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City of Tulsa Authorities
City of Tulsa Authorities, Boards and Commissions
The City of Tulsa has dozens of citizen committees that cover a wide range of topics and appeal to a variety of interests. Arts, parks, economic development, historic preservation and demographic-specific interests are just some of the subjects. Mayor G.T. Bynum and the City Council rely on these volunteer citizen groups for thoughtful advice to create policies and develop programs. In early 2021, the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, the Tulsa Parking Authority, the Tulsa Industrial Authority and the Economic Development Commission merged into one entity: the Tulsa Authority for Economic Opportunity. Its focus: increasing economic opportunity in Tulsa. “The goal was really to create a much more efficient and effective economic and community development organization,” said TAEO Executive Director Kian Kamas, who formerly held the position of Tulsa’s chief of economic development. “The previous way of structuring the City’s work meant we had limited resources tucked away in different spots and locations. You had siloed staff, you had siloed boards. It really made it much more difficult to ultimately identify and execute on a shared vision, and also to have the resources to really make that vision a reality.” She added, “(TAEO) centralizes all of the City’s tools and resources that ultimately support implementation efforts,” such as the Kirkpatrick Heights Master Plan, a 56-acre redevelopment project spearheaded by community leaders and City officials. TAEO employs 15 economic development staff, some of which do the work of the Tulsa Development Authority. TAEO also has a board of trustees, which includes the TDA commissioners.
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