The Oklahoma Eagle Newswire
Dr. Mautra Staley Jones of Oklahoma City was announced as the 2021 Oklahoma Mother of the Year®. She is the 75th woman in Oklahoma history to hold this honor. Dr. Jones advances and elevates each institution she touches and is known as one of Oklahoma’s youngest thought leaders who continues to serve numerous organizations through her educational, community, and organizational experience. Mautra serves as Vice President for Institutional Advancement and External Affairs at historic Langston University and is the executive director of the LU Foundation.
Dr. Jones, along with honorees from states across the US, will be recognized during the 86th National Convention of American Mothers, Inc. this May. She will also serve as an ambassador for Oklahoma’s mothers during visits with members of Congress. One honoree will be named the National Mother of the Year® during the convention.
“For over 85 years American Mothers, Inc. has held the responsibility of searching for and selecting the Mother of the Year® in every state, district and territory in our country,” said Connell Branan, Board President. “Like all of the honorees before her, Dr. Mautra Staley Jones now joins the ranks of Oklahoma history, with the opportunity to become a part of American history as she represents the mothers in her state and is considered for the honor of 2021 National Mother of the Year®.”
For a full list of State Mother of the Year® honorees please visit AmericanMothers.org. Nominations for Mother of the Year® are accepted annually, Mothers Day – September 15. For general media inquiries or to set up an interview with the state Mother of the Year®, contact Sabrina Wisher-DeWitt at news@americanmothers.org.
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About Dr. Mautra Staley Jones: Mautra Staley Jones is known as one of Oklahoma’s youngest thought leaders. Mautra serves as Vice President for Institutional Advancement and External Affairs at historic Langston University. She leads the University’s Oklahoma City campus as site administrator and is the executive director of the LU Foundation. Married to U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones II, with three children, Mautra holds a BA, an MBA, and a Doctor of Education. She has been appointed by Governors Kevin Stitt and Mary Fallin, and OKC Mayor David Holt. She also serves as a board director for StitchCrew and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
Mautra has held numerous offices with philanthropic and civic groups, earning multiple accolades within a broad assortment of agencies. The Journal Record honored her as the 2020 Woman of the Year, named her as one of Fifty Women Making a Difference in the state of Oklahoma for the past three years and inducted her into its Circle of Excellence. She was named the 2018 Woman of the Year by the Women of Color Expo presented by Perry Publishing and Broadcasting.
Mautra has been recognized as an Achiever Under 40 by The Journal Record, OKC Biz and Oklahoma Magazine. She has served as a board director for Rotary Club 29, the Oklahoma County Bar Auxiliary, Black Liberated Arts Center, Inc., Storm Inc., and Metro Technology Centers Foundation. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., board of advisors for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce; a Salt and Light Leadership Fellow and a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma City, Class XXIX.
Mautra is a member of MSI Aspiring Leaders, a program developed by the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions, which prepares the next generation of MSI presidents. (Information provided by Dr. Mautra Staley Jones)
About American Mothers: American Mothers, Inc. (AMI) is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization given the responsibility of searching for and selecting the National Mother of the Year® from honorees representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Founded in 1931 as the Mothers Day Committee of the Golden Rule Foundation, AMI named the first Mother of the Year on behalf of the nation in 1935. Many outstanding individuals throughout America have served as officers, leaders, members and supporters of this organization such as Sarah Delano Roosevelt, J.C. Penney, First Lady Mamie Eisenhower, Norman Vincent Peale, Congresswoman Lindy Boggs, Phyllis Marriott and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Today, our mission is to harness the power of maternal energy to make a positive impact in the world.
