President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton has appointed Mary Mélon-Tully to the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth. She will serve in the position designated for a member with a demonstrated interest in improving children’s services who is not employed by a state agency or a private organization that receives state funds. Her term will conclude Dec. 3, 2027.
Commissioner Mélon-Tully brings more than 30 years of experience in public education, nonprofit leadership and organizational development. She is president of MT Willow Tree Consulting LLC, a firm she founded in 2025. Her current work includes strategic development efforts for the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation and Oklahoma Watch.
Commissioner Mélon-Tully retired in 2024 as president and CEO of the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation after more than a decade of service. Earlier in her career, she spent nearly 20 years with The Journal Record, where she served as publisher and held corporate leadership responsibilities overseeing multiple markets.
Her public service includes leadership roles on several boards and authorities. Commissioner Mélon-Tully is the immediate past chair of the Oklahoma City County Health Department Board of Health. She has served on the Regional Transit Authority, the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority and the Oklahoma City Urban Redevelopment Authority. She was the first woman appointed to both urban renewal entities, serving for more than 10 years.
Commissioner Mélon-Tully is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma City and Leadership Oklahoma. She is a past board chair of Leadership Oklahoma and is an active member of the Leadership Oklahoma City Alumni Board. She has served on executive committees and in leadership development roles for civic and community organizations throughout the state.
Her professional recognition includes honors from the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits, Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame, Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame, Oklahoma City University Meinders School of Business, Leadership Oklahoma, Association for Women in Communications, Oklahoma Quality Foundation, YWCA and other civic organizations.
Commissioner Mélon-Tully will begin her service on the commission immediately.
View Commissioner Mélon-Tully's appointment letter here.