News

State Chamber President Comments on American Airlines Announcement

OKLAHOMA CITY—State Chamber President Fred Morgan comments on State Chamber member American Airlines’ restructuring announcement today:

“As a valued member of The State Chamber, I am pleased to see American Airlines release today an aggressive plan to restore the company to profitability over the next five years. It is especially good to know they remain dedicated to keeping a continued significant presence in Tulsa.

“It was likely inevitable that such a restructuring would include some job-loss, which is never easy, especially in an ongoing national recession. But, it is important to our state’s economy to have American Airlines come through this plan as a stronger company poised for growth.

“We are confident that with the recent growth of Oklahoma’s aerospace industry that those highly-skilled workers whose jobs will be eliminated during the restructuring will be able to find other employment in our state.”

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State Chamber Unveils 2012 Business Agenda

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 30, 2012

OKLAHOMA CITY—Complex issues like taxation, workers’ compensation reform and health care are among some of the top issues The State Chamber of Oklahoma will be advocating at the state Capitol this year on behalf of the organization’s 2100 statewide members.

“Heading in to the 2012 legislative session, it is critical that our state leaders and lawmakers once again keep the legislative session focused on jobs and our state’s economy,” said State Chamber President Fred Morgan. “Gov. Mary Fallin and legislative leaders have made tremendous strides over the last year in economic development and improving our state’s business climate, but these efforts must continue this session and beyond.”

Morgan: Work not yet done (Journal Record Monthly Column - January 2012)

Fred Morgan In the last decade, Oklahoma has dramatically improved its business climate. More than ever, states like ours are not only competing with surrounding states, but the entire world, for jobs and capital investment.

We must continue to be competitive in the global economy. Our state leaders and people recognized this in 2001 when Oklahoma became the 22nd state to adopt a right-to-work law. Along with reducing taxes, business incentives and workers’ compensation and lawsuit reforms, it has served as a catalyst for economic development and growth.

State Chamber Announces Two New Hires

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 11, 2012

State Chamber of Oklahoma President Fred Morgan announced today that the organization has hired a new Vice President of Government Affairs and Senior Vice President of Membership and Marketing.

The two new additions continue an ongoing effort to bolster The State Chamber’s efforts on behalf of the Oklahoma business community at the state and federal capitols.

The State Chamber has hired Karen Smith, who assumed the role of Senior Vice President of Membership and Marketing as of Jan. 1. Smith brings a wealth of sales and marketing knowledge to The State Chamber staff, including more than 25 years of award-winning experience in finance, telecommunications and Fortune top 50 pharmaceuticals, most recently with Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Tulsa office.

Smith is married to former state House Rep. Hopper Smith, who is currently deployed in Afghanistan with the Oklahoma National Guard. They have four children and live in Edmond.

Arnella Karges will join The State Chamber’s legislative advocacy team as Vice President of Government Affairs, with a focus in the issue areas of energy and natural resources, technology and aerospace. Her first day will be Jan. 23.

Karges joins the chamber after previously serving at the House of Representatives since 2007, most recently as Deputy Clerk and Parliamentarian. Karges headed up the House’s redistricting efforts in 2010, serving as the House Redistricting Director. In that role she led a staff of five as all 101 state House districts were redrawn following the 2010 U.S. Census. She also previously served as a House Research Analyst, staffing the Economic Development and Financial Services and Rules Committees and the former Commerce, Industry and Labor and Environment and Natural Resources Committees.

Karges also has previous chamber experience, having served as the executive director of the Seminole Chamber of Commerce in 2004 and 2005. She lives in Oklahoma City.

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State Chamber President Praises AG's Workers' Compensation Court Filing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 9, 2012

State Chamber President Fred Morgan comments on Attorney General Scott Pruitt’s filing today of a petition for a rehearing on the Supreme Court’s previous decision striking down important workers’ compensation reforms passed last year by the Legislature and signed into law by the governor.

“We were very disappointed with the court's ruling, which thwarts the Legislature and governor's good-faith efforts to improve Oklahoma's broken workers' compensation system,” said Morgan. “Workers' compensation is consistently rated as one of the top issues of concern for our business members. We support Attorney General Pruitt's court filing today that seeks to put in place much-needed, commonsense reforms that will work to protect injured workers while helping to bring some fairness and consistency to the system for Oklahoma businesses. These reforms are needed and we support Attorney General Pruitt's efforts to ensure they become law.”

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