About Debbie Solano, ALC, CRS — REALTOR® in Midtown Tulsa
How I Came to Tulsa
I grew up in the Town of Southeast, which surrounds the village of Brewster, New York, famous for Elsie the Cow and That Girl. My father had moved his family to New York in 1940 because it was the hub of the export business; he exported oil field equipment overseas.
Since his clients were based in Tulsa, Daddy always came to Tulsa first before traveling anywhere. My parents had many friends here; my mother loved to visit the Tulsa Rose Garden and she always told us how much she liked it. As a result, I have always been very aware of both the economic importance and the beauty of Tulsa.
My most vivid memories of my first trip to Green Country are of the Grand Lake Dam, the Tulsa Rose Garden, and the magician at the Petroleum Club. That was in 1967 when I was 12 years old.
Although my family was from Texas, I had a Tulsa connection. My great uncle, James G. McMurtry, had been the president of Kendall College, the predecessor of The University of Tulsa. When I moved to Tulsa in 1984 my uncle said, “I lived in Tulsa as a kid, the water tastes bad.” I replied, “Really, when was that?” He said, “1917.” A lot has changed since then. In those days Tulsa was a boom town, just forming it’s own identity as “the oil capital of the world.”
I moved to Tulsa in 1984 from Pittsburgh, where I had been the librarian and records manager for the General Counsel of Gulf Oil Corporation. Since then I have lived at Liberty Towers, Chimney Hills, Catoosa, on a farm in Claremore Sequoyah, in Broken Arrow, and now again in Tulsa.
My Interests and Passions
I’m a dog lover. Occasionally I’ll take a class at Tulsa Dog Training Club (TDTC). My Golden Retriever, Obed, has even been the poster dog for K9 Splash at Reed Pool.
I like to ride my bike along the Arkansas River on the trails in River Parks, but I’d rather be on a horse
I love horses and hope someday to buy another horse. My goal is to buy another horse and board it on a farm with lots of acreage to enjoy without the work. Been there; done that; loved every minute of it; but I really don’t have time to run a brush hog. Because of my business and my schedule, I’ll have to board my horse and find someone who can ride my horse for me when I can’t get to the barn on a regular schedule. I really miss that part of my life.
Did I mention I’m addicted to porcelain? I started out collecting Boyd’s bears and moved up to the hard stuff, Herend and Lladro. I even had a little weekend job at Nielsen’s several years back.
I’d also like to take up gardening again. I’m crazy about irises and roses. I also enjoy designing landscapes and planting trees and shrubs. In Claremore I planted a labyrinth of roses and most of them died because my mushroom compost was too hot. I’m planning on trying that project again with brick paths and french draining.
My Volunteer Activities
I am a Volunteer Pastoral Care Visitor in the Pastoral Care Department at St. John Medical Center in midtown Tulsa. I work there on Saturdays visiting patients who have requested a pastoral care visit or who have requested an advance directive. What’s cool about the job is that I don’t really have to say or do anything. I just have to “be” with the patients and listen. It really helps to keep my life in perspective.
I sing in the Adult Choir at the Church of St. Mary in Brookside. I am an alto. It’s nice to be part of a small group of parishioners who share in prayer and singing.
Since 2004 I have been a participant in the Adoration program at St. John Hospital. I visit the Chapel of Peace twice a week to spend time with Jesus. I go in the middle of the night and struggle to stay awake. Again, it is wonderful being part of a larger group of Christians who engage in silent prayer and adoration. I figure I am an elbow in the body of Christ, keeping the seat warm until the next prayer warrior comes along.
Languages
I started taking French from a native speaker in second grade and continued throughout high school and college. I worked on the French Help Desk at Sabre translating technical documents and assisting travel agents from Quebec, the French Caribbean, and Haiti. I also taught Middle School French in Bartlesville.
In college I studied Greek, French, and Latin. My goal had been to become a minister, but out of the necessity of supporting my ex-husband through graduate school and law school, I became a librarian instead. So after working as an Acquisitions Librarian for Albany Law School I went to Pittsburgh and became the librarian for the General Counsel of Gulf Oil Corporation.
While living in Pittsburgh I translated the Greek New Testament and began to study Hebrew with Dr. William F. Orr., a retired seminary professor from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. I went to his home every Tuesday night for two years. There are some individuals that really stand out in your life. He was definitely one of them. Dr. Orr had been Fred Rogers‘ mentor and had helped him explore his alternative ministry aspirations when he was going to seminary part time and working at the TV station during the day (or vice versa). Anyway, the rest is history.
Real Estate Education, Designations and Certifications
In 1994 I attended the Vince Mooney Real Estate School, got my real estate license and started with Gordona Duca. When I came back into real estate again in 2005 I placed my license with Sam Rader, because that’s where my mentors at Gordona Duca had hung their real estate licenses.
My Real Estate Designations
- ALC designee (an Accredited Land Consultant) . REALTORS Land Institute.
- CRS designee (Council of Residential Specialists). I am currently the Membership Chairperson for the Oklahoma Chapter of the Council of Residential Specialists.
- GRI designee (Graduate REALTOR Institute)
- ABR designee (Accredited Buyer Representative designation of the Real Estate Buyers Agency Council).
- CHMS certified (Certified Home Marketing Specialist).
- e-PRO certified (Why use an e-PRO®?)
- SRES designee (Seniors Real Estate Specialist)
- ALC candidate (I am working toward becoming an accredited Land Consultant (ALC) with the Research Land Institute (RLI). I am a charter member of the Oklahoma RLI Chapter.
- AHWD certified (At Home with Diversity)
- REOS certified (REO Specialist)
My Professional Memberships
- Member, Northeast Oklahoma Board of REALTORS® (NEOBR) — Grand Lake area MLS
- Member, Greater Tulsa Area REALTORS® (GTAR) and Northeast Oklahoma Real Estate Services (NORES) MLS
- Member, Oklahoma Association of REALTORS® (OAR)
- Member, National Association of REALTORS® (NAR)
- Member, REALTORS® Land Institute (RLI).
- Member, Real Estate Buyers Agency Council (REBAC)
- Member, Council of Residential Specialists (CRS)
- Membership Chairperson, Oklahoma CRS Chapter
- Member, American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL)
My Formal Education
- B.A., Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude in French from SUNY at Albany (1977)
- M.L.S., Masters in Library Science from SUNY at Albany, School of Library & Information Science (1978)
- M.Div., Masters in Divinity cum laude from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University (1997).
Other Formal Coursework
- Horse Management classes at Rogers State University
- Golf Course & Landscape Management classesat Rogers State University
- Education classes at Northeastern State University
- Computer programming and web design at Tulsa Community College.
- Hebrew classes and a class about the Dead Sea scrolls at Tulsa Community College.
- Web design classes at Northeast Technology Center in Pryor
- Masonry and carpentry classes at Northeast Technology Center in Pryor
- Oil & Gas Drilling and Production classes at Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Training Center at High Plains Technology Center in Woodward
I have an Oklahoma license to teach French and Library & Media. The year I taught French to middle schoolers was the year we were all eating “freedom fries.”
I’ve taken vo-tech classes in masonry, carpentry, and oil & gas drilling and production. I am currently a member of the American Association of Professional Landmen an occasionally take classes occasionally regarding landman work. My understanding of the oil & gas industry, combined with my connections with local operators, has given me an edge in understanding some of the extra challenges and opportunities connected with selling rural property in Oklahoma. I understand the interplay between the mineral estate and the surface estate when it comes to land ownership.
My favorite classes were those I attended at Trinity Episcopal Church in the Montessori method of teaching theology to children. There I became a certified catechist under the mentorship of Catherine Maresca. If I didn’t have to make a living I would be a full time volunteer at a school with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atria. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program is an incredible way to teach systematic theology to children. The materials that I and others handcrafted for the program at Trinity Episcopal are now being used at Monte Casino School. I consider my work for that program to be among the most significant that I have ever done in my whole life.
My educational dream is to get a PhD in Old Testament Studies, but first I have to pay off all my other school loans. My Hebrew is rusty, but I will always be able to read my Septuagintal Greek.