Northwest Oklahoma Alliance (NWOA)

Member Counties: Alfalfa, Beaver, Beckham, Blaine, Cimarron, Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Garfield, Grant, Harper, Kingfisher, Major, Roger Mills, Texas, Woods, Woodward

Tired of being " Oklahoma's Best-Kept Secret" NWOA Prepares for First Big Event

Members of the Northwest Oklahoma Alliance--a regional partnership comprised of private and public interests--have heard time and again that their part of the state is "Oklahoma's best-kept secret."

To trumpet the area's low cost of living, strong work ethic, and pro-business environment, the Alliance is planning its first big event--"Land Run 2006."

Fashioned after the reality show "The Amazing Race," the Alliance's version invites locators and business owners to tour Northwest Oklahoma. Communities must submit proposals to the Alliance by Feb. 1 of events, tours, and activities that showcase the region's attributes.

Purpose: To create a new regional initiative designed to promote, develop, and identify potential economic opportunities for Northwest Oklahoma. 

Project Overview:

NWOA hired N.C. Doty & Associates to formalize the group's organization and develop a strategic plan to recruit new members and promote the organization and the regional partnership concept. NWOA also created a membership brochure. Members are encouraged to identify the formal and informal leaders or "can doers" of their communities and bring them to the Alliance meetings.

Other efforts to recruit new members and draw attention to Northwestern Oklahoma include the Land Run 2006 event, a video presentation highlighting the benefits of living in Northwestern Oklahoma and its resources, and an ad campaign.

Another component of NWOA's overall grant project includes a feasibility study and resource analysis and consolidation initiative. The group will hire a consultant to map natural resources and match industries to these resources, which include wheat, alfalfa, sorghum, cattle, and hogs.

The strategies developed around creating a value-added agricultural business cluster focus on three primary elements: (1) value-added entrepreneurial business start ups; (2) expansion opportunities for value-added businesses; and (3) value-added business acquisitions with relocation to the area.

Project Benefits:

• Develop employment opportunities and increase earnings
• Increase population
• Expand opportunities for agriculture and tourism

Lessons Learned

• Private industry involvement is crucial. "We can't succeed without the participation of private industry," says Brian Gaddy, a member of the Alliance. "Business leaders must get excited about this concept and understand its benefits."
• Keep your stakeholders distribution list up to date.
• Identify your community's champions--those people who always volunteer and who understand that if a community is to succeed, the region as a whole must do well.