A graduate of Douglass High School in the Oklahoma City Public School District, Angela Monson attended school in the Oklahoma City District from kindergarten through 12th grade. She is also a graduate of Oklahoma City University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Corrections from that institution and the University of Oklahoma at Norman, receiving a Master of Public Administration degree from OU. Both her parents, Epron Provo Monson and Herman Monson, graduated from Douglass High School and one of her two children is also a graduate from an Oklahoma City Public school. Monson currently has a child attending Northeast Academy, an Oklahoma City Public School.

Angela works for Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center as Associate Provost, Office of Community Partnerships and Health Policy. In that capacity, Angela assists colleges and departments on the OUHSC campus in varying areas of health policy and education. Her office also manages several programs for children from 5th grade through 12th grade, enhancing the students's skills and knowledge in science, math, language arts as well as other activities to help students prepare for college and a career in the health sciences.

Angela has a long history working with children and children'ss programs. She is currently PTSA president at Northeast Academy and serves as chairperson of the Institute for Child Advocacy'ss Oklahoma AfterSchool Network Leadership Team. Angela also chairs the Advisory Council for Metro College and Career Academy/Parent Resource Center, a MetroTech program for students who have dropped out of traditional school, and works with S.O.S. (Save Our Students), a youth to youth program sponsored by her church. She has also served as youth director and as a primary grade Sunday school teacher at her church.

Angela started out as an advocate for children many years ago. In 1978, she was the first coordinator of a juvenile offender program sponsored by the Council for Resocialization of Ex-offenders (CRE-O). Angela came to CRE-O after working for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections as a probation and parole officer. She also served as a member of the Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care, working with members of the judicial branch, executive branch and former members of Congress to develop recommendations regarding improvements in state and federal foster care and adoption systems. As a community activist, Monson has worked with elementary schools, churches and other community organizations providing technical support and assistance to many after school programs and other school related initiatives.

Monson'ss work with children gained her the "Friends of Children" award given by the Oklahoma Association for the Education of Young Children. She is a member of the first class of inductees into the Oklahoma Children'ss Hall of Fame. Angela was also recognized as the Woman of the Year in Government by the Redlands Council of Girl Scouts.

Monson has demonstrated her leadership in many other capacities. She is a member of the OU Medical Center (Hospital) Board of Trustees and is also a member of the Oklahoma City/County Board of Health. She is co-chair of the Turning Point State Health Plan Committee, and is also a member of the Board of Directors of Families USA, a national consumer health advocacy organization. Additionally, Angela serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Center for Health Policy Development, the parent entity of the National Academy for State Health Policy.

Angela was a member of the Oklahoma State Senate from 1993 until November, 2005 and the Oklahoma House of Representatives from November 1990 until her election to the State Senate. In the State Senate, Monson served as First Assistant Majority Floor Leader, Chair of the Senate Education Committee, Chair of the Finance Committee, Chair of the Appropriations Sub-committee on Group Health and Employee Benefits, and Appropriations Vice-Chair of the Sub-Committee on Health and Social Services.

She is a past president of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), and also served as chair of the NCSL Health Committee and as a member of the NSCL Executive Committee. During her tenure as Health Committee Chair, Monson was instrumental in developing the Conference'ss position and actions on the Tobacco Settlement between the states's attorneys general and the tobacco companies. Monson has also testified before Congressional Committees on various topics including Medicaid and the Medicare Part D prescription drug program.

Nationally, Monson served as a member of the Steering Committee of the Reforming States Group, a Milbank Memorial Fund health care initiative, and was also a board member of the Public Health Law Association. In 1998, Monson was appointed to the National Advisory Council to the National Health Service Corps by then Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala. She was later appointed chair of the Council and served in that capacity until the spring of 2002 when her term on the Council expired.

In addition to health care policy, Monson has also made a statewide and national impact in the area of tax reform. As Senator she served as Co-Chair of the Streamline Sales Tax Implementing States, a recognized group of almost 40 states and the District of Columbia established to develop a simplified and uniform process to collect taxes. Under Monson'ss leadership, the organization was able to formulate an Agreement to implement a voluntary tax collection and remittance system for remote sales. The Agreement became operational in October, 2005, and participating states comprise a nationally recognized interstate tax related entity.

Employed as the first Executive Director of the Oklahoma Health Care Project (1986-1990), Monson was responsible for the development of a statewide coalition of organizations which addressed health care access and financing issues. The 100 plus member coalition, representing both public and private interests, was responsible for initiating several reforms resulting in the first major expansion of Medicaid coverage for children and women in Oklahoma. As Executive Director of the Project, Monson assisted rural organizations in maintaining local health care delivery systems, provided focus on health care access limitations for many special needs populations, and worked with national organizations to develop alternative strategies for health care financing.

Angela was also employed by the Oklahoma State Legislature as a fiscal analyst and worked as a municipal management consultant (traveling city manager) for the East Central Rural Municipal Area Council.

Monson has been an active member of many community based organizations and previously served as President of the Oklahoma City Branch of the NAACP, and Board Chair of the Mary Mahoney Community Health Center, the Lennie Marie Tolliver Alternative Care (Adult Day Care) Center, and the Neighborhood Services Organization. Additionally, Sen. Monson was among the first youth Board members of the Oklahoma City Urban League. She is an active member of the Voice of Praise Baptist Church.

The recipient of many honors and awards, Monson was presented the first Legislative Health Champion Award by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma along with other sponsoring entities. She also received the Distinguished Legislator of the Year Award from the American Psychiatric Association and was named Legislator of the Year by the Oklahoma Public Employees Association, the Oklahoma Psychological Association, the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, and PHRMA. Additionally, she was named Advocate of the Year by the Families USA Foundation. Monson also received the University of Oklahoma College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Alumnus Award and was selected as a Journal Record Woman of the Year finalist in 2005.

In 2003, Monson was recognized in Italy by the Tuscan regional government for her work in human rights and leadership of the National Conference of State Legislature. She was the recipient of the Silver Banner Award, the highest honor conferred by the Tuscan government. Additionally, Monson was honored by the Brazilian government for her work with women'ss organizations in that country.