Our Staff
Meet the Downtown Tulsa Partnership team!
From trips with his grandma to the original Kauffman’s department store during the holidays to taking the bus to work with his dad in Downtown Pittsburgh, Brian has always had a special affinity for downtowns. While he will always love the view from the tops of the tallest buildings in any place, the street level — the intersection of people and place in the most planned, yet random environment — is where the magic and activity happen. He loves food, from cooking at home with his family and friends to trying Tulsa’s newest and mainstay restaurants. But what he loves most about food is its ability bring people together around a table to share time and stories with one another. Brian’s been working to enhance downtowns and urban areas for 13 years and has the fortune of leading a passionate team working toward a Downtown Tulsa that is welcoming and thriving for all.
Debra appreciates the simplicity of life, good food, friends, and family. She spends her spare time crafting projects for others, sewing, and reviving old furniture to give it new life. She is learning to navigate through the correct ways of staining and painting projects (YouTube makes it look so much easier). In the midst of storms, celebrating with her six grandchildren makes life brighter each day, and their joy fills her heart. She’s looking forward to learning woodworking and building her first table.
Lisa enjoys the simpler things in life and greatly values her family. Born and raised in New Mexico, she says the Oklahoma climate came as a shock, and after 20 years she has still not completely adjusted to it! Lisa has a degree in Business Administration and comes from a background of dispatching, firefighting, and corrections, but don't let that resume fool you. She is a kind soul, but can take on anything you throw at her. She loves photography, baking, painting, and spending time with her two daughters and her grandkids. Lisa looks forward to continuing to explore and learn all things about Downtown Tulsa!
Toni's passion for serving others began during her 20 years of work in a hospital setting, followed by three years as a social service worker. Whether at work, home, or church, Toni puts her whole heart into everything she does, and she respects every individual she encounters. Senior citizens are some of her favorite people in the world. Toni, who calls herself "an Okie from Kansas," loves to crochet and recently started baking. She and her husband of 25 years have three daughters. Her best friends are her twin and baby sisters who would describe her as "consistent and humble."
Morgan loves a good theme, and her costume closet is a testament to that. She loves to talk Enneagram (she's a 1w2), try new things, and plan her next vacation. Her background in community journalism informs her work communicating about the programs and initiatives that make Downtown Tulsa the best place to be. She enjoys working in the Deco District a block from where her grandfather sold women's shoes in the 1950s. Morgan is a proud Tulsa Rumblers baseball wife and mother of two girls. Her next personal goal: Watch enough YouTube videos to learn how to braid their hair.
Emily’s an adventurer — evident through her mosaic job history, including traveling sales, a childbirth assistant, accounting, and owning her own food cart. Her travels and military family upbringing keep her rooted in her passion of Urban Planning, where Emily loves working to support the places and spaces we call home. Her career in planning includes a focus on neighborhood revitalization, housing, and community development, and she is passionate about the ways city systems can unlock economic opportunity and feed the entrepreneurial spirit. In her free time, she digs into her own business ideas, works on her home with her partner, Jess, and cuddles with her spoiled-rotten dog, Churchill.
Kirsten loves building community and making new friends wherever she goes. She recently moved to Tulsa from New York City, and is excited to use her talents to help Downtown Tulsa grow and prosper. She loves learning new skills like graphic design, but her love remains in literature and creative writing. She hopes to one day complete a novel and to dedicate her life to poetry. Lastly, she enjoys learning to cook and bake and has had many failed attempts; she also paints watercolor every day. Spending time with friends and family is her favorite pastime.
Sophia is a lover of good food, traveling, and live music. Formerly from Kansas City, she has had the opportunity to join the DTP team as a fellow through the Tulsa Service Year program, which places recent college graduates at local non-profit organizations. In her free time, she enjoys collecting and selling vintage clothing. Additionally, as a former barista, she frequents every coffee shop within walking distance of DTP’s offices. Her next personal goal is to learn how to crochet so that she can make personalized gifts for her friends and family.