OKLAHOMA CITY – The Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust board of directors chose new officers for 2021 on Tuesday.
Michelle Stephens of Weatherford, who had previously served as the board’s vice chair, was selected as the chair for 2021, according to a TSET news release. Former chair Bruce Benjamin, Ph.D., of Claremore will serve as vice-chair this year.
“Since its creation by voters 20 years ago, TSET has seen remarkable success in reducing rates of tobacco use and focusing attention on preventing the chronic conditions that cause so many premature deaths in our state,” Stephens said in the news release. “Now, reaffirmed by voters last November, I look forward to helping TSET build on the last two decades of work while finding innovative ways to face new health challenges like teen vaping and increasing obesity.”
An attorney, Stephens previously served on the Oklahoma Commission for Human Services, the State Board of Education and the state CareerTech board. She has been a practicing attorney since 1992.
Benjamin is the vice provost for graduate programs, interim vice president for research and an associate professor of physiology at Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences. As vice provost, he plays a key role for graduate programs in biomedical sciences, forensic sciences, health care administration and athletic training.