Julia Mantzke never dreamed she’d be at the center of her tribal government, but sometimes good fortune comes in different forms.
Mantzke has been the chief executive of the Comanche Nation after winning elections in 2020 and 2021. She was re-elected May 14 for another one-year term after capturing 59% of the vote by tribal voters.
Mantzke is in charge of the tribe’s day-to-day business affairs, 360 employees and 71 programs. It sounds like a massive task, but Mantzke knows her work is benefitting thousands of fellow tribal members.
Ironically, she never intended to be in the tribe’s top spot.
After starting her employment with the Comanche Nation in 2016, Mantzke held a variety of positions that allowed her to learn tribal government practices, ordinances and gaming.
In August 2020, she was named interim tribal administrator after a vacancy occurred and was then elected in December 2020. She was re-elected as administrator in April 2021. Working for three previous tribal administrators helped prepare her for the role.
“I didn’t expect to stay (in that role),” Mantzke said. “I had never been in politics and never expected to run (for tribal administrator).”
During her time as the top administrator, Mantzke has been through two financial audits that showed no irregularities. In addition, the tribe’s budgets remained in the black during the COVID-19 pandemic despite having to close the casinos for more than three months.
“The casinos are our biggest source of revenue,” she said. “So to have to close those and still be in the black was a positive.”
Mantzke and the tribe endured pressure during the pandemic when the Comanche Nation’s revenue dropped 54% from the previous year, so the federal government’s CARES funding proved vital.
“Our employees had a hard time collecting unemployment, but CARES helped,” she said. “We actually worked it (CARES) in the budget to ensure we had enough to help people.”
Despite the pandemic and the stresses associated with it, Mantzke is happy with her role and the ability to assist people.
“I enjoy working within our government,” she said. “I like developing relationships with other tribes, the U.S. government and the people of Lawton. We need to be more community-oriented because so much of our nation is in Lawton.”
Mantzke said her office has worked to get tribal enterprises back to normal by requiring all employees get vaccinated with the COVID-19 shots and boosters.
“We haven’t had a positive (COVID-19) test since Feb. 1,” she said. “We still do routine temperature checks, and the campus is open, and services are ongoing.”
Mantzke is full steam ahead as she manages the Comanche Nation’s business affairs.
“I don’t leave when everybody else leaves,” she said. “I enjoy having this job.”
She also wants the tribe’s employees to enjoy their jobs, so she implemented an employee of the quarter award. Nominations are submitted for workers who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. The reward is a day off, a $100 Visa gift card and a certificate of appreciation. In addition, the Comanche Nation chairman presents the employee with a Coin of Excellence and the employee is featured on the tribe’s Facebook page.
Although her job is “24/7,” Mantzke allots time for her son who plays baseball at Lawton MacArthur High School.
“When I’m at his games, my phone is off. It gives me time to take a break,” she said. “I also focus on taking a break on Sundays.”
Prior to working for the Comanche Nation, Mantzke worked for the Oklahoma Blood Institute for 10 years and spent eight years at the Lawton Indian Hospital working in the emergency room department as a technician and phlebotomist.
Mantzke is engaged, has two sons, ages 28 and 17, and a 23-year-old daughter. She also has five grandchildren.