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Drew Edmondson
A true “Okie from Muskogee”, Drew Edmondson has dedicated his life to the service of others. Edmondson graduated from Northeastern State University and The University of Tulsa College of Law before joining the United States Navy and serving a tour of duty in Vietnam.
Edmondson worked as a teacher before being elected to the Oklahoma Legislature and then Muskogee County District Attorney. In 1994 he was elected Oklahoma Attorney General, an office he held for 16 years. He used his time during this period to make a generational impact.
In 1998 he joined seven other attorneys general to negotiate a $206 billion national settlement that would forever change the way tobacco companies market their products. In Oklahoma, the settlement led to the creation of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust—TSET—a constitutionally protected fund championed by Edmondson to guarantee the tobacco settlement proceeds would be spent on public health in perpetuity. Today, TSET contains more than $1 billion and has helped make Oklahoma a hub for cancer research.
Edmondson also championed sustainable clean water, successfully filing suit against a dozen poultry companies for polluting the Illinois River. The lawsuit led to remediation of the watershed, even as the state awaits a final, court-approved remediation plan.
During his time in office, Edmondson fought public corruption and Medicaid fraud, protected victim’s rights, and enforced the Open Meetings Act. He served as president of the National Association of Attorneys General and was given its highest award. Since 2010 Edmondson has been in the private practice of law.
Julie Bisbee
Julie Bisbee is the Executive Director for TSET and the former Director of Public Information and Outreach for the agency. Prior to her time at TSET, Bisbee served as the policy director for the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy and worked as a newspaper reporter for more than a decade. Bisbee worked in The Oklahoman’s Capitol Bureau, the Associated Press in Oklahoma City and The Monitor in McAllen, Texas. Bisbee has a degree in journalism from Ball State University, has completed the Governor’s Executive Development Program for State Officials and completed the legal assistant program at the University of Oklahoma College of Law.
Audrina Baker, a senior at Classen SAS High School.
Audrina Baker is a senior at Classen SAS High School. She has been in the Youth Action for Health Leadership (YAHL) program, a youth-led initiative for a healthier Oklahoma, for four years and is currently on the Leadership Team. Audrina enjoys baking, going to football games, playing word games and going on early morning drives with her mom. In addition to her involvement with YAHL, Audrina is also involved in Student Council (STUCO) and JROTC.
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