Two Oklahoma organizations are partnering next week to answer the question, “What do northwest Oklahoma communities need to be successful?”
That is the title of an open forum hosted by Northwest Oklahoma Alliance and The Oklahoma Academy for State Goals, which will be 10 a.m. July 20 on Northwestern Oklahoma State University’s Woodward campus.
“It’s very important for northwest Oklahoma communities to work together,” said Brent Kisling, director of Enid Regional Economic Development Alliance and a board member for Northwest Oklahoma Alliance. “We’re hoping for a good crowd there, with all different areas being represented — government, business leaders, travel agencies and anyone else who wants to make northwest Oklahoma a better place to live.”
Kisling said he anticipates two majors issues to be discussed in Woodward. The first is the problem of out-migration — migration out of the northwest part of the state. The other is the future of wind energy, which is gaining popularity.
The event is free and open to all. Lunch will be served. Anyone interested in attending should make a reservation with Lisa Powell, who can be reached at 233-4232.
Northwest Oklahoma Alliance is an organization that attempts to unite business and community leaders to promote economic growth in the northwest part of the state.
The Oklahoma Academy also hosts a yearly statewide town hall meeting addressing various topics of concern to state residents. The subject of this year’s meeting, which will take place Nov. 14-17 in Norman, is “municipal Oklahoma.”
Julie Knutson, the academy’s president and chief executive officer, said the November meeting will tackle “what (municipalities) see as difficulties and how to remedy these difficulties. Specifcally, where do they see assistance coming from? Is it going to be from the state or within the community?” The findings from the statewide meeting are passed on to the Oklahoma Legislature and monitored to see if lawmakers act upon the recommendations.
However, the academy has had trouble gathering enough information for the November meeting, and Northwest Oklahoma Alliance volunteered to help cover northwest Oklahoma by hosting next week’s event. The academy will take input from next week’s meeting and package it into its statewide town hall meeting, which is attended by 150 preselected businessmen, politicians and professors.