Mayor Holt Officially Begins New Role As Dean Of OCU School Of Law

Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt officially begins his new role as dean of Oklahoma City University’s School of Law.

The university announced the appointment back in May. Holt began his first day Wednesday.

Holt announced he is stepping away from his current second job at a private investment company for the new job, now closer to his mayoral office.

“These two jobs are just a few blocks apart,” Mayor – now Dean - Holt said. “I feel almost greedy to have two jobs that make our city a better place to live.”

His role with the law school, Holt said, is in part making sure that the university’s partnership with the community is strong.

“You’re out there raising the resources that are needed to realize the vision of this institution,” he said. “And it really dovetails really well with my public service role as mayor.”

The mayor of the nation’s 20th largest city is also a graduate of the school he now oversees. It was a position he didn’t envision when he attended.

“No, and even more so my professors I’m sure had no idea this would happen.”

He now envisions what is in store. He said part of the job is casting a vision and making sure it is in alignment internally.

The law school moved downtown in 2015. It is now housed in a building that stood 3 years earlier than the school itself.

It was once home to Oklahoma High School.

While it served generations of students in the past, he hopes now it will continue to serve the diversity of the city’s future.

“Sixty percent of the kids under the age of 18 are non-white,” he pointed out. “So we need to make sure they have a path into the legal community.”

He hopes they will have a path like that of a night student who worked as a former mayor’s chief of staff.

“I was once the mayor’s chief of staff, and now I’m the mayor,” Holt said. “I was once a student here and now I’m the dean.”

The school is now located in a place that former students now work to promote, downtown.

“Everyone has those career moments where they just want to pinch themselves,” he said. “That’s certainly the way I feel.”

The office of Oklahoma City Mayor has no term limits.

When asked if the new job factored into his decision about running again in three years, Holt said it’s too early to officially announce a run.

He does say however he is leaving that door open.