Executive Director
Rachel Canuso Holt
Rachel Canuso Holt is the executive director of the Office of Juvenile Affairs (OJA), Oklahoma's juvenile justice agency. Rachel's career with OJA began in 2016, and she has served the agency as the general counsel and chief operating officer. On March 7, 2020, the Board of Juvenile Affairs appointed Rachel to serve as OJA's interim executive director. In October 2020, Gov. Kevin Stitt nominated her to fill the role of executive director, and the Oklahoma State Senate confirmed the nomination in May 2021. Rachel has also served as an assistant attorney general and an assistant district attorney in Oklahoma County's juvenile division.
Rachel was born and raised in Philadelphia and graduated cum laude from the George Washington University with a major in criminal justice and a minor in women's studies. After graduation, she worked as a domestic violence victim advocate in Washington, D.C. In 2007, she graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law with recognition for her participation in the interdisciplinary training program in abuse and neglect.
Rachel has a passion for juvenile justice and has assisted in drafting legislation and policy to help Oklahoma become a national leader in juvenile justice. In recognition of her work in juvenile justice, Director Holt has been named to the Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators (CJJA) Board of Directors as the South Region Chair and is a member of the Juvenile Justice Leadership Network.
Rachel and her husband have two children and live in Oklahoma City.
405-530-2806
