Craig County Commissioner — District 1
36 years of proven leadership, public service, and hands-on experience servingworking for Craig County.
Allen Goforth brings more than 36 years of experience in road construction and maintenance, public works administration, personnel management, grant acquisition, budgeting, and public service to his candidacy for Craig County Commissioner.
His commitment has always been simple: responsible management, fiscal accountability, and improving the quality of life for the citizens of Craig County.
Allen began his career in 1986 with Craig County District 1 under Commissioner Chalk Guthrie. Starting as a laborer, equipment operator, and truck driver, he gained firsthand knowledge of county road maintenance and infrastructure operations.
He later advanced to Receiving Agent, managing inventory, coordinating parts procurement, maintaining records for county road materials, and assisting with FEMA reimbursement applications following severe weather events.
Allen eventually served as Road Foreman, overseeing road maintenance projects, supervising personnel, and managing county equipment. One of his proudest achievements is the roadway in front of Walmart in Vinita, completed in 2002 and still performing without requiring an overlay.
Today, Allen continues to serve Craig County District 1 as a part-time grader operator.
In 2003, Allen joined the City of Vinita as a sanitation truck driver and was promoted to Street Department Foreman within two months. In that role, he supervised employees, managed department budgets, estimated projects, pursued funding opportunities, and operated heavy equipment. During this period, he successfully developed the road and park facilities at Vinita Lake.
Allen was later elected by the citizens of Vinita as Street Commissioner, serving eight years before becoming City Administrator for four years. As City Administrator, he managed all city operations, supervised department heads, coordinated equipment purchases, prepared bid specifications, developed and managed municipal budgets, and worked diligently to recruit and retain quality employees. Under his leadership, the city consistently operated within budget.
Throughout his career, Allen has demonstrated a strong ability to secure outside funding and maximize taxpayer resources. While serving the City of Vinita, he represented the city on the Grand Gateway Board and successfully secured grant funding through Grand Gateway and the Cherokee Nation.
As Airport Manager, Allen obtained grants from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the State of Oklahoma that funded major airport improvements including:
Several of these projects were completed with little or no cost to the City of Vinita through successful grant acquisition and management.
Allen has proudly served in law enforcement since 1997 as a Reserve Police Officer and Reserve Deputy. Throughout his service, he has worked with the Craig County Sheriff's Office, the City of Vinita, and the towns of Big Cabin and Adair. He currently serves as a Reserve Deputy with the Craig County Sheriff's Office.
Allen holds a Class A Commercial Driver License (CDL) and has extensive experience operating and maintaining a wide variety of heavy equipment including motor graders, backhoes, excavators, bulldozers, asphalt pavers, rollers, pothole patchers, snow plows, salt spreaders, mowing tractors, and chipping machines.
His hands-on experience gives him a practical understanding of the equipment, personnel, and resources required to maintain county roads efficiently and effectively.
Allen Goforth is ready to put more than three decades of proven leadership and public service experience to work as your Craig County Commissioner.