Brown proud of work with ‘big impact across the city’

Amy Brown, pictured here campaigning for G.T. Bynum during his run for Tulsa mayor, was offered a job by Bynum after she completed her law degree at the University of Tulsa.

Amy Brown, Tulsa's deputy mayor

When Amy Brown received a call from newly elected Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum inviting her to join his team, she was slightly hesitant because she had recently completed her law degree and saw a different path for herself other than municipal government. 

“It was difficult at the time because I felt I had worked really hard and had sacrificed a lot to get my law degree,” Brown said. “But it was also an easy decision because working for Mayor Bynum is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Getting to do this work right now with this team is something I couldn’t pass up.” 

The Stillwater native said yes to Bynum, becoming his deputy chief of staff and then later deputy mayor, a position where she has overseen an employee pay equity plan, preparations for the commemoration of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, improvements in emergency response and numerous other projects. 

“A lot of the work I’m most proud about is stuff that no one every really sees, the behind the scenes stuff,” Brown said. “But there is plenty of work that has a big impact across the city, and that really feels good.”

Joining city hall

Brown first came to Tulsa to attend the University of Tulsa where she studied political science as an undergrad. 

She worked for former Tulsa mayor Kathy Taylor in the city council office, where she first got to know G.T. Bynum. 

“I’ve always been very interested in government, but really didn’t see myself as a politician,” Brown said. “I did debate in high school and really always planned and thought I wanted to be an attorney.”

Brown later became a council aid for Bynum, where she worked on a new ride sharing ordinance for the city, the Arkansas River development task force and other “really great projects.”

Brown went back to the University of Tulsa to get her law degree after working for councilman Bynum, but ended up rejoining Bynum when he became mayor.

Brown started as Bynum’s deputy chief of staff and veterans liaison. In 2019, she became deputy mayor, replacing Michael Junk who had been hired as Gov. Kevin Stitt’s chief of staff. 

“Amy Brown has one of the best minds I’ve encountered in public service at any level,” Bynum said when he announced her position as deputy mayor. “Over the last two years, she has taken on some of our most challenging projects, from improving the city government as a workplace to establishing the Tulsa Jail.”

The city’s new jail opened last year and was billed as a facility that would save tax dollars and reduce overcrowding.

Last year, Brown told the Tulsa World that inmates brought into the Tulsa municipal jail are typically seen by a judge in less than 48 hours and that it takes officers less than 30 minutes to book an inmate into the jail. 

“Operating our own facility has enabled us to use officer time more efficiently, to expand our diversion options and to ensure that everyone who is taken into custody on a municipal charge is treated with dignity,” Brown said.

Brown said one of the reasons she first joined Bynum’s team was that it felt like a “really special time for Tulsa” as Oklahoma’s second largest city was experiencing momentum on numerous fronts. 

“A lot of investments from previous years were starting to come to fruition,” Brown said. 

At age 31, Brown is one of many mayoral staffers in their 30’s and 40’s, including Bynum, who is 43.

“We have a young team, but a very experienced team,” Brown said. “Other members of our team worked for other mayors or in the city. So while we were a really young team, we had a lot more City of Tulsa experience than most new mayoral administrations and that really enabled us to get to work really quickly.”

As deputy mayor, Brown has continued to serve as the veterans liaison and oversees the administration and public safety support divisions. She also oversees IT, customer care, communications and emergency support. 

She has also been the lead staffer in preparing a new performance stat model program for first responders. 

“I’m also updating our strategic plan, where the primary objective is reducing the life expectancy gap between north and south Tulsa,” Brown said. 

Brown has also been preparing the city for the 100 year commemoration of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, along with the grave recovery project. 

“It is really important that we get this right,” Brown said about the grave recovery project and honoring the victims of the Race Massacre. 

Brown helped establish a public committee to oversee the investigation. 

“When Mayor Bynum got elected I knew this was important to him, but now to see it evolve to where we are engaging so many members of our community, working with national media, it does feel like all eyes are on Tulsa. Investigating homicides is a core duty of a city and one duty our city has failed to do for almost 100 years.”

Empowering employees

Brown said some of her most proud work involves improving morale among city employees. 

“We have done a lot of work to empower our workforce because our personnel is our single greatest investment each budget year,” Brown said. “Within the first month I created our annual employee survey and we share those results every year. It has been the driving tool to make our compensation more competitive.”

Brown also helped implement a new pay equity policy. 

“To see our employees say year after year moral is improving on their team, that is something I’ve been really proud of.” 

Brown said she hasn’t regretted her decision to work at city hall. She gets to see her work manifest into a safer and better community. 

“It really is a job where you can see the impact you are able to make every day,” Brown said.