Lee Denney

Lee Denney
Speaker Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from the 33 district
In office 2004–2016
Preceded by	Dale Wells
Personal details
Born	(1953-09-19)September 19, 1953 Cushing, OK
Political party	Republican Party (United States)
Profession	Co-owner of Veterinary Medical Associates, Inc., former educator at Central Tech

Lee R. Denney is a politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Elected in 2005, Denney currently serves in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, representing district 33. She currently serves as the Speaker Pro Tempore of the House. During her time in office, Denney has been the primary author of 204 bills. Previously, Denney has served as the Mayor and Vice-Mayor of Cushing, OK. She has been a co-owner of Veterinary Medical Associates, Inc. since 1979.

Early life

Born in Cushing, OK in 1953, Denney was the middle child, with an older sister and a younger brother. Her mother was a stay-at-home mom and her father worked in the insurance business. In 1971, Denney graduated from Cushing High School.

Education

In the fall of 1971, Denney attended Oklahoma State University, where she pursued a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics. She graduated in 1976 and soon after received her DVM (Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine) in 1978.^[1]

Career

Before being elected to the House, Denney worked as the co-owner of Veterinary Medical Associates, Inc. in Oklahoma since 1979. Apart from that, Denney has been involved in her community in many capacities over the years. Denney served as the City Commission Mayor and Vice-Mayor of Cushing, OK from 1994-2003. From 1995-2004, she served on the Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners and is a member of the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association as well as the American Veterinary Medical Association.^[2]

House of Representatives (2005- Present)

Denney was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2005. Over 11 years, she has authored 204 bills^[3] and currently serves as the Speaker Pro Tempore. She was recently appointed to the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women by the Oklahoma House of Representatives.^[4]

Past Committees^[5]

• A&B Common Education, Chair
• Appropriations and Budget
• Common Education
• Conference Committee on Common Education
• Conference Committee on Energy and Aerospace
• Conference Committee on Higher Education and CareerTech
• Energy and Aerospace
• General Conference Committee on Appropriations
• Higher Education and CareerTech
• Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget

Denney now serves as the Ex Officio voting member on all House Committees

Leadership

• Assistant Majority Floor Leader
• Speaker Pro Tempore (2015–present)^[6]

Awards and Honors

• Leadership Oklahoma Class VII
• Journal Record – 50 Women Making a Difference (1997, 2003 & 2008)
• OK State Regents for Higher Ed - Distinguished Service Award (2009 & 2011)
• Bill Lowry Library Champion Award (2008 & 2011)
• New Oklahoma Legislator of the Year (2006)
• Honorary Co-Chair of Girl Scout Troop 1912

References

Further reading

• "State Rep. Lee Denney: Oklahoma conservatives support education funding". newsok.com. NewsOK. Retrieved 21 April 2015. 
• Shelden, Darla. "State House advances expansion of public charter schools". city-sentinel.com. The City Seninel. Retrieved 21 April 2015. 
• Krehbiel, Randy. "Oklahoma House Speaker Pro Tem Lee Denney seeks $600 million for common education in 12-year proposal". tulsaworld.com. Tulsa World. Retrieved 21 April 2015. 
• McGuigan, Patrick. "Oklahoma Rep. Lee Denney attends Obama speech, welcomes him to Cushing and applauds pipeline progress -- but disagrees on priorities". capitolbeatok.com. CapitolBeatOK. Retrieved 21 April 2015. 
• Women of the Oklahoma Legislature Oral History Project -- OSU Library