February 10, 2023

2/14/2023

SEE YOU AGAIN SOON.....was the theme this week at PCDA. The phones were ringing with businesses seeking land, buildings and possibly looking at Duke as an answer to their prayers. Staff and Trustees met yesterday for the monthly PCDA Board Meeting and wished one of our own the best as this Trustee retires from the City Commission and the PCDA Board.

A Special Thank You to PCDA Trustee Lanita Chapman. For the last six years, Trustee Chapman has been a Ponca City Commissioner appointed as the City Commission liaison to Ponca City Development Authority (PCDA) Board of Trustees. During her six years as a City Commissioner, Trustee Chapman has championed the City's Broadband to Home project, assisted with 16 completed economic agreements which represented $25 million in new investment and 972 jobs for the Ponca City community.

PCDA staff and fellow trustees wish her well in her next endeavors and applaud Trustee Chapman for all her hard work and support for Ponca City's economic vitality.

FOR VALENTINES DAY....Laurence got a building frame. Actually, all the office considers Duke a labor of love. The Duke building in the Airport Industrial Park has its framework up. The iron has moved along at a good clip this week and staff is excited to see the building getting its bones in the air. Much like flowers and chocolate, the next phase is outer skin and parking lot concrete. We know a building is a little much for most people, so just a gentle reminder to remember your valentine next Tuesday.

THE HISPANIC ASSOCIATION.... of North Central Oklahoma is forming in Ponca City. This group of Latinos and Hispanics came together to put on the Hispanic Festival in September of 2022 and they need your support to keep the momentum going. Whether you are a business or individual seeking to participate or lend your support, you want to be at the kick-off meeting Monday, February 20th at 7 pm in the Summit Conference Room right here at City Central! Some of the future activities include a Father's Day celebration, the next Hispanic Festival, Christmas Parade and Mercado! Tell your friends, neighbors and family. This is your time to get involved.

BUILD YOUR WORK TEAM.... by acknowledging diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. This unconscious bias training will give your management team an added layer of success when training employees and volunteers. These strategies will make recruits to your organization feel supported and sustained in their efforts.

You still have time to sign up for this timely workshop with presenter Link Jenkins. Register now at Pioneer Tech by clicking this link.

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY SERVICES.....at Pioneer Tech has incubator space for your small business. Maybe. Do you have a business plan ready? Know who your customer is? Need some assistance fleshing out financial projections and how many employees you will need? Business & Industry Services located at the southeast corner of Pioneer Tech can assist with all of these items; Plus your business may be an excellent fit as an incubator client. Get your business out of the house and into a manufacturing incubator with business assistance at your fingertips. Find out more about the business incubator services and how to apply to be an incubator client here.

Find all the services and resources at Pioneer Tech Business Services here.

THIS IS THE LAST WEEK!..... to see the Seed Reef interactive, immersive art installation at City Central. Bring your kids, bring you family but definitely take a few minutes at lunchtime or after work to see this amazing art installation. Local artists contributed to the installation. Learn more about reef die off and rejuvenation, watch a video on how the artists began this project and take some pictures or buy some art on display outside the John McNeese Gallery. City Central, 400 E. Central. Tues-Friday 10 to 6 and Saturday, noon to 4 pm. This is the last week! Don't miss it.