NEW LEADERSHIP….. in a community is always exciting. But how does a community "get" new leaders? You grow them. Ponca City Leadership Class 36 had their final wrap-up this week at Camp Horizon with PCDA staff leading a spirited discussion on economic vibrancy, what a community needs to grow and thrive and how to "get stuff done". Next week, this 36th class of Ponca City leaders graduates on Thursday, May 4th at the Ponca City Country Club. If you would like to attend to cheer on your favorite new leader, please take a moment and call the Chamber to reserve a seat, 765.4400.

Some of these new leaders are involved with events coming up in the Ponca City community, that you will not want to miss. Saturday, May 6th has a little bit of everything from Tacofest celebrating Cinco de Mayo at Central Fare to the Paul Schatte Memorial Cookoff at First Lutheran to E.W. Marland's birthday celebration at the Grand Home. This small town stuff is real and you don't want to miss any of these events. And yes, this was a talking point at the Leadership wrap up.

If you want to participate in the next class for Ponca City Leadership, get your application from the Chamber office. You will definitely get involved with our community by participating in the leadership program. And building a better Ponca City is all about participation, getting involved and learning to lead.

DUKE.....continues to march closer to completion. With approximately 60 percent of the building complete, work has moved inside with walls, electrical and floors being the main focus. Look for this building to be available for lease by early summer. Do you know a company interested in leasing a brand new 39,000 square foot building? Feel free to send them the virtual walking tour of Duke. Here is the link to view.

SUPERINTENDANT OF THE YEAR.....for the Oklahoma Association of School Administrators District 4 is Shelley Arrott! Arrott will be recognized at the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administrators (CCOSA) Summer Leadership Conference on June 14-16, 2023. If you see Shelley, give her a "Good Job" and "Congratulations". Read the complete press release here.

ATTRACTING YOUTH......to the Ponca City job market is the goal. Ponca Works attended a job fair at NOC this week, with little student engagement.  What this lack of college student participation illustrated is employers seeking to secure their next workforce should consider capturing students in K-12 education. These students offer a fresh perspective and enthusiasm which can bring great benefits to any organization. Additionally, by building a connection with the community and providing opportunities for internships, businesses develop a pipeline of talent in alignment with their needs.

Investing in the next generation not only ensures a bright future for the workforce, but also fosters a sense of corporate social responsibility. Internships provide students with real-world experience and allow them to apply their skills in a practical setting. It's a win-win situation where both the employer and the student can benefit. By hosting interns and cultivating relationships with schools and other educational institutions, businesses can establish themselves as leaders in their communities and stay ahead of the competition in terms of securing top talent.

CELEBRATE....Cinco de Mayo with the Hispanic Oklahoma Latino Association (HOLA), North Central area at the first Saturday in May right here at City Central in the Food Truck Court, Central Fare. Food, music and dancing in the streets. Well, one street. Fourth street will be closed from Oklahoma to Central and there will be all types of taco and food trucks. Bring the family and share in the celebration of the date of the Mexican army's victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War in 1862. The actual day is May 5, but we wanted an all day celebration, so Saturday May 6 it is. Flyers and food truck information coming soon.

Tuesday, May 2 // Internship & Career Fair // PoHi

Get your company signed up now to attend.

10:45 to 12:30 pm

Saturday, May 6 // Cinco de Mayo Celebration // Central Fare

9 am to 7 pm

Food trucks, music, dancing and vendors

Tuesday, May 9 // Business on the Balcony // City Central

Get networking - on the Balcony

7 to 8:30 am City Central

Wed, May 24 // The Hero Effect // Pioneer Tech Center

Sign up here to attend this motivational presentation

by Kevin Brown (flyer below)

Rental Property - Available Listings

SIGN UP FOR SBDC PROGRAMS HERE

PONCA CITY HERE I COME…For years people have referred to the largest hangar at the airport as the “Conoco” hangar. Well no more. Yesterday, the PCDA Board of Trustees (may they never have more takeoffs than landings) approved a lease with a California-based company called “NextGen Aviation.” The new company will operate an MRO. In airplane talk, that’s a maintenance, repair and overhaul operation. This is not an FBO, or fixed base operator, which the city has and will continue to operate. An MRO will have planes come stay for a while for serious repairs, up to and including removing engines, taking them apart and putting them back on. One might call that overhauling, if one was so inclined. 

NextGen is a part of an aviation family that works on planes, leases engines to the top airlines in the nation, takes planes apart and generally keeps all of them in the sky. They were first introduced to Ponca City by former PCDA Chair Steve Hermann. The company has experience with small and large jet aircraft. They will start with the smaller ones since that 18,000 square foot hangar was built for those. Give it a little time and by this summer you will start to see things happen at that building, albeit slowly at first. More planes, more aviation jobs at the airport and just another important boost to the local economy. PCDA welcomes NextGen to the “NextGen Hangar,” and looks forward to a long relationship with this company.

THE WELCOME WAGON....was out this week during the April PCDA Board of Trustees Meeting. Chairwoman Nancy Laffey swore in newly appointed Board Trustee Mark Southard. Current Trustees and Staff were happy to welcome him onto the PCDA Board.

Trustee Southard joins the current six PCDA Board Trustees making them the Magnificent Seven moving into May. Welcome Trustee Southard.

BUSINESS EXPANSION PROGRAM DEADLINE TODAY!!!...Businesses that are considering expansion or adopting new, innovative concepts have until 5:00 p.m. today to apply for the Oklahoma Innovation Expansion Program (OIEP). The application isn’t difficult but if you haven’t heard of the OIEP by now, you probably won’t be able to develop any thoughts or concepts in time to get the application in by 5:00 p.m. This, therefore, is a reminder, or a description for the curious. The OIEP was developed by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and the Oklahoma Finance Authority during the pandemic (or does one politically say “earlier in the pandemic?”) to help fill supply chain gaps. 

The state has $15 million this year to partner with business on expansion plans. “Partner” means they will pay out a successful application each quarter for a while, with total payments amounting to between $25k and $150k. Ponca City was one of the most successful communities last year in bringing home state money to support local industries with only Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Broken Arrow hosting more successful applicants. Our hometown saw $8.60 per person brought here through last year’s program. This compares with $1.96 in another community, $2.81 in a second other city and a big fat zero in a third community, all of whom you know about and have likely made city comparisons. We’re not knocking them. They represent more or less the state average. What we are saying is that, well (blush) Ponca City does a lot of things better than a lot of other people.

HERE AT CITY CENTRAL....staff loves our tenants. This year, there was an Easter Door Decorating Contest for those in the building. With a door. There were some great entries, but Small Business & Accounting Solutions of Oklahoma took the trophy.

Good job to owner Doreen Abbott and all her minions on the fun and entertaining door decorations. City Central Tenants are the best and staff is delighted to interact with them for these fun tenant appreciation events.

YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS....the Ponca City Arts Membership show happening at City Central in the John McNeese Gallery now through April 29th. Judging has happened and some of this unique and fabulous art is for sale.

Open Thursdays through Saturdays for your viewing pleasure, this membership show has a little something for everyone. Get your arts on at City Central.

BUSINESS ON THE BALCONY.....had a great turnout this week. All kinds of networking happening on the balcony and in the PCDA office. Didn't make it to the kick-off event? Never fear. You have several more chances. Next B on the B is Tuesday, May 9th. It's an early time, but worth it to have a little breakfast and a whole lot of networking. We get stuff done. On the Balcony. 7 to 8:30 am. Come and go and bring a friend.

CALLING ALL BUSINESSES.....seeking interns for 2023-24 school year. The Internship/Career Fair is happening on May 2nd, 10:45 to 12:30 pm at the High School. Internships are a great way to identify, coach and relate to the next generation of workers. Sign up for the Internship Career Fair here or contact Jordan Jackson-Gross at 580.718.4878 to get an intern assigned to your location for the 2023-24 school year.

CELEBRATE....Cinco de Mayo with the North Central Oklahoma Latino's Association (NCOkLA) the first Saturday in May right here at City Central in the Food Truck Court, Central Fare. Food, music and dancing in the streets. Well, one street. Fourth street will be closed from Oklahoma to Central and there will be all types of taco and food trucks. Bring the family and share in the celebration of the date of the Mexican army's victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War in 1862. The actual day is May 5, but we wanted an all day celebration, so Saturday May 6 it is. Flyers and food truck information coming soon.

Friday, April 14th // Ponca City Senior Center Open House

Check out all the new at the Senior Center

319 W. Grand from 4 to 6 pm.

Monday, April 17th // NCOK Latino's Association Meeting

The Summit at 7 pm

Get involved with the North Central OK

Latino's Association.

Sun, April 23 // Great Day of Service // Ponca City

Ryan Hampl, Great Day of Service Coordinator 

ryan.hampl@gmail.com. Cell 785 787 3604.

Tuesday, May 2 // Internship & Career Fair // PoHi

Get your company signed up now to attend.

10:45 to 12:30 pm

Saturday, May 6 // Cinco de Mayo Celebration // Central Fare

9 am to 7 pm

Food trucks, music, dancing and vendors

Rental Property - Available Listings

SIGN UP FOR SBDC PROGRAMS HERE

FINDING YOUR PEEPS.....isn't just code for Easter traditions. Welcoming new people to the community whether at faith based events, at work, community clubs or at the local watering hole, serves to strengthen the Ponca City population. People stay and work where they are welcome. With an extremely low unemployment rate of 2.8%, Ponca City employers would like to retain their workers. So invite that new co-worker to have a beer. They don't drink? How about some frisbee golf or a fox tour? New person have kids? Even better. There are 27 parks in the Ponca City area with various and sundry activities. Have some doggos who want to socialize? Check out the dog park.

Just having a job or a house in Ponca City doesn't mean new people have an immediate sense of community. So be a good neighbor or work-friend and help them find their tribe. Make sure to reach out to the Chamber of Commerce at 765.4400 or drag that person (possibly kicking, hopefully not screaming) to a Lions Club or Rotary meeting. Or perhaps Business on the Balcony next Tuesday or any of the Chamber of Commerce events. People and families new to the community have to find their tribe. All we, as friendly and here for the long haul Ponca Citians, can do is assist. Happy Easter and go find some Peeps.

MOVING RIGHT ALONG.....is spec building Duke in the AIP. Walls are up and the doors are going on now. This 39,000 square foot beauty is almost halfway completed and staff is excited to see the finished product. Stay tuned for some inside views and more concrete pours for the parking lot.

BUSINESS PLAN CHAMPION...... of the 2023 Spring Pitch-off is Paws on the Pavement, owned and operated by Justin Mathews. Three businesses presented business plans and pitched to judges Monday at City Central. Pictured are judges Eric Peitz, Vice President CME; Jodi Cline, Edward Jones Financial Advisor; Kerri Bowman, Equity Bank; Paws on the Pavement Owner Justin Mathews and Shane Blaes, RCB Bank. Shane was the tabulator for the competition. PCDA thanks all the judges for sharing their time and talents and to all the competitors which included Talk To Me Speech Therapy, owner Jennifer Walenciak and The Alley, owner Seth Hammock.

If you know someone interested in competing for $5000 in cash and incentives, please contact Katherine Long at PCDA, 765.7070. The next competition is scheduled for October, 2023.

BUSINESS ON THE BALCONY...returns to City Central on Tuesday, April 11 from 7 to 8:30 am. On the PCDA office Balcony. This is your chance to do a little networking and grab some breakfast with 30 to 40 of your best new work associates. Open to anyone interested in networking for partners, business, organizations or looking to meet some other early risers.

You are invited. Full schedule is listed below. Mark your calendar for every second Tuesday, April thru October for a little B on the B.



SPRING WORKSHOPS..... are happening for business owners and employees seeking to increase and hone skill sets. Pioneer Technology Center is hosting a Chamber Lunch and Learn on Tuesday, April 11th on Public Speaking (see below for flyer) and a "How To" on Facebook Business Suite on Wed, April 19th.

CALLING ALL BUSINESSES.....seeking interns for 2023-24 school year. The Internship/Career Fair is happening on May 2nd, 10:45 to 12:30 pm at the High School. Internships are a great way to identify, coach and relate to the next generation of workers. Sign up for the Internship Career Fair here or contact Jordan Jackson-Gross at 580.718.4878 to get an intern assigned to your location for the 2023-24 school year.

CELEBRATE....Cinco de Mayo with the North Central Oklahoma Latino's Association (NCOkLA) the first Saturday in May right here at City Central in the Food Truck Court, Central Fare. Food, music and dancing in the streets. Well, one street. Fourth street will be closed from Oklahoma to Central and there will be all types of taco and food trucks. Bring the family and share in the celebration of the date of the Mexican army's victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War in 1862. The actual day is May 5, but we wanted an all day celebration, so Saturday May 6 it is. Flyers and food truck information coming soon.

CONGRATULATIONS..... to our friends at the City of Ponca City. Ponca City Energy recently competed in the American Public Power Association (APPA) National Lineworker’s Rodeo in Kansas City, Kansas. The 3 man team consisted of Tomas Alvarez, Austin Fry, and Keenan Pappan. This team took first place in the Hurtman Rescue event giving them the APPA National Championship for Hurtman Rescue in 2023.

Bringing a 1st place win back to Ponca City and the state of Oklahoma is something they and The City of Ponca City is very proud of!

Tuesday, April 11 // Business on the Balcony // City Central

7:00 to 8:30 am on the Balcony 2nd Floor

Come and go; networking & breakfast

Tuesday, April 11 // Public Speaking Lunch & Learn // PTech

11:30. Call Tiffany at the Chamber 765.4400

to sign up. $10 - Flyer below

Friday, April 14th // Ponca City Senior Center Open House

Check out all the new at the Senior Center

319 W. Grand from 4 to 6 pm.

Sun, April 23 // Great Day of Service // Ponca City Clean-up Week

Ryan Hampl, Great Day of Service Coordinator 

ryan.hampl@gmail.com. Cell 785 787 3604.

Tuesday, May 2 // Internship & Career Fair // PoHi

Get your company signed up now to attend.

10:45 to 12:30 pm

Saturday, May 6 // Cinco de Mayo Celebration // Central Fare

9 am to 7 pm

Food trucks, music, dancing and vendors

Rental Property - Available Listings

SIGN UP FOR SBDC PROGRAMS HERE