OKLAHOMA CITY (Nov 17, 2010) — State Superintendent-elect Janet Barresi on Tuesday announced her transition team, as she prepares to become the first new leader of Oklahoma’s public education system in two decades.

Jennifer Carter, Barresi’s campaign manager and a former Assistant Insurance Commissioner, will serve as head of the transition effort and will become Chief of Staff in the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Damon Gardenhire and Russell Valleroy will join Carter on the transition team. Gardenhire will become Communications Director at the department, while Valleroy will serve as the department’s Director of Operations.

“I’m excited about the fresh perspectives and level of expertise these three professionals offer,” said Barresi, who won more than 55 percent of the vote in the statewide election earlier this month. “The three members of my transition team bring a wealth of knowledge to their roles. And they have a firm commitment to helping me tackle the challenges of establishing stronger academic standards, making our education system more efficient and getting dollars into the classroom.”

Carter brings a wealth of policy, legislative and administrative experience to her new position. She previously served as Director of Legal Services/Government Relations for the Association of Professional Oklahoma Educators (APOE), lobbying on education policy at the Oklahoma Capitol and representing teachers at board hearings and in lawsuits. From 2005 to 2009, Carter worked at the state Insurance Department, rising to the position of Assistant Insurance Commissioner for Government Relations. Her duties included serving as chief policy advisor to the Insurance Commissioner, developing the department’s legislative agenda and representing the agency at the Oklahoma Capitol during the legislative session.

Since 2009, Carter has managed the Janet Barresi for State Superintendent campaign, which culminated with the first election of a Republican to the office by a margin of more than 18 points of the popular vote. As part of that assignment, she managed a $1.2 million budget and provided daily oversight of the campaign and political advice to the candidate. Carter holds a bachelor’s degree in Letters from the University of Oklahoma and a Juris Doctor with a Certificate in Comparative and International Law from the University of Tulsa College of Law.

Gardenhire — a former television reporter who covered the Murrah building bombing and the federal trial of Timothy McVeigh — joins the transition team after serving as assistant dean of communications and marketing at Oklahoma City University’s School of Law the past three years. Before his work at OCU LAW, Gardenhire was communications director for the Oklahoma House. He also served more than seven years as spokesman for INTEGRIS Health, handling crises including the intense influx of national media during the May, 1999 tornadoes in Oklahoma City. A 2004 OKC Business “40 Under 40″ honoree, Gardenhire’s reporting has also been published in the Dallas Morning News, The Houston Chronicle, National Journal and Oklahoma Today magazine. Gardenhire holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, where he was a McMahon Scholar.

Russell Valleroy, Assistant Insurance Commissioner over Producer and Consumer Services, has been with the Oklahoma Insurance Department since 2006. He has also served as director of operations at the department — overseeing consumer assistance, producer licensing, human resources and information technology. Besides his duties as Assistant Commissioner, he has been an active participant on numerous National Association of Insurance Commissioner committees and working groups, including the Producer Licensing Working Group, Senior Issues Task Force and the Consumer Protections and Innovations Working Group. Before his work at the Insurance Department, Valleroy served in a variety of managerial positions in the private sector, including at Cox Communications. In these capacities he was responsible for extensive numbers of staff and employee recruitment. He also worked closely with company leadership on overall quality and policy improvements, as well as setting and meeting corporate goals. Valleroy has a bachelor’s degree from Southern Nazarene University and is a graduate of Bishop McGuinness high school in Oklahoma City.

State superintendent: Vote Janet Barresi. While this race has strong candidates with Susan Paddack and Richard Cooper, we believe Barresi holds the edge. A former speech pathologist and dentist, she founded Independence Charter Middle School and then became the board president of Harding Charter Preparatory High School. She also opposes State Question 744. She says a complete overhaul of the state’s education system is needed. We believe her charter school experience sets her apart from the field.

Read Article

Editorial, Enid News & Eagle ~ At a time when there is more momentum, both nationally and statewide, for a new way of thinking in public education, Oklahoma’s state superintendent race actually is one of the most important races on the ballot.

Read More: The McCarville Report Online