Sunny Dayz Mural Fest is happening in Ponca City! What does this mean for our community you ask? It started when 300 artists from ACROSS THE GLOBE applied to be one of the 50 artists currently creating over 30 murals in our downtown district this week. Check out Sunnydaysmuralfest.com for all the details. This is the fourth year for this unique Mural Festival, but the first year for Ponca City. And since PCDA staff is all about the economy (and in this case, the beauty) let’s chat about art as an economic driver. Public art increases the value of an area: increased property values, property and business owner investment and buildings with tenants are all ways to measure the economic impact of art as business.

The 30 murals completed this past week add over $300,000 of public art to the downtown area and will draw hundreds of people this weekend for the reveal tomorrow, June 1^st. But what about after June 1^st? Does public art make that big of a difference? Absolutely. We are a Pioneer Woman and Standing Bear statue community after all.   These new murals added to the foxes and other large-scale art in Ponca City, will give travelers coming to and through our community more art to visit, to see and do on a Sunday and after five pm, when most other museums and attractions are closed.  Murals, statues and public spaces increase Ponca City visibility at the state level as a public festival venue and add to the quality of life for ALL of Ponca City. 

Girl Power Campers are on the move next week. Part of the Girl Power STEM Camp curriculum is getting out to the manufacturing and target industry community. This means visiting companies like K&C, CME, Evans & Associates and others so the campers can see up close what is made in Ponca City.

PCDA thanks the companies and their employees for taking production time to share their products and processes with the next generation of employees during Girl Power Week.

And then there are the intangibles; the events and entertainment whose ROI isn’t measured by dollars: they are measured by community participation and involvement. Also happening this weekend is the Ponca City Library Summer Reading Program kickoff with Touch-A-Truck tomorrow (Saturday) morning, 9 am to noon. And if that wasn’t enough, the Farmer’s Market at the Pioneer Woman Circle has their opening Saturday from 8 to 11 am.    Supporting these community markets and events allows them to continue year after year. 

The library is funded by City, State and local taxes allowing them to offer programs like the Summer Reading programs; but only if people participate. So, get out to the library Saturday and all summer long for these amazing age-appropriate programs. Staff heard the bug guy from OSU is back this summer with the BEST BUGS on July 30^th.  And of course, the Farmer’s Market brings local produce and added value foods for purchase every Saturday and Tuesday throughout the Summer.  The dollars spent on that tomato, carrot, squash, flowers or beef, make a huge impact on local agriculture. Buy local; eat local means our community continues to have access to food that is outside the commercial grocery pipeline; insuring local food security. 

Mondays// Sunny Creek Trading Post // City Central

Sunny Creek will have a Monday Store

every week, 10 am to 6 pm. Pick up your

favorite local merchandise at this Farm Hub.

May 30 - June 2 // Good Fix Free Spay/Neuter Clinic

Ponca City High School - West Gym

Registration & Drop off start at 7:30 am

See flyer below for details

Saturday, June 1 // Herb Festival // LA Cann Gardens

8 to 4 pm

Sunny Dayz Mural Fest // Veterans Plaza

Touch A Truck @ The Library - 9 am to noon

Farmer's Market Opens @ Pioneer Woman

8 to 11 am

Thurs-Sat June 7-9 // 101 Wild West Rodeo

Check out the website for tickets and info

101 Wild West Rodeo

Sat, June 8 // 101 Wild West Rodeo Parade // Downtown

Parade begins at 10 am and the Library

will have after the Parade events happening.

Rental Property - Available Listings

SIGN UP FOR SBDC PROGRAMS HERE

This week, PCDA staff participated in several conversations about rural economics: The Center for Workforce Excellence, Work Ready Oklahoma, surveys, data and cost of living all rotating around the word "Rural". Technically, Kay County is a rural county: The population is below 50,000 and most of the communities are small, rural communities such as Blackwell, Tonkawa, Newkirk and Braman. Ponca City is considered a Micropolitan community since our pop. is right around 25,000 people (give or take a few)

To understand our county's (and the state's) interesting mix of rural and urban, lots of data needs to be collected. Communities have an opportunity to collect some of this critical data from small business owners in our area. Many small business owners in rural areas may also own and work a farm of some kind, which makes this survey all the more relevant.

The Oklahoma Farm Bureau is collecting information to gain a better understanding of the rural economy to make more informative decisions about focusing resources and investment across the state. These survey responses will assist with the development of a Rural Asset Map which will be a regional resource map with support services identified from all over the state. The Survey closes on May 31st, so pleaseclick here to complete it. You can also forward it to any other small businesses in your community. This is one survey staff is encouraging business owners to complete.

This week Liz Leaming, the PCDA PoncaWorks Director, got a nice shout out on Facebook from MakeKings

" We here at MakeKings are really just overwhelmed and so grateful for the support and help that Liz Leaming with Ponca City Development Authority has given us in bringing on new qualified staff! This is the second time in the past few years we reached out to her and she really just knocked it out of the park each time!" - Justin

PoncaWorks is just one of many workforce resources available to all businesses in Ponca City. If you would like to get more information on all the resources and get up to speed on PoncaWorks, Liz can assist with setting up your JazzHR account and your business can have access to some great workforce resources in the Ponca City community.

Upcoming Job Fair hosted by Work Ready Oklahoma on June 20th at PIoneer Technology Center. See graphic below to get your company signed up.

Every three months, Ponca City joins 295 other communities to collect data on over 60 items/services found in the community. Pricing ranges from food items like olive oil and bananas to office visits with your local dentist or how much a new house costs to build.

If you or someone you know would like to compare the Ponca City cost of living with Denver, Houston, LA or any of the other 295 communities participating, you can do that on the goponca.com website. The Cost of Living Calculator is free to use and you can compare, quite literally, potatoes to potatoes (sorry, apples and oranges aren't part of the collection data). Just click here to check out the COLI calculator.

Join the PCDA Trustees and staff for a reception in David Myers' honor on Thursday, June 13th from 4 to 6 pm at City Central in the South Lobby (full invitation below). A little toasting to the man and a few tears on his "adios and ciao".

Come and go, but David will be pushed to the front to say something at 4:30 pm.

Due to the Holiday

Tuesday, May 28// Sunny Creek Trading Post // City Central

Sunny Creek will have a Monday Store

every week, 10 am to 6 pm. Pick up your

favorite local merchandise at this Farm Hub.

Monday, May 27 // Memorial Day // City Central Closed

PCDA Office is closed for the Holiday.

May 30 - June 2 // Good Fix Free Spay/Neuter Clinic

Ponca City High School - West Gym

Registration & Drop off start at 7:30 am

See flyer below for details

Saturday, June 1 // Herb Festival // LA Cann Gardens

8 to 4 pm

Sunny Dayz Mural Fest // Veterans Plaza

Touch A Truck @ The Library - 9 am to noon

Farmer's Market Opens @ Pioneer Woman

8 to 11 am

Rental Property - Available Listings

SIGN UP FOR SBDC PROGRAMS HERE

Last week, Ponca City Leadership Class 37 launched a new fundraising event: The Mr. Ponca City contest. PC Leadership classes are known for their outside-the-box class projects: The Battle of the Burger competition began by the 27th PC Leadership Class, The Ponca City Firehouse Bell project by the 22nd PC Leadership Class and The Lew Wentz Statue at the corner of Grand and Sixth Street with funds raised by the 2004 Leadership Class. Those are only the projects staff could find information on. Each Leadership Class has a project; each class accomplishes something for the good and benefit of Ponca City.

The goals of the Leadership Program are to Identify potential and proven community leaders, motivate them to be involved in Ponca City's future and create a united network of volunteers for Ponca City. Ponca City was built by leaders who gave back. Everywhere you look there are statues, memorials, plaques, and buildings dedicated (and many times donated) by Ponca Citians. This is how a community thrives. And survives.

So, if you haven't committed to a Ponca City Leadership class yet, here is your chance. The 38th Class of PC Leadership wants you. There is a time commitment; there is a business funding commitment but there is so much opportunity to get plugged into the community throughout the year as you learn about all things Ponca City. Need more information? Email [email protected] or call 580.765.4400 for a nomination form. You will never regret becoming part of the Ponca City Leadership Program.

Now, for some ROI from this year's Class Project "Mr. Ponca City". Thank you to the Ponca City Area Chamber of Commerce for sharing this information. Congratulations to PC Leadership Class 37 and to Mr. Ponca City, Relo Adams.

Last week PCDA Trustees made staff's day with the announcement of Lori Henderson as the next PCDA Executive Director. Though we have begged David to stick around for awhile, he has other retirement plans.

Join the PCDA Trustees and staff for a reception in David Myers' honor on Thursday, June 13th from 4 to 6 pm at City Central in the South Lobby (full invitation below). A little toasting to the man and a few tears on his "adios and ciao". Come and go, but David will be pushed to the front to say something at 4:30 pm.

99.9% of the businesses open in the United States are small businesses. Small business is defined by the Small Business Administration (SBA) as manufacturing companies with 500 employees or fewer and non-manufacturing companies with average annual receipts under $7.5 million.

Many of these small businesses are home-based or cottage industry with just one person on staff: the owner. PCDA, Pioneer Tech Business & Industry and The Chamber are here to help these small businesses. Last week, Honey Herbs & More set up a two-hour pop-up shop at City Central. Sunny Creek Trading Post has a storefront at City Central every Monday and PCDA Staff assisted with a provisional patent application this week. The Chamber has held several ribbon cuttings and a Business of the Month presentation to young Ponca City businesses. The Pioneer Tech Incubator is currently recruiting start-ups to their facility.

Do you want to own your own business? It's a big step, but Ponca City has you covered. Call Pioneer Tech Business and Industry Services at 580.762.8336 and chat with Janet, Ben or Brook about all things small business. Call the Chamber at 580.765.4400 and enquire about chamber membership and don't forget all the information available at GoPonca.com.

Mondays // Sunny Creek Trading Post // City Central

Sunny Creek will have a Monday Store

every week, 10 am to 6 pm. Pick up your

favorite local merchandise at this Farm Hub.

Sat. May 18 // Veteran's Appreciation Day // VFW Post 1201

All day event. See flyer for all the details below.

Kids under 10, free admission

Monday, May 20 // Customer Service Training // PC Chamber

Please call the Chamber Office at 580.765.4400 to get signed up

or schedule a private customer service training

for your employees

Friday, May 24 // PoHi Graduation // Sullins Stadium

8 pm to 10 pm

Monday, May 27 // Memorial Day // City Central Closed

PCDA Office is closed for the Holiday.

Rental Property - Available Listings

SIGN UP FOR SBDC PROGRAMS HERE

At the May PCDA Board of Trustee Meeting, there was the usual business: the number of contacts, jobs and leads; the approval of the yearly audit and a peek at the budget before its formal presentation at the June meeting. The big news was this:

The PCDA Board of Trustees unanimously approved Lori Henderson, CEcD, as the new Executive Director, effective July 1, 2024. Lori brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to our community.

A lifelong Kay County resident, with just a short stretch in Stillwater for her undergrad degree, Lori's journey in economic development and community service reflects her unwavering dedication to the region. Lori's career includes roles at Bryan and Little CPAs, the Marland Children's Home, and most recently as Director of Operations at PCDA since 2012. Her passion for community engagement is evident through her involvement in various local boards and her instrumental role in securing funding for initiatives like Ice on the Plaza.

Staff is excited for this new leadership opportunity for PCDA and the community. Join us in welcoming Lori Henderson to her new position!

Read the full press release on the website:www.GoPonca.com

Business on the Balcony, the Health and Wellness edition, is Tuesday, May 14th here at City Central. From 7 to 9 am, come and go and have a chat with local wellness and health providers. Yoga, weight training, nutritionists and local health professionals have been invited for a little breakfast and a whole lot of networking.

You know where we are: on the balcony, second floor, Suite #200. Bring a friend. Whether you stay an hour or 15 minutes, you will be in good company at Business on the Balcony.

NextGen Aviation is currently leasing the PCDA Hangar. Everyone sees the planes at Fly-in and when catching a meal at Enrique's. The planes you might not see are the ones being completely overhauled in the NextGen Hanger like this King Air.

With the new runway additions and improvements, NextGen can service and refit several types of airplanes. Limited only by the size of the hangar, don't be surprised to see some really cool planes taking off from the Ponca City airport; Looking considerably more snazzy than when they landed.

Mondays // Sunny Creek Trading Post // City Central

Sunny Creek will have a Monday Store

every week, 10 am to 6 pm. Pick up your

favorite local merchandise at this Farm Hub.

Sat. May 11 // Stamp Out Hunter // Food Drive

Annual National Assocaiton of Letter Carriers Food Drive.

Place items by mailbox of drop off at Post Office.

Tuesday, May 14 // Business on the Balcony // 7 to 9 am

Health & Wellness is the focus. Grab some grub

and network with the local health and wellness providers.

On the Balcony, Suite #200, City Central.

Sat. May 18 // Veteran's Appreciation Day // VFW Post 1201

All day event. See flyer for all the details below.

Kids under 10, free admission

Monday, May 20 // Customer Service Training // PC Chamber

Please call the Chamber Office at 580.765.4400 to get signed up

or schedule a private customer service training

for your employees

Rental Property - Available Listings

SIGN UP FOR SBDC PROGRAMS HERE

Next week is National Small Business Week. If you are a small business owner, this is your week. If you, the consumer, want to support small businesses, this is a great week to start or continue doing just that. And here is a little secret: According to recent data from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), 33.3 million businesses in the United States qualify as small businesses. That means 99.9% of all U.S. businesses are small business. In other words: small business is big business.

Small businesses play critical roles in our community. Generating employment and contributing to economic stability, especially in micropolitans (25,000 populations) like Ponca City. Small businesses employ almost half of the employees in the United States. This represents 45 percent of the entire U.S. workforce. Even though over 80 percent of these small businesses operate without any staff (owner-operated), their impact on job creation and economic vitality is significant.

Next week, visit and shop with small businesses in the area. Share their Facebook posts to boost visibility. Leave a good review on a business's website or refer someone to a local business. All of these little bumps assist our small businesses to grow, stay open and prosper in our Ponca City community; which in turn keeps the economy humming right along.

Business on the Balcony, the Health and Wellness edition, is Tuesday, May 14th here at City Central. From 7 to 9 am, come and go and have a chat with local wellness and health providers. Yoga, weight training, nutritionists and local health professionals have been invited for a little breakfast and a whole lot of networking.

You know where we are: on the balcony, second floor, Suite #200. Bring a friend. Whether you stay an hour or 15 minutes, you will be in good company at Business on the Balcony.

Sunny Creek Trading Post, a 2024 Business Plan Pitch off participant, has set up their Farm Hub Store in City Central. Sunny Creek's primary location is the Pioneer Technology Business Incubator Kitchen. To better serve the community and its vendors, Sunny Creek now has store hours at City Central every Monday, 10 am to 6 pm.

Fresh produce, eggs, baked goods, jams & jellies, nuts and all types of homemade items can be purchased at the Sunny Creek Farm Hub Store. Make time to swing by every Monday as new vendors and items are added each week. There's always something tasty at the Farm Hub.

Mondays // Sunny Creek Trading Post // City Central

Sunny Creek will have a Monday Store

every week, 10 am to 6 pm. Pick up your

favorite local merchandise at this Farm Hub.

Thursday, May 9 // PCDA Board of Trustee Meeting // 7:30 am

Join PCDA staff and Trustees for the regular monthly

board meeting for May. Coffee's on.

Redbud Room, Lower Level, City Central

Thursday, May // Mr. Ponca City // 7 pm

Plan to attend the 37th PC Leadership project at

the Poncan Theatre as 10 dapper gentleman compete

for the title of Mr. Ponca City.



Tuesday, May 14 // Business on the Balcony // 7 to 9 am

Health & Wellness is the focus. Grab some grub

and network with the local health and wellness providers.

On the Balcony, Suite #200, City Central.

Monday, May 20 // Customer Service Training // PC Chamber

Please call the Chamber Office at 580.765.4400 to get signed up

or schedule a private customer service training

for your employees

Rental Property - Available Listings

SIGN UP FOR SBDC PROGRAMS HERE