Meeting/Event Information

Join us as we wrap up another great year for PMI Tulsa.  Food and drinks will be provided and we will recognize chapter volunteers.

Featured Speaker: Kian Kamas

Discussion: Over the past decade, Tulsa’s economic trajectory and the places and spaces that define the city have dramatically shifted, driven by the initiation and completion of numerous major projects. Behind each of these projects is oftentimes years (sometimes decades!) of work, and the tireless efforts of passionate people committed to tackling the city’s greatest challenges. As Tulsa celebrates what it has achieved, what are the investments we must prioritize as we aim to continue and accelerate the city’s positive growth? And how can we all play a role in building a city that builds community and creates opportunity for every Tulsan?

About the Speaker: Kian Kamas is the CEO and Owner of Valorem Public Private, an economic and community development consultancy. She is passionate about creating value by bridging the gap between the public and private sectors, forging tangible partnerships that solve complex community and economic challenges. 

While serving as the Chief of Economic Development for Mayor G.T. Bynum from 2017-2021, Kamas led the creation of the Tulsa Authority for Economic Opportunity, known publicly as PartnerTulsa, through the effective merger of five (5) separate public entities. She served as the organizations’ founding Executive Director until 2024, leading Tulsa’s comprehensive community and economic development strategy and a team dedicated to increasing economic opportunity for Tulsa residents. During her time working on behalf of the City she focused on reshaping many of the City’s most impactful public-private partnerships and public finance tools, leading negotiations with major employers such as American Airlines, Navistar, and Spirit AeroSystems, as well as efforts to form a public-private partnership that secured $50 million in State funding to establish a 2,000-acre industrial park in east Tulsa. Additionally, Kian played a leading role in the development of the Kirkpatrick Heights-Greenwood Master Plan and subsequent efforts to form Greenwood Legacy Corporation, a Community Development Corporation that will help lead the redevelopment of nearly 60-acres of publicly-owned property in Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District.   

Prior to this, Kamas spent six (6) years at the Tulsa Regional Chamber, in various roles in Economic Development and Government Affairs. Kian is a Certified Economic Developer and holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Oklahoma, a master’s degree in Comparative Public Policy from the University of Edinburgh, and has completed the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute. She and her husband Lathen have lived in Tulsa since 2009, and are raising their son Leith as a proud Tulsan.