Staff members of the Oklahoma City Branch drove more than two hours west to Woodward, Oklahoma, in August for a two-day economic forum and tour of local industry, infrastructure and community services.
Pam Campbell, Tenth District outreach director for the Kansas City Fed, said engagements like the Woodward visit are important to develop connections with business and community leaders in the state.
“It’s not enough to give a speech in a community and leave,” Campbell said. “Taking the time to learn about a region and build relationships is important work that benefits the Federal Reserve and the communities we serve.”
Assistant Vice President and Branch Executive Cortney Cowley spoke with area business and community leaders at an economic forum in Woodward.
Attendees first met at Woodward City Hall with City Manager Shaun Barnett, who served as guide for the day. The group then boarded a brand-new Woodward Public Schools activity bus for a city tour, including Crystal Beach Park and Lake. Barnett said the site is a favorite spot for the Woodward community to gather for cook-outs, fishing, walking, tennis, golf and more. Crystal Beach Park also is the home of the Woodward County Fairgrounds, which hosts a variety of events throughout the year.
“We’ve invested city dollars in this area to improve the quality of life for the 13,000 Woodward residents, as well as the 70,000 people in the rural communities surrounding Woodward that also use it,” Barnett said.
During part of the bus tour, Branch staff wore hazmat suits for a visit inside Woodward Iodine (pictured above), the only iodine producer in the United States, with production ranking third globally behind Chile and Japan. The staff met with operations leaders at the facility to learn about one of the region’s signature industries.
Next was a tour of High Plains Technology Center, which customizes training programs for the business needs of the area. The final stop of the day was a visit to the Hope Center, a nonprofit organization working to eliminate hunger in Northwest Oklahoma.
Activities in Woodward including a visit to Hope Center, which operates the largest food bank in its region.
“At the Hope Center we aim to provide dignity and worth whether it be at a time when a person or family needs just a little help with groceries or a time when an individual or family is struggling with joblessness, potential homelessness or they just need a listening ear,” said Shanna Gosner, director of the Hope Center.
The second day opened with a business roundtable at City Hall, where Assistant Vice President and Oklahoma City Branch Executive Cortney Cowley led a discussion to learn about the opportunities and challenges that Woodward businesses face. The Branch then hosted the economic forum, during which Cowley spoke to local community and business leaders about the broader economy and its impact on the Woodward area.
The trip concluded with an oil rig tour led by Jason Garner, president of Crawley Petroleum and a member of the Oklahoma City Branch Board of Directors. Crawley provided a behind-the-scenes look at the day-to-day operations at a drilling site and the role of oil and gas in the economy.
Jason Garner, president of Crawley Petroleum and a member of the Oklahoma City Branch Board of Directors, led the Branch staff on a tour of an oil rig facility.
“At the Federal Reserve, our mission is to serve the public by promoting economic and financial stability,” Cowley said. “We can’t work in the public’s best interest unless we understand the communities we serve.”
She said the trip showcased Woodward’s growth, its community and economic opportunities while strengthening connections between the Federal Reserve Bank and the city.
“In Woodward, we had the opportunity to learn about what makes Woodward's economy unique and how they leverage local talent, education, and natural resources to grow,” Cowley added. “Rural areas tend to have different challenges than urban areas but also have a culture of togetherness that you can't understand unless you experience it first-hand.”
The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City or the Federal Reserve System.