Angela Monson facts for kids

Angela Z. Monson (born July 31, 1955) is an American politician from Oklahoma. She has spent many years working to improve her community and state.

Angela Monson served in the Oklahoma State House of Representatives from 1990 to 1993. Later, she was a member of the Oklahoma Senate from 1993 to 2005. In 2003, she made history as the first African American woman to become the assistant majority floor leader in the Oklahoma legislature. This was a very important leadership role.

After her time in the state legislature, Monson continued to serve. She was the chairman of the Oklahoma City school board from 2009 to 2013. She also works at the Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center. There, she helps develop and analyze health policies. She is also a professor and serves on hospital and health boards.

Early Life and Education

Angela Monson was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on July 31, 1955. Her parents were Herman and Epron Monson. She grew up in Oklahoma City and went to public schools there. She graduated from Douglass High School.

After high school, Angela Monson attended the University of Oklahoma (OU). She received a special scholarship for leaders. She later transferred to Oklahoma City University. There, she earned her degree in law enforcement corrections, which is also known as criminal justice.

Her Career Journey

After college, Monson started working as a probation and parole officer. She helped people who had been in trouble with the law. She worked for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections in Shawnee, Oklahoma.

After a year, she moved back to Oklahoma City. She worked for a group called the Council for Resocialization of Ex-Offenders (CREO). This group helped people who had been in prison get back into society. During this time, Angela realized she wanted to do more than just follow laws. She wanted to help create them.

So, she went back to school. She earned her Master's degree in public administration from the University of Oklahoma. This degree helped her learn how to manage public services and government.

After getting her Master's, Monson worked as a traveling city manager. She helped six mostly African-American towns in Oklahoma. Later, she became a financial expert for the state legislature.

Angela Monson first tried to run for office in 1984 but did not win. She then worked selling insurance. In 1986, she joined the Oklahoma Health Care Campaign. She later became its executive director. She ran for the Oklahoma House of Representatives again in 1988 but was not successful. Finally, in 1990, Angela Monson ran for the legislature once more, and this time she was elected!

Political Career Highlights

From 1990 to 1993, Angela Monson served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. She represented District 99. Then, from 1993 to 2005, she was an Oklahoma senator. She represented District 48, which covers parts of northeastern Oklahoma County.

As a legislator, Monson worked on many health care bills. She was very involved with the Oklahoma Healthcare Authority. This agency helps manage health care for people in Oklahoma.

In 1998, a U.S. Secretary of Health appointed Monson to a national council. This council advised on health services. She even became the chair of this council.

From 2002 to 2003, she was the president of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). This was a big achievement, as she was the first African-American woman to lead this organization. In 2003, she also became the first African-American woman to be assistant majority floor leader in the Oklahoma legislature.

Senate Committees

While in the Senate, Angela Monson led several important committees:

• Chair of the Education committee
• Chair of the Finance committee
• Chair of the Appropriations Sub-committee on Group Health and Employee Benefits
• Vice-Chair of the Sub-Committee on Health and Social Services

The Mental Health Parity Bill (1996)

Angela Monson was recognized across the country for her work on the Mental Health Parity Act. She was the main supporter of a big part of this law in Oklahoma.

With the Mental Health Parity Act, Monson worked to make sure that mental health benefits were treated the same as medical or surgical benefits. This meant that insurance companies would have to cover mental health care with the same dollar amount as physical health care. This was a major step forward for mental health support.

After Political Life

After leaving the Senate, Monson continued her work in health policy. She became the Director of Health Policy Development and Analysis at the Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center.

She also serves on the board of trustees for the OU Medical Center. This is a hospital board. She is also a member of the Oklahoma City/County Board of Health. She had planned to retire after 2018.

Achievements and Service

Angela Monson has received many awards and recognitions for her dedication:

• Executive Director of the Oklahoma Health Care Project (1986-1990)
• Member of the Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care
• Oklahoma Afterschool Network Chairperson
• Girl Scouts Redland Council Board of Directors member
• Legislative Health Champion Award by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma
• Distinguished Legislator of the Year Award: American Psychiatric Association
• Legislator of the Year: Oklahoma Public Employees Association, the Oklahoma Psychological Association, the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, and PHRMA
• Advocate of the Year by the Families USA Foundation
• University of Oklahoma College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Alumnus Award
• Woman of the Year in Government by the Redlands Council of Girl Scouts
• Oklahoma Child Advocacy's Children's Hall of Fame inductee
• Friends of Children Award from the Oklahoma Association for the Education of Young Children
• Recipient of the Silver Banner Award from the Tuscan government (2003)
• Recognized by the Brazilian government for her work with women's rights in that country
• Kate Barnard Award Recipient (2006)
• Trustee of the Sickle Cell Cure Foundation

See Also

Other Sources

• Women of the Oklahoma Legislature Oral History Project -- OSU Library