The Tulsa Regional Chamber welcomed its new chairman Thursday at its annual meeting.
Claremore-based Pelco Structural President Phil Albert is the chamber’s first chair from a business outside Tulsa city limits. In his remarks, Albert called for greater public-private collaboration to solve the area’s big problems.
He pointed out what governments, businesses, philanthropists and communities have accomplished working together: the Port of Catoosa, the Gathering Place and a plan to improve Tulsa’s community health.
Albert said education is where efforts should be focused right now.
"Our state needs more than 600,000 more workers with either a college degree or a certificate during the next eight years," Albert said.
Albert said Launch Oklahoma, a goal to boost postsecondary educational attainment from 40 to 70 percent among working-age adults by 2025, is a good start.
Albert also said northeastern Oklahoma can continue building economic momentum by curating a regional history.
"Route 66 isn't just a metaphor for the path that ties our region together. It's a directive and the direction," Albert said. "Let's curate our regional past as a means of getting us from where we are now to where we want to be."
Outgoing Tulsa Regional Chamber Chair Jeff Dunn praised the city’s successes. Dunn counted passing the Vision renewal, finalizing a plan to put water in the river and redeveloping downtown as achievements of the past year.
He said there is work to do, however, with the state facing another massive budget shortfall.
"We have vital, core governmental services that we continually struggle to fund due to our desire to cut taxes," Dunn said. "We have to recognize that funding government is not an option but a responsibility."
