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Over 20 years of Service: Wendy Thomas

August 31, 2023 Savannah Chamberlin

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes —- times 20.

After more than 20 years at the helm of Leadership Tulsa, Wendy Thomas and LT are nearly synonymous.  Her work to help Tulsans know their city, her work to change perspectives and her work to create more programming to reach more individuals has created decades of leaders for our community and state.  In her tenure, LT hosted a national leadership conference, opened the Leadership Tulsa Center and created multiple unique programs to fill specific needs in the community, including the Hispanic Leadership Institute, New Voices, Thrive Tulsa, LT Represent, the Board Leadership Collective and the youth arm, Tulsa Changemakers.

To help celebrate Leadership Tulsa’s 50th anniversary this year, we are taking a few moments to highlight our members, and not only is Wendy an employee, she’s a dues-paying member.  Member dues allow access to the membership center and other opportunities, but also provide scholarships and programs for future LT participants.  Additionally, Wendy is a LT Legacy Circle member, meaning she’s written support for LT into her estate plan.  Why?  “This means my support can last forever, not just today.  I deeply believe that the work of bringing people together across lines of different beliefs and perspectives is more important today than ever.”

Wendy works each day to help people know their city better and love it for all of its history, all its opportunities and all its challenges.  She attributes a driving force to a colleague’s quote: “You can’t lead a city you don’t love and you can’t love a city you don’t know.”

She has some sage advice for those applying to LT to really get the most of your selected program:  “Stay curious!  Even if you disagree with something, listen harder.  Listen to understand.  Listen with heart.  Be open to perspectives that you might not immediately resonate with.”

Best Wendy quote: “I only left someone behind from the tour bus once.”

Many of you received Wendy’s letter of transition recently.  This year will be her last year of service to LT as she moves to new challenges and opportunities, but she will be here in 2023 to celebrate 50 years of LT.  Thank you, Wendy Thomas, for your decades of service to the city of Tulsa and all of her citizens.

Filed Under: Alumni Spotlight

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