Michelle Hardesty is an Officer of United States Aviation, a family company, and the Executive Director and a lifetime Board Member for The Hardesty Family Foundation. Michelle’s parents, F. Roger and Donna Hardesty, established the Hardesty Family Foundation in 2005 with a broad-based focus on research, education and social services in the Tulsa area. As Executive Director, Michelle provides vision, organization and leadership for its charitable giving.
One of the Foundation’s signature programs is a unique one – yoga & mindfulness meditation. The Hardesty Family Foundation provides training and support to local yoga teachers, particularly in trauma-informed practices, addiction recovery, adaptive yoga and geriatric yoga. Fully committed to the program, in 2015, Michelle completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Certification.
The Foundation also supports the arts, animal welfare, workforce development, civic projects, wellness, court reform and places a special emphasis on addressing the issues of mental health and addiction.
As part of the Mental Health Association Oklahoma Advisory Council, Michelle focused attention on critical community projects such as the Sobering Center, Tulsa Fire Department CARES program, the Community Response Team (CRT) and Special Services Court Docket. Projects like the Sobering Center and Oklahoma State National Center for Wellness and Recovery are dear to her heart. She feels that sorting through the underlying challenges of mental health and addiction is crucial to resolving other interconnected issues like domestic violence, prison overcrowding and homelessness. Michelle and The Hardesty Family Foundation are committed to making a positive impact in these areas and finding comprehensive solutions to uplift individuals and communities toward healthier, more fulfilling lives.
Michelle’s strong background in business has informed her success in making a meaningful impact on Tulsa. She graduated from New York University and served early in her career as President of Hardesty Realty Corp. where she managed more than 2,000 apartments and 65 employees in six states. She was also President of Port Trucking, the former hauling division of Mid-Continent Concrete (MidCo), which became one of the top 25 ready-mix operations in the nation, with over 30 ready-mix plants in its lineup, along with 250 mixer trucks.
Wilhelmina Modeling Agency in New York invited Michelle to model for them at the young age of 13, but she isn’t all work and no play. Michelle loves yoga, of course, and animals. Even more so, she loves her five children and three grandchildren.