The Oklahoma State Board of Education has three new members.
In a press release Tuesday, Gov. Kevin Stitt’s office said "after months of headlines," the governor is appointing Chris Van Denhende from Tulsa to the board pending state Senate approval.
Van Denhende was previously tapped by Stitt in 2021 to the board that covers six regional universities. Stitt’s office confirmed to Public Radio Tulsa that Van Denhende resigned from the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges.
In his regents bio, Van Denhende is described as a “seasoned finance executive.”
“While at American Airlines, Van Denhende gained the reputation of a turnaround specialist. By facilitating leadership changes, he elevated underperforming groups into highly functional organizations,” reads the biography.
KWGS has reached out to Van Denhende.
The Will Rogers High School grad is joined by Ryan Deathredge of Kingfisher and Michael Tinney of Norman as new state ed board appointees.
Stitt’s move comes as Oklahoma’s schools chief, Ryan Walters, is facing several lawsuits on a range of issues. Earlier this month, Stitt publicly praised Bixby’s superintendent who’s suing Walters for defamation.
Walters has recently been one of the most controversial figures in Oklahoma politics, drawing nationwide attention for mandating Bible instruction in public schools, among other orders.
Walters fired back at Stitt on social media platform X, saying Stitt has joined "the swampy political establishment" that U.S. President Donald Trump is "fighting against."
Stitt also cited Oklahoma's recent poor performance on the Nation's Report Card in his reasoning for replacing Donald Burdick, Katie Quebedeaux, and Kendra Wesson.
Sarah Lepak and Zach Archer will retain their seats.
