As the Director of Tribal Policy & Partnerships, Swope will help lead Mayor Nichols’ effort to strengthen the City’s approach to co-governing with tribal nations and help make Tulsa the center of Native entrepreneurship, economic opportunity, and excellence.

Mayor Nichols said there is much groundwork to make up with the City of Tulsa and our relationships with tribal nations, and Swope is a key piece to ensuring a bright future with our tribal partners with a co-governance model.

 

"Amanda brings so much to this new role at a critical time for our city and the relationship with our Tribal Nations. She is a three-term legislator and tribal citizen, has worked within tribal government, and brings both lived experience and technical expertise to the work ahead," Mayor Nichols said. "The policy of the City of Tulsa is standing on the side of tribal sovereignty, and I'm proud that Chief Hill, Chief Hoskin, Chief Standing Bear, and I all agree that Amanda is the best person to lead as the Director of Tribal Policy and Partnerships here at City Hall."

 

Swope is a descendant of the Osage Nation and a citizen of the Muscogee Nation where she is employed as the Director of Tribal Juvenile Justice. During her time with the state legislature, Swope has served on the Elections and Ethics, Administrative Rules, State Powers, Rules, and Public Safety Appropriations and Budget Committees.

Swope said serving the 71st District has been an honor of a lifetime, but when approached with this new role, she knew the importance and impact this position could have on Native American families in Tulsa and was excited for the opportunity.

“Public service runs in my family, and I’m honored to be asked by Mayor Nichols to serve Tulsa in this new way,” Swope said. “Together, we will work to strengthen the relationships we have with our tribal nations, co-govern in a way that works for all of our citizens, and lead with respect for those who came before us and continue to have a profound impact on our way of life.”

Outside of her career in public service, Swope has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Northeastern State University. Swope began her career in nonprofit management as a Development Director, fundraising and grant writing for social services organizations. In 2018, Swope received a Master of Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma and started work at the Muscogee Nation as a Self-Governance Analyst negotiating federal compacts and identifying areas of sovereignty expansion.

In addition to this work, Swope has worked locally in her community on political campaigns since 2011 and has a background in research and policy and data analysis. Swope formerly served as the Chairwoman of the Tulsa County Democratic Party from 2019 to 2022 and was the youngest person and first Native American to hold the seat.

 

Swope has a strong record of service, having worked with citizen-led committees and nonprofit organizations. Her mother, former District 6 City Councilor Connie Dodson, served in the Tulsa City Council from 2014 to 2022.

Swope will vacate her seat with the House of Representatives to join the City of Tulsa, and the state election process will follow.