Meet Katherine

After a three-decade career for the Florida Department of Transportation, Katherine was ready for a change. With family living in Oklahoma, she decided to move to the Tulsa area, but wasn’t sure what she’d do for work. Then a friend connected her with the Talent team at inTulsa, and she landed a great job in project management at a local consulting firm.

How did you land in Tulsa? 

I had been living in Tallahassee, Florida. I worked for the state government of Florida for thirty years, starting when I was a teenager. As an adult, my sister ended up moving away from Florida—her husband got a job in Tulsa and they moved there. And my son moved away from Tallahassee as well. I always had a lot of friends in Florida, but no family. When I hit my 30 years working for the state government, I decided to retire from that position, move to Oklahoma and be with my family. I’d been to Broken Arrow before and was pretty accustomed to it. So I made the plunge, moved, and here we are!

How did you find out about your new role?

When I moved here, I decided I would find a job. Victoria DeLeon, who works for inTulsa, had received my resume from someone. She contacted me and said, “We can help you find a job and get you here to Tulsa.” I said okay!  She sent me a link to the position I have now, so I could apply for it, and I did. 

I had three interviews with the Persimmon Group—they were fun!—and I got the position. It took me all of three weeks to find my new job. I was very pleased with that. It was such a good experience.

What was it like working with the inTulsa Talent team?

I enjoyed working with inTulsa. Victoria is a very nice person, very helpful and energetic. I was interviewing while still in Tallahassee, and I remember Victoria asking me if I was comfortable with electronic interviews—which I was, having worked online for the past 4-5 years. 

Victoria was persistent—she didn’t just send me an email or two and disappear. Often, recruiting companies will send you an email or two and give you some information to make you think they’re working with you to find a position, and then they tend to disappear if you don’t get reactions right away. But inTulsa really kept going with me, and I really appreciated that. A lot of times in a job search, you can feel like you’re alone in the process.That wasn’t the case with inTulsa. I felt like I had a partner in my search.

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

I’m a Consultant Project Manager, currently working with an oil and gas company here in Tulsa to manage one of their programs. We have people working with this company as they build a project management office, and I’m there working with them to finish some projects they currently have going on. And I’ll be managing a new project with them, which is still in the process of being designed.

My day-to-day involves tasks like figuring out where they currently are,  project-wise, and helping them to achieve the goals of the program. I work remotely four days a week, with one day a week on-site with the oil and gas client. They’re very nice, and they need help in their project management, and they’re willing to make changes. I really enjoy it. 

I have my Permission Group people that I meet with. And then, I have the client team as well. It makes the day not boring—I have multiple people I’m talking to, from both sides, as I help companies improve on their processes. I‘ve always been process improvement. It’s one of the things I’m skilled in, and to be able to be a part of that is really great.

What’s the company culture like at Persimmon Group?

The people at Persimmon Group have been really great. They’ve been working to onboard me and give me the background on the projects and clients, and what we’re there to achieve. There are many people there who are willing to help you and support you.\

It’s a caring environment. Leadership cares, not only for the company, but for us as well who work there. They show concern about our well-being. It’s not a hierarchical atmosphere either. Working for the state government, we had a clear chain of command, and if you didn’t follow it, you’d get your hand slapped.

We don’t have that at Persimmon. It’s like a straight, horizontal line. You feel like you can branch out, learn new things, experience things, without being afraid. It makes it easy to do your job and be creative and think outside the box. It’s outside the norm of what I’m used to, but it’s refreshing and I like it.

What do you like most about living in the Tulsa area?

The people here in Broken Arrow and Tulsa are so nice. I’ve never experienced anything like it. They wave at you. If you let them ahead of you in traffic, they say thanks. They open doors for you. I’ve never seen anything like it. This is a friendly place to be.

I like the eclectic things that are available to do here—the arts and things like that. My sister and Ilike bargain hunting, and this is a great place to do that. We found the Echo Consignment Shop in Broken Arrow, which we like, as well as Top Drawer. I’ve visited Rattlesnake Café and had coffee there. I’d like to spend more time in the Rose District (Broken Arrow’s Main Street area) and walk around there a bit more. There’s a lot here to offer; you just have to find it.

What would you tell people who are thinking about moving to Tulsa? 

 If you’re considering moving to Tulsa, just do it. It’s a great place to be. I’ve enjoyed it so much since I’ve been here. I don’t regret the move at all. It’s a welcoming place to be. If I were the governor of Oklahoma, I would make our slogan, “The Welcoming State,” because everything is just so welcoming.

Also, from what I have found, there are lots of opportunities here, and varying types of opportunity to choose from. I went to a local Chamber of Commerce breakfast recently, and what they’re trying to do for small businesses is very inspiring. That’s the kind of thing that can bring people here to the Tulsa area.

So, I just say do it! Life is too short not to do something because you’re scared to make the change. As a friend of mine used to say, “Do it!” You won’t be sorry you came here.