Howard H. Hendrick has been director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) since July 1, 1998 and is currently the longest-tenured human services director in the nation. The OKDHS has offices in all 77 counties, and Hendrick leads a staff of more than 7,200 employees and administers a $2.2 billion budget. About one million Oklahomans each year are touched daily by more than 40 state and federal human services programs administered under his leadership. 

Some of the key initiatives that have been accomplished during his tenure include: recognition by the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies as the nation’s top child care licensing program; finalizing adoptions for more than 15,000 former foster children, the highest adoption rate per capita of any state over the first decade of the 21st century; and tripling child support collections over the last ten years. The number of seniors who receive home health in lieu of a nursing home placement has increased by more than 50 percent over the last 10 years and the number of persons with developmental disabilities who receive community based services has increased 27 percent.  Responding to the worst global economic setback since the Great Depression involved providing food assistance to 400,000 more Oklahomans, an increase from about 480,000 in 2002 to 880,000 in 2011. During the same time period, the number of employees in the agency has decreased by nine percent to its smallest level in more than 25 years. In 2010, OKDHS became the first state agency to receive a Quality Award for Achievement based on the Malcom Baldridge National Quality Program criteria as selected by the Oklahoma Quality Award Foundation, Inc. The agency was recognized as the 2011 National Program of the Year for child support and has received the USDA Food and Nutrition Services Southwest Region Director’s award for five consecutive years.

Before being named Director, Hendrick served 12 years as a member of the Oklahoma State Senate, representing parts of northwest Oklahoma City, Bethany, Yukon and Warr Acres. During his tenure, he amassed a career roll-call voting record in excess of 99 percent. He served two years as the Republican Floor Leader in the State Senate.

For many years, he served as the Senate representative to the Oklahoma State Pension Commission and the legislative representative to SoonerStart, the Interagency Coordinating Council for Early Childhood Interventions. Hendrick has served on several national committees for legislative and human services organizations, primarily sharing state solutions to America’s health care and welfare problems.

Hendrick grew up in Bethany. He graduated summa cum laude from Southern Nazarene University earning his undergraduate degree in accounting. During his years at Southern Nazarene, he was active in Circle K, the collegiate affiliate of Kiwanis International, holding numerous elective offices, including international president.

During the three years following his graduation from college, Hendrick passed the Certified Public Accountant’s examination and earned both an MBA and a law degree from the University of Oklahoma. Upon graduation from law school, he was elected to Order of the Coif in recognition of his legal scholarship for graduating in the top 10 percent of his law school class. He practiced business, real estate and tax law for 17 years before his selection as Human Services Director.

He is active in numerous local and national, civic, professional and church organizations. He is a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association. He has served as President of the Board of the American Public Human Services Association and on the Executive Committee for the National Council of State Human Services Administrators. He has served on the board of the National Children’s Alliance, and currently serves on the board for the Nazarene Theological Seminary. Locally, Hendrick served as chairman of the state employees State Charitable Campaign for seven years and serves on the United Way of Greater Oklahoma City Advisory Board of Trustees.  The Oklahoma Institute of Child Advocacy named him to the Child Advocates Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2004, he was one of four Americans to receive the National Public Service Award for leadership in public administration from the American Society of Public Administration and National Academy of Public Administration.

Hendrick’s most important commitments are to his family. He and his wife, Tracy, have been married 34 years. They have four children and three grandchildren. His children are Chelsey who is married and has three children; Cally and Christiana who are in college; and Hudson who is in high school.

Last Updated:  11/15/2011