Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education voted Wednesday to name Sean Burrage, a former state senator and university president, as the state’s new higher education chancellor.
The unanimous, 8-0 vote came near the end of a special meeting of the regents. Burrage, 58, will succeed current Chancellor Allison Garrett , who earlier this year announced her intention to retire . She said Wednesday she plans to step aside in early December.
Burrage will be the 10th person – including two interim appointees – to serve as the head of Oklahoma’s higher education system, which includes 25 colleges and universities. He will be the fourth straight non-interim chancellor to have previously served as a university president.
More: Allison Garrett says she’ll retire as state higher education chancellor in January 2025
Burrage served two terms as a Democratic state senator, representing parts of Rogers County and Mayes County, from November 2006 until June 2014 , spending part of that time as the Democratic floor leader. After leaving the Senate, he became the president at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, chosen by the regents of the Regional University System of Oklahoma.