Who We
Are

We’re Hiring!
Our Pathway to Change
Board of Directors
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Chair
R. Brent Hensley
KOCO -
Vice Chair
Cristina F. McQuistion
OGE Energy Corp. -
Treasurer
Bryan Coleman
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP -
Past CHAIR
Percy Kirk
Cox Communications -
Secretary, PRESIDENT & CEO
Mary Mélon-Tully
- BOARD OF
DIRECTORS - ADVISORY
BOARD - EX-officio
Members - Foundation
Staff
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Christine Berney
OKC Thunder
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Stephen Butler
Oklahoma City University School of Law
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Tana K. Cashion
Devon Energy
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Jason Constable
AT&T
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Wayland Cubit
Oklahoma City Police Department
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Rafael Garcia
American Fidelity
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Kevin Gordon
Crowe & Dunlevy
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AJ Griffin
Paycom
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Charles K. Holland
BancFirst
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Tim L. McLaughlin
Fields and Futures; Square Deal Capital
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Cathy O’Connor
Alliance for Economic Development
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Todd Pauley
Boeing
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Ashley Perkins
Cox Business
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Sarah J. Roberts
Inasmuch Foundation
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Claudia San Pedro
Sonic Drive-In
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Jabar Shumate
Urban League of Greater OKC, Inc.
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C. Miles Tolbert
Project Canary
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Jeremiah Buettner
McAfee Taft
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Mark Burson
Bluecrest Financial Alliances – Oklahoma
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Valerie K. Couch
Oklahoma City University School of Law
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Frank Franzese
Frank Franzese & Company
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McKenzie Hodge
Wheeler Middle School
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Marlon James
Tinker Air Force Base
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James Johnson
Retired
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David Kimmel
Pratt & Whitney
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Rusty N. LaForge
Stride Bank
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Justin Lawrence
Oklahoma Shirt Company
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Jenny Love Meyer
Love’s Travel Stops and Country Stores
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Megan Muir
EDGE Productions
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Tony N. Shinn
Bank of America
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Nathan Shirley
Compelier
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Samuel Kent Sparks
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
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Glenna Tanenbaum
Gardner Tanenbaum Holdings
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Tommy Thompson
4 Feathers Consulting Inc.
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Valerie Thompson
Urban League of Greater OKC Inc.
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Brooke Townsend
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma
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Jeff Trachtenberg
Jacmor Inc.
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Gary E. Tredway
American Fidelity
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Subha Varahan
The Oklahoma Heart Hospital
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Johnny Whitfield Jr.
OGE Energy Corp.
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Drew Dugan
Oklahoma City Chamber
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Mayor David F. Holt
City of OKC Mayor; Hall Capital Investments
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Paula Lewis
Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education
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Sean McDaniel
Oklahoma City Public Schools
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Mary Mélon-Tully
President & CEO
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Newt Brown
Director of Finance & Operations
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Abbie Vaughan
Director of Community Outreach
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Alison Taylor
ReadOKC On the Go! Project Coordinator
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Callie Stephens
Community Outreach Manager
Meet Our Team
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Mary Mélon-Tully
PRESIDENT & CEOMary Mélon-Tully
PRESIDENT & CEOMary Mélon-Tully was named president and CEO of the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation in Sept. 2014 after a 20+ year career leading a business publication, with local and national responsibilities. She, along with board members, district leaders and partners, spearheaded the development and implementation of the Teacher Pipeline Programs. Under her leadership, both the Bilingual and Diversity Teacher Pipeline programs have also joined New America’s national Grow Your Own Network which looks at ways to support community development efforts to improve and diversify the educator workforce. She received a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma and serves on the board of directors of the National Schools Foundation and received their Certified Leader designation. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for Oklahoma City/County Health Department where she serves as vice-chair, and the Regional Transit Authority where she serves as secretary and chair of the Outreach Committee.
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Newt Brown
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND OPERATIONSNewt Brown
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND OPERATIONSNewt Brown currently serves as the Director of Finance & Operations for the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation and has been with The Foundation since 2011 when he was hired as Accounting Manager. In this role at The Foundation Newt performs, coordinates or oversees all duties related to HR, payroll, accounting and IT. Newt is a native of Norman, OK where he graduated from Norman High School and attended the University of Oklahoma obtaining a B.M.E in Vocal Music Education, magna cum laude.
He began his career in the private sector working in restaurant management, customer service, accounting & HR and after approximately 10 years transitioned to the non-profit sector in 2010. When not at The Foundation, Newt enjoys singing, travel, cooking/entertaining and spending time with family and friends. He shares his home with two ornery cats, Erwin & Cody, which adopted him and mostly keep him out of trouble.
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Abbie Vaughan
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY OUTREACHAbbie Vaughan
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY OUTREACHAbbie Vaughan serves on the team at the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation as the Director of Community Outreach. In this role, she coordinates efforts to plan all Foundation events, manages the ReadOKC initiative, and works to foster new and existing community partnerships to support OKCPS. Abbie is a native Oklahoman and a product of Oklahoma City Public Schools, a graduate of the International Baccalaureate program at Classen School of Advanced Studies.
She has worked in the non-profit sector since graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2014. She graduated from UCO with dual degrees in Outdoor and Community Recreation and Exercise/Fitness Management. Outside of work, you’ll find her cooking and hosting parties for friends and family, practicing yoga, and spending time with her husband Clay and their Bernese Mountain Dog, Norah.
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Alison Taylor
ReadOKC On the Go! Program CoordinatorAlison Taylor
ReadOKC On the Go! Program CoordinatorAlison serves as the Program Manager for ReadOKC On the Go! – Our rolling library is an ADA compliant school bus and carries over 3,000 books for students ages Pre-K to High School. Following a 40 year career in the financial services industry, Alison retired and became the first volunteer for the ReadOKC program helping it grow from a vision to a reality! Her initial involvement in ReadOKC was driven by her passion for literacy and her desire to bring the wonder and excitement of books to every child. In 2020, the opportunity to develop and manage the ReadOKC On the Go! Book Bus program was the natural next step. This role includes overseeing the bus retrofitting, grant writing, management of the book center, and effective teaming with the OKCPS schools. Her past leadership positions in both her professional career and the Oklahoma City non-profit sector were critical. A past recipient of the Journal Record Woman of the Year, Alison has previously served on the boards of Integris Baptist Medical Center, Allied Arts, Leadership Oklahoma City (Class V), Westminster Presbyterian Church Foundation, and as president of the Center for Non-Profits. Her fall calendar is dedicated to following her alma mater – OU football – home and away! The rest of year she enjoys travel, three book clubs, and sharing time with her two grandchildren.
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Callie Stephens
COMMUNITY OUTREACH MANAGERCallie Stephens
COMMUNITY OUTREACH MANAGERCallie Stephens serves as the Community Outreach Manager at the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation. Callie believes strong schools make strong communities. In this role, she contributes to Foundational impact by providing strategic, focused and impactful work aligned with the district’s priorities and through connecting community with our schools. Callie is an Oklahoma native and proud University of Oklahoma alum.
Upon completing her Master’s degree in Social Work in 2015, Callie followed her passion for educational equity to the classroom and became a certified teacher serving at-risk students in a low-income community. Callie has continued to work in the non-profit sector throughout the entirety of her career. When not at the Foundation, Callie enjoys traveling, reading, perfecting new recipes in the kitchen, and spending time with her husband Chad and their rescue dog, Vivian.


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