Higher education officials name Oklahoma’s new chancellor

Sean Burrage speaks to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education after he was named the next chancellor for higher education with a unanimous vote on Oct. 9 at the regents' offices in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice)

OKLAHOMA CITY — Higher education officials on Wednesday tapped a University of Oklahoma vice president to serve as the next state chancellor.

Sean Burrage was named chancellor by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. Burrage will start Dec. 2. His starting annual salary will be $415,000.

He will replace Allison Garrett who served as chancellor for three years. Garrett announced her retirement in July. A search for her replacement began later that month. Her final day as chancellor will be Dec. 1.

As Burrage addressed the regents Wednesday after they unanimously voted to name him the chancellor-elect.

“I promise I’ll continue to be a tireless advocate for all of our public colleges and universities, and most importantly the students we serve,” he said. “It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to do this work with all of these people.”

Burrage quickly left the meeting after the announcement and was not available for interviews.

Burrage currently serves as the vice president for executive affairs and chief of staff at University of Oklahoma. He was previously president of Southeastern Oklahoma State University. From 2011 to 2014 he served as minority floor leader of the Oklahoma Senate and was elected twice to represent Rogers and Mayes Counties. Burrage also was a managing partner with Taylor Burrage Law Firm in Claremore.

“He is an experienced leader and has a proven track record in higher education, public service and the private sector,” Regent Jeffrey Hickman said. “His experience … makes him uniquely qualified for this role.”

Burrage was part of the State Regents’ Blueprint 2030 strategic planning committee and has worked on a task force on the future of higher education. He also worked with former Gov. Mary Fallin on her Education Advisory Committee and has served on several other committees, associations and boards related to higher education.

He’s an Oklahoma native and has his bachelor’s in accounting and a law degree from OU. He is also a member of the Choctaw Nation.

Burrage, along with Regent Dennis Casey, chair of the board, thanked Garrett for her help in propelling the regents forward during her tenure as chancellor. Casey also thanked the board for their dedication during the search for a new chancellor.

“We’ve invested significant time in the chancellor search, and I’m grateful for the board’s dedication to fulfilling this important responsibility,” Casey said. “The process brought a strong pool of candidates from both Oklahoma and across the nation.”

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