Elizabeth Frame Ellison
In June 2022, Elizabeth Frame Ellison transitioned from President and CEO to Chair of the Board of Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation (LTFF) in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In her years leading LTFF, Ellison has founded Oklahoma’s FIRST food hall, Mother Road Market (2018) as well as Tulsa’s kickstart kitchen incubator, Kitchen 66 (2016). Ellison is also a founding partner of 36 Degrees North (2016), a co-workspace and basecamp for entrepreneurs in Tulsa’s Arts District and a founding board member of Vest (2020).
Ellison received recognition as one of Oklahoma’s 40 under 40 and several awards for small business and entrepreneurial support. She has given several keynote addresses and served as a panelist at a Google conference on the future of food in 2017.
Ellison received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Classical Culture in 2004 and worked for Boren for Congress as the deputy finance director before joining Congressman Boren (OK Dist. 2) as a Legislative Assistant. In 2006, Ellison served as Political Director when her mother, Kathy Taylor, decided to run for Mayor and asked for campaign help. After a successful campaign, Ellison entered Law School at The University of Oklahoma. As the class President, Ellison was honored to give the commencement address at her Law School graduation. In 2012, Ellison was elected to serve as a school board representative for Tulsa Technology Center.
When she isn’t working, Ellison enjoys travel, culinary exploration, true crime novels and athletic activity alongside her husband Chris and their boys Taylor and Wyatt. Ellison lives in Tulsa and San Francisco.
William Lobeck
It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of co-founder William E. (Bill) Lobeck. Bill was an entrepreneur, changemaker, and philanthropist, but more importantly a beloved husband, father, and grandfather.
Bill’s legacy will live on through the various programs of the foundation, including his namesake bar at Mother Road Market, The WEL Bar. A fun fact about Bill, his entrepreneurial journey began as a concert promoter - including providing kegs to concert-goers at a profit - so we hope you will raise a glass of local brew to Bill and the incredible legacy he leaves behind.
Obituary, December 16, 2025: William E. Lobeck, Jr. lived a life defined by vision, discipline, generosity, and deep love for family, friends, and the people he worked alongside. His entrepreneurial instincts, financial insight, and steady leadership shaped more major brands in the daily car rental industry than any other individual, leaving a lasting imprint on the automotive world and on everyone fortunate enough to know him.
Bill began his career in the 1960s at Pontiac and Chevrolet dealerships in Norfolk, Virginia, where he quickly recognized the unmet needs of daily car rental companies and made them his largest customers. Guided by an ability to see opportunity where others saw obstacles, he created the industry's first dealer repurchase program and established a special purpose leasing company to better serve those customers. What began as a practical solution soon became an industry standard. Manufacturers took notice, and today repurchase programs and special purpose leasing agreements are foundational to both the automotive and daily car rental industries.
His success as an innovator eventually led him to join one of his customers, Dallas based American International, where he became President and Chief Executive Officer in 1979. Over the next eleven years, Bill led the company through extraordinary growth, expanding from 18 offices in seven states to nearly 300 locations nationwide. His leadership style combined clear expectations with quiet confidence, inspiring teams to believe in what they were building together.
In 1981, Bill and four partners purchased Thrifty Car Rental, a North American franchise system with tremendous potential but serious financial challenges. Bill approached the task with patience and precision, reengineering every aspect of the business from financial operations to public branding. The results were remarkable. Thrifty's resurgence culminated in a highly successful initial public offering in 1987.
Just two years later, Chrysler acquired Thrifty, with Bill remaining as President and Chief Operating Officer. Under Chrysler's ownership, he orchestrated a restructuring that formed Pentastar Transportation Group and led the acquisition of Dollar Rent A Car, Snappy Car Rental, and General Rent A Car. The combined organization, later known as Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, exceeded one billion dollars in revenue and became a major force in the industry.
In 1995, Bill turned his attention to another company in need of renewal. National Car Rental, owned by General Motors, was a respected brand that had struggled financially for years. Together with his partners, including his wife Kathy Taylor, Bill acquired National and led a comprehensive turnaround. Through disciplined operations, strategic fleet expansion, and industry leading rate strategies, National's revenue increased by more than one third in just twelve months and experienced only a single unprofitable month under their leadership.
That success drew the attention of AutoNation, which had recently acquired Alamo Rent A Car. In 1997, Bill brought National into the AutoNation family and became President and Chief Operating Officer of AutoNation's Rental Group. Comprised of National, Alamo, and CarTemps USA, it grew into one of the largest daily rental organizations in the world.
After Bill retired from AutoNation two and a half years later, the rental group eventually fell into financial distress. Believing deeply in its potential, Bill, Kathy Taylor, and Cerberus Capital Management reacquired the assets in 2003, bringing the companies out of bankruptcy under the name Vanguard Car Rental USA. With Bill once again at the helm, the Alamo and National brands quickly returned to profitability. Vanguard became one of the most financially successful companies in the industry and, in August 2007, was acquired by Enterprise Rent A Car. As a testament to Bill's leadership and the loyalty he inspired, members of his Vanguard management team have continued to gather annually since that time.
Beyond business, Bill gave generously of his time and resources to philanthropic causes and nonprofit organizations. His lifelong love of automobiles extended beyond the boardroom. He built an impressive car collection, earned a prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance award, and twice participated in both the Mille Miglia and the California Mille.
Growing up in Virginia Beach, Bill developed a passion for sailing that stayed with him throughout his life. He sailed with family and friends across the world, including Greece, Italy, and France, finding joy and peace on the water.
Those who knew Bill will always remember his unmistakable laugh, his quiet generosity, and his steady routines. His mornings were marked by exercise, orange juice, granola, yogurt, and one cup of coffee. Evenings often ended with a Molson Ice, a signal to those around him that the day had been well lived.
Bill was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from Old Dominion University, where he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration and was a member of Kappa Alpha fraternity. He was inducted into the University of Tulsa Collins College of Business Hall of Fame and honored by the Tulsa Historical Society for his contributions to the community.
Bill was married to Kathy Taylor, former Mayor of Tulsa and former Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce. Partners in both life and business, they approached every acquisition and sale together, blending their talents seamlessly. They shared a love of travel, sailing, and exploring the world through food, wine, and culture. Family vacations were a priority and took them everywhere from Montana to the Galapagos to sailing along the Italian coast. Each year on their anniversary, July 30, Bill delighted in surprising Kathy with a trip to someplace at least thirty degrees cooler than Tulsa.
Bill found his greatest joy in time spent with his family. He deeply loved his daughter Molly Pellegrini, her husband Hank, and their children Annie, Will, Meg, and Charlie; his stepdaughter Elizabeth Frame Ellison, her husband Chris, and their sons Taylor and Wyatt, his daughter Peake Lobeck Mosier, her husband Louis, and granddaughters Caroline Graham Hayes and Madison Graham. He was also devoted to his beloved dog, Lola.
Kathy Taylor
Kathy Taylor co-founded the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation in 1997.
Working her way through college after losing her parents, she experienced firsthand the stress of financial instability, an experience which has guided her work. After a career in law and business, she served as Oklahoma’s Secretary of Commerce, Tourism and Workforce Development. In 2006 she was elected Mayor of Tulsa. She focused on reviving downtown Tulsa through the completion of the award-winning BOK Center and developed a public/private partnership to build a new multi-sports venue for the Tulsa Drillers. She launched the city’s first entrepreneur business competition and led the city through the worst recession in 70 years.
Kathy served on the Board of Sonic Corporation, until its $2.3 billion sale to Inspire Brands in 2018. She has served on the board of Reading Partners, a literacy organization for children. She is co-founder of ImpactTulsa, a nonprofit aimed at improving education outcomes. She serves on the board of 36 Degrees North, Tulsa’s basecamp for entrepreneurs and on the advisory board of StitchCrew, a business accelerator. In 2020, she became a founding member of VEST, a network of C-suite women working together to expedite the pathways for women in positions of influence.
She has been honored by numerous state and local groups including the 2018 Anna C. Roth Legacy Award from YWCA Tulsa, the inaugural Order of the Owl from the OU Oklahoma College of Law, the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame, University of Tulsa College of Law Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma City Public Schools Wall of Fame, the Tulsa Historical Society and the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice.
Kathy enjoys spending time with family and friends – and is frequently seen playing with her grandchildren. Fun follows her everywhere she goes whether sailing, painting, gardening and traveling, cataloging many cooking classes along the way.
Margaret L. Pellegrini
Molly Lobeck Pellegrini and her husband Hank resided in Tulsa until 2014, but remain active in and dedicated to the Tulsa community with downtown real estate projects. Molly and Hank currently live in Malvern, PA and spend considerable time focusing on charitable causes that interact with and impact the life and activities of them and their four children, Annie, Will, Meg and Charlie.
Molly’s time in Tulsa was spent active on several boards, including Tulsa Zoo Management, Tulsa Community Foundation, Philbrook Museum of Art, Route 66 Marathon and YWCA of Tulsa and as Chair of Monte Cassino School Board. She has also served on the boards of National Charity League, United States Pony Club. She currently serves as President-Elect for United States Eventing Association and is also on the National Advisory Board for United States Equestrian Foundation and Plantation Field Equestrian Events
Her work history includes retail and hospitality management in Boston, Chicago and Tulsa, as well as commercial cash management and treasury services with the Bank of Oklahoma.
Thomas C. Kennedy
Mr. Kennedy served as Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Hertz Global Holdings from 2013 to 2018. Prior to joining Hertz, Mr. Kennedy served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Hilton Worldwide Holdings from 2008 to 2013. Between 2003 and 2007, Mr. Kennedy served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Vanguard Car Rental, parent company of the National Car Rental and Alamo Rental Car brands.
Prior to joining Vanguard, Mr. Kennedy served in a number of financial positions with increasing responsibilities from 1992 to 2003 at Northwest Airlines, Inc., a global network airline, including Senior Vice President and Corporate Controller; Vice President, Financial Planning and Analysis; Managing Director, Corporate Planning; and, Director Finance and Information Services, Pacific Division, Tokyo, Japan.
Mr. Kennedy graduated from Tulane University, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Economics in 1987 where he also was a three-year letterman swimmer. Mr. Kennedy received his Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard University in 1992. Between his undergraduate and graduate studies, Mr. Kennedy worked for Merrill Lynch Capital Markets in their Public Finance investment banking division from 1987 to 1990.