Coffee, who has served in the position since January 2011, is the former president pro tempore of the state Senate, and will step down no later than Jan. 31, 2013.

His plans for the future were not immediately made clear in the announcement by Fallin’s office, other than that Coffee is leaving “to pursue opportunities in the private sector.” A potential successor to the position was not immediately named.

Secretary of Finance Preston Doerflinger will take over responsibilities as Fallin’s lead budget negotiator, a media release stated, and the administration will retain Coffee as an outside consultant on water issues, although no details of the arrangement have been finalized.

“While I am sad to leave my post in the Fallin administration, I could not be happier with the course that Gov. Fallin has charted for the state of Oklahoma,” Coffee was quoted as saying in the media release. “For the last two years, I have had the great privilege of helping the governor craft policies that will continue Oklahoma’s forward momentum and help to spur job creation for decades to come. My thanks go out to Gov. Fallin for giving me the opportunity to serve as secretary of state, and to all of the great men and women who worked with me during my years in public office.”

Coffee, first elected to the state Senate in 1998, was Oklahoma’s first Republican president pro tempore.

“Glenn Coffee has been a fixture in Oklahoma politics for over a decade,” Fallin said in the release. “As Senate pro tem, he helped to deliver the first ever Republican majority in the state Senate, setting the stage for unified conservative government. As secretary of state, Glenn continued his good work by helping to craft fiscally conservative budgets, landmark lawsuit reform and workers compensation legislation. His experience and wealth of knowledge will be sorely missed. I wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

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