Steve Lackmeyer
Writer, Public Speaker, and Volunteer in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
"Steve Lackmeyer was a great help in understanding the history and material consequences of the Pei Plan. The Oklahoman, however one might feel about its sometimes astounding editorial page, has and remains a great news organization full of able reporters who cover local business and politics with real savvy." Rachel Maddow, MSNBC anchor, author of "Blowout."
"Human archive on the history of downtown," Sam Anderson, New York Times Magazine writer, author of "Boom Town."
Steve Lackmeyer is a reporter and columnist who started his career at The Oklahoman in 1990. Since then, he has won numerous awards for his coverage, which included the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, the city’s Metropolitan Area Projects, rebirth of the city's urban core, and the city’s courting of the NBA.
Steve’s family came to town in 1977 when his father led construction of the Sheraton Century Center Hotel. He roamed the brand new corridors of the Conncourse tunnels (now The Underground). He saw the final last gasp of the old downtown and witnessed the destruction of the 26-story Biltmore Hotel. He spent his teenage years watching construction of the Myriad Gardens and a new skyline.
He is author of six books about downtown’s history, “OKC Second Time Around,” “Skirvin,” "Operation Scissortail," and "Cornerstone" (co-authored by Jack Money) and two about Bricktown. Steve also wrote "Foraging in Oklahoma," a recipe and travelogue book with Chef Andrew Black.
Steve is a frequent speaker on downtown development and history. His appearances on television stations include OETA, KFOR, KWTV, KSBI, radio stations KTOK, KGOU, WKY and KOKC and on NPR.
Speaking engagements include local rotary and lion’s clubs, and speeches at the 2010 National Main Streets Conference and the 2013 Oklahoma Preservation Conference.
In 2012 Steve authored a 1,500-word cover story about the history of development and architecture in OKC for the magazine Architectural Record. His work has appeared in the Milwaukee Journal, The Seattle Times, The Dallas Morning News and he was quoted by BBC and multiple occasions in stories printed in the New York Times.
Between his job and time spent with his wife and two rambunctious sons, Steve volunteers his time with the task force working to create a monument to OKC's original civil rights sit-in movement and as board president at Retro Metro OKC.
You can email Steve at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/stevelackmeyer