WEEKLY UPDATE      March 9th, 2007

YOU BET YOUR ENTREPRENEURSHIP WEEK ...say that 10 times fast!!...and we did. Pioneer Technology Center, (PTC) with an assist from PCDA, hosted "What's Your Big Idea?" last Friday as part of The Kauffman Foundations National Entrepreneurship Week, to encourage budding young entrepreneurs in the Ponca City area. 130 students came hither to programs featuring: Randall Wohl from the Game X-Change in the morning and our own Darrell Stolhand in the afternoon, both explaining what inspired them to be entrepreneurs. Lively discussion followed about inspiration and the all important topic of….. money, cash, moolah, dinero….well, you get the idea. The students were interested, involved and present. It doesn't get much better than that. Thanks to Bonnie Cook and the PTC folks for a great job. SEEING YOUR SHADOW ...in February? Who had time? The PCDA Trustees heard the activity report for the short but lively month. PCDA had 20 contacts with new companies, 30 with those smart enough to already be here, 21 with consultants, (people who help others decide where they should put their business) and 41 with government folks, largely from the Washington DC trip and economic development day at the State Capitol. PCDA currently has 15 open projects, (we opened another today) and two active leads for a potential of 843 jobs. COMING IN LIKE A LION ...is what PCDA is trying to do in this first full week of March. We reached two handshake agreements with a couple of small, (20 total jobs) but oh so important projects that will go to the PCDA Trustees later this month. We also met with a visiting company that flew in on their own plane (yeah, that's a good sign) yesterday, spent some quality time with an out-of-state prospect, (a long shot at best) conducted our first tri-annual survey of larger employers, (think taking their pulse), continued to build the building, land and industry data base, coordinated a meeting of the Ponca City Venture Associates and handled the usual administrative necessary to properly manage public funds. At the same time our Tim "so long as you pay my way" Burg went down to the Gulf Coast to share with them how Ponca City has coordinated workforce and economic development to grow local jobs. THE BIG TWELVE CONFERENCE ...not that one…the new Big Twelve Economic Development Conference held in Kansas City last week was co-sponsored by PCDA to get in front of venture capitalists and researchers working to commercialize innovative ideas. Great turnout, lots of brainpower…lots of money. Also last week, PCDA traveled to Washington to support the annual OSU mission and specifically to talk about the UML to the Oklahoma delegation. PCDA Chair Lee Evans and David "I'll carry that bag for you, sir" Myers met with Mssrs. Lucas, Inhofe, Boren, Dr. Coburn and Ms. Fallin as well as a staffer for Mr. Cole. UPCOMING.... Tue. Mar. 13th: Governor's Economic Development Team/OEDC meeting, OKC Fri. Mar. 16th: OK Gateway Economic Development Partnership; 10:30 am, Stillwater Sun-Wed, 3/18th-20th: CFO Rising Trade Show with the Department of Commerce, Orlando Ponca City Development Authority 102 S. Fifth Street, Ste. 3, Ponca City, OK 74601 580.765.7070/580.765.0969-fax Or E-Mail - David Myers CEcD - Executive Director Visit Ponca City Development's Latest News Archives © www.goponca.com - Ponca City Development Authority - Ponca City, Oklahoma