WARD retiring as election chief

<br>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Lance Ward, secretary of the Oklahoma State Election Board, announced Friday that he is retiring from state government, effective Aug.1. <br><br>Ward, 60, also serves as secretary

Saturday, June 16th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Lance Ward, secretary of the Oklahoma State Election Board, announced Friday that he is retiring from state government, effective Aug.1.

Ward, 60, also serves as secretary of the state Senate.

Senate President Pro Tem Stratton Taylor, D-Claremore, announced that Ward will be replaced in the dual roles by Michael Clingman, former state official.

``Lance is a true professional in every sense of the word,'' Taylor said. ``His contributions to state government, especially Oklahoma's electoral process, will never be forgotten.''

Clingman, who resides in Edmond, has been commissioner of the State Insurance Fund, administrator of the Oklahoma State Workers' Compensation Court and chief executive officer of the Arkansas Workers' Compensation Commission.