When Stan Booker threw his hat in the ring to run for mayor, we knew he was a caring citizen who had a true entrepreneurial spirit, but he has proven to be so much more. Stan wanted to continue his life of service through meaningful service as mayor to the community he loves. It was a priority for Stan to engage with Lawtonians everywhere, and he visited them wherever they lived, worked or attended church, so he could truly understand their challenges, needs and desires. Regarding his role as Mayor, Stan Booker has said, “Other than the significance of family, being Mayor is the most fulfilling thing I have ever done.”
Mayor Booker’s great love for our community is no- where more evident than in his handling of the COVID-19 crisis. He has provided excellent leadership to our city at this critical time. He has been forced to make difficult decisions, prioritizing what is best for the health of the citizens of Lawton. The statistics prove that Lawton is faring much better than other cities, and I believe it is because our mayor has been proactive about protecting the safety and welfare of our citizens. He researched what measures were most effective in communities that experienced COVID-19 ahead of us. He has listened to the opinions of citizens and has demonstrated flexibility by making modifications. He took drastic actions early because he could not bear the thought of losing his loved ones – our friends and neighbors. I admire his leadership and his efforts to safeguard our community.
Mayor Stan Booker’s mind for business development has been an asset to Lawton Fort Sill. Throughout his life, Stan identified emerging business opportunities and successfully made the most of them. Mayor Booker has brought much needed creativity to our community’s business development challenge. After all, the population of Lawton and Fort Sill had been declining for a number of years and a change was needed.
Mayor Booker spent a lot of time studying successful communities. He wanted to create a community where young people would want to live, work and raise their families. Stan understood that investment was needed to make change possible, and he embarked to change the way Lawtonians look at investment and the future. Stan knew that our community needed a sense of hope and a sense of direction. When he began advocating for the CIP and the TIF, many across the community resisted. However, as the citizens of Lawton began to understand how this CIP would positively affect our future, they supported the CIP by an overwhelming 64%. Mayor Booker envisioned a plan for a prosperous community, and the TIF and the CIP provided the “fuel” for that vision to become a reality.
Moreover, Mayor Booker engaged Fort Sill’s leadership to see how the city could be a better host for the Fires Center of Excellence. With the advent of the two Cross Functional Teams, Stan saw an opportunity for the Fires Center and for Lawton. He joined community leaders for visits with Army Futures Command and Defense Industry leaders. Stan recognized the opportunity in the Fires Innovation Science and Technology Accelerator (FISTA) and worked hard to support the team. As a result, we have opened the FISTA and started our Innovation Park.
Just as we were feeling the strength of a positive wave of progress, the pandemic arrived. Lawton Fort Sill is fortunate to have a mayor like Stan Booker during these very challenging times. As a lifelong Lawtonian, I am deeply grateful to Mayor Stan Booker for his dedication, vision and love for our great city. Because of his caring leadership, we have reason to be confident that we can manage the pandemic and continue on our road to economic recovery.
Holly Naberhaus is the Marketing Manager at Parks Jones Realty and Manager at Antiques By Helen, both family owned businesses. She is a lifetime Lawtonian.