The University of Oklahoma Tulsa
center for studies in democracy and culture
Our Council of Advisors.
A distinguished group of community leaders and academics from Oklahoma and around the world provide advice and guidance to the Center.
We are deeply appreciative for
their support and encouragement.
their support and encouragement.
international
Rt. Hon. Henry McLeish
scotland
A former member of the Scottish Parliament and First Minister of Scotland as well as being a former member of the British Parliament in London, Henry McLeish currently serves as a member of the Queen's Privy Council. He has published numerous books, including Global Scots: Making it in the Modern World and Wherever the Saltire Flies. He lectures regularly at universities in the United States and in the UK.
(The title "Rt. Hon." is exclusive to the members of the Queen's Privy Council.)
Prof. Dr. Syed Muhammad Awais, M.D.
pakistan
Dr. Awais has held numerous national appointments to education improvement boards in Pakistan. Currently he is Executive Director and Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon at the Institute of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation in Lahore. He is a past Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of the Punjab on the Lahore campus, as well as Project Director for Health Science Institutions at the University of the Punjab. He is a past Pro-Vice Chancellor of King Edward Medical University. He is active in many medical benevolent activities and is the driving force supporting the charity hospital attached to Mayo Hospital in Lahore.
Dr. Zidane Zeraoui
mexico
Professor of International Relations at the Instituto Tecnólogico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Dr. Zidane is widely published in academic journals and in the popular press. His most recent book is Islam y filosofía: Introducción al pensamiento islámico. Other books include Islam y Política and El Mundo Árabe, Imperialismo y Nacionalismo.
Dr. Zeraoui was born in Algeria, but was recruited to teach at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México during the administration of President Luis Echeverría in the 1970's.
Dra. Pura Fernández Rodríguez
spain
Dra. Fernandez Rodriguez is a professor in Instituto de Lengua, Literatura y Antropología del Centro de Ciencias Humanas y Sociales of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) of Spain, and the editor of the publication arm of CSIC, the largest research publisher in Spain. Her doctorate is from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.
Dra. Renata de Melo Rosa
brazil
Executive Director of the Instituto Maria Quitéria in Rio de Janeiro, Dr. Rosa is involved in teaching and research in international relations. The institute is named for Maria Quitéria de Jesus, brought as a slave to Brazil in 1850 from Angola, and Dr. Rosa's work has focused in significant part on issues related to the status of Afro-Descendents in Brazil and in Latin America.
Hon. José Carlos Rassier
brazil
Currently a consultant in public administration, planning, and education based in Brazil's capital city, Rassier is the former Executive Director of the Associação Brasileira de Municípios, the national municipal association. Before moving to Brasília to assume that post, he served as Executive Director of the Associaçåo Gaúcha de Municípios (serving the state of Rio Grande do Sul).
Anthony Perry
United Kingdom
Mr. Perry is an author and social scientist currently engaged in research analytics at the British National Health Service. He is a graduate of Dartmouth, and is originally from Oklahoma. Mr. Perry is an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation.
Dr. Floriano Filho
brazil
Dr. Filho is the Coordinator for Higher Education at the Brazilian Legislative Institute (Interlegis), an entity of Brazil's Federal Senate. An award-winning journalist, he was previously with the Brazilian Senate Radio. He holds a PhD from the University of Brasília in Development and International Cooperation, with a focus on Japan-China strategic relations (with fellowships at Johns Hopkins University in the United States and the University of Tokyo in Japan). From October 2021, Dr. Filho is on leave to do research studies at the University of Tokyo on contemporary Asian security issues and their impact on Latin America.
Dr. Héctor Hugo Rotela, M.D.
argentina
Dr. Rotela is a medical doctor in Gobernador Crespo, a city on the edge of the Pampa Húmeda in the state of Santa Fé. He is a former mayor ("intendente") of his city and he has been active in national and regional municipal affairs.
national
Oliver St. Clair Franklin, OBE
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Well known in Philadelphia because of his active participation in the civic life of the city, Mr. Franklin serves on a variety of prestigious for-profit and not-for-profit boards. Because of his services to the United Kingdom, he was awarded the Order of the British Empire, the highest recognition given to a citizen of a foreign country. He represents the United Kingdom in Pennsylvania as British Honorary Consul. He is a graduate of Oxford University's Balliol College, founded in 1263 and the oldest of the Oxford colleges.
Carol Robertson Lopez
Santa fe, New Mexico
Carol is the Chair of the Board of Directors of Sister Cities Intenational, headquartered in Washington, D.C. Founded in the 1950's by Presdient Dwight Eisenhower, Sister Cities has grown to become the world's largest citizen diplomacy organization. Carol is also the Executive Director of the New Mexico Children’s Foundation.
Dr. Moussa Blimpo
washington, D.C.
Dr. Blimpo holds a position as Senior Economist in the Office of the Chief Economist for the Africa Region (AFRCE) of the World Bank. Originally from Togo, Dr. Blimpo now lives in Washington, D.C., the home of the main office of the World Bank. For the current academic year he is serving as a visiting professor at the University of Toronto. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from New York University and was a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University's Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR).
Danny L. McDonald
Raleigh, North Carolina
Appointed originally to the Federal Election Commission by President Ronald Reagan, he served as a member for nearly twenty-five years as a result of subsequent re-appointments by Presidents from both political parties. As a member of the Commission, and especially during his years as Chairman, he worked to create links with political and election officials in other countries to provide technical assistance for the development of transparent election practices.
Sherman Banks
Little Rock, Arkansas
Owner and founder of Banks International LLC, Mr. Banks is a consultant specializing in international economic and tourism development. He is a former Chairman of the Board of Sister Cities International and was the first African-American to be elected to the position. Mr. Banks represents the central region of the United States as Honorary Consul of Ghana, a position to which he was named in 2017.
oklahoma
Dr. Scott Fritzen
Norman
Dr.Fritzen is the Dean of the University of Oklahoma's David Boren School of International Studies. He holds a Ph.D. from Princeton and his research and teaching focus on comparative public policy and public sector reforms, with a focus on anti-corruption policymaking and strategic management in the public sector.
Dr. Randy Kluver
Stillwater
Dr.Kluver is the Dean of Oklahoma State University's School of Global Studies and is Associate Provost of the OSU Stillwater campus. He has published widely in the fields of new media, Asian politics, the Internet in Asian societies, public diplomacy and international communication.
Clifton Taulbert
Tulsa
His books include Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored, Last Train North, Eight Habits of the Heart, and The Invitation. Taulbert is nationally sought after as a speaker, lecturer, and workshop leader. Originally from the little town of Glen Allan, Mississippi, Taulbert has become internationally recognized and is the winner of numerous awards for his contributions towards building human understanding. Since moving to Tulsa, Taulbert has become one of the city's most treasured citizens.
Lou Kerr
Oklahoma City
President and CEO of the Kerr Foundation, headquartered in Oklahoma City, Lou Kerr is involved extensively in innovative education activities at all levels of our state. She serves nationally on the boards of the National Symphony Orchestra, the Women’s Presidents Organization, and the International Women’s Forum, as well as numerous state boards and commissions in Oklahoma.
Ronny Altman
Tulsa
Among his business interests is Altman Energy, where he serves as president, but Ronny Altman and his wife, Judy, find time to actively support many community organizations including Tulsa Ballet, Town Hall, and Goodwill Industries (where Ronny is a past Chairman of the Board). A graduate of The University of Oklahoma, Ronny is an enthusiastic OU supporter.
George Dotson
Tulsa
A native of Chickasha, Oklahoma, George earned a bachelor's degree from M.I.T and an M.B.A. from Harvard. He spent 37 years with Helmerich & Payne in Tulsa and served as president of Helmerich & Payne International Drilling Co., and vice president and a director of Helmerich and Payne, Inc. before retirement. He and his wife, Phyllis, are recognized civic leaders in Tulsa.
Hon. Carol Bush
Tulsa
Former head of the Tulsa Crime Prevention Network, Carol Bush is a native Tulsa and a graduate of Oral Roberts University. She was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2016 and announced her retirement in 2022. Rep. Bush is a Republican.
Hon. Jo Anna Dossett
Tulsa
A member of the Oklahoma State Senate from Tulsa. Sen. Dossett served in the Peace Corps in Cape Verde, an archipelago in the Atlantic off the coast of Africa. She is a classroom teacher. Sen. Dossett is a Democrat.
Enrique Villar-Gambetta
Oklahoma City
Raised and educated in Peru, Mr. Villar-Gambetta now practices law in Oklahoma City. A member of the Oklahoma Governor's International Economic Development Team, he also serves as Honorary Consul of Peru in Oklahoma ...a position to which he was appointed by the President of Peru in recognition of the esteem in which he is held by his home country.
Dr. Dyal Meshri
Tulsa
Born in what is now Pakistan, Dr. Meshri's family emigrated to current-day India during the partition of British India into Pakistan and Hindustan (India). Excelling in school, he earned his bachelor and masters degrees in India. A scholarship from Notre Dame to study nuclear chemistry brought him to the United States, and a teaching appointment at the University of Tulsa brought him to Oklahoma. While in Tulsa he founded Advanced Research Chemicals. The company prospered and grew under his guidance, and is now led by his son, Sanjay. Advanced Research Chemicals is one of the largest companies located in the Port of Catoosa's business park.
Charlotte Schuman
Tulsa
Charlotte Schuman is an arts patron and civic leader in Tulsa. She serves on the national Council of the American Jewish Committee and on the advisory board of The Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies at the University of Texas in Dallas.
Hon. John Kennedy
Oklahoma City
The youngest person to have ever served as Oklahoma Secretary of State, John Kennedy's business interests have been focused on the Irish Realty Company that he founded in 1978. He holds a masters degree from Harvard University in Public Administration. While Secretary of State, Kennedy introduced administrative improvements that resulted in cutting business filing time from four weeks to one day. His community work has earned him awards and recognition from Harvard University, Tulsa Community Service Council, Preservation Oklahoma, and many others.
Mary Holden
Tulsa
Mary Holden is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, and holds an MA from SUNY (Albany, New York) in Criminal Justice. She has served as board president of the Washington County, OK Health Department and of the Washington County board of Youth and Family Services. She is an active civic leader in Tulsa with a special emphasis on international programs.
Hon. Norma Eagleton
Tulsa
Kate Bernard was elected Commissioner of Charities and Corrections in Oklahoma’s first state election in 1907. She was re-elected in 1910, but it was 75 years before another woman was elected to a statewide post when Norma Elagleton was elected to the Corporation Commission. Before election to the Corporation Commission, Norma Eagleton had been the first woman ever to be elected to a voting position on the Tulsa City Commission (our city’s previous form of government),
James Dunn
Tulsa
Jim Dunn’s father founded Millcreek Lumber in the 1930s. After Jim took over, he built the company further and now they do much more than just lumber and are in multiple locations inside and outside of Oklahoma. Jim's son runs the company on a day-to-day basis, but he remains as the chairman of the board. He is a former member of the Federal Reserve Board for this region of the country.
Connie Cronley
Tulsa
One of Tulsa's most notable personalities, Connie Cronley is originally from what she likes to describe as the "Capital of Nowata County, Oklahoma". A writer and lecturer, her life has included contrasts: She has served as Executive Director of the Tulsa Ballet (where she worked with the famed Indian ballerina Moscelyne Larkin), and she also has served as Executive Director of Iron Gate, one of Tulsa's largest and most successful programs for feeding the hungry. Her newest book (2021) is A Life on Fire: Oklahoma's Kate Bernard. Previous books include Sometimes a Wheel Falls Off and Poke a Stick at It. She is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation.
Charles Garrett
Tulsa
Chuck Garrett is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and Harvard Law School. He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Cherokee Nation Businesses (an entity of the Cherokee Nation), an organization with annual revenues exceeding a billion dollars. His mother is Dr. Sandy Garrett, former Oklahoma State Superintendent of Schools.
Prof. Barbara Bucholtz
Tulsa
Professor Bucholtz received her J.D. from Valparaiso University of Law and her LL.M. in environmental law from George Washington University (with highest honors). Prior to joining the TU law faculty, she practiced corporate law, business litigation, class action litigation, and estate planning in the Chicago area and in Tulsa. Her grandfather was the founder of the T.D. Williamson in Tulsa, now a global force in the petroleum industry. Prof. Bucholtz serves on the Board of Directors of the company.
George Krumme
Tulsa
A Tulsa oilman and banker, George Krumme was born in rural Oklahoma near Okemah and raised in Bristow in Creek County. An academic Phi Beta Kappa, he served for many years as a member of the Democratic Party's National Committee as a representative of the Oklahoma Democratic Party.
Hon. Jane Wiseman
Tulsa
Judge Wiseman was appointed to the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals by Gov. Brad Henry in 2005 after having previously served as a district judge and special district judge. She earned a B.A. from Cornell University and a M.A. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her law degree is from the University of Tulsa.
Dr. Rico Buchli
Edmond
Dr. Buchli earned his Ph.D. from Universität Basel in Switzerland, specializing in biochemistry and molecular biology. Dr. Buchli originally moved to Oklahoma to accept a position at the OU Health Sciences Center, but he later left the University of Oklahoma to accept an executive position in the private sector in a firm developing cutting-edge medical applications. He has an extensive list of patents resulting from his advanced research. Outside the laboratory, he has found time to serve on the Oklahoma Governor's International Economic Development Team. His home country of Switzerland has recognized Dr. Buchli by his appointment to serve as Honorary Consul of Switzerland in Oklahoma.
Hon. Kurt G. Glassco
Tulsa
Currently serving as Chief Judge of the Probate Division of the Tulsa County District Court, Judge Glassco has served served on the bench since 2009 when Gov. Brad Henry appointed him as a judge. Earlier in his career he served as General Counsel in the Office of Gov. George Nigh.
Hon. Meloyde Blancett
Tulsa
Meloyde Blancett (D-Tulsa), a native Oklahoman, serves as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. She was first elected from District 78 in 2016. She also serves as Executive Director of Creative Oklahoma, a statewide nonprofit organization founded in 2006 whose mission is to foster the development of a vibrant, creative, and innovation-based Oklahoma economy.
Jayne Reed
Tulsa
A registered nurse, philanthropist, community volunteer and co-founder and chief executive officer of the Simon Estes Educational Foundation, Jayne Reed is recognized as a force in the Tulsa community, especially in the arts. Her late husband was Dr. Larry Reed. In addition to her role as Co-Founder of The Simon Estes Educational Foundation, Ms. Reed has also served as a board member of Tulsa Ballet Theatre, Tulsa Opera, Tulsa Urban League, Y.W.C.A., Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust, At Risk Child Abuse Prevention Program, and Girl Scouts of America.
Hon. Dave Rader
Tulsa
Dave Rader has served as a meber of the Oklahoma Senate since 2016. He is currently the chair of the Finance (Taxation) Committee, and he is immediate past chair of the Education Committee. He is well known in Tulsa as a former TU football coach. Sen. Rader is a Republican.
Hon. Judy Eason-McIntyre
Tulsa
Ms. Eason-McIntyre served ten years as a member of the Oklahoma State Senate and Oklahoma House of Representatives. She also has served as Chair of the Tulsa County Democratic Party. She is extensively involved in a variety of social justice issues, and is currently a member of the Greenwood Re-Development Authority.
Dr. Thomas Bennett II
Tulsa
Dr. Bennett earned his Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University. He is the founder of First Oklahoma Bank, which has grown to over a billion dollars in assets. He continues to serve as the Chairman of the Board of the bank. Dr. Bennett has been deeply involved in the civic life of Oklahoma in multiple capacities over many years.
Ross Swimmer
Tulsa
Ross is a former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. He is an attorney and has held high positions in the BIA in Washington, where he led the development of current Indian gaming laws and other important legislation. As Chief, he mentored and supported Wilma Mankiller. She succeeded Ross as Principal Chief and was elected with his support.
OU Center for Studies in Democracy and Culture
Prof. Rodger A. Randle, Director
The University of Oklahoma Tulsa
4502 East 41st Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74135
Email: randle@ou.edu