Photography by Shevaun Williams | Venue: Civic Center Music Hall
Styling by Petra Simpson | Wardrobe from Bella Rose Bridal | Hair and makeup by Thelma and Jessie with MarloHaus | Accessories from BELA Fine Jewelry
When you approach the world with selflessness, courage, service and authenticity, you can become a shining light. Heads turn, and an audience starts to gather. Soon, the spotlight finds you, and your brightness is amplified.
Such is the scene set forth in the pages that follow. Once again, 405 Magazine shines a light on a stellar group of women through our annual HER Awards. Through their personal values and public achievements, these women are dedicated to Honoring, Empowering and Raising up others. Their stories are as beautiful as they are, inspiring others as they grace life’s various stages. They are truly stars. We are pleased to honor them, as they continue to shine on—and make this world a better place.
HER 2026 Woman of the Year: Erin Engelke
To be seen, validated and loved—these are at the heart of everything Erin Engelke does. Whether she’s giving incarcerated women a promising path forward as CEO of ReMerge, or spreading positivity on her News 9 Motivation Monday segment, or cheering on working moms through public appearances or executive coaching sessions, all of Engelke’s work is about seeing and serving others.
Engelke said she wants every woman to know: “You are so much more capable than you even realize. You are incredibly worthy. You are meant to be here,” adding, “Nothing brings me more joy than seeing women who come to believe in themselves.”
HER 2026 Industry Leader: Paris Lawson
Paris Lawson admits she has “one of the coolest jobs on the planet,” reporting for the OKC Thunder and WNBA. Many basketball fans would agree. Chronicling the Thunder’s story for seven seasons—including the team’s National Championship win in 2025—has been her highest honor, she said.
“The thing that will always live with me is the energy of the city. [The championship] was this moment where you just had to sit there and appreciate it, and watch that confetti fall, and just be present and soak it all up,” Lawson said. “Oklahoma City is so unique in the sense that we’ve got Loud City, this raucous arena that teams around the league agree is one of the loudest in the NBA. Then you multiply that by 1,000 during that playoff run, and then that championship game—seeing a city unite like that behind a team was so cool to see.”
HER 2026 Catalyst: Dr. Tiffany Nguyen-Ngo
Dr. Tiffany Nguyen-Ngo is the co-owner of ARC Point Labs of Oklahoma City, a full-service diagnostic testing facility.
“We offer a multitude of programs,” she explained. “We work with the courts and lawyers. We do fingerprinting and background checks for both courts and small businesses. We do drug screenings, court-ordered or for people who are trying to get clean on their own and need a record. Because we are private pay, we can partner with labs across the US. We do serum eye drops the same day. We have proactive wellness and mental health resources that I would love for people to learn more about.”
In 2023, she was offered a chance to acquire the lab to increase revenue and programing, and it has been thriving ever since. ARC Point just opened a second location this year. But what makes Nguyen-Ngo an outstanding local business owner is the creativity and time she has devoted to caring for her employees.
HER 2026 Humanitarian: Ann Felton Gilliland
Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity CEO Ann Felton Gilliland is often spotted around town. Recently, while attending a National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum event, she heard someone call her name.
“She was a guard at the Cowboy Hall of Fame, and she’s in our second addition, Legacy Estate; we have about 146 houses there,” said Gilliland, adding that she loves bumping into Habitat homeowners throughout the city. “They’re all thriving, and they’re all so excited.”
With Gilliland guiding Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity for the past 36 years, first as a board member and then as CEO, the organization has grown from building two homes a year to 50. Each new home is celebrated with Gilliland handing the new homeowners the keys.
HER 2026 Rising Star: Clarissa Cozzoni
“Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been so interested in telling stories. There is such power in the way we connect to one another through stories.”
Clarissa Cozzoni is a rising star in both Oklahoma and the national entertainment industry. It’s difficult to find something she isn’t doing or learning how to do: She is an Emmy Award-winning actress, producer and director who grew up here in Oklahoma. The 26-year-old is known for her roles in films like Minding Your Business and The Last Apocalypse. She is also working on a pair of documentaries, one in post-production and another in pre-production, demonstrating her versatility as both actor and producer. This fall, she began her first semester of law school at the University of Oklahoma.
HER 2026 Community Visionary: Kitti Asberry
You might not know Kitti Asberry, but if you are a woman in Oklahoma, she has probably changed your life for the better. An advocate for women’s issues at local and state levels since the mid-1980s, she currently serves as the executive director of the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women, the state’s leading organization dedicated to advancing the rights and opportunities of women. The Commission has gained national attention and awards for its programs to stop human trafficking, as well as its recent work on providing childcare to Oklahoma families. Asberry said, “Many childcare centers were shut down due to COVID. We are working on extending subsidies and benefits so that they can reopen.”
