20211110-Knox-13 (1)

Teresa Knox

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and a 4th generation Oklahoman; Teresa is the Founder and former CEO of Community Care College, Clary Sage College, and Oklahoma Technical College which she started in 1995. In the summer of 2015; she converted the colleges from a for-profit corporation to a public charity, 501(c)(3) called Community HigherEd. Teresa continues to advocate for career and technical education.

Family life is the best for Teresa! She has three children—Ronnie, Lilliana, and Annabel- and a wonderful husband, Ivan, from the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. Teresa worked as a dental assistant for 7 years before coming up with the idea of opening a dental assisting school, her first "official" business. She believes in the incredible power of career-focused education and wanted to share with others that you don’t have to settle…that you can get out of your situation, no matter how bad it may seem and a rewarding career is the foundation of that change.

Because Teresa deplores drug abuse and how it destroys families, she founded a business called Knox Laboratory Services, a drug and alcohol testing laboratory. Although she sold the business; she is still a huge proponent of drug testing to maintain a clean and safe drug-free workplace and education environment.

Teresa is a commercial real estate developer and historic preservationist. Developing a business model to support property sustainability is her expertise. She is the landlord of multiple commercial tenants. She is the owner of the historic Harwelden Mansion and developed an event center and bed & breakfast building model. The Church Studio, another property on the National Register of Historic Places, underwent a 5-year restoration and is now open as a recording studio, audio engineering school, event center, and entertainment network.

AWARDS

--Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum issued a proclamation declaring Saturday, April 15 as Teresa Knox Day
--2023 Inductee into Tulsa Hall of Fame
--TEDC's “Small Business of the Year” (2-time recipient)
--Newsmaker Award, American Women in Communication
--Tulsan of the Year, 2017
--Crystal Star recipient for Entrepreneurial Success
--Best Places to Work in Oklahoma
--President's "National Community Service Honor Roll"
--Tulsa People A-List
--Best in the World List

BOARD & COMMITTEE POSITIONS

  • Governor Appointment: Oklahoma Board of Private Vocational Schools (6 year term)
  • Mayoral Appointment: Tulsa Public Facilities Authority
  • Commerce Bank Oklahoma Advisory Board and Board of Directors Nominating Committee (NASDAQ: CBSH)
  • Executive Board Member: Community HigherEd
  • Executive Committee: Tulsa Film, Music, Arts and Culture
  • Executive Board: 12&12, Addiction Recovery
  • Advisory Council: Oklahoma Entertainment Task Force
  • Board Member: Harwelden Society of Tulsa
  • Board Member: Church Studio Music Foundation
  • Tulsa Workforce Advisory Council
  • Hobbies: Music, Historic Preservation, Entrepreneurship, Oklahoma Trivia

    • Teresa earned her MBA from Oral Roberts University.