Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Barb Rankin

The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was delete‎. ✗plicit 14:57, 4 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Barb Rankin

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Delete. Barb Rankin served briefly as an ACTING department head. WP:NPOL presumes in favor of statewide officials, but there is some amgibuity. I interpret this as elected officials. Others include governor's cabinet members. I have never seen it invoked for interim holders or, her current position, a senior manager in a statewide office. This means that the subject needs to notable. I do not believe after a NewsBank search, a ProQuest search, and a JSTOR search, that the subject can pass WP:ANYBIO or WP:GNG. The only result from her name on anything related to the Transportation Research Board was a note she attended a workshop. WP:RS coverage has not reached a WP:SUSTAINED level to justify an individual article for the subject. Note: There is an open AfD for Joseph K. Wood who was a cabinet secretary in Arkansas. The main difference is he was a confirmed political appointee (not acting) and not exclusively a cabinet appointee (i.e. he was a state party chair too). Mpen320 (talk) 14:56, 28 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Kansas-related deletion discussions. Mpen320 (talk) 15:00, 28 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Transportation-related deletion discussions. Mpen320 (talk) 15:00, 28 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Politicians-related deletion discussions. Mpen320 (talk) 15:15, 28 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Delete I think an acting secretary who may have been a state cabinet member falls below WP:NPOL. I think if they've gone through a confirmation process (here in Oklahoma cabinet secretaries need Senate approval) then it's substantially more likely for there to be coverage focused on who the person is and why their position matters. With that in mind, Rankin is below the threshold for presumed notability. TulsaPoliticsFan (talk) 21:54, 28 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Delete NPOL does not seem to extend to unelected state officials, and I cannot find coverage that would show the subject meeting GNG. Yoblyblob (Talk) :) 23:28, 28 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Clarifying, I should have used the term "acting" rather than unelected, I believe NPOL covers those who have been appointed and served at the top of their state organization. Yoblyblob (Talk) :) 03:11, 29 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Comment An acting secretary would not be afforded the presumption of notability under WP:NPOL. There are current discussions of whether an appointed US state department head should be afforded the presumption of notability. The standard for this subject should be whether the subject passes WP:GNG. --Enos733 (talk) 20:02, 29 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Reply @Enos733: The comment is appreciated. I believe my nomination addresses the notability failure. Where are these current discussions taking place?--Mpen320 (talk) 02:02, 30 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Primarily the Joseph Wood AfD, which you mention. I do think there probably would be a larger discussion if that AfD closes as delete. - Enos733 (talk) 16:42, 30 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.