Greater Oklahoma City Partnership highlights tourism's impact on regional economic development

Regional leaders gathered in June at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum for the Greater Oklahoma City Partnership's quarterly meeting, where discussions focused on economic development activity, legislative priorities and the growing role tourism plays in strengthening communities across central Oklahoma. 

Jennifer Martin, senior vice president of economic development for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, opened the meeting with an update on the Chamber's project pipeline. Martin shared that the Chamber currently has 148 active projects and continues to see interest across a diverse mix of industries, including aerospace, data center supply chains and chemicals, reflecting continued momentum and diversification throughout the region's economy.  

Mike Jackson, the Chamber's senior vice president of government and community relations, followed with a legislative update, outlining priorities heading into the next session. His remarks touched on county government reform, education and workforce initiatives, support for military investments at Tinker Air Force Base and the evolving political landscape following Oklahoma's primary elections.  

The featured program explored the connection between tourism and economic development through a panel discussion moderated by Kevin Gullette. Panelists included Sunny Cearley, president and CEO of Allied Arts; Jim Cowan, president of the Chickasha Economic Development Council and Chickasha Chamber of Commerce; Chad Huntington, owner of Bricktown Water Taxi; and Adam Wisniewski, vice president of sports development for Visit OKC. 

Throughout the discussion, panelists shared how tourism can serve as an economic driver for communities of every size, from investing in arts and culture to creating authentic visitor experiences and leveraging major sporting events. Cowan reflected on Chickasha's recent tourism success, saying, "A big part of it was simply starting to tell our story. We had tourism, but people didn't always understand the role it plays. It's absolutely a front door to economic development."  

Cearley emphasized that investing in arts and cultural assets is also an investment in economic growth. 

"Business leaders knew that for central Oklahoma to grow, we had to invest in arts and culture," Cearley said, pointing to museums, public art and cultural attractions that continue drawing visitors to communities across the region.  

The program concluded with an overview of Oklahoma City's growing sports tourism industry. Wisniewski highlighted the impact of major sporting events, continued investment in venues through MAPS projects and preparations for the LA28 Olympic Games, noting that Oklahoma City's momentum is creating new opportunities to attract national and international events. 

"The Olympics will be an unbelievable springboard not only for our community's visibility, but for our ability to recruit future events and continue building Oklahoma City's reputation as a premier sports destination," Wisniewski said.  

The discussion underscored a common theme throughout the meeting: communities that invest in their unique assets, collaborate across sectors and tell their stories effectively are better positioned to attract visitors, businesses and long-term economic opportunity.