Gay Larson

Executive Director Founder

Tulsan Gay Larson is the mother of five, including two she adopted as teenagers. She is a life-long photographer and the Founder and Executive Director of the Oklahoma Heart Gallery. She spent most of her life as a Media Account Executive, including 24 years with Tulsa’s KTUL-TV.

The original Waiting Child Heart Gallery began in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Ms. Larson learned about it at a photography workshop in 2002. Having adopted two children through Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS), she was so captivated by the project that she enlisted DHS and photographers to create the second volunteer Heart Gallery in the nation.

This gallery consisted of 50 children available for adoption with professional portraits by the Heart Gallery photographers. At first the portraits were placed on easels and given to DHS to feature
wherever they could raise awareness of the need for adoptive homes. Today there are 80 Heart Galleries across the United States.

In 2014 the Oklahoma Heart Gallery became a 501(c)3 and in 2016 Ms. Larson retired and became Director of a substantially expanded Oklahoma Heart Gallery with videography, an upgraded website, social media and five gallery style displays that travel throughout Oklahoma.

Darnell Washington

President

Darnell has been in the advertising business for over 30 years.  His experience includes production, sales, sales management, general management, operations, and ownership.  He started his career in his hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma where he grew up and graduated from Booker T. Washington High School.  He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism from Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas where he put himself through school on a Track and Field scholarship. He was Captain of the 1978 Varsity Track Team. He has also done studies with the National Association of Broadcast Management at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.

His experience has taken him through management stints as General Sales Manager of KETV/ABC in Omaha, Nebraska; General Sales Manager of KWCH/CBS in Wichita, Kansas; Local Sales Manager KOKH/KOCB/FOX/WB in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and President/General Manager and Owner of Destiny Communications the NBC/FOX Television Station in Great Falls, Montana, along with three radio stations that included Classic Rock, ESPN Sports and a Top 40 formatted station. When relocating back to Tulsa due to sickness in the family, he started the small venture of New Moon Communications. As Chief Executive Officer of New Moon Communications, LLC, he was responsible for the overall vision and strategy of the company while working with private equity investors.  In doing so, the company acquired and sold several small television stations for excellent return on investment within a 3 year turnaround.

While elevating his career working for others, Darnell has grown revenue extensively for companies like Allbritton Communications, Pulitzer Broadcasting Company, Spartan Communications, Sinclair Broadcast Group and BH Media.

Darnell is currently working with the Tulsa World Publishing Company as an Outside Advertising Media Consultant. His expertise in sales, management and operations gives him the ability to work with clients and ensure that he creates and develops a work culture that is cohesive with success and return on investment of client’s knowledge, talent, experience, and hard work.