Leadership | OU-Tulsa

Susan Carlson Bynum joined OU-Tulsa as Vice President of the OU-Tulsa campus on January 8, 2024. In this role Bynum leads strategic initiatives for OU-Tulsa to sustain the campus’ promising trajectory. Her areas of focus include community engagement and outreach, donor and alumni relations, strategic planning as well as support for all OU-Tulsa programs including the OU Polytechnic Institute. 

In addition, Bynum drives strategic initiatives to enhance the OU brand, cultivatespartnerships and relationships with stakeholders, aligning with OU-Tulsa’s Strategic Vision. She serves as the brand champion for OU’s Tulsa programs, focusing onbuilding influential relationships within the university and the broader community, fostering collaboration and engagement.

Most recently, she was a private practice attorney at Frederic Dorwart Lawyers PLLChandling corporate, non-profit and employment matters. Bynum also spent 10 years as a consultant in Oklahoma and Washington, D.C., focusing on government relations, business strategy and public relations. Early in her career, she served as the executive director of the Sapulpa Chamber of Commerce. 

Bynum is strongly invested in the Tulsa community, devoting significant time and energy to various nonprofit boards, fundraising and volunteer efforts – all with the aim of improving Tulsa’s quality of life and celebrating the city’s vibrant, innovative spirit. Her current community involvement includes serving on the boards of the Oklahoma Policy Institute, the Tulsa Women’s Commission and McLain High School’s Titan Football Foundation. 

Bynum earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with a concentration in public relations from OU, where she was named to the PE-ET Top 10 Senior Honor Society. She later earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Tulsa, graduating with honors.

Bynum and her husband, Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, have two children and currently reside in Tulsa.