In uncertain times there is an organization dedicated to working to help Enid grow and develop economically.
Enid Regional Development Alliance held its regular meeting Thursday, and officials talked about ways to support innovation and growth locally.
“We partner with local lenders in order to provide the finances to start up and grow local businesses,” said Brent Kisling, executive director of Enid Regional Development Alliance.
Representatives of one local enterprise benefiting from the alliance were at the meeting to make a presentation.
Renee Settlemires and Travis Brorsen of Woof LLC were on hand to update the alliance board on the progress of their business.
Brorsen, originally from Perry, is an actor who recently won a reality show contest with his dog, a boxer named Presley. Since then, Brorsen and Presley have been traveling, using their skills to talk to students, but Brorsen wanted to make a bigger impact.
“K.J. Productions partnered with Travis and Presley LLC, and we formed Woof,” said Settlemires. “We’ve been working with teachers across Oklahoma.”
Woof LLC is a tenant in the Autry Technology Center business incubator, the Jim W. Strate Center for Business Development, where they are working on developing and marketing a DVD, book series and classroom curriculum. “Adventures With Travis and Presley” will teach students about manners and also be compliant with Oklahoma Priority Academic Student Skills, or PASS objectives, required in curriculum.
“We’ve developed a full-blown curriculum that does meet Oklahoma PASS objectives,” Settlemires said.
The “manners series” deals with taking turns, table manners, bullies, respect, good sportsmanship and more.
“We could use a good dose of good manners,” Settlemires said. “We all could use it.”
Brorsen said they are working to make the curriculum easy to follow for both faculty and students.
“In the teacher’s guide, along with each lesson plan, we actually list each PASS objective that is being met,” he said.
They also will present a workshop at the next Oklahoma State School Boards Association conference.
“Adventures With Travis and Presley” could find success anywhere, said Kisling, but they chose Enid.
“He could do it in L.A., but he’s passionate about Oklahoma,” Kisling said.
Another successful innovation story associated with Enid Regional Development Alliance is Fence Solutions, owned by Enid’s Randy Breitenkamp.
After discussing it in executive session and reconvening into open session, the alliance board voted to enter into a partnership with Fence Solutions. Pending appraisal, the alliance will use U.S. Department of Agriculture grant funding to purchase a building for Fence Solutions to lease.
The board also voted to enter into a partnership with the Center for Innovation in Arlington, Texas. The partnership will make the alliance a primary intermediary with the Center for Innovation’s federal labs and technology created there, Kisling said.
Marketing Enid
While growing businesses in Enid is important, the alliance also focuses on promoting and marketing Enid to the rest of the state and nation.
Melissa Baker, of Inspire Greater Enid, was on hand to share some ideas to promote and inspire pride within the community. She presented a plan for the sale of T-shirts to promote Enid.
“T-shirts are basically a walking billboard,” she said.
The sale of the shirts would not only promote Enid, it would raise funds for Inspire Greater Enid and Enid Regional Development Alliance.
Also discussed at the meeting was Gateway Enid, a $20 million bond issue coming to a vote Aug. 24.
If approved, the bond issue will be a continuation of a current bond issue that is set to expire. The city of Enid will match the $20 million from the bond with $20 million it has set aside, and the $40 million will be used to create a new civic space, a new civic plaza, a new event center and renovate Mark Price Arena and Cherokee Strip Conference Center.
The Gateway Enid project is meant to revitalize and promote Enid and bring business and visitors.
“The idea is to create private industry,” said Don Rose, alliance board member. “We’re getting the word out as much as we can.”
The next regular meeting of Enid Regional Development Alliance will be Sept. 9.