By Cathy Spaulding
Phoenix Staff Writer
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Muskogee Development hopes to eventually broaden its reach outside the county to make economic development a regional effort.
A regional focus is one several components the organization could put into a five-year plan to submit to the Muskogee City Council before seeking more funding.
Three Muskogee Development board members and two staff members met to discuss the agency’s efforts for community outreach, membership development and long-range plans.
Staff members were directed to work up a timeline and cost estimates and present them to the planning committee, then to the Muskogee Development Board.
The board then would draw up a proposal for the council.
Muskogee City Manager Greg Buckley had asked Muskogee Development to come up with a five-year plan to present to the council.
Board member Tom Walden, an independent consultant who facilitated the meeting, said Muskogee Development’s long-range plan could be summed up with the statement “Stay in business and follow our mission statement.”
The mission statement says the organization’s aim “is to encourage, develop, promote and foster business and industrial economic development, which will benefit the Greater Muskogee Area.”
Board member James Gulley, who also is on the city council, said the organization is “vital to the economic growth of our area.”
“If Muskogee Development is not out knocking on the doors of the 350 businesses seeking to relocate, who is,” he said. “Who is going to try to develop the economic development for Muskogee?”
In an earlier meeting, board members had chosen to target the growing wind industry to come to Muskogee.
Health care also was viewed as a target industry,
At Thursday’s meeting, the members discussed ways to develop membership.
Reach Cathy Spaulding at 684-2928 or cspaulding @muskogeephoenix.com.
