Kathy Taylor

Kathryn Louise Taylor (born September 29, 1955) was elected the 38th Mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma on April 4, 2006, in the city's largest voter turnout for a mayoral election.[1] She defeated Republican incumbent Mayor Bill Lafortune to become Tulsa's second female mayor, after Susan Savage first filled the post in 1992. Taylor is married to Bill Lobeck, CEO of Vanguard Automotive Group. Taylor served as Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Tourism in Governor Brad Henry's administration from 2003 to 2006. She resigned from that post in order to run for Mayor.

For the pentathlete and TV presenter, see Kathy Tayler.
Kathy Taylor
38th Mayor of Tulsa
In office
April 10, 2006 – December 6, 2009
Preceded byBill LaFortune
Succeeded byDewey Bartlett
Personal details
Born (1955-09-29) September 29, 1955
Muskogee County, Oklahoma, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Bill Lobeck
ResidenceTulsa, Oklahoma
Alma materUniversity of Oklahoma

Early life

Kathryn Taylor grew up in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and graduated from John Marshall High School. Taylor earned her bachelor's degree as well as her juris doctorate from the University of Oklahoma.

Taylor worked as an attorney for a private firm in Oklahoma City from 1981 until 1988. She then moved to Tulsa in 1989 and became Vice President and General Counsel of Thrifty Car Rental. Taylor eventually bought National Car Rental from General Motors. She and her husband eventually sold the company and started the Lobeck Taylor Foundation. Taylor was appointed in 2003 by Governor Brad Henry to serve as Secretary of Commerce, Tourism, and Workforce Development.

Mayor of Tulsa

As Mayor, Taylor oversaw the completion of Tulsa's "Vision 2025" projects including the BOK Center. Taylor also pushed a successful $450 million street bond issue and construction of a new downtown baseball park. She oversaw the closing down of Bell's Amusement Park in 2006.[2] Tulsa County terminated Bell's lease. Neither the City of Tulsa nor Mayor Taylor were involved.

She supervised the move of Tulsa's city hall. On June 4, 2009, Taylor abruptly announced that she would not seek re-election.[3] On September 30, 2009 Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry announced that Taylor would become his top education adviser after her term as mayor ended on December 7.[4] Taylor subsequently led Oklahoma's two unsuccessful applications for federal program funds in the "Race to the Top" competition.[5] Taylor was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in 2011.

In January 2013, Taylor announced that she would run again for her old job as mayor of Tulsa in the 2013 election.[6][7] In the mayoral primary election on June 11, 2013, in which the city used a new non-partisan election system for the first time, Taylor finished first with 42.1% of the vote, ahead of her successor Dewey F. Bartlett Jr., who had 34.2%. She and Bartlett met in a runoff election on November 12, 2013,[8][9] and Bartlett prevailed, receiving about 55% of the vote.[10]

References
  1. Lassek, P.J.; Brian Barber (2006-04-05). "Taylor Victorious". Tulsa World. Retrieved 2008-04-15.
  2. "News On 6 Investigation: What Really Happened To Bell's Amusement Park?". Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  3. P.J. Lassek, "Taylor won't seek another term as mayor", Tulsa World, June 4, 2009.
  4. Barbara Hoberock, "Tulsa mayor to join Gov. Henry's staff after term", Tulsa World, September 30, 2009.
  5. Myers, Jim (August 25, 2010). "Oklahoma moves up in Race to the Top, but not enough to place". Tulsa World. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  6. "Former Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor To Run Again", KOTV-DT, January 28, 2013.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-11-13. Retrieved 2013-08-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. "Taylor, Bartlett Advance to November Election for Tulsa Mayor", KTUL, June 11, 2013.
  9. Justin Juozapavicius, "Bitter campaign for Tulsa mayor nearing end", Associated Press in Miami Herald, November 10, 2013.
  10. "Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett Defeats Former Mayor Kathy Taylor To Win Second Term", KOTV-DT, November 13, 2013.
Political offices
Preceded by
Russell Perry
as Oklahoma Secretary of Economic Development and Special Affairs		 Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Tourism
2003–2006		 Succeeded by
Natalie Shirley
Preceded by
Ronald Bussert		 Director of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce
2003–2006		 Succeeded by
Amy Polonchek
Preceded by
Bill LaFortune		 Mayor of Tulsa
2006–2009		 Succeeded by
Dewey Bartlett
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