2025 "If I Were Mayor…" Essay Winners Announced
The Mayors’ Council of Oklahoma (MCO) and the Oklahoma Municipal League (OML) recently announced the 2025 winners of the annual “If I Were Mayor” essay contest.
This year, the Potts Family Foundation partnered with OML on the annual essay contest and they generously provided a $250 stipend to the teacher of the winning student.
The essay contest provides an opportunity for 8th grade students from across Oklahoma to engage with their communities. The MCO asks that the Mayors in each community reach out to their 8th grade students to discuss the role that a Mayor has in municipal government, and the vital role that they have in leading a community.
The 2025 Winners are:
1st Place – Jarrod McCary, Wright City Junior High
2nd Place – Josiah Gilbert-Byers, Cheyenne Middle School
3rd Place – Ryder Drennan, Alex Middle School
Jarrod’s teacher, Mrs. Edna Ruth Turner received a $250 stipend from the Potts Family Foundation.
In his winning essay, Jarrod McCary stated that he would prioritize citizen engagement and discuss the town’s lack of revenue, inadequate infrastructure and how to capitalize on tourism to the area.
Second place winner, Josiah Gilbert-Byers, shared that if he was mayor, his priorities would be enhancing parks, improving road safety and supporting local businesses and the economy.
Ryder Drennan, third place winner, would put an emphasis on listening to the concerns of the residents’ by hosting weekly town hall meetings and fostering a sense of community while prioritizing manageable and sustainable growth.
“We want to congratulate the winners of the 2025 “If I Were Mayor” Essay Contest,” said Craig Parham, Mayor of Amber, and MCO President. “We are grateful that so many students from across Oklahoma took the time to learn more about municipal government and participated in the essay contest. We also want to thank the Potts Family Foundation for partnering with MCO and OML and appreciate their interest in strong local government.”
“One of most important duties we have at the local level is to identify the next generation of leaders, and this contest is a great introduction to municipal government,” said Mike Fina, Executive Director of OML. “Municipal government is the form of government closest to the people and our hope is that this essay contest will show young people that they can be involved and make a difference in their communities.”
The Mayors' Council of Oklahoma was formed in 1991 as a bipartisan organization to represent the concerns and views of the body of the state’s Mayors. MCO provides a vehicle for the development and implementation of programs of multi-jurisdictional cooperation between cities and towns designed to lessen the burden on local government. Oklahoma Mayors make the commitment to work through the conference to improve their own communities as well as the conditions facing cities and towns throughout the state and nation.
The Oklahoma Municipal League is the authoritative source for information, training, and resources on effective local government for member organizations and is recognized as the unified voice of Oklahoma Cities and Towns. For more information, visit www.OML.org.
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EDITORS AND BROADCASTERS: Photos are available at this link - If I Were Mayor Photos