OK Policy announces Angela Monson as Outreach and Legislative Director

The Oklahoma Policy Institute announced it has hired former Oklahoma lawmaker Angela Monson to help engage Oklahomans and elected officials with its work to make our state a place where everyone can thrive. 

As OK Policy’s Outreach and Legislative Director, Monson will advance OK Policy’s priorities by maintaining and strengthening relationships with elected officials statewide, as well as with connecting state residents through the organization’s Together Oklahoma advocacy group. Monson started her new role on Nov. 2.

A lifelong Oklahoman, Monson has been an advocate for change for more than five decades. Working with the community, faith-based, civic, civil rights organizations, and others, she has been a leader for policy change in health care, education, social justice, taxes, and many other important issues that impact hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans. No stranger to OK Policy’s work, Monson has been a longtime volunteer with the organization and previously served as the lead for the Oklahoma City Chapter of Together Oklahoma.

In her new role, Monson will oversee the work of Together Oklahoma, which includes members who advocate for a prosperous Oklahoma through strong schools, thriving families, and safe communities. Together Oklahoma operates eight chapters in Oklahoma, including Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Ardmore, Lawton, McAlester, Norman, Stillwater, and Woodward.

“Legislative and outreach activities are crucial to improving the lives of all Oklahomans, especially those who have historically been underserved and underrepresented,” Monson said. “OK Policy has built strong connections during its history, and I look forward to helping the organization build on that excellence moving forward. Our work is focused on addressing issues today, but also laying the groundwork for a better future for all Oklahomans.” 

Monson served as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from November 1990 until her election to the Oklahoma State Senate in 1993, where she served until November 2005. Monson is a past president of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), and she was the first Oklahoman and the first African American woman to serve in that position. She also served as a member of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators Executive Committee.

“Oklahoma should be a place where everyone can raise healthy families, live in safe communities, and be financially secure, but our state has fallen short on delivering these promises,” said OK Policy Executive Director Ahniwake Rose. “Our path forward requires Oklahomans to work alongside their neighbors both in their communities and in halls of power. Angela’s wealth of experience will help better connect our organization’s policy analysis with those who can make state policies work on behalf of all Oklahomans.” 

Until August 2018, Monson was employed by the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center as Associate Provost for Community Partnerships and Health Policy and also served as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine. She was elected as chairperson of the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education and served one four-year term in that district-wide elected position.

She currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Families USA, a national consumer health advocacy organization. 

Monson earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Oklahoma and a Bachelor of Science in Corrections from Oklahoma City University. She is a graduate of the historic Oklahoma City Douglass High School.

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About OK Policy

Oklahoma Policy Institute is a non-partisan, non-profit organization focused on advancing equitable and fiscally responsible policies that expand opportunity for all Oklahomans through non-partisan research, analysis, and advocacy. Based in Tulsa, the organization was founded in 2008 as a think tank to provide independent, data-driven policy analysis for use in shaping policies that improved the lives for all Oklahomans.