Meet Chris - Community Lead for Juno Medical – Tulsa

How did you land in Tulsa?

I was born and raised in Tulsa, where I graduated from Booker T. Washington High School and then attended the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK. After graduating from college, I lived in Norman and worked in Oklahoma City. Then I traveled to Los Angeles to try out the West Coast. But I decided that was not for me, so I moved back to Tulsa.

How did you find out about your current role?

I was in active job search mode, utilizing LinkedIn. Someone from inTulsa reached out to let me know about the opening at Juno Medical. I thought it looked like a good fit, so I researched the company and role and applied. The interview process was engaging and relevant and enthusiastic, and I could see real opportunity here. And since starting in my role here, what I’ve loved about the company has just proven out to be true.

What’s a typical day in your role look like?

Juno is a full-service physicians’ clinic. We have a 4,000 square foot facility in the heart of the Greenwood District, where we offer family medicine, adult care, women's care, pediatrics, labs—all the services we need to take care of those individuals and families who are reaching out to us.

My community engagement role is very important to this work. I establish partnerships with various organizations. Deciding what those partnerships will look like, implementing them and managing them for mutual success is a big part of what I do. There's also traditional communications management, marketing and promotions, special events management, hosting events at the clinic and offsite, providing services to the public. It’s all about maintaining and growing Juno’s presence locally.

What’s the best part of your role?

My favorite part of my role as a Community Lead is being able to have an impact. I've worked in similar capacities for many years in previous positions, and I have a passion for community engagement. In both my professional career and my personal life, I place strong value on being able to do good work for a good company and hopefully have good reach. And with Juno, it was just a perfect combination of all three. I like getting out, making those connections, growing those connections. It's exciting to be able to do this type of work for such an amazing company as Juno.

What do you enjoy most about the company culture at Juno Medical?

Juno is a growing company, and Tulsa is the fourth clinic they’ve opened, along with Harlem, Brooklyn, and Kirkwood/Atlanta. It’s exciting to be involved with a company when expansion is happening and new ideas are being implemented. Juno has a strong value on service. We provide top-quality healthcare to our patients, and we have a strong belief that everybody deserves the best care.

We also have a strong focus on inclusion, diversity, and addressing health equity. Our Medical Director for Tulsa, Dr. Jabraan Pasha, also serves a dual role in the company as our National Vice President of Health Equity. Empowering an employee at the vice president level to address those issues speaks to the company's focus on making a difference. And the intentional decision to be located in Greenwood specifically speaks to the company's focus on addressing areas that are traditionally underserved.

What was it like working with inTulsa to find your new role?

I found inTulsa to be a great resource—very positive minded, encouraging, professional and informative. Juno is a company that's based in New York, opening a brand-new clinic here in Tulsa, and very much wanting local talent. And inTulsa played a role in connecting the needs of the employer with the talented people who are on the ground.

Throughout the interview process, I found inTulsa to be very supportive and encouraging. They checked on how I was doing as a person, and I felt valued. That’s quite different from working with a traditional recruiter. I could email someone at inTulsa, ask them a couple of questions, and they respond right back. They were so accessible.

What do you enjoy most about living in Tulsa?

Tulsa is my hometown, the city I'll always call home. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed watching Tulsa grow in many capacities. That positive momentum is something we can all applaud. Tulsa has amazing things going on, strong development across many sectors. We're seeing a real dynamic where Tulsa is moving forward into what it's meant to be—and that's a place that welcomes everybody, has opportunity for all, places value on every one of its citizens, and doesn't place barriers in front of people. It's all been really exciting for me to see.

What are some of your favorite things to do in Tulsa?

I definitely enjoy being in the Greenwood District. Great things are happening in Greenwood, and more is happening every day. We've got new economic development happening, new businesses locating here, and there's just more fun stuff to do. I definitely love visiting not just Greenwood, but other districts in Tulsa as well. If you ran into me, it would likely be at an art gallery, a movie over at Circle Cinema, or a walk at the Gathering Place. I love the outdoor spaces that Tulsa provides. It's great for my physical and mental well-being to utilize those walking trails and bike paths. You can find me riding my bike down Riverside, most evenings. Good food, good art, good people—Tulsa’s got it all.

What would you tell people who are thinking about moving here?

There are a number of organizations and individuals that operate as connectors here. They’re not only willing to pick up the phone when you call or reply to your email—that's actually their mandate. Take advantage of the resources (like inTulsa) that exist to help answer your questions and provide support for you as you consider relocating here. Find the organizations here in Tulsa that are waiting to hear from you, because there's a number of them.

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