Left to Right: 2023 Wall of Fame honorees Cuong Do, Florence Jones-Kemp, Ray (bottom-middle) and Pat Potts and J. Don Harris, D.D.S., celebrate with OKCPS Foundation President and CEO Mary Mélon-Tully (top-middle) at last year’s annual awards ceremony.

OKLAHOMA CITY (June 19, 2024) – The Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation recently announced that its President and CEO, Mary Mélon-Tully, will be retiring from her position December 31, 2024.

“It’s been the honor of a lifetime serving as the president and CEO of the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation,” said Mélon-Tully, who has led the Foundation for the past decade. “Thanks to the Foundation’s Board of Directors and Advisory Board, district leadership, my dedicated staff and the thousands of supporters who have prioritized Oklahoma City Public Schools, we have enacted real, positive change for our students and district staff. I am so grateful to have served in this position for a decade and look forward to seeing all the wonderful work the Foundation will continue to do.”

The OKCPS Foundation Board of Directors is in the process of hiring a search firm, and the formal posting and search for Mélon-Tully’s successor will begin shortly. The Foundation and its Board plan to have the new leader selected in time to work with Mélon-Tully during the last few months of her tenure in order to ensure a smooth, successful transition.

“Mary’s passion and commitment to the students and families of OKCPS is unmatched,” said Brent Hensley, Board Chair of the OKCPS Foundation. “She has worked tirelessly during her tenure at the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation to create lasting change and programs that will serve our district and its students for years to come. I thank her for her service and leadership these past ten years”.

Mary Mélon-Tully was named president and CEO of the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation in September 2014 after 20+ years of leading The Journal Record. During her time leading the OKCPS Foundation and by working in tandem with district leadership, influential figures in the community and OKC families, Mary has been able to identify some of the greatest needs the district faces and create strategic solutions to address these needs.

Mélon-Tully has been instrumental in bringing several impactful programs to fruition that have changed OKCPS students’ and teachers’ lives for the better, including:

• The Teacher Pipeline Program, which provides full financial support for diverse and bilingual paraprofessionals to earn their teaching degrees and become certified OKCPS educators.
• ReadOKC, a Foundation-led initiative that instills a love of reading in OKCPS kids and the community, helps advance literary rates among students and increases access to reading materials for students.
• The Foundation’s partnership with DonorsChoose, a crowdfunding platform that allows organizations and individuals to directly donate to local classrooms. The OKCPS Foundation is currently the nation’s largest education foundation partner of DonorsChoose.

In a letter to Foundation supporters, Mary expressed her sincere gratitude. “Thank you to all who have provided support to me and this incredible organization over the past decade, thank you for believing in our kids, and thank you for understanding that our schools can’t do it alone,” she said.

If you are interested in supporting the Foundation or learning more about its many impactful initiatives and volunteer opportunities, visit okckids.com.

###

ABOUT THE OKLAHOMA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION

The Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation, celebrating its 40^th anniversary this year, is a nonprofit organization with a mission to advance excellence, advocate for equity, and build strong community support for Oklahoma City Public Schools. The Foundation works closely with the district and community to align strategies and priorities for sustained performance improvements for students and staff. To learn more about the Foundation’s focus areas, as well as volunteer and giving opportunities, visit www.okckids.com.

MEDIA CONTACT

Beth Harrison | Gooden Group | 405-625-5258 | bharrison@goodengroup.com