Life in McAlester

McAlester may have chosen us many years ago (after all, how many couples can say they were in the hospital nursery together at the same time), but we have definitively chosen over and over to stay here through many life changes. As parents, business owners, educators, and community advocates, we believe there’s no better place to enjoy the benefits of smaller community living while being surrounded by some of the most innovative and forward thinking friends and colleagues we could ever hope for. We love traveling the world, and like everyone else, we sometimes drive a couple of hours north or south for a taste of what urban life might offer. But in the end, our customers have become like family, our neighbors have become our village and our city inspires us to stay and enjoy watching the growth of the seeds that so many are planting.

I was raised in McAlester, Oklahoma since I was six months old. My parents have owned and operated a small business since 1989. They were able to buy this business because of a local community bank, which rooted my family in McAlester. I, like many others, thought I would graduate from McAlester High School, go to college, and work in a big city. I did this for 10 yrs. but missed the ability to have the outdoors within minutes from my hometown. So, my wife and I moved back to McAlester in 2011, started a family, and enjoyed showing our three boys the values of owning a small momma cow cattle operation, fishing in our local lakes, and hunting deer, turkey, and waterfowl. I also work for that local community bank that put my parents in the business many years ago. Life in McAlester is as simple or as busy as you want it to be.

The first time that I ever visited McAlester was in 2015 with my soon to be wife, who is originally from the area. I had no prior knowledge of the city and to be honest for most of the drive I thought we were heading to Muskogee. I grew up in a very large suburb of Tulsa and Kelsey was extremely nervous about what my perception of her “small hometown” would be. She need not have worried.

McAlester offered the community and home that I had been missing for over a decade. When I came to McAlester I was in the middle of a career as a Major League Baseball player, constantly traveling, and constantly wishing that I could put down roots. My love of carpentry and renovation led me to purchasing an old vacant building in the downtown district of McAlester. While working on the property I learned about the long history of this old coal town, fell in love with the impressive 100+ year old architecture of downtown, and made acquaintances that would become my closest friends. Within a few short months it was clear to me that I had found my home, and I welcome anyone who might be looking for that same feeling to visit us here in McAlester.

I am retired from professional baseball now. I still enjoy bringing old buildings to life to contribute to our city and I also serve as the President and CEO of the McAlester Area Chamber of Commerce. This is our home and I love telling my story and promoting this “old coal town” as it grows into the future. That future is on display right now in McAlester and we welcome any and all to come be a part of it.