Katelynn Burns was announced as the Director of Government and Community Affairs at the August Commission meeting. The new leadership position will oversee the department's Tribal and Community Engagement; State Legislative Coordination; and Strategic Communications offices.

Before joining ODOT, Burns held several key positions including Director of Public Affairs for the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, Communications Manager for the Oklahoma Department of Human Services and Director of Communications for the YWCA Oklahoma City. Most recently, she served as the Director of Communications for Public Works in the City of Houston.

A native of Bokchito, Okla., Burns earned her bachelor’s in communications from East Central University in 2013 and completed her Master of Science in Communications from Walden University in 2015. She received the NextGen Under 30 Award in 2019.

Burns resides in Oklahoma City with her partner, David, and their dog, Lucy.