“Billboard in Oklahoma says parking meter invented there. Reason #200 why I hate Oklahoma.”
This recent tweet from one of my former Dallas colleagues caught my eye. Having lived in Dallas for the past 10 years, I’d heard my fair share of Okie jokes, but this tweet really made me stop and think about my own home state pride. It’s something I never considered I had in my first 23 years of living in Oklahoma. I wasn’t ashamed of my home state; it was honestly just something I never thought about—until last year.
My wife and I were sitting outside Eskimo Joe’s during a trip back home for an Oklahoma State football game, and we decided right then and there that we wanted to be back in our home state. We noticed that we missed the little things we took for granted while living in Oklahoma, from the pace and quality of life to an overall appreciation for how Oklahomans treat each other. A five-year plan became a five-month plan, and in November we were officially Oklahoma residents again. What we didn’t truly realize was the dramatic changes and progress that both Oklahoma City and Tulsa had undergone during our 10-year absence.
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Chad Backus comes to Saxum with more than 10 years of agency, corporate and nonprofit experience. Prior to joining Saxum, Backus was an account supervisor at Michael A. Burns & Associates in Dallas, where he planned and managed strategic and integrated media relations campaigns for a stable of national and international consumer and business-to-business clients in the health care, biotech, energy and hospitality industries.
He previously served as the communications director for Mental Health America of Greater Dallas, where he developed and managed marketing and media campaigns to support the agency’s advocacy and fundraising goals.
As a communications specialist with AARP’s southwest regional office in Dallas, Backus led media relations and grassroots campaigns in Louisiana and Texas. His experience also includes working at MarCom Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations in Oklahoma City, where he organized and led public relations efforts for national and local health care clients and advocacy groups.
He is a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and broadcasting with an emphasis in public relations. He lives in Oklahoma City with his wife, Amy, and his son, Brooks.
