Sally L. Stark: Research Fellow

Sally Linhart Stark, a native New Mexican, joined the Southwest Public Policy Institute in 2024.

A staunch advocate of government transparency, she is deeply committed to investigating public policy issues and empowering others to exercise their rights as Americans. Sally is relentlessly determined to ensure that the rights of every individual and organization are upheld rather than infringed by encouraging—and, when necessary, enforcing—accountability.

Sally is an active and enrolled Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma member and a fierce defender of tribal sovereignty. In 2023, she earned her Master of Science with honors in Native American Leadership (emphasis in education) from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. She is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to The Sooner Catholic newspaper and other Catholic publications.

In addition to being certified in Strategic Organizational Leadership, she holds teaching certifications from the Oklahoma State Department of Education in secondary English and Journalism. Sally spent seven years working in the public school system before becoming an instructor of High School Equivalency/GED preparation classes at Oklahoma City Community College, where she discovered her passion for teaching adults.

Sally lives in Oklahoma City with her husband Eric, a retired firefighter, sons Jake and Josh, and a golden retriever named Midas.