Friday was the first day on the job for OU President David L. Boren's new press secretary.Blake Rambo replaced Jerrod Shouse as Boren's press secretary. Rambo, who graduated from OU in May 2005 with a Bachelor of Business Administration, said working at OU was always in the back of his mind.The duties of the press secretary include serving as the spokesperson for the university, working with journalists, coordinating media availability for the president, and supervising the President's Action line, which serves as the hotline for OU students and their parents, Shouse said. It was after reading the article "The Boren Decade" in "Sooner Magazine" that Rambo had an epiphany about what he wanted to do with his future, he said. There was a quote in the magazine that made Rambo realize that OU is and should remain his home. After grabbing a copy of the magazine from a shelf in his office and knowing exactly where to find the inspirational quote, Rambo read the magazine passage aloud that reflected his decision to start his career at OU. "David Boren measures success in having found the work he loves in the place he loves," Rambo read aloud from the magazine. "'Never in my life,' [Boren] insists, 'not in the governor's office, not in the Senate, have I had this much satisfaction. Terry Sanford was right; if you love a place, there's just no greater happiness, no greater reward that can come into your life.'" "That quote hit home," Rambo said. "I really felt that OU was my place to be." As an undergraduate, Rambo was very involved on campus. He belonged to 14 student organizations, 10 community service organizations and received 12 awards. Rambo was a member of the President's Leadership Class. "PLC is a freshmen scholarship program designed to get students who were leaders at their high school acclimated to be leaders at OU," Rambo said.

Rambo was also a member of Crimson Club, the university's student ambassador organization. The organization maintains relations with OU alumni and welcomes distinguished speakers, such as former Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O'Connor and former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, to OU, Rambo said.

Rambo's previous campus jobs include working in Administrative Affairs for two years and Student Affairs for one year."Blake Rambo has solid skills and a thorough knowledge of the university that will serve him well as he steps into his new role at OU," Catherine Bishop, vice president of public affairs, said.Bishop said she wishes Shouse well on his new endeavor."Jerrod brought his knowledge of organizations and how they function to his job as university press secretary," Bishop said. "He served the university admirably for two years and I wish him well as he assumes new responsibilities."
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