“Jeffrey goes above and beyond to help Oklahomans – that’s who he is,” said Governor Stitt. “The Office of Juvenile Affairs flourished under his leadership, and I’m confident he will bring the same level of excellence to Human Services. He is a passionate advocate for vulnerable Oklahomans, and I’m excited to see how he continues to work towards our goal of being Top Ten in everything we do.”

Governor Stitt appointed Cartmell as the executive director of the Office of Juvenile Affairs in 2023. Prior, he was counselor to Secretary of State Brian Bingman and served as deputy general counsel to the governor for two years. Between 2017 and 2019, Cartmell worked in the private sector as an associate attorney at Lytle, Soule & Curlee after serving two years as a division director within the Office of Management and Enterprise Services. Cartmell was a deputy general counsel to former Governor Mary Fallin from 2012 and 2014.

“It’s an honor to continue to serve the State of Oklahoma under Governor Stitt’s leadership,” said Jeffrey Cartmell. “The Department of Human Service serves hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans every day, many of them facing some of the most challenging and vulnerable circumstances. I’m eager to continue building on the momentum at DHS and investing in programs and resources that support the Governor’s top ten vision.”

Cartmell earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Writing and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma in 2009 and 2012, respectively. Cartmell became an adjunct professor of law at his alma mater in 2021, teaching a seminar course on government law.

Cartmell will begin at DHS on September 16, 2024.

Governor Stitt's appointment of Cartmell can be found here and his headshot is available here.