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PrintI am Tulsa: Claire Roby
TYPros Sustainability Crew Leader.
Moving back to Tulsa for Claire Roby, Tulsa’s Young Professionals (TYPros) Sustainability Crew leader, meant more than just being back in her hometown.
“In Tulsa I can be near my family, be significantly involved in community organizations like TYPros and the board of Chamber Music Tulsa and still develop a fulfilling career,” Roby says.
A graduate of American University with a degree in environmental policy, Roby decided to return to Tulsa after living and studying in Taiwan and Washington, D.C.
Roby is now a sustainability consultant where she works with businesses, universities and other organizations to manage their energy use and environmental footprint, creating strategic plans for energy reduction.
She figured the TYPros Sustainability Crew would be an appropriate fit and “figured it would be a good way to meet people with common interests and to find ‘my place’ in the community,” she says. “It’s far exceeded my expectations in those regards.”
As the current Crew Leader, Roby is responsible for coordinating the annual Green Gala, which will be held 7 p.m. on Sept. 10 at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased on the TYPros website.
The TYPros member event is planned with sustainability in mind – local food is served, a cash bar features local wines and beers, solar power runs the stage and ‘green’ door prizes are awarded.
“For TYPros, sustainability means reducing our environmental impact but doing so while bolstering Tulsa’s sense of community and responsible economic development,” she says.
Another project of the crew is the TYPros GreenSpeak lecture series, with the upcoming October event discussing home energy efficiency. A guide to greening the home will be unveiled, which will pair suggestions for personal change with the contact information of local organizations that can help the progress, Roby adds.
These projects are just a taste of what TYPros and the Sustainability Crew are doing to help Tulsa move towards a broader acceptance of sustainable community and business practices. Roby says often environmentally friendly practices are thought of being as part of someone else’s special interests, and are considered something that the East and West Coasts are doing.
“However, there are examples from communities and businesses all over the country of cost-effective programs,” she says. “Tulsa will get there. I have already seen a significant growth in interest in the last three years.”
I am dedicated to Tulsa because I feel connected to this place. My family is in Oklahoma, and has been for several generations. Plus, community members value the opinions and efforts of young professionals, which makes my professional work and projects with TYPros and Chamber Music Tulsa especially fulfilling.
I am a member of Tulsa’s Young Professionals because it has provided me numerous opportunities to make new friends, connect with business and political leaders in the area, and invest time and effort in the community in a way that is highly respected.
I am passionate about helping businesses use their natural resources more efficiently while continuing to grow their core offerings.
I am looking forward to when Tulsans simply expect to see recycling bins in public places and think it is odd to see meetings catered with Styrofoam cups. Generations of Oklahomans have been stewards of natural resources on their farms, but our approach to daily urban life stalled somewhere in the past. These things need to gradually become just a part of our habits.
I am proudest of dedicating my career and community activities to bringing various interests together to build a healthier community for us all.
I am an asset to Tulsa because we have an amazing opportunity in this current national green trend to parlay our legacy of energy production into a cleaner, more efficient energy system and method of doing business. Not only can I help bring attention to these issues here and now, but help chart a course toward meaningful, long-lasting solutions for the future.
