When entrepreneur Bob Faith decided to donate $1 million to Junior Achievement of Oklahoma’s capital campaign, he knew what name should be on the new facility – and it wasn’t his.
Faith, CEO of Greystar Real Estate Partners, insisted the recognition go to Williams retiree Scott Filstrup. He said Junior Achievement and Filstrup ignited his entrepreneurial spirit and set him on the path to success.
As a Tulsa high school student, Faith participated in the JA Company Program, sponsored by Williams and led by then-employee Filstrup, whose impact will be honored in the new facility.
“The influence that Scott, Williams and the Tulsa business community had on me growing up really kept me grounded through my whole career,” Faith said. “It’s why I want to have this connection back to Tulsa Junior Achievement.”
JA Oklahoma plans a 7,000-square-foot expansion at its Tulsa campus to unite JA BizTown and JA Finance Park programs under one roof, doubling its impact and providing 20,000 additional students each year with transformative financial literacy and career-readiness experiences.
In a recent interview, Faith thanked Filstrup for his influence and mentorship.
“When I met you in high school and you would tell us all these stories about all the places that you’ve traveled and the people that you’ve met and the things that you’ve done, that was so inspirational.
“And so now I sit here today and I go, wow, I’ve started businesses all around the world. I have 28,000 team members that work for me around the world. There’s so many people that are taking care of their families. They have a job at Greystar because of what we’ve done.”
Filstrup, who serves on JA Oklahoma’s board of directors, said he was honored and excited that with Faith’s gift, JA will reach even more youth with financial education.
“This demonstrates the real value that Junior Achievement has because it exposes you to business, exposes you to the benefits of free enterprise and the ability to be successful,” he told Faith. “There are companies like Williams saying, ‘Hey, you’re important to us. You’re in high school but we see you as a future generation.’”
Williams CEO Alan Armstrong, who is chairing the nonprofit’s capital campaign, thanked Faith for his generous gift honoring Filstrup.
“I’m thrilled that Williams employees have continued through the decades to volunteer for JA and other organizations helping students gain critical life skills,” he said. “Giving back to our communities is very much a part of the culture at Williams and Scott has been a remarkable part of that legacy.”
About JA BizTown and Finance Park
Since its inception in 2003, JA BizTown has educated more than 175,000 students, offering a hands-on, immersive experience where students run a simulated town, take on job roles and manage businesses.
JA Finance Park, launched in 2016, helps high school students apply classroom financial literacy lessons in real-world scenarios such as budgeting, financial planning and career decision-making.
Learn more at JA of Oklahoma’s website.