home for extended periods."

Elmore is a member of the International Association of Businesses and the Ardmore Main Street Authority, where she has served in several capacities including chairman and vice chairman of the retail promotion committee as well as vice president and president of the board. She currently serves as ex-officio member of the board and co-chairman of Ardmore's Black Gold Festival, which has been recognized as an official Oklahoma Centennial Project. She also is a member of the design committee and co-chairman of the Choc-A-Frolic committee, which has raised more than $90,000 for the organization.

In addition, she is a member of the Greater Southwest Historical Museum and the Goddard Center for the Visual and Performing Arts. Since 2000, she has chaired the Heartland Flyer Coalition.

"One of my major goals would include filling our vacant storefronts on Ardmore Main Street with vital, interesting, successful businesses. I believe that the heart of our community is our downtown and a healthy downtown is vital to Ardmore," she said.

"Another goal is to expand passenger rail service to other communities within the state. At our own expense, our coalition spends countless hours educating citizens about the benefit of rail travel through advertising, special events on board the Heartland Flyer, attending out-of-state meetings, networking with other states' passenger rail associations, and working with our state legislators to secure funding for passenger rail. Last session, through our efforts and those of state Sen. Johnnie Crutchfield, we were able to secure a $2 million annual earmark for the Heartland Flyer."

Elmore's honors include being named Volunteer of the Year (1996) and Main Street Business of the Year (2004) by the Ardmore Main Street Authority. In 1999, she was named Board Member of the Year by the Ardmore Main Street Authority. Earlier this year, she received the first Best Window Display award from the Oklahoma State Main Street Program.

For their work in promoting passenger rail service, Elmore and her team made up of a representative from Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, Amtrak and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) was recognized by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials with the President's Award. She has also received special recognition from ODOT, Amtrak and the Texas Eagle Marketing and Promotion Organization for her dedication to the Heartland Flyer.

About Judi:

Birthplace: Fort Myers, Fla.

Spouse: Lynn Elmore

Children: Two sons - Sean, 34; Shea, 32

Grandchildren: Five - Lydia, 9; Deeanna, 6; Seth, 3; Sebastien, 4 months; and Spencer, 3 months

First job: Credit clerk for a large department store during her junior and senior years of high school

Dream job: "I have my dream job - I own my own business where I work with my husband of 29 years, and I set my own hours. We are located in the heart of downtown Ardmore, which gives us the chance to interact with the many talented people involved in our local Main Street program."

Pets: A fish, a Manx cat from the local animal shelter and a Doberman from the Doberman Rescue in Yukon.

Hobbies: "Working with the Ardmore Main Street Authority and the Heartland Flyer Coalition are the things I do for fun. My volunteer work with the state and Amtrak has given me the opportunity to promote Oklahoma and travel on behalf of Oklahoma's passenger rail to places I might never have had the opportunity to visit."

Favorite type of food: Tex-Mex

Favorite type of music: Classic rock

Favorite vacation spot: Sanibel Island, Fla., where she lived as a young child when her father was the lighthouse keeper.