On a Mission to Make a Difference

Where did you start your career?

I started my career in external partnership management, program management, and operations for a large public school district in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. First, I managed our district’s internal certification program and pipeline partnerships to build our talent pipelines and bring in teachers from Teach for America and similar organizations. Later, I moved into working with all divisions of the district’s talent team, focusing on special projects such as employee engagement and rolling out new initiatives. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to build multiple programs and teams from scratch and discovered this was a passion area of mine that I’ve been able to apply in many ways at inTulsa. 

What drew you to joining the Talent inTulsa team? 

I’m a native Texan but I attended the University of Tulsa as an undergrad, and I loved Tulsa. When I graduated, I looked for opportunities in the city but wasn’t able to find a fit, and ultimately settled back in Texas. When I was ready for my next career opportunity, I discovered the inTulsa team and was immediately drawn to what they were doing. I really wanted to do mission-driven work that was making an impact in the community and in people’s lives, and also wanted to stay in talent related work. When I got connected with inTulsa, it was a perfect opportunity to move back to a city I’ve always loved.

What’s your role all about?

I work on the Talent Services Team on a part of the team we call Placements. We work in close partnership with our Talent Partners and think of candidates looking for their next career opportunities as our customers, working to connect them to job opportunities, networking opportunities, and career advice resources. I manage their processes structures and systems we need in place to connect great talent to career opportunities at innovative tech companies whether local, remote, or headquartered elsewhere and open to hiring great Tulsans.

What gets you excited to get up in the morning and go to work?

I love being part of a team that is helping solve a problem I experienced early in my own career—job access and job creation to enable people to stay in Tulsa. We have a team of colleagues who care about the mission to grow Tulsa, and who really want to make an impact just like I do. Working with this team is super exciting, as is working with so many talented candidates looking for their next career opportunity.  

What is it like to work with multiple companies in finding great talent? 

I love getting to know the companies we’re partnering with. They all have people who are so passionate about the work they’re doing. Getting to know their ins and outs so we can find the best talent for them is fun and rewarding.

What are the essential elements to consider when partnering with great talent and great companies in Tulsa?

The key with anybody we help is that we approach it like a partnership. Whether you’re a company or a candidate, we get to know what you’re looking for so we can be as supportive as we can and ensure a personalized experience. We care about our candidates and clients as people first and I love that about our approach. 

What advice do you have for people early in their careers?

A lot of times, what we hear from early career people is that they don’t know Tulsa wants them to stay. It’s a great place to work and live, a great community to be involved in and we want to make sure and showcase that to early career folks. We also talk to all of our candidates about being able to tell their story and talk about their own unique value proposition. Being able to do that, regardless of what experience level you have will help you in the job search.  

What do you love most about Tulsa? 

I loved living in Tulsa when I was in college, because I saw all the many, exciting ways to get involved here and feel a part of a larger community. Now that I’ve moved back, I see that community involvement coming to life in even greater ways. 

Also, the quality of life is very good here, because the cost of living is so affordable, and things are so accessible. I can easily get around the city. It feels easier to get involved in things. The pace of life goes easier here. I also love the people. The people are friendly and easy to connect with, and I love that aspect too.

Who is your favorite book or podcast right now?

I love podcasts and of course recommend inTulsa’s own Grow With Us podcast! I also love the book Pachinko by Min Jin Lee and highly recommend reading it before it comes out as a show this year!. Also, I’m always recommending that people check out a new cookbook called The Weekday Vegetarians by Jenny Rosenstrach.