Mayor
Jean Ann Wright
stilwell city mayor
A 1973 graduate of Stilwell High School, Mayor Jean Ann Wright loves seeing so many residents in Stilwell working so hard to improve our city and schools.
After serving on the City Council, she ran for mayor because she had the time to devote to being a full-time mayor and wanted to dispel the negative rumors about our beautiful city.
“I love promoting our city to others throughout our state. I rarely hear anymore any negative talk. It’s all, ‘Wow, how great Stilwell is doing!’” she said.
Wright is proud the city has been able to remove lots of old crumbling buildings and dilapidated structures, replacing the area with cleaner parks and spaces to look more desirable and attract new growth and businesses.
“I hope to continue the upward trend of economic growth and physical growth of our city,” said Wright.
It was also a legacy of her dad, Harold Moten as mayor, that inspired her to follow in his footsteps.
Her parents were both her mentors including mom, Emmabel Morris Moten.
“Definitely my parents were my mentors. Dad worked so hard to better the lives of the citizens of Stilwell serving as mayor from 1970-1984. Mom was an elementary teacher who loved her students and did anything she could to make a difference in their lives,” Wright said.
Her education in Stilwell was wonderful and a great foundation for her professional careers.
“I learned the love of reading from my sixth grade teacher, Rodena Rodgers. In high school I took every class my dad taught. Trust me, he didn’t go easy on me, but I loved all the subjects he taught, including Government, History and one of my favorites, Problems of Democracy. I love to read and learn about our past and how we can apply those lessons to our future,” she said.
Stilwell Schools taught her the value of investing time in our community and city, to become the best we can be, and to also extend that to being the best citizen we can for our city.
“There was such a one on one relationship within the school system between students and staff. I didn’t want my children to attend anywhere else. And I am proud to say all four are Stilwell graduates,” she said.
Wright began her professional career as a nurse around Adair County, which she enjoyed for about 25 years. Next she worked for a sports marketing company in Fayetteville, Ark., where she spent 12 years as a Director of Business Development.
“I had the joy of traveling to most every state in the union speaking to large groups of athletic directors,” said Wright.
She served in the first Americorps class in 1995 under the direction of President Bill Clinton.
“That was a huge honor for me,” Wright said. “One of the best honors for me was being named 2020 Co-Statesman of the Year by Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and the Cherokee Nation.”
Married 39 years to her best friend Shawn Wright, they have four children: Amber and Raymond Hall; Cody and Kristin Wright; Caleb and Hali Wright; Cord and Tiffany Wright, who have given them 14 fabulous grandchildren ages 1-21, so far.
Something interesting about her not everyone knows, “I had polio as a small child and didn’t walk for several months. I am blessed that I recovered with very little effects. I barely remember most of it, but I do remember dad carrying me everywhere and some pain in my legs,” she said.
What do you hope, as mayor, your legacy will be for your hometown?
“That my love of our citizens and our city was something worth working diligently for,” Wright said.
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Contact information
City of Stilwell, Oklahoma
Address: 20 S. 1st St., Stilwell, OK 74960
Phone:
918-696-7143
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