Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation

The Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation is a department of the government of Oklahoma under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Tourism. The Department is responsible for regulating Oklahoma's tourism industry and for promoting Oklahoma as a tourist destination.

The Department is governed by the a nine-member Tourism and Recreation Commission, with the Governor appointing eight members and the Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma serving as the ninth member and chair of the Commission. The Commission then appoints an Executive Director to administer the Department.

The Department of Tourism and Recreation was created in 1972 during the term of Governor David Hall.

Leadership

The Department of Tourism and Recreation is led by the Secretary of Commerce and Tourism. Under Governor Mary Fallin, Dave Lopez serves as the Secretary. Under the supervision of the Cabinet Secretary, the day-to-day administration of the Department is managed by an Executive Director of the Department, currently Deby Snodgrass.

Members of the Commission

The Department is governed by a nine member Tourism Commission which hires the Executive Director and establishes policies for the Department. Eight members of the Commission are appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Oklahoma Senate. The Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma serves ex officio as the ninth member and Chair of the Commission.

As of 2011, the members of the Commission are:

• Lieutenant Governor Todd Lamb - Oklahoma City
• Tony Benson - Idabel
• Jason Glidewell - Anadarko
• Trae Gray - Coalgate
• Melvin Moran - Seminole
• Amy Regan - Tulsa
• Becky Switzer - Norman
• Frank Sims - Shawnee
• T.L. Walker - Ponca City

History

The Department began in 1931 when the Oklahoma Legislature appropriated $90,000 for the land on which Lake Murray is located. In the late 1930s, the United States Congress directed the United States Army Corps of Engineers to begin construction on several large reservoirs, primarily for flood control and water supply. In 1951, Lake Murray State Park also became the site for the first of seven state-owned resort lodges. Through the years, park, lodge, and tourism programs rested in the Planning and Resources Board, the Department of Commerce and Industry, and the Industrial Development and Park Department. In 1972 the Legislature created the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, now made up of four divisions.

Organization

• Cabinet Secretary
• Tourism and Recreation Commission
  • Executive Director
    • Administrative Services Division - central offices of the Department, coordinates the fiscal activities of the operating divisions, provides financial information, fiscal control, and payroll, personnel, purchasing, and vendor payment services. It interprets policy and procedures promulgated by the Commission
    • State Parks Division - operates the state parks, lodges and golf courses under the jurisdiction and control of the Commission, researches and develops statistical information and economic development and planning assistance to the Department and to communities throughout the state, and also administers federal grant funds for outdoor recreational development
    • Travel Promotion Division - formulates information and marketing plans and programs designed to attract tourists to the state and oversees the dissemination of information concerning the State's public and private attractions, lodges, parks and recreational facilities, provides assistance to cities, public and private associations and organizations in the promotion of special events of local or historical interest and in the solicitation of conferences, meetings and conventions. Maintains the official Oklahoma travel and tourism website - http://www.travelok.com.
    • Oklahoma Film and Music Division- works with in-state and out-of-state music and film industry officials to promote, support and expand the music and film activity in the state of Oklahoma
    • Discover Oklahoma Division - broadcasts Discover Oklahoma, a state-producted weekly television program designed to market specific Oklahoma destinations
    • Oklahoma Today Magazine Division - publishes Oklahoma Today, a state-produced magazine that covers the people, places, history, and culture of Oklahoma

Staffing

The Tourism Department, with an annual budget of over $60 million, is one of the larger employers of the State. For fiscal year 2011, the Department was authorized 763 full time employees.^[1]

Supporting Agencies

• Oklahoma Film and Music Advisory Commission
• Oklahoma Tourism Promotion Advisory Committee

References

1. ^ FY 2011 State Budget, Oklahoma Office of State Finance

See also

• List of Oklahoma state parks