Email
PrintI am Tulsa – Jared Nelson
The University of Tulsa College of Law’s resources, energy and environmental law program may have initially attracted Jared Nelson to Tulsa, but a different kind of energy in Tulsa excites him now — the energy of a generation of young professionals poised to make a national impact.
“Many people see Tulsa leading the nation,” says Nelson, an attorney with GlassWilkin. “And it’s a good place for that; seeing Tulsa doing innovative things would mean a lot.”
A native of Tomball, Texas, a small town just outside of Houston, Nelson says growing up around the oil and gas industry instilled an interest in energy policy. This interest amplified as climate change increasingly became a controversial issue in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
“I saw the law with a focus on energy as a bridge between the oil and gas industry and an alternative energy future,” he said.
Since graduating from TU in May 2009 and passing the bar exam in July 2009, Nelson took a slightly different path than he expected. He has taken a job at GlassWilkin PC working in business and corporate law with an emphasis on the health care industry. Because health care is highly regulated, Nelson says his job is to work with health care providers to devise creative ways to structure their business to comply with health care legislation and regulations. From day to day, he helps draft employment agreements for physicians, business agreements for health care ventures and occasionally works on mergers and acquisitions.
Nelson is also putting his legal creativity to use in the Business Development and Government Relations crews of Tulsa’s Young Professionals. He says GlassWilkin recently made a contribution to The Forge, a business incubator powered by TYPros, and, therefore, Nelson has been able to provide legal services to The Forge and is the leader for TYPros’ business policy and advocacy sub-crew.
“TYPros has the entrepreneurial spirit and wants to get everyone innovating, developing new businesses and so on,” he says.
Nelson admits that his “general perception of Tulsa was that it used to be stagnant with old money,” but the city is experiencing a reawakening.
“Tulsa will be changing for the better,” he says. “Given its geographic location, it’s actually pretty progressive.”
Some of Nelson’s envisioned changes for the city? A stepfather to three boys, two of whom live with him and his wife, Cheryl, he expresses a need to improve the Tulsa Public Schools system. The family chooses to live within the Jenks school district to avoid it. He also says transportation systems must be improved as Tulsa continues to grow.
After growing up near Houston, one of the largest cities in the country, Nelson says he appreciates that Tulsa has most of the perks of a big city and the comforts of a small one. But Tulsa could learn a thing or two from Houston, he says.
“Houston’s best at harnessing the potential of everyone and allowing businesses to innovate,” he says. “There’s a general attitude that anyone can offer something special.”
In Tulsa, he sees that attitude existing more and more with the surge of young local professionals.
As for the future? Nelson isn’t sure what will happen, but he knows Tulsa will always be home.
“My dreams and aspirations may take me elsewhere,” he says. “But my preference would be to chase those opportunities here.”
I AM TULSA
I am dedicated to Tulsa because it is a microcosm of all that is America. Small-town Main Street and big-city skyline. Smart cars and F-350s. Professional sports teams and art museums, galleries and theaters. Tulsa offers farmers’ markets, outdoor shopping malls, Irish pubs, cross-town sports rivalries, pizzerias, bike paths, Oktoberfest and turnpikes. All right, so we could do without the last one, but there isn’t much that we’re missing.
I am a member of Tulsa’s Young Professionals because I am seeking opportunities to contribute to Tulsa’s development and prosperity. I grew up in Texas and moved to Tulsa for law school. Now that I am an attorney in Tulsa, I look to stay in Tulsa. Being a member of TYPros allows me to provide, together with other members of TYPros, the leadership Tulsa requires from our generation.
I am passionate about business development opportunities in Tulsa. I have been working with TYPros’ business incubator, The Forge, to help get it on its feet, and some of my most enjoyable projects at work involve launching new business ventures. I find new ideas energizing, and helping others see those ideas come into fruition is a rewarding experience.
I am looking forward to the day the Arkansas River becomes the vital asset to the city that it ought to be. Many great cities have a river, lake or other body of water that is a source of pride, as well as economic activity, for the city’s inhabitants. I don’t believe the best ideas for harnessing the river’s potential have yet been put forth, but I am hopeful that they will be someday soon.
I am proudest of establishing a home — in Tulsa, of course — for my wife, stepsons and myself.
I am an asset to Tulsa because I have an innovative streak a mile wide, and the tenacity to see it through. Growth and progress are sparked by innovation, by changing the way we do things. In today’s modern, high-tech society, it can be difficult to recognize opportunities for innovation. Nevertheless, we must remain vigilant on the lookout today in order to seize the economic drivers of tomorrow.
