In her position, Budd will implement and manage a strategic effort to improve student outcomes by elevating the governance and overall system performance of schools, including traditional school districts and non-virtual charter schools. 

“My experience as a school board member taught me the critical role that boards, working with superintendents, have in providing a high quality public education to every student. I am eager to help the OSDE team enhance its oversight and support provided to governing boards across the state of Oklahoma,” said Budd. 

Budd earned her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She also holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Southern Methodist University. Budd spent more than 20 years working in the pharmaceutical industry in sales, marketing, research and analytics, and financial management.

In addition, Budd was elected to the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education in 2017. Her work with other board members directly led to stronger financial management, increased teacher and staff pay, and more effective superintendent leadership.