MEMBERSHIP MEETING RECAP ”” OKLAHOMA COMPETES
January 13th, 2026
Select Oklahoma’s January Membership Meeting kicked off the year with a forward-looking discussion on statewide competitiveness. Members heard from Chad Warmington, President and CEO of the Oklahoma State Chamber, who shared insights on the Oklahoma Competes strategic framework””a long-term, data-driven initiative designed to strengthen the state’s economic trajectory. The framework focuses on four foundational drivers of growth: economic climate, education and workforce, infrastructure, and innovation & entrepreneurship. Warmington emphasized that improving these fundamentals is essential for Oklahoma to move from competing within the region to leading it in economic performance and community strength.
Throughout the conversation, Warmington highlighted how workforce readiness””particularly literacy and educational outcomes””directly influences the state’s ability to attract and grow industry. He pointed to examples such as the “Mississippi Miracle,” where coordinated efforts on early literacy and reading outcomes produced measurable statewide improvement, suggesting that Oklahoma Competes aims to pursue similar results through focused policy and education strategies. During a fireside discussion, members explored how business leadership, education systems, and policy alignment can work together to strengthen Oklahoma’s competitive position.
If you weren’t there, you missed a practical look at how the Oklahoma Competes framework connects policy, workforce development, and economic strategy. The discussion reinforced that improving foundational metrics””especially education and workforce readiness””is essential to sustaining growth in sectors like aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and entrepreneurship.
To stay engaged in conversations shaping Oklahoma’s economic future, members can access meeting materials and upcoming events through the Select Oklahoma GlueUp platform. GlueUp is also the best way to connect with peers, explore future programming, and stay involved in Select Oklahoma’s growing network of practitioners working to strengthen communities across the state.
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Supporting a healthy economy for the State of Oklahoma through legislative advocacy, education, training and development, professional collaboration, and supporting statewide efforts to recruit and retain primary jobs and capital investment.