TULSA, Okla — Tulsa has officially recruited its first-ever Latina Deputy Mayor, Krystal Reyes.
Tulsans say they hope Krystal can help bring attention to the community’s needs.
Pedro Arroyo and his wife own a jewelry shop in east Tulsa’s Plaza Santa Cecilia.
“There are a lot of needs in our community,” said Pedro.
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Something Pedro and his wife hold dear to their hearts is safety and security, not just for businesses like his, but the community overall.
“Bringing more support to security above everything- for everyone, because there is crime everywhere," he said. "I feel like her position would be very important in helping with this.”
He also says education is something he feels needs improvement.
“We need more education for our people- not all of our kids are graduating," he said.
Elian Hurtado is a Tulsa resident.
She thinks Krystal will help to bridge the public with city officials.
“I think that we need to break the gap that our community feels between government agencies and the community," she said. "I think she could be a great connector.”
As part of the Hispanic/Latino community, Hurtado said she likes to see more representation in positions of power.
“I want to see leaders that look like me and speak like me making decisions,” she said.
2 News' Isabel Flores met with Krystal to talk more about her position and what she aims to focus on.
"I’m very honored to be in this position," said Krystal. "One of the things I’m very happy about is I can bring the issues facing our communities- immigrant communities, Latino communities- to the table.”
When it comes to safety and education, Krystal says the two topics intersect deeply, which is why she’s helped establish the Mayor’s Office of Children, Youth and Families.
Its purpose it to help with giving people more resources and options when it comes to learning and education.
She hopes by providing more resources, this will lead to better outcomes for children and their families.
“One of these priorities, in addition to being a safe city, is improving student outcomes and ensuring that all children in Tulsa have the ability to thrive," she said.
Krystal said she hopes to have more updates as to what the Office of Children, Youth, and Families continues to roll out soon.
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