OSBI Director Retiring: Who is Aungela Spurlock?

The director of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Aungela Spurlock, announced her retirement from the agency in an email to employees on Thursday, and in a letter to the commission that oversees the agency on Wednesday. Political forces, paired with criticisms of her leadership, have followed her for the past year.

Q: Who is Aungela Spurlock?

A: Spurlock, who became director of OSBI in 2022, has been with the agency for more than two decades. Her total service in law enforcement exceeds 31 years, and she is from the Tulsa area.

Before becoming director, she held leadership roles in the Eastern District and Northeast Regional Office. She has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a master's degree in human relations/organizational leadership.

Q: Why is she retiring?

A: Spurlock shared separate messages regarding her retirement with agency employees and the commission over the agency. In her letter to the commission, she wrote, "This is the right time for me to step away; for the OSBI, me, and my family."

Her letter doesn't specifically cite a reason behind her retirement, but said she has "generally challenged the status quo in ways that without exception have made OSBI better."

However, she previously came under criticism for suggesting to a legislative interim study committee a possible reform to the appointment process for OSBI's commission. During a presentation, she offered the idea legislators should reduce all seven commissioners being appointed by the Governor, to only one. Instead, she explained, the remaining members could be appointed by other representative bodies; such as the District Attorneys' Council.

But at the next quarterly OSBI commission meeting following her comments, the commission voted to set a special meeting for the end of January to discuss performance issues. News 9 sources say under consideration was termination.

Q: Who is on the commission?

A: Among the commission's current members are 4 'lay' members, and three from stakeholder groups within the realm of Oklahoma law enforcement.

1. Vic Regalado: Chairman of the commission and Sheriff of Tulsa County
2. Bryan Smith: Vice Chairman of the commission and business owner in the Tulsa area
3. Ron Cunningham: Corporate executive at Western Farmers Electric Cooperative.
4. Jeff Van Hoose: Owner of construction company.
5. Russ Landon: Chief of Police at The Village
6. Angela Marsee: District Attorney District 2 (Beckham/Custer/Ellis/Roger Mills/Washita Counties)
7. Jerry Cason: Retired Chief of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol