Mayor Dewey Bartlett announced today that Dr. Michael Smith has been named the director for the Human Rights Department, effective Nov. 1, 2013.
Smith began his career with the City of Tulsa in 2008 as the Compliance Investigations Administrator with the Human Rights Dept.
Prior to the City of Tulsa, he founded the Oklahoma Association for Problem & Compulsive Gambling and served as the Executive Director. Smith also worked for ONEOK as the Compliance Official for the Americans with Disabilities Act. He retired from ONEOK with 27 years of service.
“I’m grateful for this opportunity and have a staff that is committed to addressing the human rights needs of all Tulsans,” Dr. Michael Smith, Human Rights Director said.
Smith holds a B.A in Communications and Sociology from East Central Oklahoma State University. He also holds a M.S. in Psychology from Oklahoma State University and a Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University in Human Environmental Sciences.
“The Human Rights Dept. plays a vital role in the City of Tulsa for employment and public accommodations as it relates to Title 5,” Mayor Dewey Bartlett said. “Dr. Smith has an extensive background in this area and has shown great leadership capabilities at his time in the Human Rights Dept.”
Smith is the past president of the Oklahoma Rehabilitation Association and the past Board Director of the Oklahoma Dept. of Mental Health. He presently serves on the board of directors of Crossroads, an organization that helps adults with recovery efforts after diagnosed with a mental illness.
Smith was raised in Enid, Ok and has made Tulsa his home since 1973. He and his wife Kristy have two grown children that live out of state.
The Human Rights Dept. receives and investigates complaints of discrimination in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations. The department is responsible for assuring compliance of city contractors by monitoring their hiring, labor standards and affirmative action practices.
The department also oversees the City’s Building Resources in Developing and Growing Enterprises (BRIDGE) Program, which promotes connections between small, developing and growing businesses and opportunities available through larger companies in the area.