Campus, Community Leaders Invited to FUEL Leadership Conference April 12 at OBU

The Paul Dickinson School of Business at OBU will host the F.U.E.L. conference April 12 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the upper level of the Geiger Center on the University’s campus in Shawnee. The F.U.E.L. (Filling Up Every Leader) conference is designed to inspire leaders from all walks of life, including student leaders, community leaders, business leaders, ministry leaders and more. The conference is free and registration is available online. Space is limited.

The conference is presented by Coaching Leaders, an organization dedicated to empowering leaders to greater success through coaching, consulting and communications services. While the event is hosted on the OBU campus, Coaching Leaders has organized the event, working with faculty and students within the Dickinson School of Business and other campus organizations, to bring together students and employees from the University, community leaders in the greater Shawnee area and other leaders from throughout central Oklahoma.

The F.U.E.L. conference began in 2010. Since that time, Coaching Leaders has held more than 20 of these leadership conferences throughout the world, in locations such as China, Kenya, Uganda, Honduras, Peru and the United States. The conference is designed for leaders and led by leaders, with the goal to “Fill Up Every Leader” who attends, so that attendees may walk away inspired by real life stories shared by leaders who have lived to tell about it.

Numerous speakers will deliver inspiring messages during the event. Ray Sanders, entrepreneur and founder of Coaching Leaders and Edify Leaders, will deliver two sessions, titled “The Dangerous Leader” and “Living Life on the Edge.” Aaron Weast, owner/operator of Chick-fil-A in Oklahoma City, will speak on “The Secret to Chick-fil-A’s Success.” Christie Reed, financial consultant and community leader, will lead a session on “The Working Family.”

Ariel Delgado, author, business owner, and corporate chaplain, will discuss “The Forward Failing Leader.” Brian Banks, founder of Providence Home Care and healthcare leader, will share about “Powerful Purpose-Driven Cultures.”

Charlotte Shaw, financial consultant with SmartVestor Pro, will share a session on “Becoming a Dynamic Mother-Daughter Duo.” Randy Kamp, owner of Kamp’s 1910 Cafe and Johnny Carino’s Country Italian Restaurants, will share a session on “Living and Leaving a Legacy.”

Dr. David Houghton, chair of the Dickinson School of Business and Lloyd G. and Betty E. Minter Chair of Business, was inspired to host the F.U.E.L. conference on the OBU campus after attending the conference at another location last fall. He is excited for the opportunity it provides to current and prospective students to be inspired by successful leaders.

“I attended a F.U.E.L. meeting last fall along with some of my students. It was a meaningful and encouraging event for us. When I was asked if we would like to host a F.U.E.L. event at OBU, I jumped at the chance. Having our Shawnee community experience it will be a blessing for everyone.”

Ray Sanders, founder and organizer of the F.U.E.L. conference, encourages all leaders to attend.

“Real life stories are what make the F.U.E.L. conference different and unique,” Sanders said. “Leaders hear firsthand about the challenges and opportunities successful leaders have faced as they navigate the dynamics of leading the way. The conference is real, transparent and practical. Best practices and insights from real life are shared as leaders take those attending behind the scenes of their everyday lives. Leaders will leave inspired. They will gain ideas and insights that they can apply to the leadership challenges they face in the organizations they lead.”

The conference is provided free-of-charge thanks to the generosity of sponsors, including First United Bank and Finley and Cook.

Ray Sanders is the founder of Coaching Leaders, a leadership coaching and business consulting firm that comes alongside CEOs, entrepreneurs and owners to help them grow purpose-driven companies and strengthen their leadership teams. He and his wife Stephanie founded Edify Leaders, a non-profit organization that provides confidential pastoral care and ministry coaching, at no cost to ministers or their churches. Sanders is best recognized as a leader of leaders, a white-board aficionado, a passionate communicator, author and CEO who has developed innovative growth strategies that have grown multi-million-dollar organizations.

Brian Banks is an entrepreneur at heart. His experience has spanned healthcare, leadership, service and distribution. He has led a third-generation family business and new business start-ups, and has participated in industry consolidations and acquisitions. Currently, he owns and operates strategic companies which provide healthcare services to an aging population. As a college student, Brian was awakened to the idea of using business as a platform for ministry and influence. Because he has been deeply impacted by faithful mentors who invested in him, one of his passions is mentoring young leaders and helping them on their journey, both professionally and personally. He recently co-founded Cultivate, a venture accelerator for Oklahoma City, helping leaders understand that no city can become great unless everyone thrives. Through Cultivate, he coaches entrepreneurs leading redemptive business ventures for kingdom impact. He earned a BBA from the University of Oklahoma and an MBA from Oklahoma City University, and he currently serves on the Governor's Council for Workforce and Economic Development for the state of Oklahoma.

Ariel Delgado is an author, business owner and corporate chaplain. He was born in Uruguay and is now a U.S. citizen living in Oklahoma. He came to America with $50 in his pocket in hopes of living the American dream and his first job in America was as a dishwasher. He eventually became an executive with Chipotle, an American chain of casual dining restaurants. Despite achieving a successful career and family life, he found himself dealing with the child abuse he had sadly experienced as a young boy in Uruguay, struggling with sexual addiction and suicide as he fought to overcome his past. He eventually lost everything he had accomplished, including his marriage and career. At rock bottom, he came to faith in a mental hospital and has gone on to reconcile with his past, remarry and restore his relationship with his daughters. Delgado and his wife Viviana now lead Building Better Lives, an international ministry focused on bringing a message of family restoration to every corner of the world.

Randy Kamp has led a successful career in a number of diverse industries. In addition to practicing law, he has followed in his grandfather’s footsteps in the food industry, operating Johnny Carino’s Country Italian Restaurants in three states and Kamp’s 1910 Café in Oklahoma City. KampCo Foods has opened more than 10 restaurants, employed more than 700 people, and grown into a multimillion-dollar venture. Kamp is also the Oklahoma City chair of Vistage Worldwide, is an executive partner with Coaching Leaders and is the treasurer of the Children’s Hospital Foundation. Outside of life at work, Kamp enjoys time with his wife and adult children. He is an avid bicyclist having completed several ultra-biking marathons. 

Christie Reed grew up around the financial services industry. Dave Ramsey’s financial principles and teachings have played an integral part in her life and she is grateful for the ability to share these principles with others. She sees every financial situation as an educational opportunity to build a legacy for her clients and future generations. Sheearned a Bachelor of Science from Oklahoma State University and is soon to be married to her fiancé, Brandon. They share a love for traveling, being active in the community, and spending time with family and friends.

Charlotte Shaw has served as a financial consultant for more than 21years and is the founder of Shaw Financial Services, serving her clients using faith-based principles. From 2003 to 2016, her company was the only investment firm in the state of Oklahoma recognized for their commitment to Dave Ramsey’s service and financial principles. She now serves as a SmartVestor Pro and on Dave Ramsey’s SmartVestor Pro Advisory Council.

Aaron Weast is the owner/operator of the Chick-fil-A at I-40 and MacArthur in Oklahoma City. He previously served as the president/administrator of Logos Preparatory Academy in Sugar Land, Texas, from 2008 to 2013. He served as the head of school/administrator of Faith Academy in Marble Falls, Texas, from 1999 to 2008. From 1989 to 1999, he served as the director/administrator of Camp Buckner located in Burnet, Texas. He served as a school board member for Crossings Christian School in Oklahoma City from 2015 to 2021 and currently serves on an advisory board for the Everett Dobson School of Business and Technology for Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

Register online for the F.U.E.L. conference at OBU. For more information, call (405) 585-4400 or email david.houghton@okbu.edu.