Something Fun

[rdj]

Okay fine.  He wasn't doing nothing, he just wasn't doing much.  

I had a lot of dealings with him and DTU in the early 1990's that left me very underwhelmed at their efforts and generally "not getting" really great promotional ideas and opportunities for downtown.  These weren't simply my hare-brained ideas, this was some of Tulsa's best and brightest creative talent trying to push downtown to the masses.  There may have been issues with the board, but Norton was definitely not the sort of dynamic leader who could direct DTU beyond the short-comings of the board.

I think dynamic leader is the key.  Not to bring up another well beloved institution, but the Chamber suffered from the same style of leadership for several years.  Love him or hate him, Mike Neal has brought an engaging, outgoing style of leadership that doesn't sit behind a desk and hope good things happen.  Tulsa needs more leaders that lead from the front and are "evangelists" for Tulsa.

[Conan71]

I think dynamic leader is the key.  Not to bring up another well beloved institution, but the Chamber suffered from the same style of leadership for several years.  Love him or hate him, Mike Neal has brought an engaging, outgoing style of leadership that doesn't sit behind a desk and hope good things happen.  Tulsa needs more leaders that lead from the front and are "evangelists" for Tulsa.

It's a shame Kathy Taylor got the treatment she did and figured it was no longer worth the abuse to be the mayor. She was a fantastic example of dynamic leadership.

[rdj]

It's a shame Kathy Taylor got the treatment she did and figured it was no longer worth the abuse to be the mayor. She was a fantastic example of dynamic leadership.

There is some debate that she chose not to run for re-election due to her knowledge of the impending budget crisis.  She knew it might damage her future political aspirations.

However, I agree with you.  She worked extremely hard for the city in her time.

[Conan71]

There is some debate that she chose not to run for re-election due to her knowledge of the impending budget crisis.  She knew it might damage her future political aspirations.

However, I agree with you.  She worked extremely hard for the city in her time.

I was very critical of her for about her first year or year and a half in office.  After working around her some, I gained an appreciation for how hard she works, her passion for Tulsa, and how well she actually listened when approached with ideas.  Truly a remarkable leader and I became a huge fan of hers in the end.

[Townsend]

I was very critical of her for about her first year or year and a half in office.  After working around her some, I gained an appreciation for how hard she works, her passion for Tulsa, and how well she actually listened when approached with ideas.  Truly a remarkable leader and I became a huge fan of hers in the end.

She showed up, made appearances.  She worked well into late hours.  Her phone rarely caught fire.

[RecycleMichael]

I want to join the I love Kathy Taylor game.

In my job I have unique access to elected officials and have worked for now fifteen different governments and at least 50 different Mayors. Kathy Taylor was the best of all of them.

She was never afraid of doing what was right. All the rest of them had advisors telling them to be careful and worry about re-election. All the rest of them saw government as a budget driven process.

Not Kathy Taylor. If she believed the information was correct, she moved forward. She made decisions and did whatever it took to make it happen, including giving personal wealth to the project.

I do miss her.

[DTowner]

I want to join the I love Kathy Taylor game.

In my job I have unique access to elected officials and have worked for now fifteen different governments and at least 50 different Mayors. Kathy Taylor was the best of all of them.

She was never afraid of doing what was right. All the rest of them had advisors telling them to be careful and worry about re-election. All the rest of them saw government as a budget driven process.

Not Kathy Taylor. If she believed the information was correct, she moved forward. She made decisions and did whatever it took to make it happen, including giving personal wealth to the project.

I do miss her.

I think your personal interaction is useful and I can't speak to anything like that.  Given that there is always debate who should get credit/blame in politics, I am interested in what you think her actual accomplishments were for the city of Tulsa.

[jacobi]

Ms. Taylor should be the next president of TU.

[rdj]

Ms. Taylor should be the next president of TU.

Nope.  She is taking a fellowship with Harvard in lieu of taking that job.  My prediction is she'll run for Sen Coburn's seat when it becomes available.

[Conan71]

Nope.  She is taking a fellowship with Harvard in lieu of taking that job.  My prediction is she'll run for Sen Coburn's seat when it becomes available.

Doesn't Inhofe's seat come up first?  I'd be surprised if he runs again, I believe he will be 82 or 83 at that time.  I'm not a rabid Inhofe hater, but I would really like to see him retire after this go 'round.

[jacobi]

Sen. Taylor > TU president Taylor