Leadership Tulsa Celebrates 40 Years
LEADING THE TEAM: Helping with the Leadership Tulsa 40th Anniversary Gala are, from left, event chair Karen MacCannell, LT Board President Jeff Wilkie, LT Executive Director Wendy Thomas and planning committee member Nichole Bostian Trantham.
Courtesy Leadership Tulsa
Leadership Tulsa is the community’s organization according to many civic leaders. It’s the one that corporations entrust their best and brightest in order to learn more about the opportunities and challenges facing Tulsa and about giving back through service. It’s the one that nonprofits turn to when they need volunteers or board members. It’s the one that partners with local media to produce events to educate the community on upcoming elections.
Since the organization’s founding in 1973, Tulsans have been living Leadership Tulsa’s mission to identify, develop, and connect diverse leaders who impact the community through service. More than 2,000 members have taken part in the flagship program and served thousands of hours of community service through local nonprofit organizations. “Leadership Tulsa has steadily been contributing to the social capital in Tulsa for 40 years now and making it a better place for us all,” says Wendy Thomas, executive director of Leadership Tulsa.
On Oct. 24 at The Mayo Hotel, Leadership Tulsa hosted the 40th Anniversary Gala event. Jeff Stava, Leadership Tulsa Class 28, past president of Leadership Tulsa and the of the Tulsa Community Foundation was the honorary chair and emceed the event. As a part of the celebration, the 2013 Paragon Award winners were recognized and honored. The 2013 Paragon Award winners are the late Nate Waters, nominated by The Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges; Dr. Cathy Burden, nominated by Community Action Project of Tulsa County; and Frank Mulhern, nominated by Hardesty Center for Fab Lab Tulsa.
The full list of nominees, who will be receiving a Star Award at the event, from which the winners were selected, are Mary Alice Ahlgren, nominated by Junior League of Tulsa; Janice Edmiston, nominated by Indian Health Care Resource Center of Tulsa; Steven Fate, nominated by Foundation for Tulsa Schools; Leigh Goodson, nominated by of Greater Tulsa; Adam Leavitt, nominated by Emergency Infant Services; Brenda Lloyd-Jones, nominated by The Mothers Group, Inc.; Suzanne Lucenta; nominated by Tulsa ; Janet McGehee, nominated by Tulsa; Vani Singhal, nominated by Tulsa Children’s Museum; and Steve Warrick, nominated by John 3:16 Mission.
The Paragon Awards is an annual celebration where Leadership Tulsa honors outstanding members who have demonstrated extraordinary talents, commitment and vision in serving the community. The nominees received a Star Award and the three Paragon winners were presented an engraved, crystal award and their nominating agencies were presented with a check for $3,000.
For more information about leadership Tulsa, visit www.leadershiptulsa.org or call the office at 918-477-7079.
Updated 10-29-2013
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