Woman of Influence: Dr. Mautra Staley Jones

The historic investiture in November 2022 of the 11th president of Oklahoma City Community College, Dr. Mautra Staley Jones, marked the moment the first woman, and the first person of color, took the helm of the 50-year-old institution.

For Jones, though she appreciates that significance, her focus has always been less about her title and more about how she hopes her role might affect future generations. “While honored that many find reason to celebrate my historic appointment, what I hope more than anything is that they will be inspired; inspired to dream big, work hard, make sacrifices and to trust God’s good and perfect plan for your life.”

This woman is a soft-spoken powerhouse. She’s earnest, smart, driven and humble — it’s a powerful combination of qualities, instilled in her early. Jones describes her childhood as tumultuous and her beginnings as humble. She spoke frankly about her childhood in an interview with the Oklahoma Historical Society in 2022, saying, “I was born in Oklahoma City but raised by my grandmother in Ardmore. I really had to hold fast to my faith, to my studies and to my family to pave my path.”

Jones’ grandmother, still the family matriarch at nearly 90, was and is a foundational influence for her. “She really set the tone and the standard for our way of living. She instilled in me

the value of faith, family and freedom. Freedom of choices. Making sure that we were honest and ethical, and intentional in everything that we did.”

Dreaming big dreams was part of the family’s ethos. Jones and her siblings were encouraged to set goals and think about what they wanted out of life, despite distinctly limited means. “We were told that we could accomplish anything that we set our minds to if we worked hard. If we persevered through the challenges.” No self-pity and no excuses.

She took those values to heart, and did just that — she worked, and she stayed focused. A self-described eternal optimist, Jones learned the importance of education early on, and pursued higher education as a first-generation college student at the University of Oklahoma. She later earned an MBA from the University of Phoenix at San Diego and a Doctor of Education from Vanderbilt University’s prestigious Peabody College of Education. She has dedicated her career to education, working for Langston University, The Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools and KIPP Reach College Preparatory School.

Serving the 17,000 students at OCCC is her largest platform to date, and she’s thinking just as big. “There’s never been a more exciting time to be at OCCC,” she says. “Like many institutions, we are navigating our way out of the pandemic and finding innovative ways to provide instruction and meet the needs of a diverse student body. Our challenges are similar to other institutions, but our approach to them is quite different. Indeed, we embrace challenges and view them as opportunities for growth, innovation and the achievement of excellence. I am incredibly excited about the future and the collaborative culture that is being created. I believe in the power of people, which is why I work diligently to build bridges and to find partnerships in and beyond our campus community; partnerships that will enhance the value of a degree from OCCC and yield opportunities for our students.”

When she thinks about OCCC’s future — say, in a decade — her vision of the college is clear. “It is a thriving community that is the envy of all. I want OCCC to not be a choice, but to be the choice for those desiring to continue their educational journey. I see a community that works with business and industry leaders to meet the needs of the workforce. And I see an inclusive community where all are welcome and know that the achievement of their success is the college’s sole focus.”

Dr. Jones’ words align with her actions. Take the Fresh Start Initiative, for example, which has forgiven nearly $4 million in student debt using COVID-19 relief funds, affecting more than 4,500 OCCC students. “The Fresh Start Initiative sprang from a recognition that the hardships of the pandemic greatly impacted our community and impeded the student success that is at the very heart of the college’s mission. Driven by this mission and in recognition of the extent of the hardship presented, we decided to take bold action in the form of removing the financial burden the pandemic created for many. In consultation with our Board of Regents and members of the administration, it was decided to pay off student balances held within the institution using COVID-19 relief funding. And in doing so, we made it possible for many of our students to continue pursuing their educational goals.”

Google “Dr. Mautra Staley Jones” and the accolades, awards and honors appear by the dozens. She’s has been appointed by Governors Kevin Stitt and Mary Fallin as a board director for the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs, a commissioner for the Oklahoma Merit Protection Commission and a member of the Oklahoma standards steering committee.

Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt appointed her to the Civic Center Foundation’s board of directors. She actively serves as a board director for BancFirst, the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, Stitch Crew, Oklahoma Watch, Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs, American Mothers, Inc., Oklahoma Philharmonic Society, Civic Center Foundation and the Leadership Oklahoma City Alumni Association. She is also board advisor for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, as well as a member of Salt and Light Leadership (SALLT) Class IV, Leadership Oklahoma City Class XXIX, MSI Aspiring Leaders program at Rutgers University, VEST Her, Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

What does this bold thinker hope her role and her service to the community mean to OCCC and its students? “I am not entirely certain,” she says, “but I hope my service inspires. Since assuming the presidency, I’ve had the privilege to interact with quite a few students and members of the community who often share how many of my early life experiences mirror their own. Upon hearing this, I remind them of an important principle learned many years ago: Finishing the race is far more important than focusing on how the race began.”