Chamber Announces Hirings
The Tulsa Regional Chamber has hired former Oklahoma legislator Katie Henke as vice president of regional business and education advocacy.
Henke is a former state representative and Tulsa-area educator. She was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2012 and served for six years. As a representative, Henke was elected majority caucus secretary, served as vice chair of the Appropriations and Budget Committee on Education, and became floor leader in 2017.
“Katie is a great fit for our regional business and education advocacy team,” said Mike Neal, president and CEO of the Tulsa Regional Chamber. “She showed incredible leadership at the Capitol, and we’re thrilled that her passion for education will be used to help increase the economic prosperity of northeast Oklahoma.”
The Chamber also recently promoted Sam Peyton to vice president of regional business and education advocacy. Peyton was hired by the Chamber in 2017 and previously served as director of government affairs. Before joining the Chamber, Peyton worked at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Washington, D.C.
“Sam has been an incredible asset to the Chamber, particularly on federal issues and policy,” said Elizabeth Osburn, senior vice president of regional business and education advocacy. “He excels in every measure of his performance, and the Tulsa region benefits tremendously from his expertise and hard work.”
The advocacy staff changes coincide with the departure of Zack Stoycoff, who recently accepted a new job as senior director of policy and planning at the Healthy Minds Initiative for the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation. Stoycoff joined the Chamber staff in 2013 as a communications manager before moving to the government affairs team in 2015. He was instrumental in the passage of state legislation to reform Oklahoma’s criminal justice system, increase teacher pay and improve educational outcomes. Stoycoff is a former Tulsa World journalist and graduate of Rogers State University.
“Zack had a tremendous impact during his more than five years with the Chamber,” Neal said. “We will miss his tireless work advocating for education, public health and criminal justice reform, among many other significant legislative matters. We look forward to continuing these efforts with Katie and working together with Zack on shared priorities in the future.”
