Name & Occupation: J. Kevin Stitt, Governor of the State of Oklahoma; Chair, National Governors Association
Previous Positions held: Before I ever ran for office, I was an entrepreneur and business leader.
I founded Gateway Mortgage with $1000 and a computer and grew it from a startup into a nationwide company operating in dozens of states. Along the way, we created good-paying jobs for American families and helped thousands of families chase their American Dream of homeownership.
I also serve as Chair of the National Governors Association, where I launched a “Reigniting the American Dream” initiative focused on promoting policies and ideas to promote education, entrepreneurship and energy so the American Dream is possible for the next 250 years.
Biggest difference between being an entrepreneur and an officeholder? As an entrepreneur, if you see a problem on Monday, you can usually start fixing it on Tuesday.
You set the vision, hire the team, and move fast, and if you execute, the market tells you pretty quickly whether you’re winning or losing.
In public office, you still set a vision, but you must build coalitions, work through a legislature, and bring a lot more stakeholders along before you can implement big changes.
The pace is different, and there’s a lot more process and politics, but the responsibility to deliver results for people is even greater.
And how is being a Governor similar to being a CEO? Being governor is very similar to being a CEO because you’re ultimately responsible for the direction, culture, and performance of the organization you lead. In Oklahoma, there are more than 30,000 state employees and a $12.8 billion state budget.
My approach has been to run Oklahoma like a business. That’s how we’re building one of the most pro-growth, business-friendly states in the entire country.
At the end of the day, both roles are about accountability, stewardship, and making sure people can chase the American Dream.
What is the one lesson from your pro-growth agenda that you wish Washington would apply tomorrow? The lesson I wish Washington would learn is simple: get out of the way and let Americans build.
In Oklahoma, we’ve shown that when you keep taxes low, cut unnecessary regulations, protect energy and agriculture, and make it easy to start and grow a business, you have a state where the American Dream is alive and well.
Washington tends to think more programs and more bureaucracy are the answer; I think the answer is more freedom, more competition, and a federal government that trusts states and entrepreneurs to solve problems from the bottom up.
What are you looking forward to the most as the nation celebrates the semiquincentennial? As we celebrate 250 years of the United States, I’m most looking forward to reminding our kids what an incredible story this country really is.
America is still the greatest idea in the history of the world. We live in a nation built on freedom, faith, hard work, and the belief that you can build a better tomorrow for your family.
Through OK250 and America 250, I’m excited to showcase how Oklahoma’s pioneering spirit has helped shape that story and will keep driving it forward.
Finally, what do you hope the next 250 years look like for Oklahoma, and for the nation? For Oklahoma, I hope the next 250 years mean being the best place in America to live, work, raise a family.
I want us to keep leading on energy, agriculture, and entrepreneurship while making sure every kid, in every zip code, has access to a world class education and a shot at the American Dream.
For our nation, my hope is that we stay grounded in the principles of our Founders. That means limited government, individual liberty, the rule of law, and equal opportunity for every citizen, not guaranteed outcomes.
If we can keep that spirit alive, America’s best days will not be behind us. They will be ahead of us, and Oklahoma will be right in the middle of that story.