Kevin Easley (born 1960) is an American oil and gas executive who was a leading legislator in the

Oklahoma House of Representatives The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, provide legislative oversight for state agencies, and help to craft the state's b ...

and the

Oklahoma Senate The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.Grand River Dam Authority The Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA) is an agency of the state of Oklahomcreated to control, develop, and maintain the Grand River (Oklahoma), Grand River waterway. It was created by the Oklahoma state legislature in 1935, and is headquartered in ...

for seven years in the

U.S. State In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

. He is the President and Chief Executive Officer of New Dominion, LLC, in

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

.
New Dominion, LLC (accessed Jan. 15, 2014)

Early life and education

Easley was born in 1960, the son of Truman and Mary Easley. After graduating in 1978 from Tulsa's East Central High School (Oklahoma), East Central High School, he attended the

University of Tulsa The University of Tulsa (TU) is a private research university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It has a historic affiliation with the Presbyterian Church and the campus architectural style is predominantly Collegiate Gothic. The school traces its origin to ...

where he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1982. He earned a master's degree in business administration with honors from

Oklahoma Christian University Oklahoma Christian University (OC) is a private Christian university in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was founded in 1950 by members of the Churches of Christ. History Oklahoma Christian University, originally named Central Christian College, w ...

in 2009.

Professional career

Easley served Oklahomans as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1985 to 1990 and as a member of the Oklahoma Senate from 1991 to 2003. While a legislator, Easley also held various management roles for Samson Energy, Home-Stake Oil and Gas Company, and BP Amoco. He was the executive director of the Grand River Dam Authority from March 2004 through April 2011, and investments director at the authority from 2010 through April 2011. He was named president and chief executive officer of New Dominion, LLC, in August, 2011.

Political career

At just 24 years of age, Easley joined the Oklahoma House of Representatives in January 1985 as its youngest member.January 6, 1985 40th Legislature Has Bipartisan Look
''The Oklahoman'', January 6, 1985. (accessed January 15, 2014, Registration Required) As a House member that year, he authored a law requiring drivers and passengers in moving motor vehicles to wear seatbelts.May 31, 1985 Governor to Settle Debate Over Seat Belt Bill
''The Oklahoman'', May 31, 1985. (accessed January 15, 2014, Registration Required) In 1990, Easley won a seat in the Oklahoma Senate, and as a Senator, turned his attention to bettering the state's economy and environment. A joint resolution he authored in 1991 created a new state commission to study how to boost natural gas prices, and, in 1992, he authored a law recommended by the commission that required operators of hundreds of the state's largest natural gas wells to cut production during the warmest months of the year in an effort to boost prices for the commodity to spur more drilling activity within the state.March 25, 1992 State Limits Gas Output
''The Oklahoman'', March 25, 1992. (accessed January 15, 2014, Registration Required) In 1993, as Chairman of the Oklahoma Senate Natural Resources Committee, Easley authored a law creating, funding and setting out duties for the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board,April 20, 1993 House Oks Plan For Oil Production Fee Expansion
''The Oklahoman'', April 20, 1993. (accessed January 15, 2014, Registration Required) and also authored a law that consolidated Oklahoma's environmental regulatory efforts into a new agency, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.May 2, 1993 Agency Taking Environmental Reins
''The Oklahoman'', May 2, 1993 (accessed January 15, 2014, Registration Required) In 1994, Easley authored a law setting up tax breaks for technologically challenging oil and gas well drilling and production techniques within Oklahoma to encourage more drilling within the state.May 25, 1994 House Oks Tax Break For Drillers
''The Oklahoman'', May 25, 1994 (accessed January 15, 2014, Registration Required) Those tax breaks, periodically renewed by the Legislature, continue today. In January 2004, Easley resigned his Senate seat to become the Executive Director of the Grand River Development Authority.January 23, 2004 Senator may resign for new job
''The Oklahoman'', January 23, 2004 (accessed January 15, 2014, Registration Required) The state-owned electric utility is fully funded by revenues from electric and water sales, serves nearly 500,000 homes in Oklahoma, and manages 70,000 surface acres of lakes in the state, including Grand Lake, Lake Hudson and the W.R. Holway Reservoir.
Grand River Development Authority (accessed January 14, 2014) Under his leadership, the Authority: *Created a new Assistant General Manager position in 2004 to formulate marketing plans and to get long-term power provider contracts to secure future revenue streams for the authority. It also, in the same year, created a new Office of Ecosystems Management within the authority to clean shorelines, to map structures and docks at Grand Lake and to improve the authority's stewardship of the natural resources under its control.
Grand River Dam Authority 2004 Annual Financial Report (accessed January 15, 2014) *Focused in 2005 on adding conservation and reclamation projects that included water quality studies, boater and sportsmen educational programs, and habitat improvement projects undertaken with cooperation from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board and Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
Grand River Dam Authority 2005 Annual Financial Report (accessed January 15, 2014) *Prepared a final draft in late 2007 of a shoreline management plan for Grand Lake to serve as a blueprint for future development around the 46,500-acre surface lake.
Grand River Dam Authority 2007 Annual Financial Report (accessed January 15, 2014) *Issued more than $575 million in revenue bonds in 2008 to make various system upgrades, including buying part ownership of a natural

gas-fired power plant A gas-fired power plant or gas-fired power station or natural gas power plant is a thermal power station which burns natural gas to generate electricity. Natural gas power stations generate almost a quarter of world electricity and a signifi ...

to add to the authority's portfolio of dams and coal-fired generating stations. The authority successfully sold the bonds at an attractive interest rate because of improved credit ratings brought about by solid management of the authority by its officers and board.
Grand River Dam Authority 2008 Annual Financial Report (accessed January 15, 2014) *Built and opened in 2009 a new Ecosystems and Education Center at Grand Lake that includes a water quality laboratory, storage facilities and conference space for lectures and public educational programs.
Grand River Dam Authority 2009 Annual Financial Report (accessed January 15, 2014)

Honors and memberships

*In 2002, Easley was named Man of the Year by the Oklahoma Rural Water Association in appreciation and recognition of his dedicated service and leadership at the local, state and national levels to promote the development and expansion of rural water systems, and for his exceptional efforts to assure an adequate supply of good quality water for all rural Oklahomans. *In 2002, Easley also received the President's Award from the Grand Lake Association in recognition of his outstanding contributions and his continued support of the Grand Lake area. *In 2004, Easley received a Special Recognition Award from the South Grand Lake Area Chamber of Commerce (known as the Grand Lake Area Chamber of Commerce in 2014) honoring him for "outstanding and dedicated service making Grand Lake the most desirable location in Oklahoma." *Easley served on the

American Public Power Association The American Public Power Association (APPA) is the service organization for approximately 2,000 U.S community-owned electric utilities that serve more than 49 million Americans. APPA was created in September 1940 to represent the common intere ...

Board of Directors from 2006 through 2010, and served on the American Public Power Association's Executive Committee from 2009 through 2010. *Easley served on the Executive Committee of the

United States Energy Council United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...

from 1994 to 2004. *Easley served on the

Southwest Power Pool Southwest Power Pool (SPP) manages the electric grid and wholesale power market for the central United States. As a regional transmission organization, the nonprofit corporation is mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to ensure ...

Board of Directors from 2005 to 2011. *Easley currently serves on the Tulsa Regional Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
Tulsa Regional Chamber Board of Directors (accessed Jan. 17, 2014)

Personal life

Easley is married to DeaAnn Winkle. They have three children and reside in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

References

External links

New Dominion, LLCOklahoma Rural Water AssociationGrand Lake AssociationGrand Lake Area Chamber of Commerce

United States Energy CouncilTulsa Regional Chamber of Commerce
{{DEFAULTSORT:Easley, Kevin 1960 births Living people 20th-century members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Democratic Party Oklahoma state senators University of Tulsa alumni Oklahoma Christian University alumni