August 2025
Wald's Words of Wisdom
Confucius, one of history's great thinkers and philosophers, is attributed as saying, "It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop."
This is a motto often reiterated by the OMES CAM team as a grounding mindset for all our operations. We work to move efficiently and economically for the State of Oklahoma, which means our primary concern is getting it right the first time.
All process improvements take time, and CAM is not afraid to take the time needed to succeed on our first try, which results in less need for correction and overhaul in the long run.
As always, if you have any questions regarding our process updates while we look for efficiencies, please reach out to me or a CAM team member for assistance.
Nathan Wald
OMES CAM Administrator
Resources
Welcoming a new team member
Deferred Maintenance Updates
Deferred maintenance is underway across the Capitol Complex as OMES works to address needed repairs to assets like infrastructure and machinery in state-owned buildings. This month, numerous projects completed the solicitation phase, and contracts are being finalized. A summary of active and completed projects is shown below.
Active projects include:
- Transportation Building – air handler unit three, electrical system upgrade and elevator replacements.
- Agriculture Building – lighting refresh, air handler unit replacements, ceiling grids and variable air volume zone control replacements.
- Sequoyah Building – entryway replacements.
- Will Rogers Building – entryway replacements.
- Denver Davison Building – electrical system upgrade, elevator replacements and the east entryway replacement.
Completed projects include:
- Agriculture Lab – variable frequency drive (VFD) replacement.
- Will Rogers Building – roof and panel replacements.
- M.C. Connors Building – entryway replacements.
- Oliver Hodge Building – entryway replacements.
In the fall, the next slate of projects will kick off. Long lead times on equipment and materials may push the start dates of these projects to the spring. However, we will keep tenants updated on anything that may affect their office space and building. Additionally, our team is preparing materials for design for all projects in the Fiscal Year 2026 lineup.
We will continue to provide updates as projects progress. View the dashboard for weekly updates and details on all OMES deferred maintenance projects.
Surplus
Storage solutions available at Surplus
Surplus has also enjoyed a successful launch of our new moving service, and we look forward to helping state agencies responsibly and economically dispose of items they no longer need.
Agencies may also contact Surplus for assistance with moving items in office-to-office relocations. More information is available on the Surplus Moving Services page.
To request moving assistance, select the button below to fill out the form.
Real Estate and Leasing Services
Real Estate for Sale by Auction
OMES CAM REALS will facilitate the auction of two adjoined properties at the end of this month. Located in Tulsa, the two properties will be auctioned off separately, meaning that bidders interested in both properties must submit two separate bids.
Sealed bids must be hand-delivered before 5 p.m., or postmarked no later than, Thursday, Aug. 28.
View the auction flyer and bid materials on our website to learn more about these properties and how to submit bids.
Norman Purchasing Griffin Park Soccer Complex
The City of Norman is in the process of purchasing the Griffin Park Soccer Complex, which consists of 156 acres located north of East Robinson Street and west of 12th Avenue NE. This purchase does not include George M. Sutton Wilderness Park.
The complex serves more than 4,000 youth athletes per year across 22 newly renovated fields.
A lease agreement between the City of Norman and the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services had been in place since 1983. A purchase agreement was approved on July 22, 2025.
“This is a win for our agencies and a win for Normanites,” said Darrel Pyle, city manager of the City of Norman. “The Griffin Park Soccer Complex is a long-standing cornerstone of the city and one we all deeply cherish. Many great memories have been made here with more to come! Partnerships and collaborations drive our community forward.”
This park has been important to community members in and around Norman for many years, and OMES CAM REALS is pleased to have been able to facilitate the successful transfer of property between state and municipal partners.
Form Consolidation
OMES CAM REALS has partnered with OMES RAC Risk Management to update property forms for both leased and owned properties.
These enhanced forms now include new fields designed to capture more detailed information about each property, providing both OMES RAC Risk Management and OMES CAM REALS with a more comprehensive understanding of the assets.
You can access the updated forms below:
All agency forms can be found on the OMES RAC Risk Management Agency Only Forms page.
Facilities Management
OFM & Deferred Maintenance
OMES CAM Director Nathan Wald presented OMES' eight-year deferred maintenance plan to the Long-Range Capital Planning Commission, which holds responsibility for planning the disbursement of the Legacy Capital Fund for the state. OMES was awarded $33 million to continue addressing building needs at the Capitol Complex. Some of the presented projects include restroom renovations, which will bring restrooms throughout the Capitol Complex up to current ADA requirements while replacing aging infrastructure. Other projects include replacing elevators at several buildings. Some elevators have obsolete controls or are becoming unserviceable because they contain parts that are no longer manufactured. We will also use these funds to address some failing concrete bridge structures.
Having been awarded these funds, the OMES CAM Office of Facilities Management has the opportunity to address building issues that have gone unaddressed for several years due to a lack of adequate funding.
In addition to this year's funding, the committee also approved OMES to begin the process of developing a statewide plan to address deferred maintenance issues. This involves the comprehensive assessment of all state-owned facilities to ensure that all dollars spent are being used effectively and prudently.
Emergency Projects
When something goes wrong in a building, and it impacts agencies' ability to provide essential services or puts people or property at risk, it's called emergency maintenance. OMES handles these situations to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Emergency maintenance projects are for unforeseen events, like a water line bursting or a building flooding. For example, a broken air chiller at the Denver Davison Building caused the HVAC system to malfunction and the air conditioning to stop. Our team quickly assessed the critical failure and installed a temporary solution to provide cool air since repair parts would have taken months to arrive.
In FY 2025, the OMES Office of Facilities Management completed three emergency maintenance projects at a total cost of $204,429.
Emergency projects often go hand in hand with our Deferred Maintenance plan. These failures frequently result from using machinery and equipment beyond their intended lifespan. At OMES, we work hard to keep building operations running without interruption and continuously execute our Deferred Maintenance plan to effectively mitigate emergency projects and critical failures in the long run.
Capitol Event Reservations
Stacy Thomas was recently named event coordinator at the State Capitol Building. In this role, she oversees the reservation process and coordinates logistics to ensure events at the Capitol are well organized and successful. As the primary point of contact for event planning, Thomas guides groups through scheduling, layouts and required approvals.
Information about event reservations at the Capitol is available in the Capitol Event Reservations guide. The first step in reserving event space at the Capitol is to submit a completed Capitol Event Reservations form. You may also email Stacy Thomas with any questions, concerns or inquiries at stacy.thomas@omes.ok.gov.
Fleet Management
System Enhancements: Fleetio & Fleetster
Following the launch of Fleetster and Fleetio on July 1, OMES CAM Fleet Management is still here to assist agencies transitioning to our new software. We are also developing resources to help agencies navigate interacting with the new look and elevated function of these systems.
Since the daily rental calculator associated with the previous software expired on July 1, we are working to provide a resource for agencies to continue calculating the best value for their daily rental needs.
If you need assistance transitioning from AssetWorks M5 or have questions about the upcoming motor pool and daily rental upgrades, please reach out to our team. Fleet Management is on standby to provide you with a seamless rental experience.
OMES CAM Fleet Systems Manager: Jed Redeker.
Onward Fleet support for Fleetster and Fleetio: Janelle Cox.
Construction and Properties
2025 State Supplier's Expo
OMES CAM's Construction and Properties (CAP) team are proud to have participated in the State Suppliers Expo once again this year. The expo is focused on helping local vendors network with state agencies and promoting opportunities to do business with the State of Oklahoma. We are always excited to share knowledge about our organization and help drive opportunities in the state.
CAP's breakout session
CAP had the opportunity to host an educational breakout session at the expo this year, allowing our team to hear directly from our vendors about how we can improve our processes and demystify what it takes to partner with CAP.
Our presentation focused on the basics of CAP's programs and the process of how we facilitate work between state agencies and the construction entities that provide services to them.
One particularly useful piece of information we like to stress is how crucial it is for businesses to register both as a supplier with OMES Central Purchasing and as a vendor with CAM. Fulfilling both steps is essential in doing business with both divisions, and CAP appreciates the opportunity to help vendors make these connections.
Paving services still available while CAP reviews processes
The CAP team is currently reviewing the utilization and accessibility of our paving program to understand how we can implement improvements to make the program operate at the highest level.
In its current state, the paving program has been underutilized. We believe in the program's value and seek to provide only the highest-caliber services, so we have suspended the paving program while our team reviews its operations.
In the meantime, paving services are still available, but the process of securing them is different. Customers in need of paving services should reach out to the CAP team so we can assist in how to utilize other CAP programs to fulfill paving demand.
Active project updates
Jim Thorpe Building
Construction at the Jim Thorpe Building continues to hit scheduled milestones this month, with mechanical ducting and piping nearing completion on all levels and the installation of major mechanical equipment and demolition of structural steel work related to the roof terrace remaining on track.
Spray foam installation is complete on levels 2 through 5. Work is upcoming on the ground level as well as levels 1 and 6, and this work will be completed in coordination with other trades. The interior electrical rough-in is 95% installed. Full and permanent power is anticipated in the coming weeks. Fire suppression systems are 80% complete. Ceiling framing is 75% complete.
Drywall installation is nearly complete, with taping and bedding in process. Interior plaster and marble restoration has begun. Additional finishes, including terrazzo, ceramic tile, carpeting and millwork, are in the planning and procurement process. Exterior limestone cleaning and restoration is 50% complete. Site utility contracting work on fire, domestic water and storm sewer utilities is complete. New exterior concrete structures are in process.
Overall, the project is on budget. Design work associated with the building's betterments is complete, and those projects are currently being bid. Select areas of the building are on track to be completed ahead of schedule, but the project's overall completion is scheduled for this month.
Central Printing and Interagency Mail
Expanding our customer base with Surplus
OMES CAM Central Printing and Interagency Mail recently teamed up with Surplus to attend a seasonal conference for the Association of County Commissioners. Both divisions have goals to expand their service offerings to include local government entities, and the ACCO conference was a great opportunity to connect with new customers. In the coming months, we will attend more conferences like this to increase our impact on the municipal level. We look forward to connecting with the customers we have not yet had the chance to reach.
Employee spotlight
Executive Chef Jeremy Canning
This month, OMES CAM is pleased to spotlight a team member whose work often remains behind the scenes. Executive Chef Jeremy Canning works for the governor's office and maintains a range of responsibilities, from preparing meals for the first family and events hosted at the Governor's Mansion, to administrative duties at the mansion. He coordinates with the governor's office, the first lady's office, Friends of the Mansion, OMES teams, vendors, and other groups that need to meet, eat or work at, or otherwise use, the mansion.
Canning began his culinary career as a fry cook at Dairy Queen at the age of 16. He has held nearly every position available in a professional kitchen, from dishwasher to executive chef to food service director. No matter the title, Canning strives to do the best job he possibly can. In his spare time on the job, Canning is also working on projects related to mansion inventory, decluttering and organization, as well as a mansion recipe book.
The majority of his training has been on the job under many of Oklahoma's most talented chefs. From 2007-2008, he completed an apprenticeship with the American Culinary Federation, ultimately graduating with the distinction of Certified Culinarian, and he was recognized as the organization's Apprentice of the Year.
Canning particularly enjoys the artistic side of cooking and creating meals. He pays attention to shapes and colors on the plate, but is also interested in how flavors, smells and textures create a multisensory experience. One of his favorite dishes that exemplifies this interplay is fajitas. He is also interested in how food science relates to the human body and how health correlates with our eating habits, genetics and overall food quality.
Canning was born and raised in Guthrie, where he currently lives with his wife of 24 years and their six children. Together, they enjoy going to church and watching documentaries. Canning enjoys spending his time outside of work on activities like reading, fishing and not cooking.
