Kimberly Johnson, CEO, Tulsa City-County Library
Since joining the Tulsa City-County Library (TCCL) in 1998 as the system’s first African American Resource Center coordinator, Kimberly Johnson has played a transformative role in shaping library services across Tulsa County. At the Rudisill Regional Library, she launched the county’s first public tour of Oklahoma’s historic all-Black towns and developed partnerships that brought acclaimed authors to the community. She also created Tulsa Metro Reads—now known as One Book, One Tulsa—the library’s first countywide public reading program.
During her 28-year tenure, Johnson has served in seven leadership roles, including Chief Innovation Officer and Chief Operating Officer. She led a five-year modernization initiative that overhauled the library system’s branches and services, advanced a customer-centered approach that increased accessibility, and achieved national recognition when TCCL earned a prestigious 5-star rating in 2022, placing it among the top five public libraries in the nation. Appointed CEO in 2017—the first African American to hold the position—Johnson continues to shape TCCL’s strategic future.
