November 8, 2019 Ethics Commission Meeting Recap
New Chair and Vice-Chair. The November meeting was the first meeting presided over by the newly elected Chair of the Commission, Charlie Laster. Chair Laster was officially elected as Chair of the Commission at the conclusion of the October meeting. Holly Johnson was elected Vice-Chair of the Commission during the October meeting. They will serve in these positions until October 2020.
Commission creates a budget committee. The Commission voted to create a committee of two members to work with the Executive Director to review the Commission's preliminary FY 20-21 budget request in order to make recommendations to the full Commission at its December meeting. Vice-Chair Holly Johnson and Commissioner Gregg Engle will serve this committee.
Commission appoints a General Counsel. Stephanie McCord, was unanimously appointed General Counsel of the Ethics Commission effective November 8, 2019.
Charles Laster, Chair of the Ethics Commission, represents the 5th Congressional District of Oklahoma, and was appointed by former Governor Mary Fallin. Laster served in the Oklahoma State Senate from 2003 through 2012 where he held leadership positions as Co-Floor Leader from 2006 to 2008 and Democratic Leader from 2008 to 2010. An active member of the Oklahoma Bar Association, Commissioner Laster practices law in Shawnee, Oklahoma and has served as a member of the Professional Responsibility Tribunal.
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Holly Johnson, Vice-Chair of the Commission, represents the 4th Congressional District of Oklahoma and was appointed by Chief Justice John Reif of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Johnson is Secretary of the Department of Treasury for the Chickasaw Nation in Ada, OK. She served as an elected official in the Chickasaw Nation’s legislature where she served as chair of the finance committee. Johnson, a CPA, attended Oklahoma State University majoring in Accounting and is an active member in the Oklahoma Society of Certified Public Accountants.
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Stephanie McCord was unanimously appointed by the Commissioners to serve as General Counsel for the Ethics Commission. McCord has worked for the Commission since June of 2014 and previously served as the Director of Compliance for the Commission. McCord graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor of business administration degree from the University of Oklahoma and a juris doctor degree from Oklahoma City University School of Law where she served as Articles Editor for Law Review.
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Next Meeting: Friday, December 13, 2019
The Commission will hold its next regular meeting on Friday, December 13, 2019 at 10:00 a.m., location to be determined.
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