Oklahoma Commissioners of the Land Office
Encyclopedia
The Oklahoma Commissioners of the Land Office is an agency
of the government of Oklahoma
. The Land Office was created by the Oklahoma Constitution
and is responsible for managing and controlling lands and funds granted to the state under the provisions of the Organic Act. These lands and fund are used to support common schools,colleges and universities.
The governing body of the Land Office is the Commissioners. The board is composed of five members: the Goveronr
, Lieutenant Governor
, the State Auditor, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Commissioner of Agriculture. The Governor serves as the Chair and the Lt. Governor serves as Vice Chair.
The Governor is responsible for appointing, with the consent of the other Commissioners, the Secretary of the Commissioners of the Land Office. The current Secretary is Douglas Allen, who was appointed by Governor Brad Henry
in 2010.
The Land Office was created in 1907 during the term of Governor
Charles N. Haskell
.
serving as permanent Chairman and the Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
serving as the permanent Vice Chairman.
The members of the Commissioners of the Land Office :
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
of the government of Oklahoma
Government of Oklahoma
The government of the US State of Oklahoma, established by the Oklahoma Constitution, is a republican democracy modeled after the Federal government of the United States. The state government has three branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial...
. The Land Office was created by the Oklahoma Constitution
Oklahoma Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Oklahoma is the governing document of the U.S. State of Oklahoma. Adopted in 1907, Oklahoma ratified the United States Constitution on November 16, 1907, as the 46th US State. At its ratification, the Oklahoma Constitution was the longest governing document of any...
and is responsible for managing and controlling lands and funds granted to the state under the provisions of the Organic Act. These lands and fund are used to support common schools,colleges and universities.
The governing body of the Land Office is the Commissioners. The board is composed of five members: the Goveronr
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
, Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
The Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma is the second-highest executive official of the state government of Oklahoma. As first in the gubernatorial line of succession, the Lieutenant Governor becomes the new Governor of Oklahoma upon the death, resignation, or removal of the Governor...
, the State Auditor, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Commissioner of Agriculture. The Governor serves as the Chair and the Lt. Governor serves as Vice Chair.
The Governor is responsible for appointing, with the consent of the other Commissioners, the Secretary of the Commissioners of the Land Office. The current Secretary is Douglas Allen, who was appointed by Governor Brad Henry
Brad Henry
Charles Bradford "Brad" Henry was the 26th Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected governor in 2002...
in 2010.
The Land Office was created in 1907 during the term of Governor
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
Charles N. Haskell
Charles N. Haskell
Charles Nathaniel Haskell was an American lawyer, oilman, and statesman who served as the first Governor of Oklahoma. Haskell played a crucial role in drafting the Oklahoma Constitution as well as Oklahoma's statehood and admission into the United States as the 46th state in 1907...
.
Mission
The mission of the Commissioners of the Land Office is: "to grow the School Land Trust and to generate maximum earnings for distribution to the Trust beneficiaries".Leadership
The Commissioners of the Land Office is under the supervision of the five member board of Commissioners, with the Governor of OklahomaGovernor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
serving as permanent Chairman and the Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
The Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma is the second-highest executive official of the state government of Oklahoma. As first in the gubernatorial line of succession, the Lieutenant Governor becomes the new Governor of Oklahoma upon the death, resignation, or removal of the Governor...
serving as the permanent Vice Chairman.
The members of the Commissioners of the Land Office :
| Office | Current Officer | Since | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governor of Oklahoma Governor of Oklahoma The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma... |
Brad Henry Brad Henry Charles Bradford "Brad" Henry was the 26th Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected governor in 2002... |
January 13, 2003 | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
| Lieutenant Governor Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma The Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma is the second-highest executive official of the state government of Oklahoma. As first in the gubernatorial line of succession, the Lieutenant Governor becomes the new Governor of Oklahoma upon the death, resignation, or removal of the Governor... |
Jari Askins Jari Askins Jari Askins is an American lawyer and Democratic politician from the US state of Oklahoma. She was the 15th Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma, being the second female and the first Democratic female to hold that position.... |
January 2, 2007 | Democratic |
| State Auditor and Inspector Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector The Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector is the chief financial officer for the U.S. State of Oklahoma. The State Auditor and Inspector is responsible for overseeing and reviewing the financial accounts of all government agencies within Oklahoma.... |
Steve Burrage Steve Burrage Steve Burrage is an American politician from Oklahoma and the former Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector. Burrage was appointed as State Auditor by the Governor of Oklahoma Brad Henry on July 10, 2008, filling the vacancy created by the resignation of former State Auditor Jeff McMahan, serving... |
June 16, 2008 | Democratic |
| State School Superintendent | Sandy Garrett Sandy Garrett Sandy Garrett is a retired American Democratic politician from the US state of Oklahoma. Garrett is the former Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction.... |
January 14, 1991 | Democratic |
| Commissioner of Agriculture | Terry Peach Terry Peach Terry Peach is an American farmer and politician from Oklahoma. Peach previously served as the Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture under Governor of Oklahoma Brad Henry from 2003 to 2011... |
2003 | N/A |
Organization
- Commissioners of the Land Office
- Secretary of the Land Office
- Administration Division - responsible for overseeing the entire work of the CLO
- Accounting Division - responsible for all accounting functions of the agency, including receipt of all funds, payment of claims, accounting for the fixed assets of the trusts and budgeting
- Royalty Compliance Division - responsible for reviewing royalty payment transactions and lessee reports of production for compliance with CLO lease terms, regulations and Oklahoma law
- Investment Division - responsible for managing the investments of the trust
- Legal Division - responsible for providing legal services to the CLO
- Minerals Management Division - responsible for the lease, sale and management of mineral rights under the control of the CLO
- Real Estate Management Division - responsible for the lease, sale and management of school lands under the control of the CLO
- Secretary of the Land Office
Staffing
The Commissioners of the Land Office, with an annual budget of over $5 million.In fiscal year 2011, the Land Office was authorized 50 full time employees.| Activity | Number of Employees |
|---|---|
| Administration | 10 |
| Real Estate | 17 |
| Financial | 11 |
| Minerals | 12 |
| Total | 50 |