Mary Mélon-Tully, NAEF/CEFL

Mary Mélon-Tully joined the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation as president/CEO in September 2014 and served in that capacity for more than a decade. She believes in the future of public education and strives to utilize her network and skills to align leaders to provide not only hope for every student, but the skills necessary to be productive members of the workforce and community.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Mary had a nearly 20 -year career at The Journal Record Publishing Co. She was named publisher in September 2001, and president & publisher in 2006. Her position included oversight and leadership of a 58 member Oklahoma team, as well as corporate responsibilities as a member of the senior management corporate cabinet and group publisher of daily group operations that included five additional markets. Prior to that, she served as associate publisher and advertising director.

She serves as chair of the Board of Health for the Oklahoma City County Health Department, and was appointed by Mayor David Holt to serve on the Regional Transit Authority, where she serves as secretary and chair of the outreach committee. She was appointed by Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett and served as the first woman on the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority and Oklahoma City Urban Redevelopment Authority for more than ten years.

Mary Mélon-Tully is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma City Class XIX and Leadership Oklahoma Class XVI. She is a past board chair of Leadership Oklahoma and received the 2010 Distinguished Leadership Award. She has served as co-chair of the Leadership Oklahoma City Signature Program and served on that organization’s executive board.

Awards and Honors include:

  • 2024 Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits Visions Award Winner-Rodney Bivens Innovation Award
  • Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame
  • Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame
  • OCU Meinder’s School of Business Hall of Honor
  • Association for Women in Communications Byliner Award for Communications
  • Quality Oklahoman award from the Oklahoma Quality Foundation.
  • “Embrace Award” by the YWCA, for embracing YWCA’s mission of empowering women and eliminating racism.
  • “Door Opener’ Award by ASTEC
  • Downtown Rotary Club Rotarian of the Year

 

Mary has one daughter, Madison, who graduated from Georgetown Law School and works at the Oklahoma County Public Defender’s Office as Supervisor of Diversion Courts. Her son-in-law Taylor McLawhorn works as a defense attorney. They made Mary a proud MiMi, with the birth of their daughter Willow Grace in March 2020. In October 2021, Mary married Col. Bill Tully (USAF Ret.) and they are blissfully happy 60+year-old newlyweds.

Areas of Expertise

  • Strategic Planning
  • Foundation Development
  • Organizational Development
  • Leadership Development
  • Community Partnerships