Southeastern graduate named Oklahoma Secretary of the Environment

Press Release Date: 1-17-2011

DURANT, Okla. – Gary Sherrer, a 1973 graduate of Southeastern Oklahoma State University, has been named secretary of the environment by Okla. Gov. Mary Fallin.

Sherrer currently serves as assistant vice president for external relations at Oklahoma State University's Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. He will remain employed by the university.

A native of Paris, Texas, Sherrer graduated from Antlers High School. He received his Education degree at Southeastern, majoring in speech with a minor in journalism.

Sherrer served as environmental secretary under former Gov. Frank Keating and was appointed the state's first secretary of agriculture by former Gov. David Walters.

He also served in the state House of Representatives from 1981 until 1988 as a Democrat from Snow, in southeastern Oklahoma.

Sherrer, 62, also serves on the board of directors of Rural Enterprises Inc. He previously served as chief administrative officer and assistant CEO for KAMO, a power generation and transmission firm in Vinita. He is one of the founders of Tulsa-based First Trinity Life Insurance Co.

He volunteered for military service and served as a combat medic during the Vietnam War.