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Record of Proceedings

Tulsa Asian Affairs Commission Monthly Meeting - May 5, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, May 5, 2026
BodyTulsa, Oklahoma
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, May 5, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:01:55

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
0:12

Thank you.

0:14

All right.

0:15

I call May's meeting to order.

0:17

So let's take one minute.

0:19

Mayor Nichols is going to be here at about two, so just a minute to review April's minutes, and then we'll move to approve.

0:28

Vote to approve.

0:49

It's so freaking easy.

0:53

That's okay.

0:54

It's just it's a new thing.

0:56

Hey, Ethan.

0:58

Welcome to this.

1:13

I move to approve April's minutes.

1:16

Second.

1:17

All in favor?

1:18

Aye.

1:19

Any opposed?

1:25

Is that the perfect timing?

1:27

I might be.

1:29

Well, thank you, everybody.

1:30

While we wait on Mayor Nimbles for coming.

1:34

The community is one of the most important parts of our commission.

1:39

We're here to support you along with our AAPI community.

1:43

And I can hear you.

1:46

Sorry, I don't know.

1:47

But anyway, thank you all for coming.

1:49

Hello.

1:50

Hello.

1:51

Oh, is it?

1:52

Oh, that I never get that.

1:53

This was good timing.

1:54

Perfect.

1:55

Well, you know what?

1:56

I try.

1:58

I try to have perfect timing.

1:59

How's everybody doing?

2:01

Very good.

2:01

Very good busy agenda.

2:03

How far down the agenda are we?

2:04

Exactly at your island.

2:06

Oh, really?

2:06

Yeah.

2:07

Oh my goodness.

2:08

I really, I really do have really good timing.

2:12

What's that?

2:12

Perfect time.

2:13

What's on the agenda today?

2:14

What all we have to do?

2:16

Elections.

2:17

Well, yeah, sleeping.

2:19

Slating.

2:20

Yes.

2:22

Very good.

2:23

Well, um, first of all, just thank you for your service.

2:26

Um, I know just in my 16, 17 months now in office, uh, this commission in particular has been one that I feel has been uh high fire across not just Title Fives, but any commission that we have.

2:41

Uh the amount of community engagement, certainly the pride and citizens that I see every day, every time you do an event.

2:48

Um I mentioned um and Sarah, I think I mentioned this at one of our events, that I saw an individual who moved here from it was one from New York, one from Nashville, I think, if I'm not mistaken.

3:03

And they were at the Arbus Convention Center, and uh their comment to me was I didn't know this many of my people were in Tulsa.

3:11

And so I think that's a really special thing, uh and it doesn't happen on accident.

3:16

Uh and so I just want to say uh the service of the commissioners and everybody supporting the commission, all the partners who have been brought to the table, folks who have helped sponsor things, uh, I think you're really not just putting the city in a cool light for people who uh are engaged in things, you're actually bringing more people to the conversation about what's going on with the city and them participating in the life of their city overall.

3:38

And so I think that there's there's almost not anything that you can put on that.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Arts And Culture██████████████████████████████30%
Procedural██████████████████████████26%
Personnel Matters████████████████16%
Community Engagement███████████████15%
Youth Programs██████████10%
Racial Equity██2%
Scholarships█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Tulsa Asian Affairs Commission Monthly Meeting - May 5, 2026

The Tulsa Asian Affairs Commission held its regular monthly meeting on May 5, 2026, at 6:15 PM. Mayor Nichols presented a proclamation declaring May as Asian American and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month in Tulsa. The commission voted to approve the April minutes, discussed the future of the Tulsa Asia Fest, and set a leadership slate for the June election. Committee reports highlighted ongoing community engagement and scholarship efforts.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of April Minutes: Moved and seconded, passed unanimously with all in favor.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were made at the meeting.

Discussion Items

  1. Mayor's Proclamation: Mayor Nichols read a proclamation declaring May 2026 as Asian American and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, praising the commission's community engagement and the sense of belonging it fosters.
  2. TCF Account Update: The commission's Tulsa Community Foundation account balance is $10,459.24. Funds will support events and scholarships.
  3. Tulsa Asia Fest Strategic Pause: Commissioners discussed four options for the event's sustainability: continuing as-is, scaling down, hiring a contractor, or transferring to another organization. After deliberation, the commission leaned toward a strategic pause for 2027 to recalibrate for a sustainable 2028 event, noting that rapid growth (from hundreds to 10,000 attendees) was unsustainable for volunteer capacity. A motion to pause was seconded and passed unanimously.
  4. Leadership Slate: Vice Chair Patty Sophie LeBac presented a proposed slate for the June vote: Chair (open), Vice Chair Cecilia Wynn, Cultural Event Chair (open), Workforce & Education Committee – Massoud Classen, Community Hubs – Cecilia Wynn, Data & Research – Patty Sophie LeBac. Due to capacity concerns, neither the chair nor cultural event chair were filled by self-nomination. Patty eventually added herself to the chair slot to avoid a vacancy, with the understanding that the cultural event chair remains open. The slate will be voted on in June.
  5. Committee Reports:
    • Cultural Hub & Community Advocacy: Confirmed 12 participants for the AAPI Leadership Roundtable initiative; first meeting held. Upcoming Asian American Night Market on May 15, 2026, at Hannah Hall; volunteers needed.
    • Workforce & Education: Finalized the Luminary Award and Scholarship brochure; goal to raise $20,000. Changes include shifting from a two-year to a one-year scholarship. Aim to distribute by late May.
    • Data & Research: Commissioner LeBac is analyzing census data to map ethnic concentrations and partnering with the city-county library and 211 for language access planning.

Key Outcomes

  • Vote: Unanimously approved the strategic pause of Tulsa Asia Fest for 2027, with plans to return in 2028 with a sustainable model.
  • Leadership Slate: Proposed for June vote (with Patty self-nominated for Chair; other positions as listed). The cultural event chair remains open pending further nominations.
  • Meeting Adjourned: The meeting was adjourned at approximately 7:15 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Thank you. All right. I call May's meeting to order. So let's take one minute. Mayor Nichols is going to be here at about two, so just a minute to review April's minutes, and then we'll move to approve. Vote to approve. It's so freaking easy. That's okay. It's just it's a new thing. Hey, Ethan. Welcome to this. I move to approve April's minutes. Second. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Is that the perfect timing? I might be. Well, thank you, everybody. While we wait on Mayor Nimbles for coming. The community is one of the most important parts of our commission. We're here to support you along with our AAPI community. And I can hear you. Sorry, I don't know. But anyway, thank you all for coming. Hello. Hello. Oh, is it? Oh, that I never get that. This was good timing. Perfect. Well, you know what? I try. I try to have perfect timing. How's everybody doing? Very good. Very good busy agenda. How far down the agenda are we? Exactly at your island. Oh, really? Yeah. Oh my goodness. I really, I really do have really good timing. What's that? Perfect time. What's on the agenda today? What all we have to do? Elections. Well, yeah, sleeping. Slating.

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