September Lunch 2026

Erran Persley; City of Tulsa Economic Director

Persley received his B.A. in political science from Howard University in 1992 and his MBA in global economics and corporate strategy from Georgetown University in 2011.

Persley, a Kentucky native, started his role at the City of Tulsa the first week in April 2024. Persley has more than 30 years of experience in the public and private sectors with a focus in economic development, foreign direct investment, international trade and small business consulting.

As Economic Development Director, Persley serves as the lead facilitator between the city government and economic development partners such as the Tulsa Regional Chamber and the Tulsa Authority of Economic Opportunity (PartnerTulsa) to ensure the City of Tulsa’s economic goals are achieved.

Part of Persley’s role is to serve in the development of economic development short and long-term goals, objectives, and policies and priorities for the City of Tulsa while also acting as an ombudsman to the local business community.

Early in his career, Persley worked in various roles with the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington D.C. surrounding international trade and project management. Persley then spent more than seven years as a Data Dissemination Specialist assisting governors, state legislators and businesses on how to use census data to make business and policy decisions.

Following his work in Washington D.C. as a Foreign Direct Investment Advisor to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Erran was recruited back to his home state in 2018 by the governor of Kentucky where he was tasked with leading the state’s economic development team. Under his tenure, Persley and his team managed $22 billion in new investments and facilitated the creation of more than 55,000 new jobs in the state of Kentucky.