Stitt adds to his cabinet, taps Oklahoma tax commissioner

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Oklahoma’s new governor has made two more key appointments, naming a new secretary to his cabinet and a new member of the Tax Commission.
Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Friday that Office of Juvenile Affairs Director Steve Buck would serve in his cabinet as the secretary of human services and early childhood initiatives. That post will require Senate confirmation.
Buck worked for many years for the state’s mental health agency before former Gov. Mary Fallin appointed him OJA director in 2017. He also is one of the few holdovers from Fallin’s cabinet that Stitt has elected to keep.
Stitt also announced this week that he was naming certified public accountant Charlie Prater of Edmond to a six-year term on the Oklahoma Tax Commission. Prater replaces Thomas E. Kemp, Jr.