Meet Vanessa

Vanessa is a Tulsa Native who graduated from Thomas Edison High School in 1989. Vanessa attended Jackson State University in Jackson Mississippi where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science/Pre-Law in 1993. She also received a Certificate in Paralegal Studies from The University of Tulsa in 1995.

In preparation for running for the office of City Council, District 1 (2014), Vanessa returned to school and earned her Master of Science in Management (MSM) degree in 2013 from Southern Nazarene University.

Vanessa Hall Harper currently has her own Consulting Company and is a Political Science/Government Adjunct Professor at Tulsa Community College. Vanessa has been married for 26 years to Lt. Marcus Harper (Tulsa Police Department) and they have one 20 year old daughter, Kaylyn. Vanessa has worked over 25 years in the Tulsa County system. She has been employed with the Tulsa Health Department for almost 20 years.

Vanessa most recently served as the Manager of the Tulsa Health Department’s Healthy Living Program. Prior to working in public health, Vanessa was an Intake Counselor at the Tulsa County Juvenile Bureau for over 6 years.

Vanessa is also a community activist who is passionate about uplifting her community.  She volunteers and serves on a plethora of boards and committees such as the: City of Tulsa’s Sales Tax Overview Committee (2014-2016), The Institute for Developing Communities (TIDC), Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma (2016-2019), North Tulsa Clean-up Campaign, Theatre North, Black Wall Street Chamber of Commerce, Power Group Community Development Corporation, Historic Greenwood District Main Street Board.

She has also been involved in several community initiatives such as the creation of the African American Affairs Commission within the City of Tulsa infrastructure, the rebuilding B.C. Franklin Park, the creation of the Tulsa Expungement Expo, the District 1 Housing and Policy Committee, the Tulsa Black Contractors Association, Public Hearings on Tulsa’s Equality Indicators related to Policing and the need for an Independent Monitor Office to monitor the Tulsa Police Department.

In addition, Vanessa led a successful campaign for a moratorium on discount dollar stores and the implementation of a Healthy Neighborhoods Overlay to address the proliferation of dollar stores in District 1. She further addressed the food security problem in District 1 by bringing a quality grocery to District 1 which broke ground in July 2020.

Vanessa is also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Vanessa also enjoys spending time with her family and friends, cooking, playing dominoes and spades, singing in her church choir at Paradise Baptist Church and watching her Dallas Cowboys! 

African American Affairs Commission

Expunged 400 criminal records

Successful 3 Expungement Expos

BWS Chamber of Commerce

Black Wall Street Power Group

Greenwood Main Street Program

Six Month Moratorium Healthy Neighborhoods overlay

Promised District 1 a GROCERY STORE in 2018 and opened it in 2021

North Tulsa Clean Up Campaign

Revitalized BC Franklin Park

Black Contractors Association

District 1 Housing Committee

Successful Executive Order that requires all City of Tulsa contracts to have a 10% utilization requirement for small businesses

Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Oversight Committee that reflects diversity

Made sure that TDA meetings are now televised on TGOV to the community

City Council Hearings on the Equality Indicators

Promised economic development with a focus on Black Developers, Black Entrepreneurship and honoring the legacy of Greenwood & Black Wall Street. For example, with the Evans Fintube Site, Greenwood has its first Black female Developer and Black female Architect with a $250 million project

Greenwood Business Incubator at Moton’s that will honor the history and legacy of Moton’s hospital. Dirt will move this summer!

More to come! 

ADEQUATE & AFFORDABLE HOUSING

FOOD SECURITY

PUBLIC SAFETY

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT