Mautra Staley Jones

Dr. Mautra Staley Jones (born 1978) is an American higher education administrator serving as the 11th president of Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC). When she took office in March 2022, she became both the first woman and the first person of color to head OCCC, and the first African American woman to lead any Oklahoma institution of higher education outside the HBCU sector.[1][2] In November 2025, she was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, founded in 1927 and regarded as the state's highest civic honor.[1]

Early life and education

Jones was born in Oklahoma City in 1978 and grew up in Ardmore, where her grandmother raised her and where she completed her secondary education at Ardmore Public Schools.[3] She went on to the University of Oklahoma as a first-generation college student, earning a Bachelor of Arts in journalism through the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, a program that later recognized her as a Distinguished Alumna.[3][4]

Following graduation, she moved to Encinitas, California, taking a position at an orthopaedic medical group where she rose to lead its business development operations. She pursued a Master of Business Administration, earned in 2005, at night through the University of Phoenix in San Diego.[3] She later completed a Doctor of Education at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College.[1][5]

Career

Early career

The family returned to Oklahoma when her husband Bernard Jones joined the law firm McAfee & Taft, at which point Jones moved into education and nonprofit work.[3] She took on positions with the Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools and KIPP Reach College Preparatory School before shifting into higher education administration.[5] At Langston University, she spent seven years in three concurrent roles: Vice President for Institutional Advancement and External Affairs, site administrator for the university's Oklahoma City campus, and executive director of the Langston University Foundation.[6][7][8]

Oklahoma City Community College (2022–present)

Jones was named OCCC's 11th president by the college's Board of Regents on January 31, 2022, and entered office on March 1.[2][3] The college enrolls more than 23,000 students annually and ranks as Oklahoma's fourth-largest institution of higher education.[1] Her selection broke two barriers simultaneously: she became the first woman and first person of color to hold the OCCC presidency, and the first African American woman to lead any non-HBCU college or university in the state.[1][2]

Early in her presidency, the college received designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense from the National Security Agency. OCCC also introduced a Fresh Start Initiative, using COVID-19 relief funding to clear outstanding student balances totaling roughly $4 million and allowing approximately 4,500 students to re-enroll without that financial burden.[6][9] Jones was separately appointed to the National Science Foundation's Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE), serving a term from February 2025 through January 2028.[10] She also holds seats on the Higher Learning Commission's Credential Lab Advisory Board and the Association of Community College Trustees President's Advisory Committee.[4]

Public service

Both Governors Mary Fallin and Kevin Stitt appointed Jones to state service, placing her on the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs board, the Oklahoma Merit Protection Commission, and the Oklahoma standards steering committee.[5] At the municipal level, Mayor David Holt appointed her to the Oklahoma City Civic Center Foundation board.[5]

Her private-sector and civic board commitments have spanned BancFirst, the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma Watch, the Oklahoma City Industrial and Cultural Facilities Trust, and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, among others.[1]

Recognition

The Oklahoma Hall of Fame inducted Jones into its Class of 2025 at a ceremony on November 13, 2025, at the Arvest Convention Center in Tulsa. Her co-inductees included musician Ronnie Dunn, singer Taylor of the band Hanson, and Oklahoma City Thunder executive Sam Presti.[2]

In 2023, Forbes placed her on its annual list of Top 10 Black Higher Education CEOs to Watch, which highlights leaders whom the magazine considers among the nation's best in higher education.[6] Her leadership has also drawn coverage from Fortune, Black Enterprise, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, and the American Association of Community Colleges Journal.[3]

Other honors include:

  • Oklahoma Hall of Fame inductee, Class of 2025[1]
  • Oklahoma's Most Admired CEO (public company category), The Journal Record; honored in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and named overall category winner in 2024 and 2025[11]
  • Oklahoma Citizen of the Year (Okcityan), OKC Friday, 2025[3]
  • Spirit of Oklahoma Award, 2024[1]
  • 100 Women to Know Across North America, KNOW Women, 2023[12]
  • Oklahoma's Remarkable Woman, KFOR, 2023[13]
  • Oklahoma African American Educators Hall of Fame inductee, 2022[14][9]
  • Woman of the Year, 405 Magazine, 2022[14]
  • National Mother of the Year, American Mothers, Inc., 2021[7]
  • Oklahoma Mother of the Year, American Mothers, Inc., 2021[7]
  • Woman of the Year, The Journal Record, 2020[15]
  • Woman of the Year, Women of Color Expo, Perry Publishing and Broadcasting, 2018[16]
  • Oklahoman of the Year, Oklahoma Magazine[10]

Personal life

Jones and her husband Bernard M. Jones II, a federal judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, have three children.[3][2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Dr. Mautra Staley Jones, Class of 2025". Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2026-06-16.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "History maker Dr. Mautra Jones to join Oklahoma Hall of Fame". The Black Wall Street Times. May 19, 2025. Retrieved 2026-06-16.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Lane, Rose (January 17, 2025). "OKCityan of the Year: Jones is dedicated to service". OKC Friday. Archived from the original on 2025-07-23. Retrieved 2026-06-16.
  4. 1 2 "OCCC trailblazes four years of global recognition, workforce impact and student success with President Dr. Mautra Staley Jones at the helm". Oklahoma City Community College. March 16, 2026. Archived from the original on 2026-05-20. Retrieved 2026-06-16.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Eddington, Christine (February 9, 2023). "Woman of Influence: Dr. Mautra Staley Jones". Luxiere. Retrieved 2026-06-16.
  6. 1 2 3 Harper, Shaun (January 23, 2023). "10 Top Black Higher Ed CEOs To Watch In 2023". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2024-08-04. Retrieved 2026-06-16.
  7. 1 2 3 "Oklahoma's Dr. Mautra Staley Jones named 86th National Mother of the Year". American Mothers, Inc. May 4, 2021. Archived from the original on 2024-03-02. Retrieved 2026-06-16.
  8. ↑ Nunoo, Ama (June 29, 2021). "Get to know Dr. Mautra S. Jones, the Oklahoma woman named national 'Mother of the Year'". Face2Face Africa. Retrieved 2026-06-16.
  9. 1 2 "Oklahoma City Community College Holds Historic Investiture with Formal Installation of President, Dr. Mautra Staley Jones" (Press release). Oklahoma City Community College. November 17, 2022. Retrieved 2026-06-16 – via GlobeNewswire.
  10. 1 2 "Dr. Mautra S. Jones – CEOSE Member Biography". National Science Foundation. Archived from the original on 2026-04-26. Retrieved 2026-06-16.
  11. ↑ "Oklahoma City Community College President Dr. Mautra Staley Jones honored as a Most Admired CEO" (Press release). Oklahoma City Community College. April 29, 2025. Retrieved 2026-06-16 – via GlobeNewswire.
  12. ↑ "Dr. Mautra Staley Jones Named in Top 100 Women to Know Across North America" (Press release). Oklahoma City Community College. May 1, 2023. Retrieved 2026-06-16 – via GlobeNewswire.
  13. ↑ Holeman, Heather (30 March 2023). "Introducing… KFOR's '2023 Remarkable Women of Oklahoma' winner!". KFOR.com. KFOR by News Channel 4. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  14. 1 2 Holzer, Evie Klopp; Partin, Julie (September 29, 2022). "2022 Woman of the Year: Dr. Mautra Staley Jones". 405 Magazine. Archived from the original on 2025-11-18. Retrieved 2026-06-16.
  15. ↑ Journal Record Staff (October 9, 2020). "Mautra Staley Jones named 2020 Woman of the Year". The Journal Record. Archived from the original on 2020-10-12. Retrieved 2026-06-16.
  16. ↑ "75th Oklahoma Mother of the Year Dr. Mautra Staley Jones of Oklahoma City". The Oklahoma Eagle. January 28, 2021. Retrieved 2026-06-16.
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