Prior to first being elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2016, Rep. Rhonda Baker was a middle school English teacher who spent nearly two decades in the profession at the middle school, high school, and collegiate level. In addition, she and her husband, Les, also an educator, are owners of a successful small irrigation business.
As a member of the House, Baker has developed a reputation as a strong and articulate advocate on education issues. As a freshman lawmaker, she was appointed to serve as chair of the House Common Education Committee and as a member of the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education, positions she still holds.
Baker recently was elected to serve as chair of the Education Committee of the Southern Legislative Conference, which represents 15 regional member states. This year, she also received the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Distinguished Service Award for her work on the Concurrent Education Taskforce. This follows on accolades she received early in her legislative career such as the Rising Star Award by the State Chamber of Commerce for her role as a legislative leader in the business community. She was one of 11 select legislators chosen from a pool of legislative applicants within the Southern region to attend the Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills (CALS). Additionally, she was one of two legislators chosen as an Early Learning Fellows from NCSL and was appointed to serve as a Commissioner on the Commission of the Status of Women.
Representative Baker is a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma with a bachelor's degree in Communications and a master's degree in Education. She and her husband have three children and two grandchildren.