OKLAHOMA CITY — Governor Kevin Stitt recently announced that the Commissioners of the Land Office (CLO) named A. Brandt Vawter as the acting-Secretary of the Land Office, which was made effective on July 1.
“I am pleased with the Commission’s selection of Mr. Vawter as the acting-Secretary of the Land Office,” said Gov. Stitt. “Vawter’s rich history in the energy sector and knowledge of Oklahoma lands will be a valuable asset to the CLO.” Selected by Commissioners Governor Stitt, Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell, Superintendent of Education Joy Hofmeister, State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd and Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur, acting-Secretary Vawter is responsible for managing the state school land trust assets established at statehood.
Prior to joining the CLO, Vawter was the founder and CEO of Monticello Investments, LLC, a Midcontinent non-operated oil and gas company, and Monticello Real Estate, LLC an Oklahoma City residential real estate company. Vawter earned a bachelor’s in science in economics from Texas Christian University. He served for three years on the University of Oklahoma Board of Advisors for the Energy Management school. Vawter lives in Oklahoma City with his wife Amber and their two children.
The Commissioners of the Land Office owns and manages over 750,000 acres of land in Oklahoma. More than 1,100,000 acres of minerals provide great opportunity for the trust to grow, with the continuing growth in energy in Oklahoma. Before Oklahoma became a state, Congress set aside land in Oklahoma for the sole purpose of generating revenue to support public education. Oklahoma’s constitution establishes the Oklahoma Commissioners of the Land Office as the keeper of the “sacred trust.”