Tulsa Asian American Commission adopts 2025 goals centered on leadership development

The Tulsa Asian American Commission voted to approve its 2025 goals Tuesday, adopting an overarching focus on leadership development and three supporting objectives: connecting with community leaders, raising future leaders, and increasing awareness of the commission as an advisory resource.

The vote came at the end of a broad discussion about committee priorities and community engagement. Chair (name not specified) summarized the approved plan: “Our overarching goal is leadership development, and the objectives that support that is number 1, connecting with leaders in the community. 2, raising up future leaders in the community. That looks like building raising money for scholarships. And then 3 is increasing awareness of... our commission as an advisory group,” the chair said during the meeting.

Commissioners described the goals as an umbrella to coordinate committee work so separate initiatives — events, data collection, workforce and education efforts — point toward shared outcomes. Commissioner Ethan, speaking for the culture committee, said the commission should primarily serve an advisory role while supporting community events and partnerships and suggested a single, larger “Tulsa Asia Fest” to broaden representation beyond Lunar New Year programming.

Commissioner Cecilia, who represents a grassroots group that connects local organizations to national partners, detailed upcoming national meetings and training opportunities the commission might use, saying she will meet with the National API Mental Health Association and the education-advocacy team at Asian Americans Advancing Justice. “They’re also pro asking if a couple of us would be interested in receiving mental health first aid,” Cecilia said, noting these conversations could help fill gaps in local mental-health resources for Asian residents.

Members also discussed concrete steps tied to the goals: compiling contact lists of leaders and existing Asian-serving organizations, developing marketing/awareness strategies that do not conflict with city rules on creating commission social media accounts, and pursuing two fundraising streams — one for community events and one for scholarships. Commissioner Masood said community outreach at events — providing food, materials and volunteers — drew people to commission tables and encouraged the group to seek sponsors so the burden does not fall on individual members.

The commission heard several event announcements tied to outreach goals: a Leadership Tulsa intergenerational summit focused on the A/PI/DA community on March 17 (organizers expect roughly 30–50 attendees), a Ramadan community iftar on March 16 from 6:30–8:30 p.m., and an APIDA market festival planned for May 16 at Hannah Hall. Cecilia and other commissioners encouraged members to attend and to share sponsorship opportunities; a sponsorship deadline for the March 17 event was referenced but not dated during the meeting.

After discussion, a motion to approve the 2025 goals was made, seconded and approved by voice vote. Individual roll-call tallies were not recorded on the minutes.

Commissioners agreed on near-term follow-ups: committees will continue community outreach conversations (the data & research committee plans to hold pilot interviews with local partners and meet on March 11), volunteers and commissioners will compile leader contact lists for outreach, and committees will refine how proposed scholarship and awards programs would operate. No additional formal actions or budget allocations were taken at the meeting.

The commission closed with public comments from several community members who said they want to connect organizations — including a newly inaugurated Filipino American Association president who attended to learn how to plug in — and with an announcement that the group will seek separate fundraising accounts for events and scholarships under its nonprofit umbrella.