Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) recently added Susanna Gattoni, associate general counsel for the University of Oklahoma, to represent the 5th Congressional District on the TSET Board of Directors.
“I look forward to the knowledge and insight Susanna Gattoni will bring the board as my designee. Susanna is an attorney who has gained a wealth of real-world experience during her career. She will be an asset to the TSET board,” said State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd, who appointed Gattoni to the Board.
“TSET’s mission to improve the health of Oklahomans through prevention and research is one that speaks to me personally,” Gattoni said. “I’m excited for this opportunity to serve the people of Oklahoma by working with TSET to address the major causes of premature and preventable death in our state.”
The TSET Board of Directors, appointed by seven different elected officials and representing each of the state’s five congressional districts, oversees the expenditure of the earnings to fund grants and programs to prevent and reduce tobacco use and obesity. The Board of Directors also invests in cutting-edge research to reduce the toll of tobacco-related diseases in Oklahoma.
TSET is funded by a portion of the payments received by the State of Oklahoma as part of a 1998 Master Settlement Agreement. The tobacco industry, found guilty of racketeering by a judge, make an annual settlement payment to the states. On each payment, 75% is deposited in the endowment for investment. The earnings from the endowment then fund grants and programs aimed at improving the health of Oklahomans.