Carlos E. Johnson, CPA, Ed.D. is a NASBA Past Chair, member of the Board of Directors for nine years and served as chairman of various committees and task forces of NASBA and as a Southwest Regional Director.

He most recently served as the co-chair of the NASBA/AICPA Education Accreditation Task Force and as a member of the AACSB Accreditation Task Force for Schools of Accounting. Dr. Johnson served on the Oklahoma Board of Accountancy for ten years serving as chair for three years. Also, he served in various positions of the AICPA and was recognized by the Board as a Distinguished Member for a Career in Public Advocacy. In addition, he served as president of the Oklahoma Society of CPAs and is a member of its Hall of Fame.

Dr. Johnson is affiliated with BKD, LLP of Oklahoma. He was a partner with KPMG for 24 years, a partner of Horne & Company and Dean of the School of Business of East Central University of Ada, Oklahoma, respectively. He earned his masters and doctorate of education and bachelor’s degrees at Oklahoma State University and East Central University, respectively.

Oklahoma State University recently celebrated its 100th Anniversary and Dr. Johnson was honored as one of Spears School of Business Tributes, 100 for 100, representing a rich history and diversity of experience among the graduates of the Spears School of Business and was admitted to its Hall of Fame in 2015 and the Hall of Fame of the School of Accounting in 2003.

johnson@okccpa.com

Commissioner Earl Sears was born and raised in Bartlesville, OK. He attended Northeastern State University, where he received both his B.A. and master’s degrees. Sears spent 32 years working in public education, first as a woodshop teacher before becoming an administrator, serving as principal for over 22 years.

After retiring from public education, he ran for a seat in the House of Representatives, District 11 (Bartlesville) and served for 12 years until 2018. As a state representative, Sears strove to support public education. In his final year representing District 11, he spearheaded a plan that led to the largest teacher pay raise in state history. In 2019, he was named to the Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation Educator Hall of Fame.

Now officially retired, Sears works part time for Bartlesville Arvest Bank in public relations. He and his wife Jane have two children, Ryan Spears and Hollye Hunt, and three precious grandchildren, Farrah, Carter and Ellie. He is an avid sportsman who enjoys traveling and just being around people. 

Jon Chiappe is the director for Research & Economic Analysis at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. He has been engaged in regional and state economic development for 25 years. He graduated in December 1994 with a BA in Economics (international) from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He then attended Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, and worked as a graduate research intern at the Bureau of Business and the Bureau of Governmental Research while working on his MBA.

After receiving his master’s, Chiappe went to work as a research analyst at Southwestern Oklahoma State University’s Center for Economic & Business Development. At SWOSU, he worked in regional economic development and was responsible for writing economic impact reports and analyzing the regional economy in southwest Oklahoma. Currently, at the Department of Commerce, he is responsible for providing economic impact reports, supporting incentive evaluations and policy initiatives. The Research & Economic Analysis team is also the official liaison for the state of Oklahoma for the U.S. Census Bureau. Before the 2020 Census, the Research & Economic Analysis team added 84,519 addresses to the master address file that the Census Bureau did not have in Oklahoma.

Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed Mark Wood as OMES director in December 2025.

Wood comes to this role with more than 37 years of experience in public accounting at Arthur Andersen LLP and Ernst & Young LLP, where he guided large public and private enterprises through complex tax matters, mergers and acquisitions, and organizational restructuring. He holds a Bachelor of Accountancy in accounting and a Bachelor of Business Administration in economics from the University of Oklahoma and has taught courses at both OU and Oklahoma City University.

He also serves on multiple community and professional boards, including the United Way of Central Oklahoma board and the John S. Steed School of Accounting advisory board within the OU Price College of Business.

Wood will serve as interim director until formally confirmed by the state Senate during the 2026 legislative session.