Alison Anthony was inducted into the Tulsa Hall of Fame in 2023
For more than 40 years, the favorite part of Alison Anthony’s workday is the moment when she can connect talented people, motivating them to be the best version of themselves. Since she was a sixteen-year-old Campfire Counselor in Enid, Oklahoma, Alison has been inspiring teams to accomplish more than they could ever do alone. As President and CEO of Tulsa Area United Way, Alison found the perfect calling to live the organization’s mission – uniting people and resources to improve lives and strengthen communities.
Alison moved to Tulsa in 1993 while working for Oklahoma State University. Her relationships at OSU and later in the staffing industry led Alison to a rewarding career at Williams in 1999, where she enjoyed opportunities to grow and lead in HR, Diversity, Communications, and Community Relations as President of the Williams Foundation and Director of Strategic Outreach. In 2017, Alison made the tough decision to leave Williams and join the United Way where she accomplishes great things today.
While in grad school in the late 1980s, Alison worked in Academic Services at OSU and received national recognition as Academic Advisor of the Year. During her time at OSU, Alison also taught Honors English and the first multicultural diversity section of freshman orientation. That focus continued throughout her career, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to justice, equity, and inclusion.
Leaning into her love of reading and communication, Alison earned a BA and MA in English from Oklahoma State University. She gets a kick out of telling people that she wrote her Master’s thesis on the subjugated text of seventeenth-century feminist poets. She believes one of the best things that ever happened to her was getting kicked out of her first-grade class every day at 10:00 am, dismissed to the library for being disorderly. Alison still meets monthly with two beloved book groups.
Many boards have welcomed Alison into the fold, including Leadership Oklahoma, Tulsa Community Foundation, Teach for America, the Tulsa Regional Chamber of Commerce and many more. In each organization, she strives to build community awareness, increase organizational revenue, and drive impact.
Among Alison’s many honors are the Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women Pinnacle Award; The Journal Record’s 50 Women Making a Difference and Circle of Honor; YWCA 100 Women of Moxie; TYPros Boomtown Award; Spirit of Philanthropy from AFP; Vision in Education Leadership from Tulsa Community College, and the City Year Tulsa Red Jacket Honor.
After a particularly exhausting stretch of work travel and airport delays in 2001 while flying home to be with her husband and five kiddos, Alison wrote this question on an airplane napkin: “do the people and causes most important to me know that they are?” Alison tries to live each day so her dear friends and large extended family, including four precious grandchildren, will always answer yes. Alison looks forward to many years ahead with the love of her life, Mark Wilson, traveling, serving their community, practicing yoga, and embracing their lively growing family.