State Election Board Secretary and Members

Paul Ziriax, Edmond
Secretary
Chief state election official

Paul Ziriax (pronounced ZEER'-iks) has served as Secretary of the State Election Board since 2009 and is Oklahoma's chief election official. He is also the Secretary of the State Senate. (Since 1913, Oklahoma law has required the Secretary of the State Senate to serve as the Secretary of the State Election Board.) Ziriax, originally from Claremore, has worked as a senior leadership aide in the State Senate, as chief of staff and press secretary to a Member of Congress, and as a radio station music director and announcer. He is a member of the National Association of State Election Directors and the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries, and is a past appointee to the Capitol Preservation Commission. He is an alumnus of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.

Heather Mahieu Cline, Oklahoma City
Chairman

Heather Mahieu Cline is an attorney in private practice in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Ms. Cline received her bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1988 and her Juris Doctorate from Oklahoma City University School of Law in 1992. Ms. Cline is admitted to practice law before all courts in the State of Oklahoma, the United States District Court, Western District and the United States Supreme Court. In her free time, Ms. Cline enjoys judging, training and running agility with her dogs.

Dr. Tim Mauldin, Norman
Vice-Chairman

Dr. Tim Mauldin was appointed as an alternate member of the board in 2011 before being appointed as a regular member in 2015. He has served as a member of the Oklahoma City University faculty since 1979, teaching Oklahoma History and Heritage, American History, American Government and other courses. Mauldin has a master’s degree in public administration and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Oklahoma. He and his wife, Georjana, live in Norman and are active volunteers with the American Cancer Society and American Red Cross.

Mignon Lambley, Hooker
Member

Mignon Lambley has a B.S. from the University of Missouri-Columbia and an M.B.A. from Rockhurst University. She has a career in risk management and marketing agricultural commodities, working previously for Continental Grain Company in Memphis, TN, Farmland and ADM Investor Services at the Kansas City Board of Trade. She has worked for BNSF Railway since 2003 in the marketing department covering rail customers in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. She and her husband live west of Hooker, Oklahoma and have three young sons.  In her spare time, Ms. Lambley enjoys teaching Sunday school, watching football, traveling with her family, gardening and going to the lake.

Jerry Buchanan, Tulsa
Alternate Member

Jerry Buchanan is the owner of Buchanan Properties, a property investment company, and previously was the CEO and President at JC And Co., also a property investment company. He was first appointed an alternate in 2011 and re-appointed in 2015. He is a former chairman of the Republican Party of Tulsa County, a former president of the Southeastern Oklahoma State University Alumni. Buchanan has a bachelor’s degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Honolulu. He served in the U.S. Army as a Drill Sergeant.

Debi Thompson, Carney
Alternate Member

Debi Thompson is an accountant and insurance agent in Carney and Chandler. She was appointed in 2015. Thompson is a former member of the Carney School Board and served as president of the Oklahoma State School Boards Association in 2000. She serves as secretary of the American Farmers & Ranchers Agent's Association and is a longtime member and former president of the Chandler Chamber of Commerce.