The PartnerTulsa Board of Trustees on Friday voted to hire Garry Clark Jr. as the organization’s new executive director and CEO.
Clark
Clark most recently served as president and CEO of Economic Alliance Snohomish County, north of Seattle.
“PartnerTulsa was founded on the belief that we can use economic development to create equality of opportunity in our city,” Mayor G.T. Bynum said in a press release. “Garry has a deep understanding of this mission and a demonstrated capacity for building the relationships necessary to make it a reality in Tulsa.
“He will be a strong leader in our community, and I am excited for PartnerTulsa to go to the next level with Garry at the helm.”
Clark has held leadership positions with North Capitol Main Street in Washington, D.C.; Greater Fremont Development Council, Fremont, Nebraska; and in Cuming County, Nebraska.
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He began his career in economic and community development nearly 20 years ago as a community planner in Newberry, Florida.
Clark earned a bachelor of arts degree in sociology from Dana College in Blair, Nebraska, and a master of science degree in urban studies and public administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
He is the author of “Unlikely Viking: From D.C. Projects to Rural Nebraska.”
The Authority for Economic Opportunity, also known as PartnerTulsa, is responsible for leading the city’s economic development efforts.
It was created in 2021 by consolidating several of the city’s long-standing economic development entities with the mission of focusing on advancing policies and projects that ensure shared prosperity and reduce racial disparities.
Clark succeeds Kian Kamas, who resigned earlier this year.
“Garry brings a unique combination of proven economic development expertise, as well as housing finance that set him apart for this role. We look forward to expanding the reach of PartnerTulsa through his leadership,” said Michelle Barnett, interim executive director and senior vice president of Economic and Workforce Development for PartnerTulsa.
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