Thursday, September 15, 2016
OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today announced the appointment of Amy Anne Ford, of Durant, to serve as a member of the board of regents for the Regional University System of Oklahoma (RUSO).
She succeeds Terry Matlock, who resigned. Ford will serve the remainder of Matlock’s term, which expires in June 2018. She can begin serving immediately. Her appointment still must be confirmed by the Senate when it convenes next session.
Ford, a business developer and consultant, previously served on the Oklahoma State Board of Education and the Oklahoma State Board of Career and Technology. She also served as chairman of the Oklahoma Standards Setting Steering Committee.
“Amy Ford has shown a keen interest in education in our state and has served our state well during her tenure on the state Board of Education,” said Fallin. “She is an accomplished businesswoman who is aware of what students need to be successful during and after college. I look forward to working with her to increase educational attainment and improve our workforce in Oklahoma.”
Ford will fill the Position 7 seat on the RUSO board of regents. It covers Atoka, Bryan, Carter, Choctaw, Latimer, LeFlore, Love, Marshall, McCurtain, Pittsburg, and Pushmataha counties.
She is a partner in RedAnt, LLC, which provides comprehensive business development, management, messaging and strategic public relations consulting services. Ford previously owned NEON, Inc., an emergency physician-staffing company, which employed more than 100 physicians in Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas. She and her husband also own and operate a cow-calf operation in Bryan County.
“Living in Durant, I’ve seen first-hand the valuable impact of our regional universities, often providing the only opportunity for some who otherwise would not be able to pursue a higher education,” said Ford. “Many of these students are the first in their family to attend college. I sincerely appreciate Governor Fallin asking me to serve on this board and I look to continuing my service to the state.”
Ford is deeply involved in community and civic activities as well as philanthropic endeavors focused on economic development, education and sustainable water policy. She has been a strong water policy advocate in Oklahoma for more than a decade. In 2012, she was appointed to serve on the Oklahoma Public/Private Water Task Force, which was formed to facilitate meaningful dialogue about Oklahoma’s water management policies and challenges.
She also serves on the boards of directors for the Southeastern Oklahoma State University Foundation, The Oklahoma Academy for State Goals and the Citizens for the Protection of the Arbuckle Simpson Aquifer, as well as serving on the board of advisers for Leadership Oklahoma.
She and her husband, Dr. Jim Ford, have a daughter, Erin, a physician’s assistant who lives in Oklahoma City with her husband, Tyson.
About the Regional University System of Oklahoma
The Regional University System of Oklahoma (RUSO) is Oklahoma’s largest four-year university system, which is made up of six universities containing more than 3,000 faculty and staff members and over 50,000 students.
The mission of the board is to provide higher education programs and service to eligible students in the university service areas and generally to ensure educational opportunities in the preparation of students to succeed in a global society.
The Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges was created on July 6, 1948 to govern the six regional universities. The board consists of nine members, eight appointed by the governor with approval of the Senate for nine-year staggered terms. The ninth member is the elected state superintendent of public instruction.
For more information on the Regional University System of Oklahoma, click here.