M. Susan Savage (born March 30, 1952) is an American Democratic

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

from Oklahoma. She was the 36th

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

from 1992 to 2002, the first woman to hold that office. From 2003 to 2011, she was the 29th

Secretary of State of Oklahoma The Secretary of State of the State of Oklahoma is the chief clerical officer of Oklahoma and a member of the Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet. The Secretary of State is the only appointed constitutional member of the executive branch of the Oklahom ...

Biography

Savage graduated from Edison High School in Tulsa and in 1974 earned a

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

degree from Beaver College (now

Arcadia University Arcadia University is a private university in Glenside, Pennsylvania. The university enrolls approximately 4,000 undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students. The campus features Grey Towers Castle, a National Historic Landmark. History B ...

) in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. She returned to Tulsa in 1977 and became executive director of the Metropolitan Tulsa Citizens Crime Commission. Savage went on to become chief of staff to then-Tulsa Mayor Rodger Randle before eventually becoming elected mayor herself in a 1992 special election to complete the remainder of Randle's term.

Mayor of Tulsa

Savage served as mayor of Tulsa from 1992 to 2002, and was the first woman to hold that office. As mayor, Savage was responsible for a $500 million budget and 4,000 employees. Her administration was marked by unprecedented job growth, neighborhood revitalization, public safety improvements and improved government efficiency. Savage focused on improving streets, parks, water, wastewater, stormwater, public safety, cultural and correctional facilities in Tulsa. During Savage's administration, the Reason Public Policy Institute of Los Angeles ranked Tulsa 3rd among 44 U.S. cities for how well it delivered government services. Newsweek magazine featured Savage as one of the nation's 25 "mayors to watch" in 1996.

Secretary of State

Savage was appointed by Governor of Oklahoma Brad Henry as

and served from 2003 to 2011. In July 2013 Savage became a consultant and senior director of philanthropic development for Morton Comprehensive Health Services, a nonprofit health services provider in northeastern Oklahoma."Former Tulsa Mayor Susan Savage chosen as Morton Health philanthropy consultant"
''Tulsa World'', July 6, 2013. In 2016, Savage became CEO of Morton. She currently lives in Tulsa and has two daughters.

Awards and recognition

* Oklahoma Municipal League Hall of Fame for City and Town Officials in 2005 * 2002 National Conference for Community and Justice Honoree for leadership * Honorary Doctor of Laws from Arcadia University * Past recipient of the Oklahoma Human Rights Award * 2009 induction to the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame

Appointments

* National Advisory Board of the Riley Institute for Urban Affairs at the College of Charleston * Executive Board member, Southern Regional Education Board * Advisory Board member, Oklahoma Academy for State Goals * Advisory Board member, Oklahoma City United Way of America, United Way * Trustee, Oklahoma Nature Conservancy Board of Directors * Trustee, Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence * Board member, Creative Oklahoma, Inc.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Savage, M. Susan 1952 births 20th-century mayors of places in Oklahoma 21st-century mayors of places in Oklahoma Arcadia University alumni Living people Mayors of Tulsa, Oklahoma Oklahoma Democrats Secretaries of State of Oklahoma Edison Preparatory School alumni Women mayors of places in Oklahoma 21st-century American women