News Release

PRESTON L. DOERFLINGER Director and Secretary of Finance and Revenue

MARY FALLIN Governor

Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2012
For Immediate Release

Media Contact:
RON JENKINS
Public Information Officer
Oklahoma Office of State Finance
(405) 521-3267

Doerflinger Returns as OMES Chief as Promised

                                           
OKLAHOMA CITY – As promised, Secretary of Finance Preston L. Doerflinger resumed his duties as director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services on Thursday, Nov. 1, after his reappointment by Gov. Mary Fallin.

Doerflinger resigned the post last March so he could serve, at the governor's request, as interim director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.

"I said I'd be back and here I am—it just took a little longer than I thought," the OMES chief said as he began his day back with a series of meetings at the Capitol, before a special meeting of the OKDHS Commission, the first since the hiring of Ed Lake as director.

"My stay at OKDHS has been rewarding and enlightening during a transformative period in that agency's history," Doerflinger said. "But it's great to be back at the OMES, where I can devote more time to the important work we have been doing to make state government run more efficiently, while eliminating waste and saving taxpayer dollars."

Carol McFarland has been serving as acting director of the OMES. She previously came on board as transition projects manager during the consolidation of four key agencies into the old Office of State Finance.

"I want to again thank my team at the OMES for its dedication and efforts to advance our reform agenda during my absence," Doerflinger said. "Knowing I had the right people in place at our agency made it easier for me to accept the interim OKDHS position."

Fallin praised Doerflinger for helping OKDHS during a time when changes such as the Pinnacle Plan were implemented. "His leadership helped the agency move forward as changes were made to ensure the DHS adequately serve’s our state’s most vulnerable citizens," she said.

Wes Lane, chairman of the Human Services Commission, said while he was excited to welcome Lake as the agency's new director, "It is with profound regret that we say goodbye to Preston Doerflinger. Preston has brought a tremendous energy and entrepreneurial spirit to the agency during his interim leadership and we are a better agency for his having served.

"The State of Oklahoma has been deeply blessed by his selfless willingness to leave a very successful business realm to serve state citizens for a season. On behalf of the thousands at DHS—thank you and best wishes, Secretary Doerflinger."

Doerflinger's reappointment as director of the OMES will require Senate confirmation again.

Before Fallin named him secretary of finance in her cabinet and OMES director in January 2011, Doerflinger was the elected city auditor of Tulsa for 2 years.

Prior to that, he founded several health care and supply companies and was chief executive officer of PLD management, a business consulting and investment firm. Doerflinger graduated with honors from Southern Nazarene University with a degree in organizational leadership.

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