The Hon. Kathy L. Taylor and the late William E. “Bill” Lobeck, Jr. distinguished themselves individually and jointly in public life. Ms. Taylor served a dynamic term as the 38th mayor of the City of Tulsa (2006-09) and as Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Tourism (2003-06) in the administration of Governor Brad Henry, for whom she also served as a key education advisor. Mr. Lobeck achieved high distinction in the auto rental industry through a series of executive appointments, which included serving as president and CEO of Vanguard Car Rental USA, and later, as a director of the Tulsa-based NORDAM Group.
Kathy Taylor and Bill Lobeck also sustained an exemplary legacy of philanthropy, both personally and through the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation, and worked to advance the Tulsa community through strategically directed giving, including generous support for dozens of programs and initiatives at The University of Tulsa. The couple also ensured that their family’s philanthropic leadership would continue with future generations; Taylor’s daughter, Elizabeth Frame Ellison, has taken the role of President and Chief Financial Officer of the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation.
In addition to their financial support, Kathy Taylor and Bill Lobeck also kindly lent their talent and expertise to the university as members of the TU Board of Trustees; Ms. Taylor served from 2001 to 2006, and Mr. Lobeck served from 2008 to 2012 and again in 2013.
In 2021, Ms. Taylor was again asked to share her business expertise and leadership skills in a critical role at TU when she was named the Genave King Rogers Dean of the Collins College of Business, a role she held through the end of the 2023-2024 academic year.
Alongside their other generous support, Kathy Taylor and Bill Lobeck made a generous endowment gift in 2014, which was amended and renamed in 2026 to become the Kathy Taylor & Bill Lobeck Endowment for Female Entrepreneurship Program in the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Earnings from this fund are used to support entrepreneurship programming, with a focus on female entrepreneurs.
The University of Tulsa is deeply grateful for the inspiring philanthropy and dedicated service of Kathy Taylor and Bill Lobeck. Their caring concern for the needs of others will create important opportunities for Tulsans for generations to come.
