Board Feature: Dr. Joyce McClellan
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Dr. Joyce McClellan has served on the Tulsa Economic Development Corporation’s (TEDC) Board of Directors for over a decade. She also serves on 12 other community boards in Oklahoma.
“Our organization is charged with promoting and sustaining small business growth, therefore I’m passionate about the work we do in creating a more inclusive Tulsa,” McClellan said.
“When we can provide resources that support our under-represented citizens, it makes us all better. So I think my position on the board, my individual unique perspective, is there to ensure that we focus on our mission and how our work changes lives, and helps create wealth.”
Diversity
As the Chief Development and Diversity Officer at Tulsa Technology Center, McClellan provides diversity training for Tulsa Tech staff and students.
“The goal is to make sure that when our students transition to college or career they understand the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The feedback I receive from employers is imperative to ensuring that our students understand and appreciate cultural differences and can better serve their clients, patients, and customers,” McClellan said.
Her job also requires her to work with sending schools to make sure that students have a pipeline to Tulsa Tech. McClellan also works with education foundations to submit grants that help provide resources for students that are most in need.
“Because of how Tulsa Tech is funded through ad valorem property taxes, our mission is to sustain the workforce pipeline for the Tulsa area,” McClellan said. “Therefore, it is important that students from all demographics and communities have opportunities to attain career training at Tulsa Tech.”
Sharing our mission
McClellan’s mission at Tulsa Tech mirrors that of TEDC in many ways, especially when assisting under-resourced communities to have a fair chance in the business realm.
“The TEDC board, I believe, shares our mission so strongly that, in my opinion, in order for a person to build wealth, we need to provide those opportunities where businesses have a level playing field and those under-resourced, underserved communities have a seat at the table and we can mainstream them into a pathway to wealth,” McClellan said.
The work that she does in the community helps to ensure that there is equitable access to career training and equitable access to securing capital for their business.
“I want people to know that the work that I do, I truly believe, is important as we continue to build a welcoming and inclusive city of belonging, a city that transcends our past, that makes it where everyone who wants a seat at the table gets a seat, and everyone has the resources they need to be successful,” McClellan said.
About TEDC Creative Capital
TEDC Creative Capital (aka TEDC) is a community development financial institution (CDFI) providing progressive lending to promising start-ups and growing businesses. TEDC builds equitable economic prosperity by helping small companies operate more successfully, create jobs, and advance communities! Loans range from $500 to $10 million.
Visit TEDCnet.com or call 918-585-8332 for more information on loan and entrepreneurial education programs! If you’re not a business owner but want to explore ownership, please contact TEDC! If you know someone who may need TEDC assistance, please share this story!
TEDC’s ongoing funding partners include the City of Tulsa (U.S. HUD CDBG), PartnerTulsa, Tulsa County, the U.S. Small Business Administration, the CDFI Fund of the U.S. Department of Treasury, the Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bank of Oklahoma, Chase, and GKFF, and Schusterman Family Philanthropies.