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Tulsa, six area chambers collaborate to create regional economic growth

8.29.2011

Historic agreement to collaborate on projects and advocacy to benefit region

The Tulsa Metro Chamber and six area Chambers of Commerce signed a commitment to regional economic growth at a special ceremony on Friday. The compact includes the Chambers of in Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Jenks, Sapulpa, Sand Springs and Owasso.

Today’s global marketplace is creating an environment where regions must be proactive or else fall behind. The compact includes cooperation on both economic development and legislative initiatives and was created to leverage the region’s industry concentrations, labor pools, infrastructure and pro-business government in order to compete globally for a talented workforce, capital investment and new jobs.

“It’s a regional game now,” said Mike Neal, president and CEO of the Tulsa Metro Chamber. “We are simply no longer competing with a city, but with a mega-region which are large networks in condense metropolitan areas, where most of the population growth is expected and jobs created. We must leverage our regional assets and work together to grow.”

The compact signed by both chambers’ presidents and 2011 leaders outlines how the organizations will work together, including cooperatively marketing the region; creating an inclusive community for businesses and individuals; attracting and retaining business; raising the educational attainment level of the region’s citizens; and advocating for the OneVoice regional legislative agenda.

“As metropolitan regions continue to expand throughout the United States, their boundaries begin to blur, and create a new scale of geography. These regions have interlocking economic systems, shared natural resources and connected transportation systems,” said Dr. Gerard Clancy, chair of the Tulsa Metro Chamber and president of The University of Oklahoma – Tulsa. “The Tulsa region has gained ground in our competition with regions in other states, but opportunities remain undiscovered to attract new residents, recruit capital investment, create new jobs, and improve the quality of life.”

The compact between the Tulsa and area chambers is now the second of its kind in this mission to strengthen the region, Neal said. Broken Arrow and Tulsa Chambers joined in the compact in April.