I'm taking a quick break from work to post this breaking news.
Over the transom comes some very good news for Tulsa and the Tulsa Metro Chamber, news of the first victim of Tuesday's City Council results:
Dear Steve and members of the Board:Please accept this letter as notice of my resignation effective no later than January 16, 2007. I will plan to leave my position at a mutually agreed upon time that works for me and my family, as well as you and the Chamber and our contractual obligations to each other.
I submit this resignation with mixed emotions. The Tulsa Metro Chamber and Tulsa have been my passions for the past eight years. All of the accomplishments we have achieved together are too numerous to mention in this letter. Highlights to me are: a streamlined organization that is focused on economic development and the issues that impact economic development; a large, stable, and active membership that has been engaged through the creation of new programs that benefit business, our organizational relationships, and our community; the Chamber is supported by our members at the highest level in its 100 year history with a budget that has grown from approximately $5 million to $8 million during the past few years; we are on point on all of the major issues impacting Tulsa’s business community and we pass the initiatives we support, the most significant being Vision 2025, which is focused on economic development and higher education; and, today the public policy issues we are tackling, and the strategic directions of our new Tulsa’s Future program and our Convention and Visitors Bureau are focused, meaningful and tight.
I am leaving behind a contemporary organization that is truly poised to provide direction and leadership in a community that has broken out of a long period of complacency about itself. Today Tulsans are restless and looking to take the leap forward, a sleeping giant has been awakened. The Chamber has played a big role in waking the giant. We recently were nationally recognized as America’s Best Metro Chamber. This Chamber can make a big difference in leading forward. We have great community leaders around our various tables, we have an experienced and talented executive team and staff, and we have the desire to make good things happen.
On a personal note, I am a guy that needs to make a difference. I will look for a new challenge either here or someplace else where I can make that happen. Meanwhile, when we moved here eight years ago we sold the sailboat and boxed up the skis. The skis haven’t been out since. It is too late in the season for the skis, but maybe we will see you on the lake.
Very truly yours,
Jay M. Clemens
Commentary later.
Comments (6)
here's hoping the new guy builds on the success -- is a collaborator, rather than a controller, and really thinks out of the box.
or, even better: has no idea that the box is even there.
to use the analogy in the letter, this, "sleeping giant" is different in this new age of technology and communication. he doesn't remember the slow, lumbering, archaic system of bureaucracy and petty struggles of territorial hierarchies.
the new, awakened giant is looking at a whole new world who thinks in terms of the bazaar, rather than the cathedral.
this new giant needs a few leaders who can show him this new landscape, and how to best succeed in it.
Posted by Carlos Moreno | March 10, 2006 2:42 PM
Posted on March 10, 2006 14:42
It sure would be nice if someone could talk DELL
into putting a customer support center here in Tulsa! Instead of adding 400 more people over the next few months in Oklahoma City, let's see if Kathy Taylor can pull a fast one and talk about spreading the Dell jobs in Tulsa too. YOu think she could pull it off? I would still like to hear her thoughts on the companies she has on the back burner for coming to Tulsa to put many
citizens back to work in decent paying jobs. We certainly have the educated workers in Tulsa -- just not many companies that offer really good paying jobs.
Dell commented Oklahoma workers have proven their ability to perform to Dell's high standards for customer support.
The first temporary facility in September 2004 was a start from Dell. We have college kids and very capable adults that would make enjoy working for a good company like Dell.
Can you imagine if we attracted lots of companies that would employ thousands instead of putting millions of dollars into an arena that gets the BOK name on it at taxpayer expense? (yes we know BOK will pay a very small amount of that name recognition on the arena). What a waste of money. You would think they could have fixed up and expanded the deteriorating MABEE center for an events place. A few times I have gone to the Mabee Center and rusty colored water came out of the water facet! If it once hosted concerts by famous names like
Elvis, Johnny Cash and Frank S., could we have made better use of the millions instead of throwing so much away on one arena in downtown?
Investing in companies that actually have great management and treat their employees with honesty and respect with good salaries is what we need!
Tulsa citizens can't just end up with an instant $90,000.00 job plus benefits like Sam Roop that never seemed to read the book on executive skills -- the first quote to the Tulsa World was Sam said he might just run for Mayor (Mayor LaFortune had just hired him) because the Mayor might just "hack him off". Of course, Sam Roop gets away with saying such a knuckle-head comment, but Chief of Police -- well we are still waiting on Sam Roop to offer some helping hints on getting more money for the Chief ... and the job back..with an apology from the Mayor for the lack of facts of what really happened.
Posted by susan | March 10, 2006 3:54 PM
Posted on March 10, 2006 15:54
I'm not sure I see the association between this news and Tuesday's election.
Are you saying he failed to bring home the anti-gang? Or, is bowing out before the new council cuts him off at the ____.
Or, could it be, he's getting out now, before the inevitable loss of their own LaFortune?
Posted by XonOFF | March 10, 2006 5:21 PM
Posted on March 10, 2006 17:21
We also sold our sailboat when we were no longer going to sail on Lake Austin and Lake Travis, but wow -- what a thing to say from Jay.
Posted by susan | March 10, 2006 9:57 PM
Posted on March 10, 2006 21:57
The city wouldn't put tax dollars into the Mabee Center because it is a privately owned and operated facility. And I doubt ORU would take tax dollars for that only to be beholden to the city for events that do not meet their standards.
Posted by Kevin | March 11, 2006 9:01 PM
Posted on March 11, 2006 21:01
Kevin, the Mabee center is an events place and to ORU standards who they wish to accept there.
However, if ORU wanted to make money, they could always have Oral Roberts plead to the ones that give so generously (t.v. and direct mail)to fix up the Mabee Center and to expand it for other events. They also have a hotels and restaurants that are full of people when they have popular speakers and well known Christian
singers.
It would also give a nicer appearance from Lewis and 8lst street to fix up the Mabee Center and expand it.
The new (BOK center) arena -- will the next new Mayor be having their office in the new Pelli building?
Chris Medlock might know this answer... when they figured if the arena would operate in the black or the red, how many sporting event seats in the past are "COMPLIMENTARY" and just to make the crowd appear larger than those actually paying for seats?
Posted by susan | March 12, 2006 1:24 AM
Posted on March 12, 2006 01:24