Oklahoma State System of Higher Education Chancellor Allison Garrett was recently appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt to serve a three-year term as an Oklahoma designee to the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB).
“Now more than ever our nation needs strong, principled leaders who will help educate future generations of Americans,” said Gov. Stitt. “Allison’s leadership and corporate experience will help trailblaze a new path for education across the 16 states of the Southern Regional Education Board.”
A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization based in Atlanta, SREB was created in 1948 by Southern governors and legislatures to advance education and enhance the social and economic life of the region. Member states are Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
“We are pleased to welcome Chancellor Garrett to the Southern Regional Education Board,” said SREB president Dr. Stephen L. Pruitt. “SREB has a rich history of collaboration with Oklahoma leaders, and we look forward to working with Chancellor Garrett on improving educational experiences for the students of Oklahoma and the South.”
As a member of SREB, Garrett will work with governors, legislators and state education leaders from member states to improve public education and student achievement from pre-K through the postsecondary level.
“I am honored to be appointed by Gov. Stitt to the SREB,” said Garrett. “SREB is a nationally respected source of educational data, and does vital work to provide quality, affordable education opportunities for the students we serve and strengthen public education across the region. I look forward to representing our great state on the board and contributing to those important efforts.”
Garrett was named chancellor of the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education in September 2021 following a national search. Before assuming the role of chancellor, Garrett served as the 17th president of Emporia State University. Prior to serving as president of ESU, Garrett served as executive vice president of Abilene Christian University, senior vice president for academic affairs at Oklahoma Christian University, and as an associate professor of law at Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama. She worked for more than a decade at the Walmart Inc. corporate offices, holding the positions of vice president and general counsel for the corporate division and vice president of benefits compliance and planning. Garrett holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Oklahoma Christian University, a juris doctorate from the University of Tulsa College of Law and a Master of Laws in securities regulation from Georgetown University.