People in business

August 22, 2008 11:57 pm

— First Fidelity Bank has named Darrell Janaway as the mortgage loan officer for the bank's Norman offices. He brings more than 10 years of experience to his position. Prior to joining First Fidelity, he worked as a mortgage loan officer for Executive Lending Group.
Janaway is an active member of the Norman community serving on several boards, including the Norman Chamber of Commerce, Distinguished Toastmasters Club and the Norman Board of Realtors. He is president of the Business Boosters Tips Club, director of the Norman Park Foundation, chairman of the Tree Board-City of Norman and president of the Norman HOA Alliance and of the Cambridge Home Owners Association.
Janaway also works with the Environmental Protection Agency for the implementation of Phase II of the Clean Water Act in Norman.

Karen K. Offolter has been promoted to banking officer with responsibilities as a relationship manager for Republic Bank's West Banking Center. Offolter has been with Republic for six years.

Amber J. Upchurch has been promoted to banking officer with responsibilities as a relationship manager for Republic's East Banking Center. Upchurch has been with Republic for five years.

OGE Energy Corp. has announced that former Xcel Energy chairman and CEO Wayne Brunetti has been elected to serve on the OGE Energy Board of directors.
Brunetti, 65, brings nearly 40 years of energy and utility industry experience to the company's board, having begun his career at Florida Power -- Light in 1964. More recently, he served until his retirement in 2005 as chairman of Xcel Energy, which provides electricity and natural gas services in eight Western and Midwestern states.

Tony Nguyen, of Norman's Miko Group Inc., has been named a Music City Brand Champion for promoting Nashville's identity with its fifth annual National Reading First Conference logo. While designing the overall theme for the conference, July 28-30, Nguyen incorporated the Music City Brand as he created the "hard rock" look of the conference logo. The logo was used for signs, banners, posters, badges, tote bags, lapel pins and agendas.
Nguyen has been a graphic artist for Miko Group Inc. for three years.

Lindsey Hammond, D.D.S., has joined the MyDentist office in Norman. Dr. Hammond is a 2003 graduate of the University of Oklahoma and a 2008 graduate of the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry.
In her spare time Dr. Hammond enjoys reading mystery and crime novels, walking and playing with her puppy. She also enjoys traveling and the University of Oklahoma football.

Insight Creative Group recently added a new team member when Titus Ellis joined the staff as a video editor/ motion designer. Ellis recently moved back to Oklahoma after a stint in Hollywood working on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim television show Robot Chicken. His background and education in electronic media will become a part of Insight Creative Group's postproduction department where Ellis will edit video and work with motion design.
Originally from Nebraska, he graduated from Oklahoma Christian University with a bachelor of arts in mass communication -- electronic media.
Ellis and his wife Marcie live in Norman.

Ashley Young of Norman has been promoted to senior event coordinator at ASE Productions Inc, in Oklahoma City. She has worked for two years as an intern and special events coordinator for the company. A native of Durant, she studied public relations at the University of Oklahoma. She enjoys traveling.

Oklahoma Energy Resources Board has selected Jennifer Billings to serve as its communications director. Billings most recently served as the interim public relations manager for the Oklahoma Blood Institute. She graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in journalism and has previously worked as an executive producer at KWTV-News9 in Oklahoma City.
-- Transcript Staff