OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Dana Murphy's to-do list is a tad longer since she became chairwoman of the body in January.

"People call you more; they look to you more," Murphy said. "But I enjoy that."

Murphy calculates that she's traveled 25,000 miles and attended more than 600 public events across the state since she took office in 2008, all on her own dime.

"One of my goals when I took office was to provide more transparency, and I feel like I've done that."

Murphy has an extensive background in the oil and gas industry, but has had to widen her knowledge base since taking office. The commission regulates everything from cotton gins to weigh stations.

Murphy's faith plays a big part in her life. An open Bible sits on her desk at the Corporation Commission office on the third floor of the Jim Thorpe Building in N. Lincoln Boulevard.

She hosts a morning devotional in one of the commission courtrooms each Friday morning. She calls the prayer sessions "TGIF."

Anywhere from five to 20 commission employees have attended the sessions since she started the weekly meetings two years ago, she said.

"We just pray for people here at the commission and pray for the decision making of our governor and all of our elected officials," Murphy said.

Murphy is one of just three women to serve on the Corporation Commission since it was established in 1907. She won a second term in November after running unopposed.

Murphy grew up in Woodward with three brothers and spent part of her childhood living in a trailer home. Her family still owns a ranch near Woodward. She shared a room with one of her brothers until she was a sophomore in high school.

"I learned a lot about sharing and getting along with people, which has helped me in life," Murphy said.

She also grew up surrounded by the oil and gas business. Her father was a drilling supervisor and she also has a couple of geologists and a land man in the family.

She credits her father and uncle, a geologist, for getting her interested in the oil and gas industry.

During her 22 years in the petroleum industry she has worked as a geologist and run her own oil and gas law practice. Before becoming a commissioner, she served six years as an administrative law judge at the OCC.

Murphy studied geology at Oklahoma State University and later got her law degree by attending night school at Oklahoma City University.

Murphy first sought a seat on the commission in 2002, when she lost to fellow Commissioner Jeff Cloud. She won a seat on the utility-governing body after defeating incumbent Jim Roth in 2008, who was appointed by Gov. Brad Henry.

"I learned firsthand during the campaign of 2008 that Ms. Murphy is a hard worker and thankfully for us citizens, she has proven to work even harder for us at the commission and her focus is serving our state," Roth said.