Stitt taps former company exec to serve as Oklahoma’s COO

Image: KOCO

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is naming an executive from his former company to serve as the state’s chief operating officer. Stitt said in a statement on Tuesday that Steven Harpe will continue in his current role as director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services and as deputy secretary of digital transformation and administration.

Before joining Stitt’s administration, Harpe worked as chief information officer at Stitt’s Gateway Mortgage Group.

As COO, Harpe replaces John Budd, a former Sonic Corp. executive who stepped down from his role as Stitt’s COO earlier this month.

Stitt created the position of chief operating officer after taking office in 2019.