Greater Oklahoma City Chamber Announces Marketing and Communications Reorganization to Support Community Brand Initiative and the City’s Next Chapter

The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber is announcing an internal reorganization designed to build on decades of work promoting the city and to support a community branding initiative that will define how Oklahoma City is positioned for years to come. 

This next step reflects both a planned leadership transition and the evolving needs of a growing, increasingly visible city. Cynthia Reid, senior vice president of marketing and communications, will retire from full-time employment on April 30 after more than 32 years with the Chamber. Her decision to transition into a strategic advisor role, combined with the organization’s focus on long-term brand unification and preparations for LA28, created the opportunity to thoughtfully align leadership and structure for the future. 

“This moment builds on decades of intentional work,” said Christy Gillenwater, president and CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. “Cynthia helped establish the foundation that allows us to take this next step. As Oklahoma City continues to grow and compete on a national and international stage, we are aligning our marketing and communications efforts to support a shared vision for the city’s future.” 

Honoring a Legacy While Looking Ahead 

Over more than three decades, Reid has played a central role in shaping how the Chamber communicates its mission and how Oklahoma City tells its story. Her leadership has supported major economic development efforts, community initiatives and campaigns, and periods of transformation that have positioned the city for continued growth and opportunity. 

“After more than 30 years, this transition feels like a natural progression,” Reid said. “The work we have done together has positioned both the organization and the city for what comes next. I am proud of that foundation and look forward to continuing to support the Chamber as a strategic advisor during this next chapter.” 

Aligning Marketing Around a Shared Community Brand 

Lindsay Vidrine, will assume the role of Chief Marketing Officer and lead a consolidated marketing and communications team for the full organization. For the past seven years, she’s served as senior vice president of destination marketing, leading the marketing and communications efforts for Visit Oklahoma City, a division of the Chamber. Prior to joining the Chamber, Vidrine spent five years at the Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department and more than 10 years at PR and marketing agencies leading strategy for Fortune 500 companies, consumer and healthcare companies, non-profits and higher education. 

In this new role, Vidrine will oversee marketing and communications strategy across the Chamber’s body of work, including economic development, visitor development, and talent recruitment. This alignment will support a community branding initiative that will be defined over the next year and implemented over many years, ensuring Oklahoma City’s story is clear, consistent, and adaptable as the city continues to evolve. 

“This effort is about connection and clarity both within our organization and also externally in how we serve the OKC community,” Vidrine said. “By unifying our marketing work, we can more effectively tell Oklahoma City’s story. We have an impressive bench of MarCom talent and I’m excited to see how increased collaboration elevates our work and the OKC region in new ways.” 

Better Together: Strengthening Specialty Work Through Shared Strategy 

A core principle of this reorganization is that shared branding enhances specialized work rather than diminishing it. 

Visitor development and economic development will continue to be led by teams with deep subject matter expertise, dedicated strategies, and long-standing partner relationships. Those specialties remain essential to the Chamber’s mission. What changes is how those efforts are connected through shared messaging and a common community brand framework. 

Aligning marketing and communications at the enterprise level allows the Chamber to ensure that messages shared with visitors, investors, site selectors, and prospective talent reinforce one another. This approach creates a clearer and more compelling picture of Oklahoma City’s value and momentum. 

For the visitor and hospitality community, destination marketing is strengthened by broader narratives around livability, culture, and economic opportunity. For economic development partners, business recruitment and workforce efforts are reinforced by a destination brand that reflects a dynamic and competitive city. 

“Our partners will continue to see focused, expert-led work in their respective areas supported by a unified MarCom team,” Gillenwater said. “This organizational alignment adds scale, consistency, and impact so that every success contributes to a stronger Oklahoma City story.” 

Supporting Member Engagement and Visitor Development 

As part of the reorganization, events previously managed under Reid will move to the membership and investor relations division, led by Hardy Watkins, senior vice president of membership and investor relations. This shift strengthens alignment between member engagement, convenings, and investor relationships, while allowing the consolidated marketing and communications team to focus on brand strategy and enterprise-level storytelling. 

Preparing for What Comes Next 

Oklahoma City’s preparations for LA28 underscore the importance of a coordinated and forward-looking approach to marketing, communications, and brand stewardship. As the city enters a period of heightened visibility and opportunity, the Chamber’s structure and leadership are aligned to support long-term competitiveness and shared ownership of the Oklahoma City brand. 

“This work reflects confidence in where we have been and focus on where we are going,” Gillenwater said. “It positions the Chamber, our partners, and the city to move forward together.” 

These changes will be effective on February 15.