Attorney fills vacant seat on Oklahoma County's jail trust after being sworn in Monday
Shelly A. Perkins attended her first meeting as a member of Oklahoma County's jail trust Monday.
Perkins, an attorney and community advocate, was sworn in by Oklahoma County Commissioner Myles Davidson before the meeting began. Perkins will take a seat on the trust previously held by Sue Ann Arnall.
Trust Chairman Joe Allbaugh welcomed her at the meeting's start.
"You will enjoy this. There will be good days and bad days, but we all survive," Allbaugh said.
Trust officials said Perkins brings a wealth of experience to the post. She established an independent law practice nearly three years ago after nearly four years working as a lawyer for Resolution Legal Group.
Before that, she worked for Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt for a year, preparing supervisory antitrust opinions for Oklahoma agencies, boards and commissions and serving as director of the agency's communications and public relations division.
More: Sue Ann Arnall's resignation leaves lingering questions about jail funding problems
Prior to working for the attorney general, Perkins managed a nonprofit team and worked in the areas of estate planning and business transactions at DeBee Gilchrist, now DeBee Clark, where she first started working as an intern while in law school. Perkins also previously served as trust officer and assistant general counsel at Legacy Bank.
Before embarking on her legal career, Perkins spent nearly a decade in politics, working for U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts Jr. in both his Norman and Washington, D.C., congressional offices and in several capacities on his 1998 and 2000 campaigns.
Perkins ran Jeff Cloud’s statewide campaign for a seat on Oklahoma's Corporation Commission in 2002 and subsequently served as his administrative aide while Cloud held the office.
Earlier, she served as an executive director for a nonprofit, issue advocacy organization and also managed, consulted and fundraised for numerous federal, state and legislative candidates and political action committees from 2005 to 2009.
She earned her law degree from Oklahoma City University in 2007.
In a release issued Monday by the trust, Perkins said she looked forward to working with trust colleagues to oversee the detention center.
"My diverse experiences in law, non-profit management, and advocacy have prepared me well for this important responsibility, and I am committed to advocating for fairness, equity, and accountability within our criminal justice system," she said.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Attorney Shelly Perkins on Monday joined the Oklahoma County jail trust
