Fw: Invitation to Mayor Debate

To All Leadership Tulsa Members:

 

The Downtown Rotary Club of Tulsa cordially invites all Leadership Tulsa members to The Rotary Club's Mayoral Debate.  This debate between Tom Adelson and Dewey Bartlett will be held on October 14th from 1130 to 1 pm. The event will be hosted by John O'Conner.  Mr. O'Conner will ask each candidate the same question and allow the candidates equal time to respond.  The event will be held at the First United Methodist Church: 1115 S Boulder Tulsa, OK 74119 at 12:00 (noon).  We suggest arriving between 11:30 and 11:45 to allow for plenty of time to park and find a seat. Lunch will be served during the Mayoral Debate. 

 

Please RSVP to attend drew.casper@wellsfargoadvisors.com or Brenda.Melancon@mail.secureagent.com. Hope to see you on October 14th. 

 

Regards,

 

Drew Casper

 

Drew D. Casper, CRPC

Financial Advisor

Wells Fargo Advisors

2431 E 61st Street Suite 400

Tulsa, OK 74136

 

Office: 918/293-7253

Facsimile: 918/746-1099

 

Email: drew.casper@wellsfargoadvisors.com

Webpage: www.wfadvisors.com/drew.casper

 

 

 

2009 Critical Skills Advantage program offered

Leadership Tulsa has newly redesigned its 2009 Critical Skills Advantage program to meet the needs of today's busy leader.   Three afternoon sessions featuring high profile community leaders will be held at the Tulsa Technology Center Lemley Campus on October 28, November 4 and November 11.   Participants will be able to sign up for one session or multiple sessions at a discount.  There will also be discounts for organizations sending multiple participants. 

 

Participants will have the opportunity to gain valuable insight on key leadership skills from some of Tulsa's most successful leaders.

 

Howard Barnett, the newly selected President of OSU-Tulsa, will speak on "Visioning in the real world: scars, successes and visionary leaders I have known."   A life-long Tulsan, Barnett served as chief of staff for Gov. Frank Keating and as the Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce. Earlier this year, Barnett was the chief negotiator for the OSU Medical Center Trust in its acquisition of the OSU Medical Center from Ardent Health Systems. He is also a former chairman of the Tulsa Metro Chamber and president of Leadership Oklahoma.

 

David Rutkauskas is Founder, President & CEO of Beautiful Brands International (BBI) and Tulsa's Entrepreneurial Success Person of the Year in 2007.  David will speak on "growing your business during America's longest and deepest recession since the great depression."   David knows what he is talking about!  BBI's first concept, Camille's Sidewalk Café was founded by David and his wife Camille at Woodland Hills Mall in 1996.  Since then, the franchise has become a regional and worldwide success story with double-digit sales growth, penetration into the global marketplace, and projected sales of over $100 million by 2008.

 

Other speakers include:  Colonel Anthony Funkhouser of the US Army Corps of Engineers, A highly decorated leader and West Point graduate with a civil engineering background.  Wendy Thomas, Executive Director of Leadership Tulsa, a frequent consultant with non profit organizations will speak on the differences in attitudes, motivations and values among and between the generations.  Malcolm McCollam a self-employed attorney with MalcolmLaw PC and a founder of the Oklahoma Academy of Collaborative Professionals who is also well known for his leadership in the biking community and his role as Event Director of the Tulsa Tough Ride & Race.  Larry Wofford, Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies at the University who also owns and operates the highly successful Route 66 Harley-Davidson and 5&Diner restaurant in Tulsa.

 

Get a registration form and read more about the program, speakers and presentation topics at http://leadershiptulsa.org/index.cfm?pageID=3&AID=411

 

 

 

Fw: Upcoming Summit for CEO's and top-level business leaders - October 6th

From your classmate Denise:

 

Please take note of the upcoming Return on Inclusion Summit on Tuesday, October 6.  This summit is created for CEO's and top-level business leaders like yourself and includes presenters, Mayor Taylor, Steve Malcolm, Stuart Solomon and more.  See below for more details and description, but activities and learning opportunities such as these are inherent to the Tulsa Metro Chamber's long-term, workforce strategy.

 

There is no cost to attend, but please visit www.roiok.org for more information and to register.

 

Return On Inclusion

2009 Summit for Oklahoma Business Leaders

7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Williams Presentation Theater, One Williams Center (lowest level)

 

Overview

 

The Return on Inclusion Summit for Oklahoma Business Leaders will bring together the region's CEOs and top-level business leaders with their organization's most senior human resources professionals to explore best practices and strategies for investing in the attraction, retention and engagement of the diverse work force of the 21^st century, in order to boost the bottom line.

 

Why Attend

To gain an increased understanding of what it means to be an inclusive leader and to learn about the business impact and competitive advantage of putting a focus on diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Hear from other state leaders and explore best practices for implementing a focus on inclusion in the workplace - successes, challenges, and keys to creating an inclusive climate for a valuable return on investment. Learn about…

- Growing the talent pool based on dramatically shifting demographics

- Improving retention, engagement, and teamwork

- Increasing market opportunities

- Encouraging creative ideas and innovative problem-solving and solutions

- Increasing awareness of appropriate workplace behavior

 

Supporting Organizations

 

ROI is presented by TAHRA (Tulsa Area Human Resources Association), Tulsa Metro Chamber

and OCCJ (Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice) The event is sponsored by Williams.

 

Agenda

7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.    Networking Breakfast in Will Rogers Room, Williams Restaurant (adjacent to Williams Presentation Theater)

 

8:30 a.m.                      Presentation begins in Williams Presentation Theater

 

                                    Welcome – Mayor Kathy Taylor

 

                                    Remarks – Steve Malcolm, Chairman, President & CEO, Williams

 

                                    Panel Discussion – Moderated by Hannibal Johnson, Esq.

                                   

Panelists:

 

-       Dr. JoAnn Haysbert, President, Langston University

-       Dave Lopez, President, American Fidelity Foundation

-       Dr. Kara Gae Neal, Superintendent & CEO, Tulsa Technology Center

-       Stuart Solomon, President & Chief Operating Officer, Public Service Company of Oklahoma

 

10:30 a.m.                     Adjourn

Denise Reid
Director Talent Strategies & Recruitment
Tulsa Metro Chamber
(918) 560-0255 office
(918) 633-0073 cell 
ChooseTulsaJobs.com TYPros.org

 

Fw: Junior League of Tulsa Leadership Conference

> This opportunity just crossed my desk and I thought I would pass it on to
> you in case you are free on Saturday and interested in taking advantage of
> the training.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <president@jltulsa.org>
> To: <wendy@leadershiptulsa.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 8:49 AM
> Subject: Junior League of Tulsa Leadership Conference
>
>
> Dear Mrs. Thomas,
>
> The Junior League of Tulsa is hosting a Leadership Conference this
> Saturday at our facility at 36th and Yale. Originally organized for our
> membership, we have opened this training up to the public. I would like to
> personally invite your members to attend this unique development
> opportunity.
>
> More information and online registration can be found at www.jltulsa.org
> or by contacting our office at 918-663-6100.
>
> Thank you and I hope to see you Saturday.
>
> Rachael Hunsucker
> President, Junior League of Tulsa
>
>
> Leadership Training Conference - Hosted by Junior League of Tulsa
>
> Saturday, August 29
> 10:00am - 3:15pm
>
> Junior League of Tulsa Headquarters
> 3633 S. Yale ~ Tulsa, OK
>
> $25 for morning|afternoon sessions + lunch
>
> $15 for morning session only + lunch
>
> $10 for afternoon breakout sessions only
>
> Keynote speaker Rory Alplanalp ("How to be Proactive in a Reactive World")
> Luncheon speaker Clifton Taulbert ("Leadership During Challenging Times")
>
>
> Afternoon training sessions:
> Building a High Performing Team ~ Charlie Baker
> Becoming an Authentic Leader ~ Rory Alplanalp
> "Oh, That's What You Meant!" Tips for Communicating Clearly in Business
> and in Life. ~ Sharí Alexander
> Meetings That Matter ~ Position your Committee for Success through
> Effective Meeting Management ~ Deidra Kirtley
>
>
>
>
>

LT forming teams for Day of Caring

As members of Class 41 I hope you will consider helping us with our Day of Caring teams.  This is a first for us and a very worthy cause!

 

Leadership Tulsa is forming work teams for the United Way Day of Caring, Scheduled for Friday, September 11.  If your company is not participating this year, please consider joining the Leadership Tulsa team! 

 

The event will kick off at H.A. Chapman Stadium at the University of Tulsa.  Breakfast will be served at Thomas Plaza, (west of the stadium) at 6:30 a.m. with the Campaign Kickoff at 7:30 a.m.  At 8:15 a.m., volunteers will leave for their assigned projects at one of TAUW's 63 partner agencies. 

 

Depending on the number of volunteers we can recruit, we may work at one facility or break up into groups and work at different facilities.  Our volunteer skills could be used for painting, yard work, light duty repairs, spending time with the elderly or reading to children, just to name a few.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact membership committee member Tracie Leonhart tracieleonhart@yahoo.com by September 1st. 

 

Once we have complete listing of volunteers, a listing of projects available to LT will be emailed to the volunteers.  Each volunteer will then select three projects and email those selected projects back to Tracie.  We will then place each individual on one of their three project choices. 

 

In addition, if anyone would like a Day of Caring T-shirt, you can go to the following website to order  a T-shirt http://www.tauw.org/tauw/Day_of_Caring_T-Shirt__Event_RSVP_Info.asp.  Orders placed by 4th of September will be received prior to the DOC.  Shirts ordered after this date will arrive AFTER the DOC event. 

 

If anyone has any questions, please contact Tracie directly at 289-6168. 

Sponsorship in Action

I know your group has already covered Sponsorship and is moving on to Resilience.

I wanted to go back for a minute and share something that I thought was a great portrayal of Sponsorship. It's the actor Joseph Fiennes (brother of actor Ralph Fiennes). He's giving a speech after a visit to Angola. It's just 4 and 1/2 minutes, but here's an example of someone using his social force to bring attention to an issue that's important to him.

I like using video clips of other people to illustrate what the capacities look like. It's one thing to read about it in my chapters. I also realize that many of you need more than "theory."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX1EggUHfSc

US Junior Chamber seeks members for new Tulsa club

The United States Junior Chamber of Commerce is in the process of establishing a new chapter in Tulsa.  The US Junior Chamber seeks to empower young men and women, age 18-40, to create positive change in their community.  Local chapters of the Junior Chamber focus on the following four areas of development:

 

1.      Individual Development (programs dealing with personal and professional development and leadership skills)

2.      Community Development (identifying needs in the local community to create positive change through hands-on projects)

3.      Business Development (to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit while empowering men and women to best utilize their talents)

4.      International Development (getting connected with young professionals across the world through the vast international network while getting involved with the development goals of the United Nations and the UN Foundation)

 

The Greater Tulsa Junior Chamber is inducting its founding members on Tuesday, July 14.  This new organization will serve as an important addition to the Tulsa community and its future growth.  The focus of the Junior Chamber (Jaycees) has always been one of identifying needs in the community and then actually going out into the community to produce positive change via community action projects.  The primary goal of this organization is to create projects that directly impact the community.  Our members work alongside those in need to create a better tomorrow for ourselves, the community, and all those around us.

 

The group of men and women that have been identified in Tulsa thus far are amongst the best and brightest young citizens. While their backgrounds and professions are varied, they all share the common interest in wanting to take an active and hands-on role in the community. All activities in our organization are voluntary for our members.  They only have to participate in those events that they have the time and interest for.  With our diverse mission and development areas, there is something for everyone.  NEW MEMBERS ARE ALWAYS WELCOMED TO JOIN- YEAR ROUND!

 

The US Junior Chamber of Commerce has had close to 10 million members since its inception in 1920 and currently has chapters in close to 1,000 communities in the US and more than 6,000 worldwide in more than 115 countries.  We are the only international network of young active citizens.

 

We are looking for community-minded individuals interested in creating the premier organization for young people in Tulsa.  We recruit year-round and anyone is able to attend our membership meetings.

 

Check out the US website at:  www.usjaycees.org and the international site at www.jci.cc.  Feel free to also contact Laurence A. Bolotin, executive vice-president, at evp@usjaycees.org or at 918-584-2481.

 

We look forward to hearing from you.

 

Sincerely,

 

Laurence A. Bolotin

Executive Vice-President

The U.S. Junior Chamber

 

Agenda for Healthcare Day

Attached is the agenda for our day exploring Healthcare on Tuesday July 21.  We will be meeting at the OSU Center for Health Sciences at 17th & Southwest Blvd across the river.  There is a link to driving instructions and a campus map on the agenda.  Our leadership topic for the day will be resilience.  Keep cool and I'll see you then! 

Global Alliance Seeks Host Families

Tulsa Global Alliance will be hosting nine economic development professionals from Serbia July 8-29 that will be here on a program funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).  They are looking for host families. Families are welcome to host for the whole 2 ½ weeks, or for the first or second half of the period.  If interested, please call Bob Lieser at 591-4750 or email blieser@tulsaglobalalliance.org.

 

Invitation to Attend Tulsa Rotary Meeting w/ George Kaiser speaking

A great opportunity From your classmate Drew:

 

Wendy,

 

I sit as the LT intern on the Rotary Club of Tulsa Board; Brenda Melancon, LT classmate is a true blue board member. George Kaiser will be speaking at The Rotary Club of Tulsa on July 8, 2009 at noon. As you probably know, Mr. Kaiser does not speak publicly very often, this should be quite a treat.  We want to invite all LT classmates to this Rotary luncheon, all our LT classmates need to do is RSVP to Drew or Brenda and their lunch will be provided complimentary.  We will have an LT table at the meeting so you can sit with other classmates.  Most people arrive 15 to 30 minutes early and have lunch before the speaker begins. Rotary is looking for new younger members and I have been approached about getting the word out about Rotary. An event like this could possibly draw a big crowd from LT, especially our class. Is there a way for us to send out a mass communication about George Kaiser speaking and if someone wants to attend to contact either Brenda or myself?  For more information about the Rotary Club of Tulsa visit their web website at: www.tulsarotaryweb.com.
Thank You,

 

Drew

 

Drew D. Casper, CRPC Brenda Melancon
Financial Advisor VP of Operations
Wells Fargo Advisors Secure Agent Software
4200 E. Skelly Dr #1000 2448 E 81st St, Ste 2000
Tulsa, OK 74114 Tulsa, OK 74137-4271

 

Office: 918.293.7253 Office: 918.971.1600 Cell: 918-813-7000
Facsimile: 918.747.0993 Facsimile: 918.971.1623

 

Email: drew.casper@wellsfargoadvisors.com
Webpage: www.wfadvisors.com/drew.casper

Thinking about the Healthcare Debate

Your day on healthcare in Tulsa is coming together and I will soon be sending out your agendas for the July 21 program.  In the meantime, the following link crossed my desk and I thought of Class 41.   I have not yet perused the resources mentioned, but I find the Oklahoma Policy Institute to be a trusted source of good information. 

 

http://okpolicy.org/blog/health/summer-reading-health-care/

 

 

Wendy Thomas, Executive Director
918-477-7079

 

 

Check Out Our New RSS Feed & Member Blog!

Leadership Tulsa is pleased to announce that we have added some new features for our members to enjoy! Many of you have made some suggestions on how you would prefer to receive information from us and we have incorporated some of those ideas, with more to come in the future.
The first thing we have added is a membership blog. It is open to all members of any class. All you have to do is sign up and join right in on things. The blog is there for our members to be able to discuss things that are happening in the community or with Leadership Tulsa. Take a look at it and don't be afraid to go ahead and play around with it. We want to hear from you!
The second thing is that we have added and RSS Feed to the "Featured Articles" section of our website. Okay! What does that mean? It means that no longer will you need to physically go to our website to get up-to-date information about what's going on at LT. Now, we can deliver that info directly to you, with a link so that you can open up and read about it as soon as we post it to the website. All you need to do is click on the orange square in the "Featured Articles" sections and follow the prompts. Now you can follow us on Google, Twitter, Facebook or whatever platform you prefer.
Also, Leadership Tulsa now has a presence on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can follow Wendy Thomas on either one. We look forward to everyone's participation on these new tools and we hope that they will make it easier to keep up with what's going on at LT.

Tulsa Area Independent Business Association

Our Leadership Lunch last week featured a start up organization, the Tulsa Area Independent Business Association. TAIBA is a non-profit organization of locally owned and operated independent businesses that have joined together to promote the cultural and economic benefits of shopping locally. They are modeled after similar programs nationwide, and are particularly looking to an organization in the city of Austin. Austin found statistics that said that for every $100 spent at a chain store only $14 stays in the local community, but for every $100 spent at a locally owned store, $45 stays in the community. For purposes of their new organization, TAIBA is defining locally owned independent businesses as 1) private ownership, 2) majority of owners live within 40 mile radius of Tulsa 3) full decision making function for the business lies with its owners, and 4) no more than 6 outlets with basis of operation within Tulsa metro area. As a start-up however, they are still in the process of further defining their organization goals, programs and membership requirements. They are looking for board members as well as new members of the organization. For more information www.buylocaltulsa.com or email buylocaltulsa@gmail.com

Also in attendance at the event was a representative of the Tulsa Chamber's "Let's do Business" program whose goal is to bring 5% of out-of-area business spending back home. The chamber states that the Tulsa region loses approximately $29 million a day to out-of-area purchases. "Let's do Business" focuses more on business to business purchases where TAIBA is trying to impact consumer/retail decision making. For more information about the chamber program go to www.letsdobusinesstulsa.com.

The economic vitality of Tulsa is hugely dependent on the success of small business. Both these organizations are to be commended for the work they are doing to highlight the advantages of shopping at home. What are your favorite local independent businesses?

Hope you enjoyed the Port

Share your thoughts here about the day. 

 

 

Wendy Thomas, Executive Director
918-477-7079

 

 

Business Day Tuesday 16

Following is the agenda for our class day Tuesday.  Please note that we are still planning to have a BBQ lunch on a barge and you might want to dress casually and coolly for the day.  A map to the port is attached. 

 

 

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

LOCATION:              Tulsa Port of Catoosa 

5350 Cimarron Road

Catoosa, OK  74005

(918) 266-2291

 

8:00 a.m..         Continental Breakfast

8:30                  Set-Up – Wendy Thomas

8:45                  Leadership Capacity "Sponsorship" with Ellen Ralph

                        and Hans Helmerich, President, Helmerich & Payne

9:45                  Break

10:00                David Page, President, JP Morgan Chase & Chairman, Tulsa Metro Chamber

                        "Moving the Needle for our Region"

 

11:00                Bob Portis, Director  

Bus tour of the Port of Catoosa

11:30                BBQ Lunch on Barge

1:00                  David Stewart, CEO of Cherokee Nation Enterprises

1:30                  Know your Tulsa Business History Quiz

 

2:30                  North Tulsa Economic Development Initiative

·         Rose Washington, Tulsa Economic Development Corp.

·         Isabell Estes, The Entrepreneur's Source

·         Risha Grant, XPosure Magazine

 

3:30                  Wrap up and Adjourn

 

 

 

Considering going back to school?

On Monday, June 15, Leadership Tulsa is hosting a Back to School Night at the brand new home of University of Phoenix in the Eastgate Metroplex (former Eastland Mall).

Have you or a loved one talked about going back to school? Come visit with representatives of some of Tulsa's premiere higher education institutions and hear from a panel of those who have "been there and done that" about what you should expect in juggling work, homelife, financial requirements in seeking a new degree.

Confirmed Participating Schools Include: OU, OSU, Oklahoma Wesleyan, Langston, Un. of Phoenix, St. Gregory's, ORU, TU, NSU, and Educational Opp. Center at TCC.

The event will run from 5:30 to 7:30 pm and is free and open to the public. Feel free to forward this message to anyone you think might benefit from the event.

Wendy Thomas, Executive Director
918-477-7079

 

 

The Exponential Speed of Technology Advancement

A fascinating link from your classmate Denise Reid!  I would be very interested in seeing people's responses to the question posed at the end of the video - "so what does this all mean?" 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nteiqLgZFOU&feature=related

 

 

Hosting Opportunity for Visitors from Russia June 5-13, Serbia July 8-29

 Tulsa Global Alliance will be hosting visiting professionals from Russia June 5-13, and from Serbia July 8-19, and is looking for host families for them.

 

There is an opportunity to host a male visitor from Russia who works with youth in his country June 5-13, and to host Serbian professionals, men or women, in the field of local economic development July 8-29.

 

Attached is a flyer about the Serbian visit.

Please feel free to share this information with anyone who might be interested in hosting.

 

Please feel free to contact Bob Lieser if you have any questions.

 

Bob Lieser

Vice President of Programming
Phone: 918-591-4750
Fax: 918-591-4755

Mobile: 918-855-7862
800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, OK 74104-3126

Tulsa Global Alliance
Bridging Cultures
through Awareness, Education and Opportunities
www.tulsaglobalalliance.org

 

Business Day June 16

We are very excited to share with you the agenda for our day exploring Business & Industry.  We will be meeting out at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa.  A map and full agenda of the day is attached.   People always enjoy touring the port and we are hoping that the weather and other factors work out to have our lunch on a barge.  Our Leadership Capacity for the day will be "Sponsorship" so please begin reviewing that chapter in your notebooks. 

 

See you soon!

 

Wendy Thomas, Executive Director
918-477-7079
http://twitter.com/wendyleadtulsa

Kitchen Items Sought for New Program

From your classmate Mimi: 

 

As mentioned during our last LT class, our new day treatment program is in need of start up supplies with a focus at this time around kitchen and food management.  Participants will be engaged in meal preparation daily as part of the basic skills training, and anything that you can contribute to the kitchen would be greatly appreciated.  This includes but not limited to:

 

Pots/pans                     dishes

Mixing bowls                serving utensils 

Ladles                          Tongs

Kitchen spoons             measuring cups

Can opener                  Colanders

Serving platters              kitchen towels/potholders

Blender                        microwave

sheet pans                    Scissors/grater

 

Donations can be received at the main Family & Children's Services Office located at 650 S. Peoria  (corner of 8^th and Peoria) 

Please leave your name and address so that we can send you a tax donation receipt.

Gently used clothing and shoes will most likely be our next request.

Thank you in advance for any assistance provided.  For more info, please don't hesitate to call Mimi at 230-3112.

 

MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM

 

Women in Recovery (WIR) is an alternative to incarceration program for female offenders, structured within a comprehensive day treatment format for women with substance abuse problems and a myriad of other complicated life problems. The program promotes re-integrative justice and a reduced reliance on incarceration through advocacy, services and community supports. The program uses a holistic, gender-specific and trauma-informed approach which teaches women not only about their addiction but also about health and wellness, relapse prevention, parenting, relationships and emotional expression.

 

A woman is eligible to enter the WIR program if she is 18 years of age or older, is involved in the criminal justice system, has a history of or is at risk of substance abuse and is on track for incarceration in prison. The program will provide a recovery-oriented system of care to women who are either not eligible for or are denied entry into the Drug or Mental Health Court programs.

 

The WIR program will provide robust advocacy with judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys; linkage with parenting programs and family reunification services. Additional referrals or services will include: mental health, psychiatric and medication management services, counseling; employment services, housing services; transportation; and to other community resources for childcare and other basic needs.

 

On one day in March 2008, jail census revealed that there were 88 women currently in jail who would qualify to be referred to a program such as Women in Recovery. Instead, these 88 women were likely sentenced to a state correctional facility where they did not receive the intensive substance abuse and mental illness treatment that can be afforded by a Recovery Oriented System of Care approach.

 

I know this group appreciates statistics and I would be happy to provide data as requested. I didn't want to overwhelm all with too much reading during this "ask" yet I will remind you that Oklahoma has the highest rate of incarcerated women in the nation.

 

Tulsa Public Schools - Strategic Planning Survey

From your classmate Denise Reid:

 

Tulsa Public Schools is seeking input from the community for their strategic plan.  They have set up a quick survey on their website.  I've include the link below that takes you right to the page. 

 

Once you are on the page go to  – TPS Strategic Planning Survey – click on it and complete survey – it should only take a few minutes.

 

http://www.tulsaschools.org/district/strategic/index.shtm

 

Please take a moment to share your ideas on how we can create strategic vision for our children (our future workforce) in Tulsa.

  

 

Embroidered LT Shirts

By special request we are going to do another round of embroidered LT Class 41 shirts - this is where you provide your own shirt (any style - tshirt, polo, dress - no red or black because of logo colors) and for $5 we will embroider it with the LT logo and your class #.   To participate you must have a shirt to us no later than Friday May 29.   We will be closed on Memorial Day of course, but you can generally drop it by the office between 7:30 and 4:30, you might call first just to make sure someone is here. 

 

We hope this will help a few of you who missed the first round. 

 

Wendy Thomas, Executive Director
918-477-7079

Leadership as the New Means of Growing Ideas

One of my favorite informative series is the TED Talks. TED stands for "Technology, Entertainment, Design," and TED Talks is a semi-annual series of lectures held by TED, where the world's top minds are given a stage to talk about their passions. They've hosted everyone from Al Gore to Bill Gates, from Karen Armstrong to Billy Graham, and everyone in between. They discuss everything from religion to science, from social justice to war, from personal creativity to mass movements.

Recently Seth Godin, an entrepreneur and social activist, gave a talk titled, "Why Tribes, Not Money or Factories, Will Change the World." In it, he makes a fascinating argument: how change is created, and how people are led to a new conclusion, is in a state of transition. And more importantly, that leadership is becoming the new currency needed to promote an idea, in a way it hasn't been needed in the past.

He begins by arguing that there have been two distinct periods in the way ideas are created, spread, and are implemented on a global scale: we began with the concept that you could change the world with factories (think Henry Ford's assembly lines, the Industrial Revolution, and the thought that we could create bigger and better ideas through bigger and faster machines). The second stage was influenced largely by mass media: ideas were promulgated, pushed, and argued for by television and large-scale media marketing (political ads, commercials, infomercials, etc., designed to push everyone toward buying a single idea/product). The goal here was to influence everyone: to get everyone to buy your product, to vote for you. And because of that, Seth says, the ideas were always average, never extraordinary. When you have to appeal to everyone, you arrive at the middle ground; and because of this, change was relatively uninspired and slow.

Seth argues, and I think pretty effectively, that we are now in a third stage in which ideas are not created through manufacturing or television, but through leadership that unites similarly-minded people. He calls it the "idea of tribes": the spread of technology and the 'flattening' of the world - rather than creating an homogeneous population - instead allows individuals with shared interests or ideas to connect with each other and influence others. This blog is an example of that happening: a group of people interested in fostering leadership in Tulsa can centralize here to share ideas, concepts, and promote these ideas to others.

What these "tribes" require, he goes on to say, is a leader to challenge the status quo - a leader to find a part of society they are unhappy with, and work to change it. These tribes, these movements, do not rise up by themselves - they require that a leader with an idea on how to challenge the status quo connect with individuals who share his/her passion and willingness to work toward that larger goal.

Prior to this video, I had always thought of "leadership" as bound to a person: an individual was a leader, he/she possessed leadership characteristics, etc. The concept of "leadership" based on ideas makes leadership more transportable for me - more able to transcend geographic limitations by creating movements not necessarily grounded in an individual. Ultimately, I think this makes leadership more powerful, and a more effective tool for today's world in effecting social change.

---

Check out the video, and let me know what your thoughts on his concept of leadership are. He hits on so many broad concepts it's tough to tap in to one coherent message, and dialogue on the issues he raises would certainly help to clarify on my end.

PAC to feature Hannibal Johnson Play

Big Mama Speaks: A Tulsa Race Riot Survivor's Story a play by Hannibal Johnson and featuring acclaimed actress Vanessa Adams-Harris, will run at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, Charles E. Norman Theatre, as follows:

• Friday, June 19, 2:00 p.m. (matinee)
• Friday, June 19, 8:00 p.m.
• Saturday, June 20, 8:00 p.m.

General admission tickets are $10, and may be purchased online at www.tulsapac.com. There will be book signings following the evening play performances.

 

 

PlaniTulsa Survey Kicks off this Tuesday

Over the past 8 months, input from thousands of Tulsans has been gathered at public workshops throughout the city, collected through surveys and recorded during interviews. Based on all these ideas for Tulsa's future, the PLANiTULSA team has developed four different scenarios of how future growth in Tulsa might look.

This email is a two-fold announcement. First, the PLANiTULSA team is rolling out these scenarios to the public at a fun event at the Cain's Ballroom on May 12, 2009. We've been building up to this point for months!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Cain's Ballroom
423 N. Main St.
6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
(Doors open 5:30 p.m.)

Please bring friends and family to enjoy live music & snacks and learn about the possible scenarios for Tulsa's future growth. Your input will influence the new comprehensive plan for Tulsa. You can also pick up surveys to pass out to friends and organizations.

Second, we need YOUR help. The PLANiTULSA team wants your opinions, thoughts and feedback on these four scenarios. We've prepared a survey for you to rate various aspects of the scenarios. During a month-long survey drive, May 12 - June 18, we hope thousands of Tulsans will fill out the survey. The more the better! The survey results will drive the process of turning the four scenarios into one shared vision for Tulsa's future.

If you can't join us at Cain's, please take the survey online after May 12, 2009!

For more information, go online www.planitulsa.org

 

Purpose in Action

Purpose in Action:

Sometimes I stumble upon things that just make me stop and think to myself “My Goodness, this is exactly what I’m talking about. I wish I could be more like this!”

There is no mention of the word “purpose” in this entire clip, but that is exactly what I see when I watch this. In this chapter I talk about 3 types of purpose. There’s a case for all 3 types to be mentioned in here, but what is see most vividly is Pete Carroll’s quiet clarity of his Authentic Purpose.

Watch this clip. You’ll agree with me that this is worth your time:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-wIAL0Dfsw

Education Day Agenda

Tuesday May 19, 2009

TTC North Peoria Campus, Oklahoma Heritage Room

3850 North Peoria  http://www.tulsatech.edu/About/peoria_campus.aspx

 

7:45 a.m..         Gather and Breakfast

8:00                  Welcome & Announcements

8:15                  Leadership Capacity "Purpose" with Ellen Ralph

9:00                  Break

 

9:15                  Susan Harris, Tulsa Metro Chamber "Quality Schools & Economic Success"

10:15                Instructions on Tours

 

10:30                Area School Tours (See your group assignment Page 2)

 

• Group 1 /  Kendall Whittier / Anderson Elementary
• Group 2 /  Mayo Elementary / Jackson Elementary
• Group 3 /  Lee Elementary / Eugene Field Elementary
• Group 4/   Carver Middle School / KIPP Academy
• Group 5/   Tulsa School of Arts & Sciences / Webster High School           

 

 

Sack lunches will be provided or you may purchase a school lunch for around $3.

1:00                  Participants Return from Schools Tours

1:15                  Table Discussion of School Visit Experience

1:45                  Dr. Keith Ballard, Superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools

2:45                  "Preparing Students for 21^st Century Careers"

Kara Gae Neal, Superintendent, Tulsa Technology Center

3:30                  announcements & adjourn

 

 

Wendy Thomas, Executive Director
918-477-7079