OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) – Gov. Kevin Stitt made key Oklahoma Commerce leadership appointments this week.
Stitt announced on Thursday that John Budd will serve as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Department of Commerce and Deborah Moorad as the Secretary of Commerce.
“As Oklahoma continues to be one of the fastest-growing economies in the nation, I’m confident that John Budd and Deborah Moorad are the right leaders to keep our momentum going,” Stitt said. “John’s experience in both the public and private sectors, combined with Deborah’s impressive track record of driving innovation and business growth, will ensure Oklahoma remains a top ten destination for businesses and entrepreneurs.”
Budd was Oklahoma’s first Chief Operating Officer (COO) from 2019 to 2021. As COO, he oversaw day-to-day state government operations and implemented strategic reforms to improve efficiency. Budd’s pre-state government work includes Chief Strategy Officer at Sonic Drive-In from 2013 to 2018. He most recently served as COO of the George Kaiser Family Foundation.
“Oklahoma is on the move, and I’m honored to step back into state service to economic growth and opportunity across the state,” Budd said. “Our mission is to ensure Oklahoma is the best place to live, work, and do business, and I look forward to working alongside Governor Stitt, Secretary Moorad, and the incredible team at the Department of Commerce to make that happen.”
Moorad has extensive entrepreneurship, corporate leadership and economic development experience. She was the founding CEO and owner of Jax XII Holdings, and helped innovators and companies scale through technology.
She is also an advisor at Cortado Ventures, an Oklahoma City-based venture capital firm, and a global commercialization consultant at the University of Texas at Austin.
Moorad previously led multiple biotech companies. She was CEO of CorriXR Therapeutics and Nature Technology Corp. NTC pioneered breakthrough gene therapy technologies while she was in charge, which led to Aldevron, a Danaher Company, acquiring it.
She was also a pivotal part of post-merger operations for Dentsply Sirona following its $14.5 billion merger.
“As a business strategist, I know the work it takes to transform a bold idea into a successful venture—and I couldn’t be more excited to work with the Department of Commerce and Governor Stitt’s cabinet to give Oklahoma businesses the resources they need to compete,” said Moorad. “As secretary of commerce, I’m committed to making Oklahoma the very best state for businesses to launch, scale, and thrive.”
