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.

“(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 16 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.

In December 2022, YWCA Tulsa, in partnership with the Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women, announced the honorees for the 2023 Pinnacle Awards celebrating exceptional women of Tulsa. The nine honorees are celebrated at the annual Pinnacle Awards. The event honors the investment women are making in our city and financially supports the work of YWCA Tulsa to empower women and eliminate racism. Award recipients include: Anna C. Roth Legacy Award, Rose Washington-Jones; Arts and Humanities Award, Dr. Tamecca Rogers; Community Service Award, Irma Chajecki; Corporate Business Award, Elian Hurtado Jarve; Education Award, Dr. Sarah Wyatt; Entrepreneur Award, Anita Williams; Health and Wellness Award, Deneisha Johnson; Rising Star Award, Ashley Townsend; Corporate Champion Award, The Persimmon Group.

In 1987, the Pinnacle Awards were established by the Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women to celebrate the important contributions of women to the City of Tulsa. In 2015, the Commission forged a partnership with YWCA Tulsa’s event Women of the Year recognizing women who were role models and embodied their mission of eliminating racism, empowering women, standing up for social justice and helping families. Over the past 30 years more than 200 women have been honored.

The Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women acts as the central clearinghouse and coordinating agency for activities and information relating to women. The Commission is charged with helping women develop a collective voice to influence public policy and effect positive changes in their lives, in addition to stimulating research in the area of women’s legal rights; educating the community on the status of women by publicizing information on women’s rights and obligations; reviewing the range of services available to women to enable them to fully contribute to society through their homes and participation in community life; and to strengthening existing services and assisting public, commercial, cooperative or voluntary agencies in pursuing needed services.

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The Mayor is looking for individuals from diverse backgrounds to apply to serve for all of these boards. For all mayor-appointed positions, you must be a Tulsa resident. Some boards have additional requirements. Learn more about each committee and complete an application at cityoftulsa.org/government/authorities-boards-and-commissions.