Rotary: Making a Difference
The Honorable David Holt, Mayor of Oklahoma City
Mayor Holt was born and raised in Oklahoma City. The son of a teacher and a social worker, Mayor Holt has had family in Oklahoma City for the better part of a century. He graduated from Putnam City Public Schools before receiving his B.A. from George Washington University and his law degree from Oklahoma City University.
Mayor Holt served in the White House, and then for five years as chief of staff to former Mayor Mick Cornett before serving almost eight years in the Oklahoma Senate. There, then-Sen. Holt authored over 70 pieces of legislation that became law. He was a champion in the Senate for increased teacher pay, better public schools, more government transparency, protections for domestic violence victims and higher voter participation. He was honored as OKCityan of the Year by “OKC Friday” and has earned the Sunshine Award from Freedom of Information Oklahoma, the Guardian Award from the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women, the Child Abuse President Award from Parent Promise, the Bulldog Award from the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council and a Governor’s Art Award, among others. A month after taking office as Mayor, he was named one of the “Ten Outstanding Young Americans” under the age of 40 by JCI USA (Jaycees).
Mayor Holt is the author of “Big League City: Oklahoma City’s Rise to the NBA,” which chronicles Oklahoma City’s recent renaissance. Before his time as Mayor, Mayor Holt served on numerous community boards, including the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, Allied Arts, the Oklahoma City Arts Council, the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation, the Putnam City Public Schools Foundation, the Ralph Ellison Foundation and Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park, among many others.
Mayor Holt is a licensed attorney and works for a family-owned investment company in Oklahoma City. He and his wife Rachel, COO of the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs, have two children, George and Margaret. The Holts are members of St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church. Mayor Holt is also a member of the Osage Nation.
Mayor David Holt was elected Feb. 13, 2018, with 78.5 percent of the vote. It was the largest vote percentage achieved by a non-incumbent candidate for Mayor since 1947, and it made Holt the youngest Mayor of Oklahoma City since 1923, the youngest current mayor of a U.S. city with more than 500,000 residents and the first American Indian mayor of Oklahoma City. Mayor Holt took office April 10, 2018, as Oklahoma City’s 36th Mayor.
Mayor Holt believes that even though Oklahoma City has come so far, so fast, that our work is not finished yet. Mayor Holt is focused on continuing Oklahoma City’s momentum and working to ensure that it reaches every part of our City. His “one OKC” message illustrates his belief that Oklahoma City must maintain its unity to continue its progress. To achieve his vision for Oklahoma City, Mayor Holt’s priorities include:
Maintaining improvements in streets, transit & infrastructure
Continuing to invest in police and fire protection
Promoting an environment for job growth
Sustaining our commitment to improving quality of life through MAPS & other initiatives
Working together to support public education in OKC
Incorporating the diversity of our city into decision-making
Chair of the Day
