President Andy’s e-mail January 13th, 2010

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What can I say about Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry that others haven’t already said? You know the personal background. He grew up in Shawnee, graduated from Shawnee High School, attended the University of Oklahoma as a President’s Leadership Scholar, and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1985 and a law degree in 1988. He returned to Shawnee to practice law with his father, Charles Henry.

You know the family background. He married the former Kim Blain. The Henrys have three daughters: Leah, Laynie and Baylee.

You know the record. Henry spent 10 years in the Oklahoma State Senate, and chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee. He won a hotly contested runoff for the Democratic nomination for Governor in 2002, then won the general election against his heavily favored opponent. In 2006, Governor Henry won reelection by one of the largest margins in state history, receiving over 66% of the votes.

But here are some things you may not know. You may not know that Brad Henry is a hard worker, who takes care of the details others often ignore. He did this chairing the Senate Judiciary Committee, regularly making certain bills approved by the Legislature were constitutional. And he does this as Governor. For example, he personally interviews each person presented to him by the Judicial Nominating Commission before he decides who to appoint as a judge. This is a time consuming, but vital task.

You may not know how seriously he takes the teaching of part one of our Four-Way Test. I saw it firsthand on his Transition Team, when he put together his first budget. He took office in the midst of the worst budget crisis in state history, and had pledged to balance the budget without increasing taxes. He kept his word, doing so at a time when other newly elected governors around the country did otherwise.

You may not know how seriously he takes the teaching of the rest of our Four-Way Test. But I’ve seen first hand how he has transcended partisanship, how he has worked with people from both sides of the aisle to do what is best for Oklahoma.

In an age when political leaders all seem to have handlers, Brad Henry is the real thing. The Brad Henry you see in public is the Brad Henry you would see in private.

You may not know how seriously he takes the teaching of our Rotary Motto, Service Above Self. I’ve seen how Brad Henry puts it into practice. He likes to quote his uncle, Lloyd Henry, who said, “Public service is the rent you pay for the space you occupy.” This saying is a defining feature of Brad Henry.

I am proud to have Brad Henry as my Governor, and am honored to call Brad Henry my friend. Please give a warm Rotary Club of Edmond to the Governor of the State of Oklahoma, Brad Henry.

Andy

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