LAWTON – Former lieutenant governor and state lawmaker Jari Askins will be asked to serve as interim president of Cameron University at its June 21 meeting, according to multiple reports.
Askins, noting that her appointment is pending approval from the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents, made a brief statement.
“I’m pleased for the opportunity to work with the Cameron community and the next generation of young leaders from southwest Oklahoma,” she said in her only comment issued by Cameron University.
Pending formal approval by the regents, Askins’ first day on the job would be July 22, according to a Cameron statement.
“Jari Askins is highly regarded – and rightfully so – for her service to Oklahoma,” said Eric Stevenson, chair of the Board of Regents for the University of Oklahoma, Cameron University and Rogers State University. “She is a judge, a native of southwest Oklahoma, and is familiar with Cameron and its operation. The Board feels CU will be in extremely capable hands while we conduct the search for the university’s next president.”
President John M. McArthur announced in January that he would retire as Cameron’s leader after 20 years at the institution, 11 of which as president. His last day at Cameron will be July 21.
Askins will serve in her interim role while Regents complete a national search for Cameron’s 18th president, according to the Cameron statement.
Askins has served Oklahoma for more than 40 years in a variety of roles ranging from judge to legislator to lieutenant governor. She currently serves as Administrative Director of the Courts where, under the supervision of the Chief Justice and the Oklahoma Supreme Court, she coordinates judicial operations and personnel throughout the state.
During legislative sessions, she can be found at the State Capitol advocating for judicial funding and responding to proposed legislation impacting the judiciary or judicial processes. She is the first woman to serve as Administrative Director of the Courts in Oklahoma.
Prior to her current position, Askins served in a new position created by Gov. Mary Fallin as Special Adviser to the Governor on Child Welfare issues and Pinnacle Plan implementation. In that role, Askins worked with the Department of Human Services lending her leadership to the state’s reform of the foster care system caring for deprived and neglected children.
Born and reared in Duncan, Askins received her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma and, in 1980, earned a law degree from OU. After receiving her law degree, she returned to Duncan and joined the law firm of Garvin, Bonney, Weaver and Corley where she concentrated on oil and gas law and title opinions for drilling sites and division orders.
When Askins was sworn in as Oklahoma's 15th lieutenant governor in 2007, she achieved the rare distinction of being involved in public service in all three branches of state government. She served as Special Judge for Stephens County from 1982 to 1990 and was the first woman to serve as an officer in the Oklahoma Judicial Conference. In 1991, the governor appointed her to the Pardon and Parole Board, which elected her as its first chairwoman and the first Parole Board member with prior judicial experience. She later served as executive director of the Pardon and Parole Board and as Deputy General Counsel in the Office of the Governor. In 2014, Fallin called upon Askins to again lead the Pardon and Parole Board by serving a second stint as the agency’s interim executive director.
Askins was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1994 from District 50 and completed her term limit of 12 years serving her constituents of Stephens, Comanche and Cotton counties. During her last term, she became the first woman to lead a caucus in the Oklahoma Legislature when she was elected Democratic House Leader. She won statewide election as lieutenant governor in 2006 and served in that role until 2011. After leaving office, Askins served as Associate Provost for External Relations at the OU Health Sciences Center with her primary focus on the new Stephenson Cancer Center.
She serves on the Board of Directors of Duncan Regional Hospital, the Board of Trustees for the Dean McGee Eye Institute Foundation, the Board of Directors for the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, and as Chair of the Investment Committee for the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. Askins is a member of the First Christian Church in Duncan, where she still sings in the church choir.