Monday, August 18, 2014
OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today applauded the selection of former Lieutenant Governor Jari Askins as interim executive director of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board.
“Jari Askins is a dedicated and universally respected public servant with a keen knowledge of pardon and parole issues,” said Fallin. “Having served in all three branches of government - including as former chairman of the Pardon and Parole Board - she brings a unique perspective and unparalleled experience to the position. I know she will serve the state well as interim executive director."
Askins, a native of Duncan, served as Oklahoma’s 15th lieutenant governor in 2007. She passed up seeking re-election to run for governor. Askins lost to Fallin in the November 2010 general election.
Askins served as a Stephens County special district judge for eight years, from 1982-1990. In 1991, she was appointed to the Pardon and Parole Board, which elected her as its first female chairman. She later served as executive director of the Pardon and Parole Board.
She was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1994 and served for 12 years, serving her last two-year term as Democratic leader.