The Top 50 Tulsa Women Leaders of 2026
Tulsa has always been a “builders” city-big systems, big bets, and the kind of civic muscle memory that shows up when a region decides it’s going to modernize how it grows. What’s changed (and what’s getting a lot more visible) is who’s driving the conversations that matter most: inclusive economic development, talent pipelines, healthcare access, neighborhood investment, and the infrastructure that keeps commerce moving.
This list is designed for professional women who care about how influence really works in a metro: not just titles, but the ability to mobilize resources, shape policy, set standards, grow companies, fund solutions, and mentor the next generation.
A quick note on “ranking”: influence is not a perfect science. This is an editorial ranking based on public-facing leadership scope (workforce, budgets, systems, jobs), civic and cross-sector convening power, and demonstrated impact in the Tulsa metro. If you’re building in Tulsa, you’ll recognize these names-and if you’re new to the market, this is a smart “who’s who” to know.
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#1 Rose Washington-Jones
If you care about who gets to build wealth in Tulsa-who gets capital, coaching, contracts, and a real shot at scaling-Rose Washington-Jones is a central player. As TEDC’s CEO, she oversees services and resources that support hundreds of entrepreneurs and small businesses each year, a lever that directly affects neighborhood vitality, job creation, and inclusive growth. Her broader civic leadership also shows up in the networks she’s helped lead and shape regionally, giving her influence that travels beyond one organization into the metro’s overall economic strategy.
#2 Alison Anthony
United Way leadership is often misunderstood as fundraising-when in practice it’s systems leadership. Alison Anthony’s role places her at the intersection of employers, nonprofits, and community priorities, mobilizing people and resources to strengthen lives across the metro. Because United Way sits inside so many “how do we actually execute?” problems-stability, opportunity, family support-this job has unusual convening power, especially when Tulsa is trying to scale what works instead of piloting forever.
#3 Dr. Ebony Johnson
Workforce is Tulsa’s long game, and Tulsa Public Schools is a cornerstone of that pipeline. Dr. Ebony Johnson leads the state’s largest school district, serving nearly 34,000 students across 77 schools-scale that makes her decisions matter to every major employer thinking about talent, retention, and the region’s future competitiveness. When Tulsa talks about upward mobility, teacher recruitment, graduation outcomes, and student belonging, this seat is one of the biggest “outcome levers” in the metro.
#4 Leigh B. Goodson
Community colleges are where “economic strategy” becomes real: credentials, reskilling, adult learners, and employer-aligned programs. Leigh Goodson has led Tulsa Community College since 2014, overseeing an institution serving more than 20,000 students annually-meaning her leadership shapes who is prepared for Tulsa’s next chapter. Her role on the national stage (including leadership in the community college sector) adds additional visibility and influence, while her day-to-day impact is felt in employer partnerships and student outcomes across the metro.
#5 Amy Monsour Santee
Tulsa’s “how do we break cycles?” work-especially at the intersection of economic mobility and justice-has several major engines, and Amy Santee has been pivotal inside one of the most influential. Her GKFF portfolio includes work tied to female incarceration and criminal justice reform, and she helped launch initiatives in Tulsa such as Women in Recovery, Center for Employment Opportunities, and Still She Rises. The result is influence that isn’t just philanthropic-it’s structural, touching workforce reentry, family stability, and the civic capacity to reduce harm while expanding opportunity.
#6 Annie Koppel Van Hanken
Early childhood and public education are two of the highest-return investments a city can make-but only if the work is coordinated, evidence-informed, and sustained. Annie Koppel Van Hanken oversees GKFF initiatives spanning early childhood education, common education, and arts, and her board leadership in Tulsa’s early learning ecosystem signals the depth of her influence. In practical terms, her work shapes the quality and reach of the supports that determine whether Tulsa kids enter school ready-and whether families can access stable pathways that keep them there.
#7 Alexis Higgins
Airports are economic multipliers: business attraction, tourism, cargo, site selection, and the everyday connectivity that decides whether companies choose (and keep) Tulsa. Alexis Higgins, as CEO of the Tulsa Airports Improvement Trust, is leading through a period of high operational activity and expansion, with major projects and increased connectivity part of the airport’s recent direction-setting. When Tulsa talks about growth that’s “real” (jobs, visitors, investment), this role quietly sits underneath a lot of it.
#8 Deborah Dage
Healthcare is a talent issue, a quality-of-life issue, and a business climate issue-especially when a health system is also one of a region’s largest employers. As CFO, Deborah Dage influences financial sustainability, capital allocation, and operational resilience for a major health system-decisions that ripple into patient access, staffing, facilities, and long-term service capacity. In a moment when healthcare economics affect every employer’s benefits and every family’s stability, this finance seat is a major point of leverage.
#9 Dr. Reetu Singh
Where the CFO safeguards sustainability, the Chief Medical Officer safeguards outcomes-quality, safety, clinical standards, and the systems that keep care improving. Dr. Reetu Singh is described as a transformational physician-leader with deep experience across clinical leadership, quality, and health information systems-exactly the combination that matters as healthcare becomes more data-driven and more complex. For Tulsa’s workforce and families, this role is “behind the scenes” but profoundly consequential.
#10 Mary Hausman
In Tulsa, energy leadership isn’t abstract-it’s jobs, suppliers, philanthropy, and the corporate ecosystem. Mary Hausman’s role at The Williams Companies places her in a crucial trust-and-governance seat: financial reporting integrity, controls, and the operational discipline that enables big companies to invest and execute. When a Tulsa-headquartered public company is steady and well-governed, the region benefits through stability, vendor ecosystems, and community investment.
#11 Christy D. Williamson
Energy transition, infrastructure reliability, and economic resilience all intersect in the midstream and distribution ecosystem-where commercial strategy matters. Christy D. Williamson is part of ONEOK’s senior leadership, a role that touches large-scale commercial decisions in a company central to Tulsa’s corporate landscape. Her additional leadership as an executive sponsor for a women’s resource group signals influence not only in business outcomes, but in shaping who advances within major employers.
#12 Kelley E. Weil
Banking influence is often invisible until you map what it enables: homeownership, small business growth, consumer financial stability, and regional investment flows. Kelley E. Weil’s executive role in consumer banking at BOK Financial places her near the core of how households and small businesses access capital and financial tools. For a region where entrepreneurship and household stability directly affect workforce health, this is a meaningful leadership seat.
#13 Jhoanna Astudillo
Jhoanna Astudillo is an example of Tulsa influence that blends corporate leadership with community bridge-building. In addition to her role as a vice president and Hispanic segment leader at BOK Financial, she’s recognized for championing diversity and supporting Hispanic/Latino communities through civic involvement and board service. That combination-executive credibility plus community trust-often determines whether initiatives actually land and scale.
#14 Carmelita Wamego Skeeter
Healthcare access is economic access-especially for communities who have historically been underserved. Carmelita Wamego Skeeter has led the Indian Health Care Resource Center (IHCRC) since 1989, with decades dedicated to improving health care access for Tulsa’s urban Native American population. That long-run, institution-building leadership is the kind of influence that compounds: stronger care systems, better outcomes, and more stability for families and the broader workforce.
#15 Karen Tilkin
If you want to understand Tulsa’s “upstream” strategy-early childhood, family supports, and real anti-poverty infrastructure-CAP Tulsa is a major node. Karen Tilkin has been in senior leadership at CAP Tulsa for years and has served as executive director since 2019, guiding an organization that influences child development outcomes and family stability across the metro. The strongest economies are built where families can actually thrive; CAP Tulsa’s work is part of that foundation.
#16 Krystal Reyes
City government becomes especially influential when it focuses on the long-term inputs: children, youth outcomes, resilience, and coordinated delivery across departments. Krystal Reyes was selected as Tulsa’s Deputy Mayor beginning in 2025, overseeing education, youth, and resilience initiatives and helping establish the city’s first Office of Children, Youth, and Families. For a metro trying to align schools, social supports, and economic mobility, this role can be a genuine force multiplier.
#17 Laura Bellis
Influence shows up in outcomes, and Laura Bellis’ work is tied to one of the clearest metrics on this list: a reported 67% reduction in teen birth rates through the Take Control Initiative. Beyond that, she’s recognized for advocacy around health equity and access to care-work that shapes not just individual lives, but the long-run economic and educational trajectory of families across Tulsa.
#18 Dr. Delia Kimbrel
Cities that improve outcomes at scale get serious about data-not as dashboards, but as decision tools. Dr. Delia Kimbrel’s ImpactTulsa work includes building the Tulsa Child Equity Index and using data to drive policy and funding decisions, including efforts that helped enable digital access for tens of thousands of families during remote learning needs. In an era where “what gets measured gets resourced,” this is a high-impact kind of leadership.
#19 Luisa Krug
East Tulsa’s growth story is inseparable from cultural identity, immigrant entrepreneurship, and inclusive economic development. Luisa Krug is recognized for leading revitalization efforts through the Tulsa Global District, including cultural events, public art, and practical supports like rental assistance and business programs. Her influence is the kind that keeps development from being something that happens to a community-and makes it something built with the community.
#20 Stephanie Jackson
Legal leadership matters in business ecosystems because it shapes who gets protected, who gets advocated for, and who gets mentored into the profession. Stephanie Jackson is recognized as the founder of her law office and as the first Black female president of the Tulsa Bar Association-an achievement that signals both professional excellence and trailblazing representation. Her work is also described as focused on advocacy for women and children and mentorship for the next generation, making her influence both civic and professional.
#21 Mary M. Spears
As senior vice president and chief accounting officer at ONEOK, Mary Spears safeguards the financial reporting and controls behind a major energy infrastructure company headquartered in Tulsa. Her disciplined approach to governance and transparency strengthens investor confidence and enables sound capital decisions that ripple through jobs, suppliers, and long-term regional growth.
#22 Sarah Gilpin
In her leadership role at Williams and as chairwoman of Tulsa’s Asian Affairs Commission, Sarah Gilpin helps connect corporate influence with meaningful community representation. By building partnerships and elevating cultural engagement, she strengthens Tulsa’s ability to attract diverse talent and expand its economic relationships.
#23 Whitney Cipolla
Whitney Cipolla pairs talent-building work at Teach For America with civic leadership as chair of TYPROS and board president of Oklahomans for Equality. Her ability to mobilize young professionals and advance inclusive progress makes Tulsa more competitive for employers, entrepreneurs, and the next generation of leaders.
#24 Brittany Littleton
As founder of Littleton Legal, Brittany Littleton is known for helping entrepreneurs and families protect what they build through thoughtful business planning and future-focused legal guidance. Her client-centered work supports small-business stability and generational wealth, strengthening the foundation of Tulsa’s local economy.
#25 Julie Davis
Julie Davis leads YWCA Tulsa with a mission-driven business mindset, strengthening programs that provide safety, housing, and pathways to independence for women and families. By scaling services and partnerships, she improves community stability and workforce readiness—two essentials for sustainable regional growth.
#26 Julie A. White
As vice president of communications and public affairs at ONE Gas, Julie White shapes how a vital utility builds trust with customers, regulators, and community stakeholders. Her strategic storytelling and crisis-ready communications help protect the company’s license to operate and reinforce reliability for the businesses and neighborhoods it serves.
#27 Angela E. Kouplen
Angela Kouplen, as senior vice president and chief human resources officer at ONE Gas, drives the talent, culture, and leadership systems that keep a major utility running safely and effectively. Her focus on workforce strategy and engagement strengthens operational performance and helps Tulsa remain a destination for high-quality jobs.
#28 Lindsay Hutchison
Lindsay Hutchison leads the Tulsa Zoo as president and CEO, turning a beloved civic institution into an engine for tourism, education, and philanthropy. By advancing major improvements and community support, she strengthens visitor spending and civic pride that benefit the wider business ecosystem.
#29 Brittany Stokes
Brittany Stokes co-founded Project Orphans and Tulsa Girls’ Home, building organizations that restore opportunity for vulnerable children locally and internationally. Her leadership rallies donors, volunteers, and partners to support girls aging out of foster care and creates lasting social impact that strengthens Tulsa’s future workforce.
#30 Amber Litwack
As executive director of Tulsa Girls Art School, Amber Litwack expands access to arts education and mentorship for girls at no cost to families. By pairing creativity with confidence-building and community support, she helps develop the skills and resilience that translate into long-term educational and economic outcomes.
#31 Scottie Rae Lawrence
Scottie Rae Lawrence has built Magnolia Soap & Bath Co in Tulsa into a vibrant retail business centered on handcrafted, plant-based products and an engaging customer experience. Her entrepreneurial leadership creates jobs, activates neighborhood foot traffic, and shows how locally owned brands can thrive while serving community well-being.
#32 Tracy Copeland
Tracy Copeland founded and grew TGI Enterprises into a national provider of custom branded apparel and merchandise, proving that creative entrepreneurship can scale from Tulsa to clients across the country. Her long-running leadership has built a durable company, created opportunities for a growing workforce, and strengthened the region’s reputation for innovative small-business excellence.
#33 Sharon K. Guest
As DVIS child care director and a master teacher, Sharon Guest provides trauma-informed support for children whose families are navigating domestic violence. By helping young learners feel safe and ready to grow, she enables parents to stabilize housing and employment—an essential contribution to community and economic resilience.
#34 Katerina Alder
Katerina Alder founded Amelia’s Friends Foundation to champion friendship and inclusion for children of all abilities, turning personal purpose into a community asset. By creating welcoming experiences and advocacy that reduce isolation for families, she is helping build a Tulsa where every child can belong and thrive.
#35 Kristin Tipps
Kristin Tipps co-founded 9Ranch and leads it as CEO, expanding access to therapeutic services that help children and families heal and build healthier lives. By strengthening mental and emotional well-being in the community, her work supports school success, family stability, and the resilience employers rely on.
#36 Shannon Luper
Shannon Luper leads Girl Scouts Beyond Bars programming for Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma, creating leadership and connection for girls impacted by incarceration. Her work strengthens families through mentoring and skill-building, helping break cycles that hold communities back and opening doors to brighter economic futures.
#37 Amanda Curtis
As special waste manager at American Waste Control, Amanda Curtis helps businesses and communities handle complex materials safely, compliantly, and responsibly. Her operational expertise reduces risk, supports environmental stewardship, and keeps critical services running smoothly for Tulsa’s industrial and commercial base.
#38 Ziva Branstetter
Ziva Branstetter has earned national recognition for investigative journalism that brings accountability and transparency to powerful systems. By delivering rigorous reporting that informs civic and business decisions, she strengthens public trust and helps create a healthier environment for responsible growth.
#39 Koddi Dunn
Koddi Dunn founded Love Mobile to deliver mobile showers and hygiene services that restore dignity and access for neighbors experiencing homelessness. By reducing barriers to health, employment, and stability, she strengthens the social infrastructure that supports a safer and more resilient local economy.
#40 Rose Gamble
As vice president for research and economic development at The University of Tulsa, Rose Gamble connects academic innovation with industry needs and regional opportunity. Her leadership in research strategy and partnerships helps turn ideas into grants, talent pipelines, and commercialization that fuel long-term growth.
#41 Heather Van Hooser
Heather Van Hooser leads private banking at Mabrey Bank, guiding high-touch financial solutions that help entrepreneurs, families, and organizations manage complexity and build wealth. Her relationship-driven approach supports investment, philanthropy, and business expansion across the Tulsa region.
#42 Rhiannon K. Thoreson
Rhiannon Thoreson combines legal excellence with a public voice as an advocate, author, and speaker, bringing clarity and strength to clients facing high-stakes life transitions. Her work elevates access to justice and education in the community, creating ripple effects that improve stability for families and workplaces alike.
#43 Susanne Barnard
Susanne Barnard has grown The Bead Merchant into a trusted destination for makers, supporting a vibrant community of artists, hobbyists, and small creative businesses. By providing quality materials, education, and an inviting retail experience, she helps power Tulsa’s local creative economy and entrepreneurial spirit.
#44 Lindsey Baker
As a licensed clinical social worker with Youth Services of Tulsa, Lindsey Baker supports young people through counseling and care that strengthens mental health and future stability. By helping youth and families navigate crisis and build healthier paths forward, she contributes to safer neighborhoods and a stronger long-term workforce.
#45 Karen Gilbert
Karen Gilbert has shaped Tulsa’s direction through public service on the City Council, where her focus on public safety and neighborhood investment impacts everyday quality of life. By aligning policy with practical community needs, she helps create the conditions for business confidence, redevelopment, and inclusive growth.
#46 Becky Frank
As a leader at Schnake Turnbo Frank, Becky Frank helps guide high-impact marketing and communications work for brands, nonprofits, and civic institutions across the region. Her strategic counsel strengthens reputations and engagement, translating storytelling into measurable growth for clients and the local economy.
#47 Cat Cox
Cat Cox has earned a loyal following as the chef and owner of Country Bird Bakery, raising the bar for artisan food in Tulsa’s hospitality scene. Her craftsmanship and community-minded business draws customers, supports local suppliers, and adds energy to the neighborhood economy.
#48 Gina Wilson
Through her leadership at Oklahoma Central Credit Union, Gina Wilson helps expand access to member-focused financial services that support everyday households and small businesses. By championing responsible lending and financial education, she strengthens economic opportunity and community stability across the metro.
#49 Kim Wilmes
Kim Wilmes drives economic development work at the Tulsa Regional Chamber, helping recruit and expand employers while positioning the region for new investment. Her focus on business attraction and growth translates into job creation, a stronger tax base, and momentum that benefits companies of every size.
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