Howard joined Schnake Turnbo Frank as an associate in 2021 after a successful 45-year career. Starting out practicing law Howard went into the business world and became CEO of the publishing and information company T/Communications Corporation.
After working for a private equity company in New York, Howard served as Secretary of Commerce and then Chief of Staff for Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating. Following his time in public service, Howard and colleagues from T/SF formed a small investing and consulting firm, where they managed several successful turnarounds netting significant returns for their investors.
As a final career move, Howard served as president of Oklahoma State University – Tulsa, a full-service branch campus of one of Oklahoma’s most prestigious universities.
Having engaged in venture capital and skilled in acquiring and growing small businesses, Howard coaches and counsels CEOs and business leaders at Schnake Turnbo Frank. He has a special interest in counseling nonprofit CEOs in areas such as board governance and fundraising, and he draws on his experience as board chairman for local nonprofits and graduate professor for nonprofit fundraising.
Current community involvement: Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice, Chairman; The Oklahoma Academy for State Goals, Chairman; Tulsa Leadership Vision, Past Chairman; Philbrook Museum of Art, Past Chairman; Leadership Oklahoma, Past Chairman; i2E, Inc. Past Chairman; and Tulsa Regional Chamber, Past Chairman.
Past community involvement: Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits; National Council of Nonprofits; Hillcrest Hospital; Youth Services of Tulsa; Center for Legislative Excellence; Philharmonic Society; Oklahoma City National Memorial; and Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Former member of Task Force 2000 and the Governor’s Science and Technology Council. Howard and his wife, Billie, have chaired fundraising campaigns, capital and operating, which have raised over $50 million.
Passions: Travel (Howard has been to all seven continents!), history, reading and watching his grandchildren grow up.