February 2 Update
HAMMRC Welcomes New Leadership for 2024
Ernie Penn, Mayor of Farmington, Arkansas, the 1st Board Chair of HAMMRC, presented Brian Hail the traditional stethoscope- symbolic of "we are listening." Hail of Cherokee Nation Health in Tahlequah, Oklahoma is the new Board Chair.
Schedules for the New Year
Newsletters: In 2024 the HAMMRC newsletter schedule will be the 1st Friday of even-numbered months. Send contributions of interest to the organization to Wayne Mays, wmays@hammrc.com.
HAMMRC Board of Directors meetings are held the 2nd Friday of Odd-numbered months, 10am. Locations are announced in the Newsletter.
NEXT HAMMRC BOARD MEETING
March 8, 2024, | 10:00am. Mayor Jean Ann Wright will host Board members in Stilwell's new City Hall Building, 20 South First Street, Stilwell, OK 74960. Watch for directional signs on Highways 62 and 59.
Lincoln Mayor Receives Official HAMMRC Stethoscope
Mayor Doug Huchens, City of Lincoln, received a ceremonial stethoscope from Steve Clark, president of Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce and one of HAMMRC's founders. Clark presents a stethoscope to each member Mayor in the color of the school's mascot.
HAMMRC Members get ROI in Several Ways
Spotlight and special features on HAMMRC website and brochure Return on investment!
Highlight your town by hosting Board or economic development meetings Return on investment!
Use data analysis relating to your city and region Return on investment!
Quality training in Economic Development for community leaders Return on investment!
Community and site visits by medical manufacturing or by related prospect companies and their representatives Return on investment!
Prospect Visit
Jan. 9, HAMMRC fulfilled a request for information (RFI) from the Northwest Arkansas Council. The Council was representing a company “in the medical device space,” which wanted information on sites in the region suitable for their business. With cooperation from Mayors, Chambers and realtors, we prepared a site visit agenda including 5 existing buildings (1- Farmington; 3-Lincoln; 1- Stilwell) and 1 “spec building” site – Tahlequah). As is typical in such cases, the representative walked the spaces, took internal and external photos, and got copies of our site listings from the website. We are awaiting feedback and will share it with Board members as soon as it is received.”
Robotics Training Available to HAMMRC Members
HAMMRC membership permits each city to refer citizens to attend the robotics training course at a discount of 35%. These applicants can be students, business owners or employees of city businesses. Training classes are held in the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce Robotics Training Center. Watch the YouTube video for a preview of the training class. Or, contact certified robotics trainer, Josh Watson, at jwatson@fayettevillear.com for updated information on all things robotic.
Community Economic Development:
Infrastructure and Capacities
By Mark S. Goodman, CEcD
We know the importance of taking care of our communities as the “product” that we promote both to ourselves and to others as a great place to live, work, invest and play. This IS Community Development. While there are many facets of community development, in this article we will discuss the community’s physical infrastructure, what constitutes infrastructure and why it is critical for successful community economic development. Maintaining our physical infrastructure will have a profound impact on how successful our communities are in retaining and attracting residents and employers alike.
What is “Physical Infrastructure”?
Sometimes We Just Don't Know What We Don't Know!
Thanks to our HAMMRC investor AEP/SWEPCO, we have access to valuable economic development training for our community leaders. AEP/SWEPCO's online course, "Energizing Economic Development," can be a valuable tool for small communities like those in our corridor; most rely on city officials or volunteers to head their EcDev efforts. This high-quality, free course will fit everyone's budget. After completing the course (3 - 4 hours) Wayne Mays agrees that it contains time-tested, proven steps to success. "From the do's and don'ts of marketing to a Business Retention and Expansion Program, this course is on-target and provides a checklist and roadmap for new or experienced EcDev leaders," Mays said. Click here to access the video about the class.