Meet Our Team

Jensen Bloom

Jensen Bloom is the Communications Coordinator for TRSA. Her roots lie in the heartland, as she was born and raised in Oklahoma, bouncing between Owasso, Collinsville, and Claremore. After spending six adventurous years in the bustling city of Chicago and another three in lively Kansas City, MO, she eventually found her way back to her hometown of Tulsa in 2021. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Oklahoma State University and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of New England.

She has written for companies like Study.com, the CDC Foundation, and many health and medical organizations. Previously specializing in health education for the public, Jensen has a dedicated goal to help educate youth and adults alike on important subjects. Beyond her professional endeavors, Jensen actively serves as a board member and secretary for the Tulsa Period Pantry, channeling her passion for making a difference in her community.

In her free time, she is a children’s science fiction writer. She also enjoys traveling (her favorite place is Japan), movies/television, and her dogs. Her other science love is outer space.

Melissa Cobb

Melissa received her B.S. in Secondary Science Education from Oklahoma State University.  She has 9 years of experience teaching high school Environmental Science, Marine Science, and STEM.  Before becoming an educator, she worked as a Medical Laboratory Technologist.  Melissa is passionate about supporting teachers and helping students overcome barriers, making STEM education more accessible to all. Melissa enjoys spending time with her husband, traveling, reading, and training her dogs in competition agility.

Tangela Ekhoff

Tangela holds a B.S. and M.Ed. in Elementary Education with a concentration in curriculum and instruction from Auburn University. She has spent almost two decades in the classroom as a teacher, most recently at the Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences. She is passionate about bringing the humanities to the STEM landscape, broadening community participation in STEM experiences, and supporting classroom teachers.

Tangela is a mom of two sons and a daughter. She and her husband are active in their North Tulsa neighborhood. In addition to a love of reading, writing, and robots, Tangela enjoys playing in the dirt while container gardening, listening to 80’s music, and watching soapy costume dramas.

Christie Little

Christie was born and raised in Oklahoma and has called Tulsa home since 2003. She received her M.S. in Accounting from Oklahoma State University and has over 20 years of public accounting experience in auditing and quality control. When not crunching numbers, Christie enjoys quilting, knitting, traveling/camping with her husband (also a CPA), and spending time with their three dogs. Christie also loves watching baseball, and she and her husband are over halfway to their goal of attending a game at every major league baseball park.

Dr. Emily Mortimer

Emily Mortimer is a rural Missouri native with a B.S. in Biology from Missouri State University, M.S. in Teaching, Learning and Leadership from OSU, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and STEM from OSU.  Her professional experience includes 14 years in informal education at the Tulsa Zoo and Dickerson Park Zoo.  Over the years, her main job duties included behavioral training for various bird and mammal species, volunteer management, community partnerships, program development, curriculum writing, and education department management.  Ten years ago she was a member of the founding team for the teacher professional development program, SENSEsational Science, which is now a TRSA program and has served over 400 Oklahoma teachers and given out over 32,000 hours of PD. 

When not at work, Emily enjoys running, biking, swimming and ninja.

Kristen Schooley

Although originally from Texas, Kristen is a Tulsan through and through! She has lived here nearly all her life and loved seeing the city grow into the gem it is today. One of her favorite things about Tulsa is its philanthropic spirit, which is why she is excited to serve as the Development Director for TRSA, connecting Tulsans to an impactful, forward-thinking organization. 

Kristen is a proud product of Tulsa Public Schools. From Will Rogers High School, she attended The University of Tulsa, earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration – with a minor in art! After graduation, Kristen spent ten years working with the American Cancer Society in event fundraising, PR and marketing, and people leadership, followed by nearly 8 years as the Director of Wellness at Montereau, a not-for-profit retirement community in Tulsa. As Director of Wellness, she was responsible for ensuring excellence in resident services through the work of her many team members. Kristen is a dynamic leader with a passion for serving others, and she brings years of experience in development and nonprofit management to the TRSA team.

Outside of work, Kristen enjoys working out (for her sanity, really) and playing as much tennis as possible! She volunteers for a number of organizations, including the Junior League of Tulsa, Reading Partners, and the Nancy Walton Laurie Leadership Institute of Chi Omega, for which she serves as the National Team Chair. And, of course, she loves spending time with her husband, Tim, and as many friends and family members as possible! 

Lynn Staggs

Lynn Staggs is the Chief of Staff for TRSA. Having worked in the tech industry for many years, TRSA and its mission of raising awareness about and interest in STEM is near and dear to her heart.

Living with a husband with a science degree and raising a daughter with a science degree and a son with an engineering degree, Lynn is the maverick in the family with a double major in literature and mass media studies.

While this is the first time she’s been paid for her work at a non-profit, Lynn has accumulated thousands of volunteer hours at numerous non-profits – starting in high school when she volunteered with a special needs Girl Scout troop, through the PTA years and up to her current board membership at the League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Tulsa.

Away from work, she lives by the rallying cry of her birth city, New Orleans — laissez le bon temps rouler!

Kristen Tanner

Kristen received her B.S. in Elementary Education and Master’s Certificate in STEM Education from Northeastern State University and has 12 years of experience in the classroom, most recently as an elementary STEM teacher.  She has a passion for STEM education, working with and encouraging teachers and helping students broaden their horizons and change the future. She has been married to her husband for over 20 years, and they have two amazing daughters.  They love to travel and visit National Parks. When she’s not attending one of her daughters’ many band events, you can probably find her pulling weeds in the yard while dreaming of her next hiking and road trip.

Abigail Vensel

Abigail (Abbey) is originally from Upstate New York, near the Syracuse area. After graduating from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo with a B.A. in Mathematics, Abbey moved to Tulsa to join the 2018 Corps of Teach for America. She spent the next four years in the classroom, teaching 7th grade math and 8th grade Pre-Engineering. Abbey has a strong passion for math, STEM, and encouraging youth to explore interests relating to STEM, as well as providing teachers meaningful opportunities & resources to help their students be exposed to all things STEM. 

In her free time, Abbey enjoys reading and watching movies, discussing said books and movies at length, and channeling her creative energy into the fiber arts such as knitting, crocheting, and sewing.

Jaime Walton

Jaime didn’t fully realize it at the time, but as a high school student, she had a few advantages that helped her achieve success against a backdrop of challenges. Her work today, as a leading advocate for increasing awareness, as well as opportunity and access, seeks to spread those types of advantages more equitably across the educational landscape for students of all races, ethnicities, genders, and economic circumstances.

Though originally from Colorado, Jaime now proudly calls Tulsa her home. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration with a minor in marketing from Northeastern State University and brings more than ten years of experience in strategic communications. She has a passion for creating inclusive opportunities and awareness around the life-changing impact STEM thinking can have on an individual student, family, community, and country.