SSC Participates in Southeast Oklahoma Legislative Briefing

Josh Hutton
Posing for a group photo, Seminole State College employees, Regents, Foundation Trustees, local community supporters, legislators and students show their support at the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education’s Southeast Region Legislative Briefing at Pete’s Place in Krebs on Dec. 3.
Seminole State College employees, Regents, Foundation Trustees, local community supporters, legislators and students show their support at the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education’s Southeast Region Legislative Briefing at Pete’s Place in Krebs on Dec. 3.

Seminole State College participated in the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education’s Southeast Oklahoma Legislative Briefing on Dec. 3 at Pete’s Place in Krebs. SSC was joined by delegations from other higher education institutions and state legislators for the event.

The program featured Sean Burrage, the new Chancellor of the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, who officially assumed his role as the system’s 10th Chancellor on Dec. 2. Chancellor Burrage outlined the State Regents’ 2025 legislative agenda, emphasizing initiatives aimed at advancing education and workforce training for adult learners.

Among the legislative priorities discussed were: expanding the Oklahoma Opportunity Education Scholarship tax credit to support need-based scholarships for students at public institutions, creating an appeals process for Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship recipients facing unique circumstances, stabilizing property insurance rates for educational institutions, enhancing campus safety and security measures and strengthening the concurrent enrollment model to provide more opportunities for high school students to earn college credit.

Several legislators attended on behalf of SSC, including Speaker of the House Kyle Hilbert, Sen. Grant Green, Rep. Danny Williams, Rep. Dell Kerbs and Rep. Danny Sterling.

Pictured (left to right): SSC sophomore Logan Hill of Edmond, sophomore Clayton Moore of Norman, Speaker of the House Kyle Hilbert, freshman Melanie Long of Yukon and freshman Adisen Williamson of Oklahoma City, pose for a group photo.
Pictured (left to right): SSC sophomore Logan Hill of Edmond, sophomore Clayton Moore of Norman, Speaker of the House Kyle Hilbert, freshman Melanie Long of Yukon and freshman Adisen Williamson of Oklahoma City.

SSC’s delegation included a diverse group of students, regents, foundation trustees, and community supporters. Participating students were Logan Hill, Melanie Long, Clayton Moore and Adisen Williamson. SSC Regents Chair Curtis Morgan and Ryan Pitts were joined by SSC Educational Foundation trustees Chair Mark Schell, John Hargrave, Kim Hyden, Rhonda McKee and Lance Wortham. Community members Seminole City Manager Steve Saxon, Randy Gilbert and Paige Sherry also attended. Additionally, Karel Brewster of the Brewster and Associates legislative consulting firm and Sen. Chris Kidd, who now serves as the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Association of Community Colleges, were part of the delegation.

Representing SSC employees were President Lana Reynolds, Director of Community Relations Kim Pringle, Rural Business and Resources Center Director Danny Morgan and RBRC Consultant Larry Smith.

The event underscored the collaborative efforts of higher education institutions and state leaders to address key educational and workforce challenges. The event was attended by delegations representing Carl Albert State College, Connors State College, East Central University, Eastern Oklahoma State College, Seminole State College and Southeastern Oklahoma State University.