Oklahoma State University President Kayse Shrum has selected Dr. Johnny Stephens as interim president of the OSU-Tulsa Campus and Chris Benge has been named interim senior vice president for the OSU-Tulsa campus.

Stephens will continue as the interim president of OSU Center for Health Sciences and senior vice president for health affairs for the OSU System.

He has been a faculty member, researcher and assistant dean at the OSU Center for Health Sciences (OSU-CHS). Most recently he served as chief operating officer and senior vice president for OSU-CHS. Stephens will succeed Pamela Fry who announced in July her plans to retire in January.

Benge will oversee the day-to-day operations and execution of strategic priorities for the campus. Benge was chairman of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee and was speaker of the Oklahoma House.

A member of the Cherokee Nation, he also served as secretary of state and Native American affairs under Gov. Mary Fallin. In Tulsa, Benge served as an advisor to Mayor Dewey Bartlett and also as senior vice president of government affairs at the Tulsa Regional Chamber. Most recently he has served as the executive director of Rural and Tribal Health Policy at the OSU Center for Health Sciences’ Center for Rural Health.

Stephens has named Bill Schloss as interim chief operating officer for OSU-CHS. Schloss will lead administrative initiatives as well as oversee patient care delivery at OSU Medicine academic clinics, direct Project ECHO programs and manage the Health Access Network. Schloss has a long career in health care administration, including roles with Saint Francis Health System and the University of Kansas Health system.