Wednesday, November 18, 2015
OKLAHOMA CITY—Governor Mary Fallin today announced that Jay Marks, a longtime journalist, has joined her staff as deputy communications director. Marks began his duties this week, joining Communications Director Michael McNutt.
Marks, of Yukon, is a lifelong Oklahoman. He grew up in Tulsa and earned a journalism degree from Oklahoma State University. Marks spent nearly 20 years as a newspaper reporter, first with the Sulphur Times-Democrat and the Enid News and Eagle. He worked for almost 10 years at The Oklahoman, where he covered mostly courts and business news. Marks launched his own communications firm earlier this year, doing freelance writing and communications consulting, before joining Fallin’s staff.
Fallin said Marks’ experience and desire to communicate information will serve him well on her staff.
“Jay has dedicated his career to making sure Oklahomans are informed,” said Fallin. “As deputy communications director, he’ll help to keep the press and public aware of what my office is doing and why.”
The opening in the governor’s press office occurred when Alex Weintz, the governor’s communications director, resigned his post last month to head a communications division of an Oklahoma City-based public affairs firm.
Fallin named McNutt, the governor’s press secretary the past two years, communications director for her office.
In keeping with an executive order she issued last month asking agency heads to look at possible savings, the governor is not filling a third position in the communications office.
With 2016 expected to be a challenging budget year, the governor’s executive order requires the chief administrative officer of every Oklahoma agency, board and commission to prepare written plans to reduce nonessential expenses by 10 percent for the remainder of this fiscal year and for the entire 2017 fiscal year, which begins July 1.