2020 Annual Report

MASK UP OKC To help limit the spread of

COVID-19, the Chamber helped to launch a new campaign, “MASK UP OKC - it’s for you, it’s for me, it’s for OKC” urging residents to wear face masks. The campaign affirmed the Chamber’s commitment to keeping residents healthy so the city could remain open and avoid further economic difficulties.

group; creating leadership and mentoring programs; developing an annual research publication that tracks and reports on diversity and economic equality in Oklahoma City; and launching an ongoing initiative to increase minority supplier networks and employment. The first program of the partnership is a series focused on dialogue and engagement for managers and business owners interested in having challenging conversations about race and bias in the workplace and ensuring their company is offering fair opportunities for all. The seven-part series, which began in October 2020, will run into April 2021. The partnership will expand into the four other priorities in 2021.

The citywide campaign was a result of the efforts of the Chamber, the City of Oklahoma City and the Oklahoma City-County Health Department. The message was to encourage residents to follow public health guidelines for wearing masks, which includes wearing them at indoor public places. The campaign included commercials, billboards, digital media and social media platforms. OKC celebrities, business owners, local officials, neighborhood leaders and other residents were shown wearing masks and delivering a message encouraging their neighbors, family and friends to follow health protocols for face

C O M M U N I T Y I N I T I A T I V E S

STAND TALL, SHOP SMALL In June, the Chamber rallied citizens to support small businesses who have struggled mightily with their profit margins because of the coronavirus pandemic. Boosting the economy by spending money is necessary and shopping local and small keeps even more dollars in the city. Economic reports indicate that for every dollar spent at a local store, 67 cents stays in the community. This response led to the formation of the Chamber’s campaign called “Stand Tall, Shop Small for OKC,” which ran in June as well as during the holidays.

Oklahoma City is no stranger to one-of-a-kind shops, many of which are located within the unique cultures of Oklahoma City’s districts. The Chamber urged each district to promote the campaign in a way that works for them and their customers. The districts tailored their plans for the initiative on their social media accounts, while the Chamber promoted the Stand Tall and Shop Small campaign on its own Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram accounts. The result was a renewed community focus on supporting Oklahoma City’s retail establishments during an economically challenging period. DEVELOPMENT OF PPE & MEDICAL SUPPLY DIRECTORY As the pandemic unfolded, access to personal protective equipment and supplies became a significant hurdle for many businesses. Matching these needs with Oklahoma-based manufacturers and companies with a new website was the goal of a partnership of the Greater OKC Chamber, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance. Numerous businesses converted existing manufacturing operations to meet the need for PPE, producing everything from masks, gloves and gowns, to soap, sanitizer and disinfecting cleaners so that companies could implement best practices for operating a safe working environment. Businesses can still search the PPE directory at okccommerce.gov/ppe.

coverings and social distancing. DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Creating a stronger dialogue and engagement of the Oklahoma City business community around issues of social justice and anti-racism was the aim of a new partnership formed this year between the Chamber

and the Urban League of Oklahoma City. The partnership has five priorities: starting a business community conversation about anti-racism; establishing a diversity council and business community working

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