M. Elizabeth Laurent

A native of Oklahoma City, Elizabeth Laurent serves as Chief Marketing Officer for RIVERSPORT, Oklahoma City’s iconic development on the Oklahoma River which has been selected as a venue for the LA28 Olympic Games.  Elizabeth has been with RIVERSPORT since its inception and has helped guide its growth and development as a world-class destination for adventure sports, as a vibrant community of rowers, paddlesport and outdoor enthusiasts, and as a world-class venue for national and international competition. 

Elizabeth believes in the power of outdoor sports and recreation to create positive change in people’s lives. After seeing the transformation her daughter experienced as a high school rower and later as a collegiate athlete, Elizabeth became committed to providing these same opportunities for all, but especially for young women and those from underserved communities.  Today, RIVERSPORT has provided more than 225,000 hours of free programming for youth and creates opportunities for seniors, military veterans and those with disabilities to get on the water.  In addition to her work with RIVERSPORT, Elizabeth is a founding member of FUEL, a collaboration of women in sports leadership who are focused on keeping Oklahoma’s middle-school girls engaged in athletics.

RIVERSPORT ‘s designation as a US Olympic & Paralympic Training Site has also allowed Elizabeth the opportunity to work with the Olympic Movement in the US and help bring numerous national and international events to Oklahoma City. Through this engagement she has become an advocate for all that the Olympic Movement represents and looks forward to bringing the Olympic Spirit to life in our city over the next three years.

Elizabeth attended Cottey College, a women’s college supported by the PEO Sisterhood, before earning her degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma where she graduated cum laude and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She began her marketing career at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and went on to specialize in healthcare marketing before launching her own business as a marketing consultant. She consulted in a variety of sectors for over two decades before joining RIVERSPORT. Elizabeth is an alumnae of Leadership OKC Class 40 (BCE) and is in her second year as a mentor at ReMerge, a pre-trial diversion program for young mothers facing nonviolent felony offenses. 

Elizabeth is married, has two adult children and is “Gramsy” to her three grandsons.