BEST works to ensure Tulsa is the best place for children to thrive through working to create pipelines for equitable access to resources and opportunities. You are a critical part of building our thriving Tulsa community.
Sophia Pappas leads a team responsible for the Birth through Eight Strategy for Tulsa (BEST), an initiative to improve outcomes in the earliest years of a child’s development. Efforts include non-profit and public agency partnerships to implement high quality programs and reduce policy barriers facing families in poverty. She builds on expertise from leading early childhood within NYC’s Department of Education across mayoral administrations from 2010-2016, where she focused on offering NYC pre-K programs with high-quality classroom instruction and family engagement. She earned a B.A. from Georgetown University and a Master of Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School. After teaching pre-K in Newark, NJ, Ms. Pappas authored Good Morning, Children (Gryphon House, '09) and trained teachers. What she learned from children, families, fellow teachers and school administration shapes how she leads and what inspires her work.
Amy joined GKFF in 2018 as the Director of Research Partnerships for the Birth through Eight Strategy for Tulsa (BEST). She comes to GKFF from Oklahoma State University, where as a Clinical Associate Professor she held leadership roles in early childhood workforce development, including serving as the Early Childhood Education Program Coordinator and Oklahoma Co-Coordinator for the National Family Development Credential. She is a graduate of Tulsa Edison High School and holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Human Development & Family Studies from the University of Missouri-Columbia, a Master of Education degree in Sport & Exercise Psychology from the University of Virginia, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Human & Organizational Development from Vanderbilt University.
Allison joined GKFF in 2019 as Director of Operations for the Birth through Eight Strategy for Tulsa. With over 15 years experience in education, first as a teacher and instructional coach and then moving on to systems-level roles in K-12 education, Allison most recently worked as a district administrator in Denver Public Schools and then nationally as a consultant. Her professional work has been focused on strategic planning, program implementation and scale-up efforts through an equity lens, including leadership, instructional and HR policies and practices, as well as management of large public grants. Allison earned Bachelor’s degrees in creative writing and American Studies from the University of Illinois, an MA in American Studies from the University of East Anglia in England, and a Masters of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Tania Reeves serves as the Administrative Coordinator for ConnectFirst with the Birth through Eight Strategy for Tulsa and is an active member of the Operations Team. She joined the team in 2020 from the hearing healthcare industry, where she worked as a corporate trainer designing and developing standard operating procedures and facilitating adult learning curriculum for in-person and virtual learning experiences. Ms. Reeves graduated from the University of Phoenix with a Bachelors of Science in Business Management. Prior to attending the University of Phoenix, she graduated from Rose State College with studies focused on Medical Laboratory Technology.
Stefanie Menting serves as the Program Manager for ConnectFirst with the Birth through Eight Strategy for Tulsa. Prior to joining GKFF, Ms. Menting worked at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa as the residency program coordinator in the Department of Family and Community Medicine. She graduated from Northern Kentucky University with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies and from the University of Oklahoma with a master’s degree in Human Relations.
Tegan Cortes serves as the Administrative Coordinator for Birth through Eight Strategy for Tulsa. Prior to joining GKFF, she spent several years working in administration at local private K-12 schools with most recent at Metro Christian Academy. She has spent the past decade traveling overseas doing missions work in Latin American communities. Mrs. Cortes holds a Bachelor of Arts in Church Administration and minor in Non-Profit Business Administration from Oral Roberts University. Previous to attending Oral Roberts University, she graduated from Victory College with studies focused in ministry and leadership.
Angela Wells serves as an Operations Coordinator for Birth through Eight Strategy for Tulsa. Prior to joining GKFF, she spent 30 years as a high school Latin teacher in both public and private schools. Ms. Wells holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classical Languages and History from Trinity University as well as a Master of Arts in Teaching degree in Classics from Vanderbilt University.
Anna joined GKFF in 2020 and serves as the Senior Associate Director of Partner and External Operations for the Birth Through Eight Strategy for Tulsa. With over 10 years of experience in education, first as a teacher and then as a nonprofit leader, Anna most recently worked as the founding director of the Meridian Freedom Project in Meridian, Mississippi. From 2013 to 2019, Anna worked alongside community leaders, parents and students to create an out-of-school space that was rooted in preparing middle and high school students to be socially conscious and academically successful leaders. During this time, Anna also worked to establish state-wide partnerships to ensure long-term sustainability for the organization before stepping down to spend nearly a year at home with her young son. Anna is a Tulsa native and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Baylor University.
Beth Delancy is a Project Manager on the Data Systems and Technology Team for the Birth through Eight Strategy for Tulsa. She worked in corporate IT for many years before moving to MyHealth Access Network where she worked on BEST projects for two years before joining the team in 2021. Her corporate experience included working with executive and IT management, business partners, IT infrastructure, and application development teams to implement new technology and consolidate diverse processes to achieve goals in the mortgage, pre-employment screening, and oil & gas industries. Beth graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management and a minor in Management Information Systems.
Ashley Knox serves as an Operations Associate for Birth through Eight Strategy for Tulsa. Prior to joining GKFF, she supported her family’s restaurant, Sweet Lisa’s, in north Tulsa and is the past chair of the TYPROS Foundation.
JD joined GKFF in 2022 as the Director of Shared Leadership where she prioritizes work related to diversity equity and inclusion (DEI), community mobilization, team development, communications and universal supports. Prior to joining GKFF, she spent over a decade in work focused on increasing opportunities for people historically marginalized, channeled through education. She attended Virginia Commonwealth University where her undergraduate studies focused on Psychology, Gender, Sexuality, and Women Studies and African American studies. She continued her education at Johns Hopkins University, where she received her Master of Science in Education.
Chela joined the GKFF-BEST team in January 2023, and she works as a Senior Associate of External Relations and Shared Leadership. Chela advances BEST’s mission by managing relationships with BEST Partners and BEST Advisory and developing materials for external meetings to build awareness about BEST for local and national audiences. Prior to joining GKFF, she worked in several Tulsa non-profit organizations where she demonstrated strength in project management, relationship building and preparation of materials. Her roles in grant writing and development exposed her to philanthropy, budgeting and data collection, from a grantee's perspective. A North Tulsa native, Chela holds Bachelor's and Master of Arts degrees in Criminal Justice from the University of Central Oklahoma.
Sara Frazier is a Program Associate with Birth through Eight Strategy for Tulsa (BEST). She is a Brooklyn, NY native and holds a bachelor's degree in communications and a minor in Music, specializing in administration, production, marketing and organizational communication. She first moved to Tulsa in 2020 for a six-month internship with Transformation Church and began to heavily serve with The Tulsa Dream Center; here is where she developed a passion for the Tulsa community and permanently moved to Tulsa in April of 2022 to pursue her heart’s desire.
Travis serves as the Manager of Financial Systems & Business Intelligence for BEST. Before Joining GKFF, he spent more than a decade in financial management at Rapha International, a nonprofit based in Joplin, Missouri. Travis holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Missouri Southern State University, an MBA from Oklahoma State University, and is a Certified Public Accountant.
McKinleigh, a Tulsa native, joined GKFF-BEST in September 2023 as Senior Associate of Communications. She oversees the BEST Newsletter, weaves our partners’ powerful narratives into Stories of Impact, develops communications strategies, and maintains the BEST website. Holding a BA in Documentary Studies and Production from Ithaca College, she tells stories that resonate with those seeking meaningful content and community connections. Her previous projects as a documentary producer, editor and cinematographer align with BEST’s priorities, addressing themes like youth mental health, maternal mortality, breastfeeding, and early childhood education. Leveraging her experience with diverse communities in Tulsa, across the US, and internationally, McKinleigh seeks to foster open-mindedness, inclusivity and collaboration in her capacity at BEST.
John joined the GKFF-BEST team in May 2023 as the Associate Director of Partner Supports where he prioritizes work related to partner engagement with universal and tailored partner supports such as professional development, external DEI training and translation services. He brings over a decade of experience working in the local education, government, and non-profit sectors. John holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science degree from Oklahoma State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Northeastern State University.
Joani serves as the Associate Director of ConnectFirst with the Birth through Eight Strategy for Tulsa. Joani has always called Oklahoma home, working within and among public health organizations throughout her career – first in disease prevention and most recently in technology project management. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Northeastern State University and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Oklahoma.