The Oklahoma Senate approved the executive nomination of Kingfisher resident Lori Burns on Tuesday to serve as a member of the Board of Regents of Redlands Community College in El Reno.

Sen. Darcy Jech, R-Kingfisher, carried the nomination.

Burns is currently a science teacher at Dover Public Schools.

She and her husband Ryan previously spent more than 20 years as the agricultural education instructors and FFA co-advisers at Kingfisher High School, building one of the top FFA chapters in the nation.

Burns is also a member of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, American Farmers and Ranchers and Oklahoma Ag Credit. The Burnses have three sons, Peyton, Braden and Colton.

“Lori has spent years in the classroom molding and shaping the minds of our future leaders,” Jech said. “Her accomplishments speak for themselves, and her counsel on the board of regents will be vital to the future success of Redlands Community College.”

Burns will succeed Kingfisher native Richard Ruhl on the board.

“I have appreciated the opportunity to have served the Redlands Community College community and the State of Oklahoma as a Redlands regent for the past eight years,” Ruhl said.

“During my time as a regent, the board of regents was forced to make some very difficult decisions. However, through the strong leadership of the college president, administration, faculty and staff, the college has remained in a strong financial position and continues to be a premier community college destination in Oklahoma.

“Mrs. Burns will be an outstanding regent for Redlands,” Ruhl said. “I have great respect for Lori, and she will be a stable, engaged leader for the college. I wish her the best as a regent.”