The Oklahoma Senate has decisively rejected one of the governor’s proposals. Kevin Stitt‘s nominees to the Board of Regents that govern Oklahoma State University, just eight days after the Senate Education Committee unanimously recommended her for the post.
The Senate voted 32-13 against the nomination of Susan Bergen of Norman on Wednesday. Among the senators who opposed Bergen’s nomination were eight members of the Education Committee: Sens. Jo Anna Dossett, D-Tulsa; Sens. Grant Green, R-Wellston; Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City; Sen. Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle; Sens. Dewayne Pemberton, R-Muskogee; Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa; committee vice chair Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore; and Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond.
They were all part of the 12-0 committee vote that promoted Bergen’s appointment on May 21.
Education Committee members who voted for Bergen in the full Senate on Wednesday included committee chairman Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond; Sen. Michael Bergstrom, R-Adair; Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville; Sens. Casey Murdock, R-Felt; and Sen. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin. Everyone had previously voted in favor of Bergen’s confirmation except Daniels, who was not present when the committee voted on Bergen’s nomination on May 21. None of those who changed their votes could immediately be reached for comment.
Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, also voted to confirm Bergen, as did Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, who sponsored Bergen’s nomination to the Senate.
Earlier: Stitt’s nominees for OU, OSU and regional university boards are unopposed in the Senate committee
Had she been approved, Bergen would have succeeded Rick Davis of Guthrie, who had served since May 2011 on the nine-member OSU/A&M board, which governs Oklahoma State University, Langston University in Langston, Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell, Northeastern. Oklahoma A&M College in Miami and Connors State College in Warner.
Bergen is originally from Boston, but has lived in Oklahoma for forty years. She is CEO of Bergen Enterprises, a multi-generational family business. The companies include Prairie Dirt Solutions and Eco Wood Solutions, Oklahoma City companies that offer services to create sustainable conservation opportunities.
In nominating Bergen, Stitt said her “incredible experience within Oklahoma’s agricultural and business community” made her a strong choice to serve on the OSU/A&M board and that he looked forward “to seeing how her business acumen will help students across Oklahoma.”
During the May 21 committee meeting, Bergen addressed senators for less than 80 seconds, talking about the ranch and farm operations she was involved in and saying she understands “the importance of quality food.” Later she said, “Everyone in this room is involved in agriculture because you ate dinner this morning.” Not a single senator asked her a question or debated her nomination.
So-called “Tier I” nominations for executives, such as those for the OSU/A&M board, receive individual votes in the Senate and are often formalities, especially after a unanimous affirmative vote in the committee.
“The Senate has voted out a female agricultural leader and business owner who devotes significant amounts of her time and talents to ensuring schoolchildren across the state have access to nutritious meals,” Stitt said in a statement. the Senate to make an example of, but Susan will continue to serve her community and the Senate may feel victorious in their attempt to prevent another qualified and willing Oklahoman from serving at the state level.
In response to an email Stitt sent to Treat on Wednesday discussing other executive nominations that had not been considered by the Senate, Treat noted that Bergen’s nomination “failed on the floor today (despite my vote for her )”, but did not elaborate on the reasons for this. the failure of the nomination. A spokesperson for the Senate and the governor’s office said they were not aware of the reasons.
Treat concluded his response to Stitt by saying, “While we have determined that most of your nominees have found this session qualified and exemplary, we will not hesitate to decline to nominate nominees who we believe are not qualified or ill-suited to the position for which you appointed them.”
Stitt’s other major education nominees receive final Senate approval
The Senate approved Stitt’s other candidate for the OSU/A&M Board, Chris Franklin, of Arcadia, along with the nominations of Kenneth Waits, of Tyler, Texas, to the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents; Thomas Kupiec, of Edmond, and Chuck Perry, of Broken Arrow, to the Regional University System of Oklahoma Board of Regents; Ken Levit, of Tulsa, to the board of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education; and Nellie Tayloe Sanders, of Kingfisher, as secretary of state for education.
The Senate also approved the nomination of Zachary Archer of Hammon to the Oklahoma State Board of Education, but six Democrats voted against the nomination of Archer, who has served since October on the board led by state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Senate rejects Governor Stitt’s nominee for OSU Board of Regents
