Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency Staff
The Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) is a state agency in the legislative branch that assists the Oklahoma House and Senate. LOFT provides budgetary recommendations to the LOFT Oversight Committee for use in setting the funding of state government, higher education, and public schools. LOFT is charged with ensuring state agency programs are efficient, effective and transparent. The LOFT Oversight Committee includes seven
Senators and seven Representatives with political parties represented in proportion to membership in each house of the legislature.
Mike Jackson, Executive Director
Mr. Jackson was named the first Executive Director for the Legislative
Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) in May 2020. Prior to this role, Jackson
spent six years with the State Chamber of Oklahoma; the last three as its
Executive Vice President. Previously, he represented Enid as a member of the
Oklahoma House of Representatives for five terms (10 years). During his final
term in the House, Jackson held the leadership role of Speaker Pro Tempore,
presiding over legislative sessions and serving as a voting member on all
committees. During his time in the Legislature, Jackson helped with the
development of rules and the enactment of meaningful reforms and improvements
that have strengthened Oklahoma. Prior to serving in the Legislature, Jackson
was the Northwest Field Representative for U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe and worked as
a Public Information officer for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture. He
holds a B.A. in Communications with a minor in Agricultural Economics from
Oklahoma State University and obtained professional certification from the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Organization Management program.
Regina Birchum,
Deputy Director
Ms. Birchum most recently helped to establish, launch and lead the
Oklahoma City campus of the nationally renowned Cristo Rey Network of high
schools. Prior to this, Birchum spent 15 years at the State Capitol in numerous
roles involving public policy and communications, including serving five years
as the Deputy Treasurer for Policy and Chief of Staff to the State Treasurer.
While with the Treasury, she helped to launch a new publication for enhanced
reporting of state financial data, was a member of a national policy working
group to examine business incentives, assisted with putting the state’s
checkbook online and implementation of a first-in-the-nation performance pay
program for the office’s Unclaimed Property Division. During her prior 10 years
working for the Oklahoma House of Representatives, she coordinated House
Leadership’s policy initiative on government modernization, helping to implement
reforms that led to improved transparency and accountability in state
government. Birchum holds a B.A. in Mass Communication from Texas State
University and has completed the Executive Leadership Development Program from
the Stayer Center for Executive Education at the University of Notre Dame.
Zach Sumner, Senior Project Manager of Financial Operations and Change Management
Mr. Sumner joined LOFT after serving as the Chief Organizational
Effectiveness Officer for Salt and Light Leadership Training, Inc., where he
developed data-reporting capabilities, managed finances, conducted
scenario-forecast budgeting, and developed processes for increased efficiency
and improved outcomes. Previously, Sumner was an executive officer with the E
Foundation. He is an active volunteer for the Organization Development Network,
a current fellow with the Mine Fellowship in Social Innovation, a Board Member
of the Institute of Management Accountants, and holds the following degrees: a
M.S. in Organization Development from Pepperdine University, and a B.S. in both
Accounting and Finance from the University of Central Oklahoma. Sumner has
earned a Certificate in Municipal Leadership from Oklahoma City University, is a
Certified Managerial Accountant, a Certified Fraud Examiner, is certified in
Data Analytics and Visualization, and is studying toward his certification as a
Public Accountant. He also has earned Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification
from the OCCC Professional Development Institute.
Brad Ward, Program Evaluator
After a distinguished 8-year career with the United States Army, Mr. Ward
became an advocate for military veterans, first coordinating the VetHERO program
for the University of Central Oklahoma and, most recently, serving as the
Operations and Policy Analyst for the Oklahoma Department of Veteran Affairs. In
this role, he analyzed data on veteran issues, examined outcomes to key
performance indicators, and generated the first report on the state impact of
federal education benefits to veterans. Ward has twice been recognized with the
“Oklahoma 30 under 30” award and has completed numerous leadership programs,
including the American Enterprise Institute, the VFW-SVA Legislative Fellowship
in Washington, D.C., and Leadership Edmond. He earned a B.A. in Criminal Justice
Policy and an M.P.A., both from the University of Central Oklahoma.
Frank Magness, Financial Analyst
Mr. Magness joined LOFT after spending six years as an independent
contractor providing project management, financial analysis, consulting and
title examination services, primarily for the energy industry. He provided
in-depth risk assessments and quality control review. Previously, he spent eight
years working as a Senior Credit Analyst for four different banks in Oklahoma,
Texas and Colorado. In these roles, he analyzed multi-million-dollar portfolios,
conducted credit and risk analysis, provided quality assurance for credit
analysis, and ensured regulatory compliance. Magness holds a B.S. in Finance
from Oklahoma State University and expects to complete his M.B.A. from the
University of Maryland Global Campus in 2021. He also has the following
certifications: from the Risk Management Association – Certificate of Continuing
Education for Advanced Underwriting Techniques, Direct & Indirect Cash Flow
Analysis, and Commercial Lending Basics; from the Western States School of
Banking – Certificate of Continuing Education in Cash Flow Basic, Advanced Cash
Flow Analysis, and Commercial Lending Cash Flow; from Udemy, Inc., the Complete
SQL Bootcamp, from Basics to Advanced Concepts.
Kaitlyn Jasper, Program Evaluator
Prior to joining LOFT, Ms. Jasper spent three years as a Policy Research Fellow for the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, with a policy focus on health care and criminal justice reform. In this role, Jasper produced policy briefs analyzing pending state and federal legislation that encompassed SoonerCare, Oklahoma’s Medicaid program and Oklahoma’s criminal justice system. Prior to joining OCPA, Jasper spent time in Washington D.C. interning for the Heritage Foundation and the U.S. Senate Committee for Environment and Public Works. Jasper holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma and is a 2020 graduate of the Oklahoma Leadership Exchange Academy and the Koch Associate Program.
Andrew Welch, Program Evaluator
Mr. Welch brings to LOFT a diverse background including work for non-profits and both local and state government. He joined LOFT after working as Legislative Analyst for the Oklahoma State Senate, where he supported the Senate Energy and Transportation Committees. Prior to his work for the Oklahoma Senate, Welch worked as a Program Administrator for the New York University Office of Sustainability. While in New York, he also led municipal task forces analyzing local government performance and providing recommendations to meet the goals of the community and local leadership. Welch has a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Science from the University of Missouri, and a M.A. in Environmental Policy from Pace University.
Katherine Grayson, Executive Assistant
Ms. Grayson most recently served as the Administrative Assistant and Event
Coordinator for both the State Chamber of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Economic
Development Council. During her five years with the Chamber and the Council, she
coordinated meeting logistics, managed databases, maintained records and
assisted in the planning and execution of numerous events. She also provided
support to the Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce Executives. Previously, Grayson
worked for Convergys Corporation as a Team Leader, where she honed her customer
service skills.
Loft's contact information:
2300 N Lincoln Blvd.
State Capitol Building - Room 107
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
(405) 768-3200
info@okloft.gov