2 0 2 0 - R E S P O N S E A N D A R O A D T O R E C O V E R Y
IMPACT OF COV I D Just as the pandemic impacted every business, the Chamber’s operations were also dramatically changed. Here are the primary changes made in Chamber operations in 2020: ◊ Chamber staff worked remotely in March, April and May, with a majority of staff returning in June. Plans were also made for remote work following the December holidays to ensure staff safety ◊ The Chamber’s offices were closed to outside visitors ◊ Business development activities for both economic development and visitor recruitment were moved online, from trade show and conference attendance, to online meetings and even online happy hours with clients ◊ All event activity and networking was shifted online, making maximum effort to keep members engaged and informed ◊ Print publications were shifted online to reach remote workers
The arrival of the pandemic in Oklahoma City brought with it a radical shift in many of the Chamber’s activities, as the need to lift new programs to support our local businesses became paramount. Information was the first lifeline dropped, as an online resource page was populated with information about the virus, CDC recommendations, shutdown regulations and more. That work continued with tele-town hall meetings and online forums to present information and answer questions to settle immediate needs. The next step was to support efforts to get emergency cash to businesses to maintain their viability and keep employees. Assistance and information about federal programs was immediately followed by assistance in standing up local programs that would supplement or fill gaps they left behind. Throughout this process, many of the Chamber staff team spent their days speaking one-on-one
with Chamber members, assessing their needs and helping connect them with resources, recording more than 10,000 individual instances of outreach. And in the summer, the death of George Floyd and other national events spotlighted the institutional racism in our communities. The Chamber created a partnership with the Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City to help the business community engage in the important conversations about race and bias and to directly address these issues. As it became clear that a return to normal was not likely until sometime in 2021, the Chamber looked for more creative ways to reach members, and to engage potential visitors and businesses. Strong content on virtual platforms, unique direct mail programs, expanded digital marketing activities, and intentional and focused one-on-one outreach are just a few of the tools implemented in 2020, to be sure that we could pave the way to success on the road ahead.
M A J O R H I G H L I G H T S O F 2 0 2 0
◊ Oklahoma City re-entered the world of aircraft production with Skydweller Aero, Inc. announcing Oklahoma City as its headquarters. The developer of ultra-persistent drones for commercial and military applications plans to increase operations to 120 aerospace engineering and field technician jobs by 2024. ◊ Job and expansion announcements included: Costco Member Service Center; Aerokool Aviation; North Star Scientific Corporation; Malarkey Roofing Products; BancFirst; Caliber Completion Services, LLC; FueldUp; Tailwind; Dolese Bros. Co.; Amazon; and more.
for one year, the Criminal Justice Advisory Council reported a one-year average of 1,624. That low level for jail population had not been seen in two decades and down from a recent high of nearly 2,600 in 2015. ◊ The Oklahoma City Public Schools Compact began implementing a robust mental and emotional health plan for the district called EmbraceOKC. The program provides training to teachers, and support staff to help identify behavioral health issues so they can intervene and connect students and their families with support services.
◊ The Chamber’s partnership with the Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City and City of Oklahoma City provided the framework of a first- of-its-kind aid program that resulted in the allocation of $32.5 million to qualifying Oklahoma City small business owners. Launched on March 31, the Small Business Continuity Program (SBCP), helped small business owners better maintain jobs/payroll, add technology, purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) and renovate physical space for social distancing. ◊ The downward trend of jail population in Oklahoma County continues. At the end of October 2020, after tracking the average daily population
◊ The Chamber led an effort to improve legislation passed last year creating a new software and cybersecurity program to provide a tax credit up to $2,200 annually for qualifying employees who have received a bachelor’s degree (or higher) from an accredited institution, or $1,800 annually for qualifying employees who have been awarded a certificate from a technology center. This program is designed to address an extensive shortage of qualified software and cyber engineers at high growth companies across the region, and is vital to our future growth.
2
3
2 0 2 0 A N N U A L R E P O R T
G R E A T E R O K L A H O M A C I T Y C H A M B E R
G R E A T E R O K L A H O M A C I T Y C H A M B E R
2 0 2 0 A N N U A L R E P O R T
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online