Chamber announces transition in economic development division

(TULSA, Okla.) – The Tulsa Regional Chamber has announced a change in its economic development personnel.

Arthur Jackson, the Chamber’s senior vice president of economic development, has resigned his position. His last day with the Chamber will be April 1.

“I am grateful for my time with the Tulsa Regional Chamber and the opportunities it has provided,” Jackson said. “More importantly, I’m incredibly proud of the work our Tulsa’s Future team accomplished over the past several years. I as well as our team would not have accomplished so much without the support of so many, including the City of Tulsa, PartnerTulsa, the George Kaiser Family Foundation, our regional and tribal partners, and so many others in the community.”

Tulsa’s Future is the Chamber-led regional economic development partnership focused on retaining and expanding existing businesses, attracting new employers and enhancing workforce development for northeast Oklahoma.

“We thank Arthur for his three years of service to the Chamber and our entire region,” said Tulsa Regional Chamber President and CEO Mike Neal. “Under his leadership, the Chamber helped secure the largest economic development deal in state history – Enel 3SUN – and was named 2023 Economic Development Organization of the Year by the International Economic Development Council.”

A nationwide search will be conducted for Jackson’s replacement.

While that search is ongoing, Justin McLaughlin – the Chamber’s executive vice president and chief operating officer – will additionally serve as interim senior vice president of economic development.

McLaughlin is a Certified Economic Developer with two decades of economic development experience. He previously served as senior vice president of economic development for the Chamber and, before that, with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.

In conjunction with advisory firm Ernst & Young, McLaughlin will oversee the continued development of Bridge to the Future 2030, a five-year strategic plan for both economic development and regional tourism that will commence next year.

“We have assembled an expert economic development team, and we have total confidence in the team’s ability to help existing businesses expand and to attract new employers in collaboration with our regional, state and tribal partners,” Neal said. “We have an extensive number of projects currently in the pipeline, and we are confident the Tulsa region’s momentum will continue throughout 2024 and well beyond.”