ORU Opens New David and Barbara Green Centre for Global Leadership

The $12,500,000 Centre features a legacy of leadership together with advanced learning spaces in the heart of ORU's growing campus.

Pictured from left: ORU Provost and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Kathaleen Reid-Martinez; District 2 Tulsa City Councilor Anthony Archie; Project Donor Mike Case; Project Donor and Fenimore & Fisher College of Business Namesake Rick and Shelley Fenimore; Project Donor and J. D. McKean Library Namesake Dr. J.D. McKean; ORU Board Chair Rev. Joe Dobbins; David and Barbara Green Centre for Global Leadership Executive Director Heather Turner; Oklahoma Governor J. Kevin Stitt; ORU President Dr. William M. Wilson; ORU First Lady Lisa Wilson; Hobby Lobby Founder and CEO and Centre for Global Leadership Namesake David Green; Hobby Lobby Ministry Investment Officer Mart Green and Diana Green; Jackie Green and Hobby Lobby President Steve Green; Hobby Lobby Executive Vice President Stan Lett, and Oklahoma Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, September 18, 2026-Oral Roberts University (ORU) celebrated the grand opening of the David and Barbara Green Centre for Global Leadership, a nexus for strategic leadership development and empowerment. Located within the Learning Resource Center (LRC), the 51,147-square-foot Centre houses a state-of-the-art global networking forum, a virtual lecture room with advanced conferencing and recording capabilities, collaborative breakout spaces, uniquely designed conference rooms, and departmental offices.

The Centre will serve as a place where learners can develop solutions to the world's greatest challenges. The facility will advance "spiritual intelligence" in future leaders, establish a global leadership network across key sectors of society, and offer whole-person, leader-focused research and insights. Students from across the globe will have the opportunity to earn Spirit-empowered Global Leadership certificates and degrees.

Also found within the Centre is the Green Engagement Room, which features historical and inspirational content related to the Green family's leadership legacy. With their continuous generosity, the Greens have played an integral part in ORU's record enrollment, financial vitality, physical expansion, academic growth, and spiritual renewal. David and Barbara Green's family values of leading with integrity, serving with humility, giving with generosity, and persevering with tenacity fit the direction of this new Centre.

A space designed to develop leaders, build community, and inspire global impact.

"David and Barbara Green's story is a powerful reminder of what is possible with God and also in America," said Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt. "It's a story of someone who started small, worked hard, and took a risk. We believe in America that if you work hard and create value, you should be rewarded. That's what we call the American Dream. David and Barbara Green have taken the blessings God has given them and are investing them in the next generation."

"No matter where you are in your leadership journey, the David and Barbara Green Centre for Global Leadership was created to serve people at every stage," said Heather Turner, Executive Director of the Centre. "From emerging leaders discovering their potential to executives navigating complex organizations, our goal is to create pathways for continued growth, connection, and impact. We are developing whole leaders for the whole world, leaders who think globally, act locally, and carry faith, integrity, and excellence into every community, organization, and sphere they are called to serve."

Project at a Glance

• Total budget: $12,500,000
• Location: Third and fourth floors of the LRC
• Total area: 51,147 square feet
• Third floor: 20,660 square feet
• Fourth floor: 30,487 square feet
• Feature spaces: Global networking forum, virtual lecture room, chapel, Green Engagement Room, classrooms, collaboration space, conference rooms, and offices
• Architectural centerpiece: 12,000-pound curved steel staircase with glass handrailing

Nationally Ranked, Globally Recognized

ORU is a Christian, Spirit-empowered, interdenominational university in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with 18 years of consecutive enrollment growth. Regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ORU offers over 150 majors, minors, concentrations, and pre-professional programs at the bachelor's level, ranging from business and engineering to nursing, ministry, and more. In 2024, the Carnegie Foundation recognized ORU with a "Leadership for Public Purpose" award, a distinction earned by only 25 universities nationwide. Under the leadership of President Dr. William Wilson, ORU is preparing students from all 50 states and 182 nations in the last 7 years to be whole leaders for the whole world.