Stitt appoints two new cabinet secretaries
Gov. Kevin St itt appointed two new cabinet secretaries this week.
Stitt appointed Jennifer Grigsby to serve as secretary of economic administration and Susan Winchester to serve as secretary of licensing and regulation.
Both are new positions within the governor' s cabinet. Now, four women
serve in the governor' s cabinet made up of just over a dozen of Stitt's closest advisers.
G rigs by will oversee more t han 20 state agencies, including the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission,
Oklahoma Tax Commission, state auditor and inspector, and state treasurer's office.
A certified public accountant, G rigs by worked in multiple roles at Chesapeake Energy Corp. over the course of 18 years. More recently, she was the executive vice president of Ascent Resources LLC, an Oklahoma City energy company. She also serves on the board of directors of CrossFirst Bankshares, a bank holding company based in Kansas.
“Jennifer Grigbsy will be an incredible asset to our team ,” St it ts aid in a statement. “Her work ethic, drive for excellence and determination to move Oklahoma forward will have an immediate, positive impact and I am thrilled to welcome her to this new role.”
Winchester, a former state lawmaker, will be the governor's first secretary of licensing and regulation.
As part of the Stitt' s goal of giving taxpayers more for their money, Winchester will oversee more than 80 state agencies, according to a news release from the governor's office.
“It is an honor to return to serve the state of Oklahoma in this new role,” she said in a statement. “I am excited to get to work with Governor Stitt to move our state forward by cutting red tape, getting rid of excessive regulations and creating a system that encourages success instead of preserving mediocrity.”
Winchester, who served in the Oklahoma House from 1998-2008, was the state' s first female speaker pro tempore. More recently, she was president of the Research Institute for Economic Development and served as stint as chief of staff for former Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb.
Both appointments will go to the state Senate for confirmation.