Leslie Paris
Senior Director of Community and Employee Engagement - BOK Financial & BOKF Foundation President
Paris, a 40-year veteran at BOK Financial, has dedicated her career to leading community and employee engagement strategies across an eight-state region, including major markets such as Dallas, Houston, Denver, and Kansas City. As Director and President of the BOKF Foundation, she has overseen more than $125 million in charitable donations to hundreds of nonprofit organizations over the past 25 years. Throughout her tenure, Leslie has spearheaded numerous impactful initiatives, including United Way campaigns that have raised over $30 million through employee and corporate contributions, and a children’s book drive that collected more than 300,000 books for children in need. She also developed the Learn for Life Financial Education Program, which engages employees in thousands of volunteer hours teaching essential financial skills to empower individuals and families. Additionally, Leslie helped create the Guide the Giving Program, enabling employees to nominate and vote for nonprofits to receive corporate donations, and the Strategic Community Engagement Placement Program, which matches employees with nonprofit organizations for committee and board service—currently resulting in over 400 BOK Financial employees serving on nonprofit boards. She also led the redesign of the Employee Service Award Program, strengthening company culture by recognizing dedication and years of service.
A dedicated community leader, Leslie has served as board president for Leadership Oklahoma, the Tulsa YWCA, and Resonance, and has held board positions with the Tulsa Area United Way, Leadership Tulsa, the Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Caring Foundation, and the Tulsa River Park Authority. She currently serves on the boards of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits ONE Commissioner, the Oklahoma State University Foundation Board of Governors, the Women for OSU Council, and the Spears School of Business Eastin Center Advisory Board.
Guided by her personal motto, inspired by theologian John Wesley—“Do all the good you can; in all the ways you can; in all the places you can; to all the people you can; as long as ever you can”--Leslie exemplifies lifelong commitment to service, leadership, and community betterment.