OCCJ Staff
Phil Armstrong: President and CEO
Tasneem Al-Michael: Manager of Engagement
Morgan Allen-White: Director of Development
Cara Golden: Programs Director
Shadi Nadri: Director of Operations
Morgan Allen White
Director of Development
Morgan Allen-White (She/Her) has proudly served as Director of Development at the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice since 2022, overseeing fundraising efforts and community engagement alongside a great team working to create a state that is inclusive, just, and hospitable for all. She is a firm believer in beloved community, connection, collaboration, and, above all, the power of young people to change the world.
Morgan came to OCCJ from Oklahomans for Equality, where she served as Center Director and oversaw youth programs, training facilitation, and helped plan Tulsa Pride and the Equality Gala. Before serving at OKEQ, she worked at Tulsa Public Schools and City Year through Americorps.
Morgan holds a Certification in Fundraising Management (CFRM) from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and is also a Certified Youth Mental Health First Aid instructor through the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. She serves on the Executive Committee of the American Theater Company. For her work in the nonprofit field, she was named one of Oklahoma’s “NextGen Under 30” in 2021. She also received the inaugural Dennis R. Neill Collegiate Leadership Award from Oklahomans for Equality in 2017. Morgan was a member of the inaugural LEAD Together class in 2019 with Leadership Tulsa. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from William Jewell College in Music, Religion and Culture, and Applied Critical Thought and Inquiry.
Tasneem Al-Michael
Manager of Engagement
Tasneem Al-Michael (He/Him) is a dedicated community organizer and advocate serving as the Manager of Community Engagement at the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice (OCCJ). With over seven years of experience in community building, nonprofit leadership, and political mobilization, he works to foster equity, inclusion, and meaningful partnerships across Oklahoma.
A former DACA recipient, Tasneem began his advocacy in immigrant justice and has since led efforts in civic engagement, social entrepreneurship, and coalition-building. He co-founded the Greater Oklahoma City Asian Chamber of Commerce and has worked with organizations such as United We Dream, Generation Citizen, the Oklahoma Policy Institute, and the Foundation for Liberating Minds. He also serves on the boards of the Interfaith Alliance of Oklahoma, High School Democrats of America, and Afropop as a Social Impact Advisor.
His political organizing experience includes roles on Kendra Horn’s 2018 congressional campaign, James Cooper’s historic city council race, and serving as a Legislative Assistant at the Oklahoma State Capitol. He was also the President of the College Democrats of Oklahoma, National Vice-President of the College Democrats of America, and a member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). He also teaches Leadership and Speech & Debate at Mercy School Institute, mentoring the next generation of young leaders.
At OCCJ, he leads the Community Action Coalition, an initiative dedicated to building a
sustainable ecosystem for justice-driven change.
Cara Golden
Programs Director
Cara Golden (She/Her) serves as Programs Director at OCCJ. She is passionate about engaging with community partners, youth, volunteers, and participants and driven by the urgent need to eradicate oppression and bigotry from society. Her eagerness to engage with local communities and broaden cultural awareness is reflected in the relationships she has built with the Native American community on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming.
Cara comes to OCCJ with a background in anthropology, English as a Second Language education and nonprofit organizations. Prior to her current role, she served in communications at the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama.
She is a student at the Center for Indigenous Studies. She received her bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Auburn University and is currently pursuing a master’s in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary.
Shadi Nadri
Director of Operations
Shadi Nadri (She/Her) serves as Director of Operations at OCCJ. She is grateful that her home is in the middle of our country—the perspective it provides! It is a place teeming with voices ready to be heard. She learned to respect flyover country while working for Tulsa-based This Land Press, which aptly dubbed the region “the middle of somewhere.” At OCCJ, she continues to be informed by this vantage point and wants Oklahoma to be a place where all who call it home can realize a fulfilling, meaningful life.
Shadi is a certified Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor, certified in nonprofit management through the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits, a graduate of Leadership Tulsa 360, trained as an equity dialogue facilitator through the City of Tulsa, and is a board member of American Theatre Company. Shadi has a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and French Language, with a minor in Linguistics, from the University of Tulsa.
When she’s not working, Shadi spends her time playing piano, dancing, watching television, and spending quality time with friends.
Phil Armstrong
President & CEO
Phil Armstrong (He/Him), a native of Ohio, has lived in Tulsa for over 25 years. The son of a Baptist Preacher, Phil accepted a call into ministry and was licensed in 1997 shortly after moving to Tulsa and was fully ordained in 2014. He holds a Bachelor’s in Mass Communications from an HBCU, Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Akron.
Phil’s lifelong experiences have been centered around developing communal collaboration and trust which motivates people to find commonality among their differences. 2019 he was hired by the Tulsa Community Foundation as Project Director for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission which led to the building of the world-class Greenwood Rising Black Wall Street History Center. He was tasked with leading the history center through its infancy as the Interim Executive Director. In January 2023, Phil accepted the role as President and CEO for the Oklahoma Center for Community & Justice (“OCCJ”). He is tasked with its overall direction and organizational leadership, community engagement initiatives, donor & grant support for programs and board governance relationships.
Phil serves on various community boards, namely Tulsa Regional Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Arvest Bank Board of Directors, Tulsa Opera Board and past board chair of the Greenwood Cultural Center. He is a Leadership Tulsa graduate, a Paul Harris Fellow with the Rotary Club of Tulsa, and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated.
