Gary Sherrer

Gary is retired and a former member of the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (DASNR) leadership team at Oklahoma State University. As the Assistant Vice President for External Affairs, Gary worked with the Oklahoma Legislature on funding issues for DASNR and the Agriculture Extension offices across the state. The Cooperative Extension Services has a presence in all 77 counties. It works to develop science-based educational programs to help Oklahomans solve issues and concerns, promote leadership, and manage resources wisely. Gary also worked closely with the other farm groups in Oklahoma and assisted the Dean of Agriculture in working with the Dean’s Advisory Committee.

Gary served four terms in the Oklahoma House of Representatives where he chaired the House Agriculture Committee and was a member of the leadership team. He served on Governor David Walters's Cabinet as Oklahoma’s First Secretary of Agriculture and Commissioner. He served on the Cabinets of both Governor Frank Keating and Mary Fallin as their Secretary of the Environment and assisted Governor-Elect Brad Henry as a member of his transition team.

In 2004, Gary was a co-founder of First Trinity Life, an Oklahoma-based insurance company that has stockholders in all 77 counties. The company has since grown to be an over $400 million enterprise and has expanded into 30 other states, helping to keep the entrepreneurial spirit alive and thriving in Oklahoma.

Gary serves not only as a proud board member of REI Oklahoma but also as a board member of the REI Development Corp and the REI New Markets Investment, LLC. The New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program attracts investment capital to low-income communities by offering investors a tax credit in exchange for making equity investments in Community Development Entities (CDEs). The CEDs in turn use the capital raised to make investments in low-income communities. Since its inception, more than $320 million has been deployed in Oklahoma and has affected 3,400 long-term jobs in low-income communities.

Gary has dedicated many years of service to the state of Oklahoma as a legislator and a member of three governor’s cabinets. Also, through his close work with the Cooperative Extension Offices in the state and his work with each Agricultural-Farm Group, Gary has helped positively impact Oklahoma Communities by providing many opportunities for agricultural enterprises.