OKLAHOMA CITY – Shawn Black was promoted earlier this month by the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority governing board to the post of executive director. The office had been vacant for several months following the retirement of Polly Anderson effective March 31.
Black, 61, joined OETA seven years ago in December. He started as vice president of finance and administration, served as chief operations officer from April 2024 through March 2025, and was appointed interim executive director in April 2025.
Previously he was a senior fiscal policy analyst at the Oklahoma House of Representatives, where he was employed for almost 13 years.
Black left the Legislature in 2002 to become executive director of the Oklahoma Association of Youth Services for 15 years. He led a statewide group of mental health and social services agencies whose budget of $70 million provided services to young people and their families.
Black graduated from Del City High School and attended the University of Central Oklahoma, where he earned a degree in business administration and marketing in 1987, and a Master of Business Administration in Finance in 1989.