Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce

{{Infobox Government agency

|agency_name = Oklahoma Secretary of
Commerce

|nativename_a =

|nativename_r =

|logo =

|logo_width =

|logo_caption =

|seal = Seal of Oklahoma.svg

|seal_width = 125 px

|seal_caption = Great Seal of Oklahoma

|formed = June 6, 1986

|preceding1 =

|preceding2 =

|dissolved =

|superseding =

|jurisdiction =

|headquarters = 900 N Stiles Avenue
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

|employees =

|budget =

|minister1_name = Sean P. Kouplen

|minister1_pfo = Secretary of Commerce

|parent_agency =

|child1_agency = Department of Commerce

|child2_agency = Department of Labor

|child3_agency = Employment Security Commission

|child4_agency = Housing Finance Agency

|child5_agency = Workers' Compensation Commission

|website = [http://okcommerce.gov/ Office of the Secretary of Commerce]

|footnotes =

|chief1_name=|chief1_position=|chief2_name=|chief2_position=|chief3_name=|chief3_position=|chief4_name=|chief4_position=|chief5_name=|chief5_position=|chief6_name=|chief6_position=|chief7_name=|chief7_position=|chief8_name=|chief8_position=|chief9_name=|chief9_position=|parent_department=}}

The Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce is a member of the Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet. The Secretary is appointed by the Governor, with the consent of the Oklahoma Senate, to serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Secretary serves as the chief advisor to the Governor on economic development and trade promotion.

The current Secretary is Chad Mariska, who was appointed by Governor Kevin Stitt in 2022.

Overview

The secretary of commerce was established in 1986 to provide greater oversight and coordination to the State's economic development activities. The position was established, along with the Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet, by the Executive Branch Reform Act of 1986. The act directed the secretary to advise the governor on economic development policy and advise the state's economic development agencies on new policy as directed by the governor. As such, the secretary is responsible for directing the state's development projects to economically distressed communities in order to generate new employment, help retain existing jobs and stimulate industrial and commercial growth.

Oklahoma state law allows for cabinet secretaries to serve concurrently as the head of a state agency in addition to their duties as a cabinet secretary. Historically, the secretary of commerce has also served as the director of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. However, the current secretary Sean P. Kouplen does not share this role, with the position commerce director currently filled by Brent Kisling.

The secretary, unless filling an additional role which carries a greater salary, is entitled to annual pay of $70,000.[http://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=437260 Paragraph 3, Section 10.5, Title 74, Oklahoma Statutes] Despite this law, if the secretary serves as the head of a state agency, the secretary receives the higher of the two salaries.

Agencies overseen

Budget

The Secretary of Commerce oversees a budget for Fiscal Year 2020 of $372 million. The budget authorization is broken down as follows:

class="wikitable"
Agency

!Funding (in millions)

!Employees (in FTEs)

colspan="3" style="text-align:center; background:grey;"| Economic Development
Department of Commerce

|84.8

|107

Housing Finance Agency

|141.7

|100

Developmental Finance Authority

|1.8

|5

style="padding-left: 2em;"| SUBTOTAL

|style="padding-left: 2em;"| 228.3

|style="padding-left: 2em;"| 212

colspan="3" style="text-align:center; background:grey;"| Workforce Development
Department of Labor

|8.3

|82

Employment Security Commission

|105.2

|799

style="padding-left: 2em;"| SUBTOTAL

|style="padding-left: 2em;"| 113.5

|style="padding-left: 2em;"| 881

colspan="3" style="text-align:center; background:grey;"| Professional Licensure
Professional Licensing Boards

|30.5

|222

style="padding-left: 2em;"| SUBTOTAL

|style="padding-left: 2em;"| 30.5

|style="padding-left: 2em;"| 222

TOTAL

|style="padding-left: 2em;"|$372.3

|style="padding-left: 2em;"|1,315

List of secretaries

class="wikitable"
Name

! Took office

! Left office

! Governor served under

colspan="4" align="center" | Secretary of Commerce
Dean Werries

|1995

|1997

|rowspan=5 {{Party shading/Republican}}|Frank Keating

Ron Rosenfeld

|1997

|1998

Howard Barnett, Jr.

|1998

|1999

Russell M. Perry

|2000

|2001

Vacant

|2001

|2003

colspan="4" align="center" | Secretary of Commerce and Tourism
Kathy Taylor

|2003

|2006

|rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Democratic}}|Brad Henry

Natalie Shirley

|2007

|2011

Dave Lopez

|2011

|2013

|{{Party shading/Republican}}|Mary Fallin

colspan="4" align="center" | Secretary of Commerce
Larry Parman

|2013

|2014

|rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Republican}}|Mary Fallin

Deby Snodgrass

|2014

|2015

colspan="4" align="center" | Secretary of Commerce and Tourism
Deby Snodgrass

|2015

|2019

|{{Party shading/Republican}}|Mary Fallin

colspan="4" align="center" | Secretary of Commerce and Workforce Development
Sean P. Kouplan

|2019

|Present

|{{Party shading/Republican}}|Kevin Stitt

References