Denise began lobbying Congress at the age of 13, when she successfully convinced then-Speaker of the House John McCormack (MA-09) to change chamber rules to allow girls to be pages in the House and Senate. As a college student, Bode and her future husband won a lawsuit against the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents, which was attempting to impose an illegal tuition increase on veteran students.

That visibility led to her first position working for Governor David Boren of Oklahoma. She continued working with Boren when he was elected to the U.S. Senate, serving as a senior tax policy advisor for the Senator serving on the Senate Finance Committee.

Before joining the OK Corporation Commission, Bode served for seven years as the first female President of the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA). She preceded her service at IPAA as a founding partner of a firm where she represented businesses ranging from agriculture to life insurance.

Bode was appointed to President George W. Bush’s Energy Transition Advisory Team and has testified before Congress on numerous occasions, as well as lectured at the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society. She represented the United States in Oslo, Norway, at the International Union Conservative Women’s Conference. She was elected by state regulators from the eight states that make up the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) region to serve as President of SPP’s Regional State Committee. The committee is charged with directing electric transmission expansion in Oklahoma and the other states in the SPP region.

In 2007, Bode resigned from the Commission and formed the American Clean Skies Foundation to promote the use of natural gas. Several years later, Bode was brought on as the first female CEO of the American Wind Energy Association.

Denise brings over four decades of experience crafting, implementing, and advocating for policy and regulatory proposals at every level of government. Over her extensive career she has developed close connections to policy and decision-makers championing best practices for both the public and private sector. She is often relied upon by Members of Congress and C-Suite executives across both parties to provide her counsel and guidance on any number of issues. She has testified before Congress and has extensive public speaking experience including numerous appearances on network and cable television.

Denise was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has been married to John W. Bode for forty-five years. They have a son and two Labrador retrievers.

• B.A., University of Oklahoma
• J.D., George Mason School of Law
• Masters of Law in Taxation, Georgetown University School of Law

• Energy and Natural Resources Assistant to Governor David L. Boren (D-OK)
• Legal Counsel to U.S. Senator David Boren (D-OK) on the Senate Finance Committee
• President, Independent Petroleum Association of America (1990 – 1997)
• Chair, Oklahoma Corporation Commission (1997 – 2007)
• CEO, American Clean Skies Foundation (2007 – 2009)
• CEO, American Wind Energy Association, (2009 – 2013)
• Tax Counsel and Equity Partner, Gold and Liebengood
• Board Member, Oklahoma University’s Price College Energy Institute (2023 – present)

From serving on the Board of the Energy Institute at the University of Oklahoma to serving on the Board of the Academy Art Museum in Easton, Maryland, Denise remains actively engaged in advisory boards and civic organizations that advance energy policy leadership, education, public service, and the arts.

• Top Lobbyist, National Institute of Lobbying & Ethics, 2024, 2026
• Washingtonian’s Most Influential People Shaping Policy, 2024, 2025, 2026
• DC Top Lobbyist, The Hill, 2011, 2012, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
• Top Association CEO in the United States, CEO Update, 2010
• “Woman of the Year,” Women’s Council on Energy and The Environment, 2009
• 100 Most Powerful Women in Washington, Washingtonian, 2009
• Byliner Award for Government, The Association for Women in Communications, 2002
• State Official of the Year, Oklahoma Association of Community Action Agencies, 2001
• Energy Award for Public Service, Hearst Newspapers, 2001
• Woman of the Year, The Journal Record (Oklahoma City), 1999