Well, let's go ahead and call our meeting to order.

Um, the first item of business is the approval of our meeting minutes from April.

So uh let's take uh oh I guess I just got right into it.

You said warm informations, and I just shot right in there, but uh so we'll go ahead and get started and then we can if we have time, we'll do some introductions and things like that.

Um but let's uh review the minutes and I will entertain a motion to approve our minutes from April.

So moved.

Okay, there's and a second, all in favor of approving the minutes say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Any abstentions?

All right, that passes and our sorry that second was really quiet.

Who was that?

Okay, thank you.

Um already done there.

Okay, we're gonna open up just with some updates from chair and vice chair reports.

Uh are there any updates on the family safety challenge?

Um I've asked her for a wish list, and I'll I'll bug her again, but I know we've got some time.

Yes.

Yeah, they're very excited.

Yay, that's wonderful.

It is very exciting.

October 3rd uh drive her.

And that and that can be something that we discuss in our committee meeting too about you know, just maybe some marketing ideas and yeah, it'll be great.

Perfect.

All right, here's the here are the numbers from clinical awards.

So 212,7 was raised from the cynical awards, and you can see the breakdown there.

It really was uh a tremendous event, and um thank you to everybody who participated with the nomination committee and the event committee.

Um, it was a very successful event and uh an incredibly uh worthy cause.

Uh this last month, the this was kind of wild because the convergence and the synergy was like wild.

But the Office of Financial Empowerment hosted an event with the Carter Center Inform Women Transform Lives, and it was about navigating student loans, which is like my wheelhouse.

So it was like women, higher ed, uh all the things.

All the things.

Office of Financial Empowerment, but uh they shared in the session, and we worked with the student borrows student borrowers protection alliance or agency.

They um provided this fact sheet about borrowers and the 1.5 billion dollars is in student debt owed by women in Tulsa.

This is just in Tulsa.

Wow.

The disproportionate amount of debt that women incur.

Because women are, I mean, when you look at the gender breakdown, more uh completing more degrees than than men, and thus have more debt.

So that was something that I thought was really interesting from that session, and uh are kind of a cool synergy with the Office of Financial Empowerment.

If you haven't looked into the work that they're doing, it really is tremendous.

Um don't miss June's uh Tulsa Women's Commission meeting.

Uh as a reminder, uh the Tulsa Area United Way is going to be presenting on Alice and uh have invited uh their leadership to come and share with us.

They're very interested in our work, um, not only around safety, but also child care access uh and availability.

And right now with funding challenges, it's now more than ever very um pressing, especially related to Alice, which is asset limited income constrained employed individuals in the city.

The pneumonic devices I don't know.

Uh just I'm keeping these on until these events happen.

But uh June 3rd is leadership Tulsa.

Uh do you have any uh updates on that event or anything you want to share that we should know?

Uh that I'm really excited uh that the women's commission will be presenting as one of the breakout speakers.

We tickets are selling out really fast.

So there's a lot of interest and feedback because they want to dive deep on that data as well outside of other regular breakout sessions.

So that's the only update that I can give right now.

Great.

Uh, but please, if you haven't buy your ticket now.

Yeah, okay.

June 3rd.

June 3rd is I should know.

No, it's a Wednesday.

So Wednesday.

Okay, okay.

And it's uh River Spirit Casino.

Uh all day.

Cool.

Okay.

And at our last meeting, Marcia, you extended an invitation that I just want to echo about the presentation.

I don't want to do it so low.

So let's all collectively like let's do a group presentation from sincerely the women's commission and multiple members to be able to weigh in from our various vantage points about issues related to women.

So let me know we can we can really divide and conquer in a cool way and talk about the issues that we've been studying for the last year.

I think we all's registered so far I'm planning to go you can I'm registered to go did you see my face just right up so quick question then where would the space be to plan what we're going to present um and avoid forum and all of that kind of thing.

We can have small group meetings if unless we reach eight people that are going to participate in the presentation.

Eight and as of now Desiree.

Great a partner and support in present presenting as well.

So if it's the three that would be helpful if you want any more sounds like you're getting pushed into it or pulled into it.

However you want to look at it well something to think about and we do hope to see you there.

And um though first is on May 7th from 6 to 8 I I will be there representing the women I don't know there may be more and if you want to come and stand at a table and talk about the women's commission we will happily welcome you but at Rudisel Library we're gonna be uh it's a neighborhood and financial fair um the at the event the title five and a beyond apology commissions will share oh we we're sharing a table we're manning the table or we're no staffing the table thank you Marcelia and then um July 21st is the uh title five and beyond apology commissions fair for typros so helping typros know about the incredible title five commissions like ours the commission's retreat is July 24th and it's gonna stay in the slide deck until that day because it's such a powerful and impactful day of cross commission collaboration and I um I hope you'll be able to join even if it's just for a portion because the conversations that come from um learning about what other commissions are doing has sparked a lot of really innovative ideas for how we can work together across the city.

And actually Commissioner Letta another heads up is that I'm actually partnering with the city of Tulsa and women's commission representation will be leading a portion of that on how to be an effective commissioner the spectrum of engagement so we're representing in different ways.

Yes it's amazing thank you so much Commissioner Burdo Todd there's nobody better to talk about that than you and that'll be amazing so sign up.

Okay switching gears to the next item on the agenda so at we've been moving in grooving and doing a lot making decisions forming committees and at our last commission meeting we identified um well in our last couple we identified our five committees and then we've talked about what each committee will individually decide what their communication effort will be we've talked about things related to um informing the public about each of these components of safety through op eds news spots presentations social media posts radio other opportunities um with the goal of having at least one communication initiative per committee and so we've also identified the chairs and the members of those committees and so we're super excited that Sharisa will be chairing the personal safety committee and Meg and Betsy are in that commission or that committee to Neil Bent and Marcia Bruno Todd will be co-chairing housing and economic security um Primadonna Braddock and Marcia oh I spelled wait no I didn't sorry Maria Palacios will be chairing health and emotional safety and then Kate will be a part of that committee.

Jackie our newest commissioner is going to be carrying let's go right out of the gate she's up to it she's absolutely if anybody knows about community safety and belonging it is Jackie and and Ashley you are going to be a part of that committee.

And then systems rights and institutional safety will be chaired by Desiree.

And then I will be in there, and then Mary Quinn Cooper.

So between last meeting and this meeting, um, we've had some outreach to the chairs to just get the wheels turning and uh introductions made.

Um, are there and I there isn't an expectation that you have a full update or that you know work has been completed, but if there is, I would love to create space where any questions can be surfaced, ideas, wonderings, or updates about your committee work.

And I think a couple, yeah, three of our do we have three of them?

Yes, three committees are here.

So, are there any updates from housing and economic security, health and emotional safety, or community?

Oh, sorry, housing and personal safety, housing and economic security, and community safety and belonging.

Yes, we are trying to compete for the best committee.

My co-chair, Commissioner Bent and I had an informal meeting.

Uh we say it could have been formal.

I mean, it was it was a detailed phone call, and we went to checklist.

Uh we reached out to Deedra, found out that unfortunately she'll be rolling off, so she will not be able to participate in our committee.

And then we were thinking through what are some perspectives for outside community members so that this could be a beautiful pathway for involvement with the commission with Commissioner Bent also happens to be on the board uh for the Tulsa Housing Authority.

So a lot of the things, and I'm on the cabinet, the children's cabinet, the mayor's children's cabinet.

So there's the things that I'm involved in, even though it's not focused on housing, housing is a central discussion.

And uh Commissioner Bent is in specific housing commissions, so we're trying to figure out both of us what are the perspectives missing from those conversations that consistently we we don't hear, and that's who we're trying to target for participating in our committee.

What surfaced thus far has been thinking of young parents?

So we were thinking of someone perhaps from James Inc.

Uh with Miss Elisa Bell, if you're familiar with her organization.

We were also thinking those that have uh engaged with the justice system in some capacity, justice involved folks.

Um, and we were thinking of also folks that are intersecting with immigrant voice, immigrant voice, specifically first generation immigrant voice here in our city.

Those are the three focuses, but then we would love to open it up to the commission.

What are other voices that you feel that are missing from those housing conversations?

I know uh Commissioner DuPont is also in the children's cabinet with me, so you've heard housing be central.

What are the perspectives that you think might be missing so that could support housing economic security?

Are you are you having an answer?

Right now in this moment.

Um yeah, I think uh I think addressing the entire family unit.

So thinking about evictions, thinking about um rental assistance, thinking about um housing transitions and what that means for young people when they're having to switch schools, um so I think just the perspective of like the effects of the entire family when you're thinking about not only housing security, but what led to the need to secure housing?

Was it an eviction?

Was it a lack of access to resources?

So I think maybe doing a little bit of behind the scenes work to get a better understanding of like what is leading to that need for secure housing.

We also just prevent it before you know how to get it.

We also discussed involving the voice of someone who's been in the cycle of poverty and being unhoused and has come out of it, right?

So they're not experiencing homelessness now, but that a great perspective, yeah.

Yeah, that we might not appreciate.

Yeah, yeah.

I know a few months back we had housing solutions come and speak.

They have a board they I know they have a youth action board and then they have a like lived experience, and so they might be a really great resource.

So I I didn't I'm taking notes.

Um that I remember you said that you were thinking of three groups, parents, uh immigrant and refugee community, and what was that third one?

Uh Justice Involved, Justice Involved.

Thank you so much.

The grandparents and the parents, too, right?

That's a good point.

Because there are intergenerational homes and people that yeah.

So good.

So it sounds like um committee formation is well underway, which is the exact right place that we need to be right now.

Um other like questions or wonderings that you have for the full commission that we're in on or support you with.

Any voices missing that you think we're on the right track.

We just wanted to be this entire commission is incredibly interconnected in this city.

You all are plugged in, and maybe the testing assumption I have is have you been hearing housing and economic security as a discussion?

And if you do, what is a voice that you notice to be missing?

And that's who we want to be present in our particular committee.

I just took a tour of city lights.

Have you all seen that facility?

I mean, super interesting, right?

Kind of the model that they have for who is going to live there and how they get that, but it has to have one disability for the folks that are gonna live there.

I just thought it was super interesting and kind of a targeted mission.

They also maybe have 70 units, and they were talking about their wedding list is already a couple thousand people.

I mean, just the need is crazy.

Yes, there's a lot of work happening right now.

Yeah, multiple groups, and so there's like a um housing partnership network has a collective housing fund that has been created.

I think it's 120 million dollars that they're trying to raise with public and private dollars to increase the number of affordable units, and we're talking about everything from like those smaller homes, like city lights and Eden Village to you know, duplexes, multiplex units, um, apartments, and so there I think there's just so many different directions you can go, but there's a lot, right?

I mean, housing in my opinion is dominating almost every conversation, and so it's very important your committee.

I think having the perspective of somebody that's been there though, and is now able to work out of it is super interesting.

Kind of the challenges that we don't even appreciate that they go through.

The other question would be forgive me when I'm asking this, but it would be what do you all expect?

I mean, we commissioner Bett and I are newbies, and we thought, okay, well, maybe this could help inform other existing things in the city.

We want you guys to solve the problem.

Okay, I wanted to know how to what other what would you want to come out of this?

Do you want it to be yeah, that would help us?

One of the things that we talked about too, right?

Is the awareness of what this commission actually does, and that that's lacking, and so this is a committee that can be a bridge and bring awareness from the community and to the community, most definitely, and from these voices that we've listed, right?

To this commission, but also bring awareness to the city.

Um so that was one thing we discussed, and there is such a huge and concerted effort around challenging the challenge of um of homelessness right now.

Um so how do we plug into what's happening, right?

Uh, because there is so much that's being figured out around organizing that effort, even continuously happening.

And I've been thinking about that, just in community safety and the law room.

Like, what are the barriers that are causing women not to feel that sense of belonging?

And it's probably those some of those could be the same for all populations that aren't feeling that, but like I would wonder in the house I mean economic security lane, like what barriers are specifically causing women not to be able to chair polls.

I think that's an important role for this commissioning committees to think through two that lines.

And I and I think too, just a reminder that I knowing our scope, you know, it's like some tangible one, you know, or two things coming out of these committees that we really have the capability to do.

Okay, knowing all the good work that's already going on, if there's something really tangible and finite that we can do, yeah, that would be I think helpful for all the committees.

I don't just in because joking aside, Mary, we were really thinking we have to solve it by tomorrow.

Together modeled it, we modeled it for the country.

Yeah, I it's it's such a nuanced issue.

Sorry, I'm doctor.

It's it's just um you know, you think you should be able to look at it and have these suggestions and solve it, and it's uh nuanced.

As it relates to you know, communications efforts, something that I've been thinking about, and it's been relatively you know.

Well, I've last three years I've been working in the housing space, but the this notion I didn't I never heard of NIMDE or NIMBY, which is not in my backyard.

So people having the perception of like um, you know, this either it doesn't happen in my backyard or this can't happen in my backyard, and I I don't know a ton about that, but that's a mindset that like communication efforts could help introduce new perspectives to.

Um, so I that's there's so many things they could do, and I fully realize that.

And so you know, we do have limited capacity, but I we do also have very connected networks and powerful women around this table.

So it'll be solved.

And I just wanted to quickly recognize Gina is part of our subcommittee on the personal safety or the health and emotional safety.

Ah, yes.

All right, you're the one to be on there.

I'm adding it right now.

We've got an additional.

She's on ours, too.

She's on ours too.

Yeah, I was just gonna say added.

I was gonna hear that.

Just for me.

Because you know, yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

As soon as last meeting, yeah.

Was it to my St.

Francis address?

I just like superferences.

So I need the update because I have my Gmail.

I can just know it's okay.

Do you know what's up?

I'm sorry.

I was just thinking about it.

All right.

That's my bad.

So uh any other things from uh any other questions, one rates from housing.

Okay.

How about from um personal safety?

Uh yes, uh, so we scheduled our first meeting.

It will be Monday.

Um, yeah, right after my school hour.

And so grateful they're accommodating me and my school schedule.

My Zoom teams, whatever.

We'll have our solved by the next meeting.

Right, right, right.

So I had Gina and she also has some great ideas of other people that can join with us.

So really excited to learn from her.

So um yeah, looking forward to it.

Fantastic.

Anything that you need from the group in your endeavors as you're setting out, or any questions you have that we can elevate and help answer together.

We're just we're perfect, we don't need it now.

I need to use this competition for our advantage.

I know it does get a little competitive.

I'm uh yeah, I feel like you'll get a text from me at some point.

Yeah, yeah.

But um, yeah, we'll we'll have more questions for everyone as soon as we have our first meeting.

So Gina will let us know what we need to do.

And bring yourself perspective.

Oh, yeah.

And Jackie.

Okay, so I mistakenly, because I'm new, sent my email to the wrong email address to Ashley.

So I now have her correct email, and we are going to get a meeting scheduled and just really kind of talk through uh what direction we want to go.

So think about other committee members we'd like to bring on.

Um, but I think the conversation around which I had a very similar question around like what are the intended outcomes of these committees?

And so I what I'm hearing, and correct me if I'm wrong, is around a lot around awareness, kind of advocacy, maybe certain recommendations, but not buying off too much, like Kate said, and so I think we'll probably talk a little bit more around what we envision this committee um with those hackments gonna be.

Fantastic.

And um, thank you so much, Jackie.

And actually, I'm realizing that all of the committee chairs that shared today are among the the more new commissioners, and I just want to applaud all of you.

Thank you so much, and uh very grateful for your leadership.

Um the committees will go forth and expand and grow, and you do have that document are units of inquiry to help as a resource if there's something from that that you want to pluck or tailor.

Also, I have about a million slide decks on all kinds of things that we've developed from our meetings along the way that I'd be happy to share with you, and all of that is accessible to you so that you can use it however you want.

Um are those like um posted somewhere?

Like, do we have a website or anything where that's where people can access those?

Yes, it's on the women's commission page on the city's website.

Okay, we'll have those slide decks too.

Um, the units of inquiry report is on there as well as like your 2025 end of year report.

Um but chairwoman Lada should have owns all of these.

Yeah, you sent that one to us.

Yeah, or you did in a link.

Yeah, I do often send them after meetings when they're like extra juicy and requested, but if you're missing anything, chairwoman Lada is your go to.

And as a matter of protocol, is there any reason that I couldn't share historical slide decks with the commission, just ones that we've had from previous meetings?

Yeah, absolutely.

Share Google slide deck.

Or Google link, sorry.

Sorry, Betsy.

Oh no, I so much go.

No, I'll do the Google songs I'll have to work on.

Print it out.

I don't want to have to work on a Google document.

But high level, I do want to pull out the uh outcomes, some ideas for communication and awareness, communication initiatives to Commissioner DuPont.

I would be very happy as a commissioner that if we were to release several op-eds or we've been on radios, we've been having interviews or engage with people that are already doing the work, like we had a visitor, Miss Gina come in.

Uh I think that already does so much for us.

And we become common language of the resources and research we're doing, right?

So like having three op-eds, wow, we win.

You know, like that's how I feel.

I think it's or we happen to be in the local Spanish radio, or um, engaging with some of the documenters and supporting them, and what would it look like for them engaging in one of our initiatives?

I also would propose that FCS has a podcast, and we also I host now monthly or so on K Bob on a Friday, so there's like a full license to bring this up.

I need your signature.

I need your autograph autograph, yeah.

I'm happy to so b and I've seen state of mind is the podcast.

So we have to do that.

Oh, I work opportunity there.

Yeah.

Amazing issues.

We're like super connected.

Yeah.

Um, also as a matter of protocol, if we put out, I know we had encountered this during women's month, that if we put out a statement from the commission, that does have to come back for a collective vote.

So if there's something that we put out as a statement from the women's commission, we would just need to like do the mental math on, we need to you know approve it together and then put it out together, which is something that I learned recently.

So putting that in the boundary uh or things we need to keep in mind.

Do you mean like an official press statement or just like if we were in a podcast?

Like we should.

So yeah, so like for example, I think it's is it October or November that's domestic violence awareness month?

One of those two.

So, for example, if you were gonna say, like, you know, we want to put out an op-ed during that month, then you would have to back up and say, okay, that means it would need to be submitted by you know, three weeks before that month starts, which means it would need to be drafted and ready for the commission to approve by like whatever meeting it is before that submission deadline.

So just kind of like backtracking that timeline, and I'm happy to help with that.

Anytime the commission is like speaking as a body, whether that's in in written or verbal format, is when it would need to be um voted on and approved by the commission.

Um, if you know, chairwoman Lada or Commissioner Bent was like invited on to a podcast or to do a presentation or something, and they're like, you know, I'm a women's commissioner, and like this is my perspective.

That's totally cool, and that doesn't need to necessarily be like, you know, it's good to run it by chairwoman Lada.

Um, because as chair, like she's like officially like the spokes the you know, the designated spokesperson for the commission, but um, you know, as you guys dig into committee work, those committee leaders are definitely welcome to kind of represent the work of their committees as well, as long as we're just kind of keeping all in sync and in touch.

Right as Jackie, my perspective as a commissioner, yeah.

Okay, yeah, yeah, and that kind of extends to um, you know, anytime you're speaking, like you can't speak on behalf of the city of Tulsa as a whole or on behalf of the mayor.

Please don't do that.

So, yes.

So we'll keep coming back to this because these are very complex issues, and it can feel very overwhelming to feel like I've got to solve all the things, but we will start small, and then you never know what grows from there.

I just see the goal that it's one per committee.

So is that by the end of this year or by the way?

What do you all think?

We're coming up on like almost halfway through the year.

And I'm just do they all have to be out at the same time, or can people do it depending on their timing and how they come along with?

I mean, some may get have more completed than others, so we don't have to wait for every single one to be completed.

We could do a few at a time as they're completed.

I think it's any time.

I mean up to the committee and timing and pace and things like that.

Um I would say by the end of the year.

Do you think that's a realistic fair?

I think it's very depending on the focus for the breakout for the women's leadership summit, that could knock off one of the goals, right?

Right because that's a presentation and it's a very public event.

Right.

Those are 350 women, something it just already like, oh, we already did one.

Good.

Here's the thing I love about communication initiatives when you do one and somebody is really inspired by it.

I think after but let's start with one.

Um I do want to go back over this just so that if there's any questions or comments, just so that we have clarity around committee work.

Um, it's about like a monthly commitment to have some communication with your committee.

Uh, and meetings can be held virtually as long as there's not a quorum, which there shouldn't be with the committees that you saw.

Um should just be about an hour commitment and two hours.

The chairs will have a little bit more of a commitment as they're leading those meeting meetings.

But the that the overall hope is that all of the committees are able to contribute directly to advancing these priorities for women in these communication issues.

Communicating about the issues.

Are there any questions about committee work or your role or anything that we can create space to discuss together?

Are minutes formal, or can they just be our notes that we share in this commission?

So in the past, this is long time ago, they did want us to just spin on the chair.

They wanted each committee to present a report in writing at every at these meetings, plus they kind of mentioned it, but they'd say, here's my report.

But that stopped.

I like just the oral report.

I don't feel like chairs need to go and feel like they have to type up something and put it in.

But if you want to, but it was a requirement before, and just like you know, from a compliance perspective, there's no need for formal meeting minutes, and you don't have to follow Robert's rules or you know, any of that sort of stuff.

Unless you really back in the day, then I'm just like, Betsy, where's your report?

And like rules will be.

So it's really up to what you all feel like is gonna work best for the commission and for each committee.

Awesome.

And I'm all about convenience, life's busy.

All right.

Uh, unless there's anything else about committee work or updates or questions, we'll keep moving and grooving.

Um, I don't think there is any older new business.

Uh but this time, I know I've been bringing lots of articles to the fore.

I only brought one thing today because it's so powerful that it encompasses all of the issues.

Um, has anybody heard of the IWPR State Policy Action Lab?

Y'all, okay.

I'm just gonna give you a little tour.

We're gonna spend some time looking at it.

IWPR.

Yeah, what does it stand for again?

The it the uh is it or did is it I Institute for Women's Policy Research.

Okay, yes.

And it's also the status, it's the national status of women sort of like coalition.

Okay.

But um they this is like the home base of the website, and it's broken down by um in a variety of different ways, but their home page is broken down by issues.

So caregiving in families, education and career advancement, equitable work and wages, reproductive justice.

But what is really neat is that they also break it down by state so you can go in and see what's going on in Oklahoma with the data, um earnings, maternal deaths, uh from you know um, you can I really encourage all of you to take a tour of this website because it could be very valuable also to your committee work.

Um equitable work, reproductive justice, um, and these are all of the data come from publicly accessible data sources.

Um of the sources are have have depending on um like funding, like they're more outdated or more new based on the status of that organization that collects the data, but they're very transparent about where the data came from and when it was collected.

30% um there's a lot of data points there that are eye-opening and a surprise, horrifying.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

Here's something that I really like.

It's the issues tab, and let's look at caregiving in families.

And uh, oh I don't this wasn't what I was expecting to see, but that's okay.

Um, you can visualize the data.

What is the tab where you can look at I might have to go back here?

Hold on.

I this is new to me.

I went to the um demo two days ago, so I am I'm a newbie to this, but let's see here.

They have like a uh state policy tracker, so you can see all of the legislative pieces related to that topic and where they are in their progress in these respective houses, which uh if I can't find it, just know it's there.

Maybe I'll film a demo for you.

Like it's amazing, it really is a great resource, and to have this data quick at fingertips is really really wonderful.

You can see whether policies are protective or restrictive.

Um really bugged that I can't find that.

You also have lots of publications.

Um so please, please, please use this as a resource.

Take 15 minutes this week to look at um some of the the resources here.

And yeah, any questions or what?

Yes, Lexi.

Yeah, I'll just add so the webinar that Chairwoman Lada referenced was put on by the National Association for Commissions on Women or for Women, something like that.

And if we're both on the like kind of listserv for that, and I I share those webinars as they come up with with the chair and vice chair.

But if any of you were ever interested in receiving the information about that as well, just let me know.

I would imagine that we'll get a recording of that session so I can share that out if you all want to see the demo from the people that actually developed the tool.

This is no shade to Chairwoman Lada.

She's doing great.

You're doing better than I would.

But I'm happy to share.

I I would anticipate receiving a recording in the next week or so, and I'm happy to share that as well.

That would be great.

That helped me find what I was looking for.

Thank you, Lexi.

Okay.

Go to issues and all issues.

Then you can go and see in Oklahoma.

What are some of the oh, I guess that that doesn't show the house bill, but I'll find it.

There's there's legislative trackers.

There's a overwhelming amount of information on this site and many, many ways that you can slice and dice it.

So policy action lab.org.

Yes.

Okay.

SPAL.

State PAL.

And then don't forget Metriarch is also a very powerful tool for your committees as you're thinking about resources to develop your work streams.

Are there any announcements or public comments for the group?

I heard of that announcement.

And it's such a surprise.

So it's the last month of school and art forums to nonprofit that partners and helps like TPS different schools.

They brought in these two students from NYU to do art therapy workshops with my students after school every day for the next two weeks.

And it has been so beautiful and refreshing for me, the students to also get to sit back and see how they do it because I felt like at my community, yes, I want to challenge and develop them artistically, but I want this to be therapeutic, and I want them to be able to process artists something that is healing for them.

So this has been so great for me to now have relationships with these ladies and NYU Tulsa satellite, like such a surprise.

I was scared of them, you know, like having to stay until 5 30 every day.

But I'm like, it's been refreshing.

And like so special treatment.

I want to shout out so Art Forms is also a woman-run founded nonprofit by Ebony Eastler.

Yeah, she's amazing.

So just shout out to women around the world.

I I interviewed her last month around music art and mental health.

And I saw that post, and we don't have art therapy as an approved modality in the state for therapy.

Wow.

So it's a definitely a gap in this state.

And it's a unique resource that she offers.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Candidly, my son, French School went through the art forms program when he was having some some concerns and fitting in issues in elementary school, and that was his safe space.

So it is a wonderful program, and I'm glad to be going to your speed.

That's awesome.

Yes.

Just really quickly, I wanted to let you all know that I will not be here for your June meeting, so don't freak out when you come and I'm not here.

You are in wonderful hands with my uh teammate Lekendra Carter, who's our compliance officer on the in the Department of Resilience and Equity, and you won't even notice that I'm gone.

So have a wonderful June.

So have a wonderful June meeting, and I will see you at the July Commission century.

Correct.

How long are they gonna be speaking?

I'm sorry.

Do we know how long they're gonna be speaking?

Are we gonna be able to talk about our committees or are they gonna have like a big presentation?

I'm just curious for planning purposes.

Like and I don't want to cut them off because that's a lot of things reporting there.

There's a lot of things.

It's a lot of information.

It might be like I mean longer than 10 minutes or 15 minutes.

You might need a bridged committee reports are very yeah, very snappy.

But we we'll figure all of that out.

Everything will be in place before I'm gone.

Okay, yeah.

Um and as a reminder or new information for the newbies, you guys do not have a regular meeting in July.

That's why we do the retreat in July.

Um, because you guys kind of have a break from the regular meetings, so um, yes.

Amazing.

Um before we adjourn, I did say that I and I was honest.

I want to go around and I want to share instead of a check-in at close out.

What excites you most about the work that's ahead of us is the guiding question.

What excites you most about the work ahead of us?

And I'm happy to go first because I just sprung that question on you, and you might need a minute to think about it.

But um, I gave a presentation this morning about um a lot of things is but it was about connection and about how it's about the ecological systems theory, which is this theory that people think of like a target or a bullseye, there's like concentric circles, and the experience, the lived experience of people are very influenced by all of the systems surrounding that person, kind of like an onion or like a bullseye.

So the people closest in your world are going to have the most impact on how you move through the world and their interactions with other people and systems and structures also trickle down and influence the individual, and I think this work is not only focusing on individual women but also the systems and structures that impact them, and I'm really excited that we get to do it together because this is a powerhouse group of women, so that's what excites me.

Get to do it together.

I love that.

I that I think that's for me.

I just really I enjoy being around you all so much and just learning from each other and everyone's perspectives and what we're learning, and yeah, I'm excited just to kind of dive in and grow, and I also love that I feel like this is also a safe place to figure things out, you know, and um, yeah.

So I'm just excited to be on the journey with you all.

So I I really welcome the new members because I think you all have this perspective that we've all been working together for a long time, and so you kind of bring a fresh perspective.

So I look forward to working with you all and learning from you.

Thank you.

I'm excited that the committee work is just going to naturally multiply the impact of this group, um, especially our committee and community city.

I just feel like we're gonna have great numbers of community that will come in and get to spread the word.

So it's exciting.

Um, I I think particularly with our committee and this, I've just been sitting with this idea of belonging and like just personally kind of struggling with like what does it feel like to belong?

Um, and what does it feel like to sometimes sit in loneliness?

And so I'm excited to amplify the story, right?

To bring awareness to this issue that kind of breaking down some of the stigma around like it's okay not to always feel safe, right?

But what do we do about that?

And how do we like actually um elevate awareness around feelings and emotions and this like sense of belonging?

So, and and I also want to amplify.

I'm very excited to work with everybody in this room.

I remember being like nerding out, like I'm like, oh, I want to learn more from you, and you have you, and so I'm just so excited to like do this work together collectively.

Thank you.

This is more of a shout-out.

So I'll answer, but I do I forgot to shout out uh later on, and we'll learn more, I'm sure, in the next few months.

Uh Jackie, Putin Missionaire DuPont has been working to bring in this really phenomenal conference to Tulsa called Aspen Ideas Economy, and what is central to our economy is women.

So I'm really excited that there's gonna be a whole track about women.

It's gonna be, and in that so the influence and potential impact.

We're talking about hundreds of people from across the country and also here locally in Oklahoma to center our Tulsa as a gem, but then also to discuss what does uh economic thriving look like across communities and to center the discussion of women too as well, which is pretty exciting.

So I want to give a shout out and maybe a teaser that we'll learn more about it in the next few commission meetings.

Um but what excites me here now is a little selfish.

I'm in different spaces, it's a gift, it's a privilege, and I am grateful.

But I get so frustrated because I hit the boundary line of an issue where oh, this is not the appropriate space to talk about women and safety, but it's so central to solving this issue.

Does that make sense?

And I finally I keep hitting boundary lines of of having true meaningful conversations because that's just not the focus of that committee or group or entity, and now I finally all the things that I I put in a little box of okay, but we'll we'll talk about it later.

We'll talk about this.

Is it this is the space where I get to talk about it later with other women, really focused on what does it look like to have a thriving community that centers women and safety there's a lot of violence happening in various ways, and it's in the news, particularly women being murdered by partners.

And it's in the news, particularly women being murdered by partners.

Um and today I had conversation with some young women who feel unsafe, even confronting males that they are in spaces with who are disrespectful because how is that gonna blow back on me?

Right.

And so I'm grateful that this is a space of empowerment for us, and we're not afraid.

We are standing up and coming together and doing this work in a city that's been kind of an enigma, right?

And looked down on.

But we are really we're change makers, and this city is uh a maverick city as I've called it in a lot of ways, and so I'm just grateful to be with you all in this work now, especially.

So well, this is my last meeting.

So I'm done my two terms, and now I'm on the utility commission, which is about 10 hours a month, like almost all the Wednesdays.

Um but I'm excited about the work here that you guys are um embarking upon, and I think that there's plenty of people that don't think about safety, they take it for granted.

And I think you're gonna lift up a lot of these concepts to Tulsons that need to think about it and think about how it could be better for each other and for their families and for their neighborhoods.

So I think that's really exciting because I think there's there's a lot of this conversation that needs to go to people that take it for granted, and that everybody can work on it.

So now I'll work on it from the water safety side.

And they don't have any women on the commission.

Are you still the only I'm in?

I would imagine I will be for some time.

There's uh seven of us are trustees there, and so it's been kind of cool.

I've tried to there's a lot of assets to go see.

I've been on it.

Mayor Nichols asked me to join in October, and every time I'm making rounds and trying to tour, they're like, oh my gosh, we have a woman engineer who's on the commission.

This is the best thing ever.

And so I do kind of feel like I'm trying to.

Oh, I'm trying to fly the flag in the day.

Anyway, so when you have that warm shower in the morning, all your friends at the city that are hung from the exact.

That's right.

I'm sad because there's some just total powerhouse women that have just come on, and I'm sad I won't get to spend time with you.

But maybe I I'm surprised how much I'm at City Hall, so maybe I'll have a Friday morning meeting that I just decide to bounce in because y'all are so fun.

So I will miss that.

But and I like it's like like Jackie mentioned, like just coming on.

I'm like, man, there's I think I've had 500 meetings in my life with your husband and only like five with you.

So um I'm the reason why I picked personal safety, I'm actually I want to bring back some thought about that, like you said, take it for granted.

But I feel like women's safety has just been kind of been pushed to the side because there's been so many other issues that women have faced that I feel like it's gotten left in the background.

So that's just kind of I mean, I'm thinking of because I'm a kid for the 70s and always you know, remember like the women, you know, it was a big deal in the 70s, and I feel like it's just kind of gotten lost, so that's why I I chose that.

But I mean, different ways.

I'm not talking about just like walking down the street, and I'm not saying that the city isn't safe, but you know, everyone needs to be aware, and I feel like we've lost some of that.

And it's what Dr.

Lauder was talking about earlier, too.

If it's not in your own backyard, yeah, you have the ability to say it's not really happening, yeah.

So important.

So important.

So that was my that's why I chose that was, and I thought everybody was going to pick that committee, and then when we when you flashed up the chart, the last meeting, I was the only one who picked it.

Nobody else is watching by myself, and then people felt sorry for me.

Yeah, this is not my comment, but I totally agree.

I mean, I think we talked about this a couple meetings before, but it's like even people like myself who you know, I live in a nice neighborhood, and I you know have it, it's like, but it's always in the back of your mind, like when I go into the parking lot or you know, a parking garage, or if I'm alone at night.

I mean, it's just the feelings that women have that are so different, so disproportionate most men.

It is so yeah, I'm I'm grateful for the attention of this too.

Um I'm excited for our committee structure.

I'm glad we're bringing this back.

I'm glad I get to experience it for the first time and um bringing on people from outside the committee that to kind of expand our reach and expertise, and um I think um really great things are gonna come out of this, and so I appreciate just the extra time we're gonna have outside of this meeting structure to to dig in a little bit deeper.

Lexi, we've got two guests with us.

We'd love to invite you to share as well.

And please share your name too.

What are you what excites you about this work?

I'm Gina Wilson.

Um I'll take something from Hamilton.

Um excited about being in the room where it happens.

That's amazing.

So thank you for having me.

I'm Kara.

Hi, Karen.

I'm part of the Doc and Lairs program, so I know that kind of mentioned.

Um I'm I'm excited that there's a group that's actually putting the focus towards this.

Um just hearing only that you all talk to each other too.

It seems like you're gonna work with a lot of other we'll come back anytime.

Yes, we're happy.

Yeah, really appreciate that Tulsa Flyers doing that.

I've seen you in your group in different settings, so it's great.

And I appreciate the monthly or the morning emails that you all send.

Oh, those new news highlights, yeah, it's great.

I do have a couple of questions before adjournment, if that's okay.

Um, so with the committees, I kind of heard mention that uh people from the public could join.

Is that the case?

How do people find out about these committees?

By our word, number one, I think is the first way.

So just make outreach.

Um any one of us, I think could make appeal for any one of the committees to meetings are televised.

I know we don't have a huge audience, but these meetings.

The commission meetings are televised, and I know that we'll be naming somewhere in the notes.

Our minutes are also published and that names the committees, and I believe through contact uh ideally, because I don't know if we put our contact information publicly, but it would be probably Lexi and then connecting us.

Yeah, the um Department of Resilience and Equity has an email, it's resilient at city of Tulsa.org.

Yeah, so you can always refer people there, and that would be a great, and then they'll defer out to us to make sure we can connect with you and the committee that mattered they're connected the most.

That's on every post it agenda.

Um did the the new members start.

We joined in November, and yeah, we were appointed in November.

I was last one.

So it's rolling.

Because every single time I miss who are who are the the heads of each committee?

I know that I have not mentioned that.

Yeah, they are bolded here on the screen.

But you see the bolt.

So under personal safety, Sharisa Housing and Economic Security.

You can see all of the absolutely okay.

We're glad that you're here, Dear.

Welcome back anytime.

Um as we conclude, I want to see what's going on.

Alexi, I'm so sorry.

No, no, no, that's okay.

I I don't really have anything to add.

I'm just very proud to work with you all, and um I'm I'm really excited to see the impact that you'll be able to make.

And I think you all are are you know, each each commission kind of has their own personality and their own way of going about their work.

I think something that you all really excel at is uh community uh involved and community-centered learning and exploration um to be able to produce a very tangible product um that can really inform community and and the city, and so I'm just excited to see how you all are able to do that again um with this issue.

Commissioner Jackson, did you hear her say that we were the best I heard it too?

That was it.

I heard it I'll just tell you someone I've been on the I've been on this commission since 2013.

So I'm I'll be next year's my last year, but or this coming year, but every time whoever's been in your role has said that to us.

Just letting you know I think that just letting the data shows thank you.

It's a it's a and I don't think that you know they're just saying that to us.

I don't think they say that to all the commissioners.

Every commission that I have the honor of supporting excels in different things.

Correct.

We're televised.

Sorry about that.

I know we're we're uncompetitive, so I like to win.

So there you go.

Well, and in as we conclude, I do want to let our final words for this meeting be utter appreciation, Commissioner Crenshaw for the contributions that you have made.

During your tenure as the commissioner, your involvement in so many sectors of our city have influenced countless citizens, families, students, um and women out.

Yes.

And girls.

That's right.

Such a good role model.

Yeah, yeah.

Thank you guys very much.

I will miss you all.

I I very likely could be here on a Friday morning for the water board, and so I will I will come in if I'm pop in front of you.

We would love that.

And y'all are welcome at the water board all the time.

I mean, I like to say the women's commission take over.

Well, thank you.

And we know that your leadership will continue on, and that we're just uh you know phone call away, but we are so grateful for you and want to acknowledge all of the contributions and honor all of the contributions that you've made.

So thank you so much, Commissioner Crack.

A couple minutes before.

Look at that.

And I would accept a motion to adjourn.

So moved.

Uh second second.

First and a second.

Any um all in favor say aye.

Aye aye.

Any opposed?

Any abstentions?

Okay, we're adjourned.

Thank you.