Empower Businesses Advocate for Relief Convene and Connect
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MAY 2020 MAY Empower Businesses Advocate For Relief Convene and Connect PIVOTING WITH BUSINESS-DRIVEN EMPOWERING PURPOSE LEADERSHIP BUSINESSES CHAMBER ADAPTS STRATEGY CHAMBER, MAYOR’S OFFICE CHAMBER, REGIONAL TO SPEED04 ECONOMIC PARTNER06 TO LEAD ECONOMIC PARTNERS08 UNVEIL NEW RECOVERY RECOVERY RESOURCES TO SUPPORT AREA COMPANIES NAVIGATING BUILDING NEW MEMBERS RECOVERY COMMUNITY CHAMBER ADVOCACY CHAMBER PROGRAMS FIND PRIORITIZES10 FEDERAL NEW12 WAYS TO CONVENE 13 ASSISTANCE FOR MEMBER AND COLLABORATE COMPANIES THE CHAMBER REPORT IS PUBLISHED BY THE TULSA REGIONAL CHAMBER The Chamber Report (ISSN 1532-5733) is published bimonthly by the Tulsa Regional Chamber, Williams Center Tower I, One West Third Street, Suite 100, Tulsa, OK 74103, (918) 585-1201. Members receive a subscription for $12 paid from annual dues. Nonmembers can subscribe for $24 per year. Periodical postage is paid at Tulsa, Oklahoma. Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Chamber Report, Williams Center Tower I, One West Third Street, Suite 100, Tulsa, OK 74103. Icons from the Noun Project, created by: Alex Kwa; priyanka; Adrien Coquet; Alexander Skowalsky; Gregor Cresnar; dDara; ImageCatalog; tulpahn; Wilson Joseph; Becris; MRK; Ralf Schmitzar; Angga Febri Prasetyo P.; Eucalyp. WHO DRIVES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? From getting employees to their places of work to delivering shoppers to stores and restaurants to enticing new industries to consider Tulsa, public transportation fuels our �inancial growth. And we’ve been fueling it for 50 years. Driving Our Community. Chamber adapts strategy to speed economic recovery by Jim Morgan s the saying goes, extraordinary from the pandemic, and we at the Chamber people together and building community in times call for extraordinary – in collaboration with city, county and state meaningful ways,” says McLaughlin. “We will measures. And by most anyone’s officials, and our other partners and investors continue to do this, even when we have to estimation, the COVID-19 – want to drive that recovery.” employ new approaches, like virtual events.” pandemic has placed us all smack dab in the middle of To that end, Chamber staff members have During the past month, the Chamber has truly extraordinary times. now realigned their activities based on the key transitioned a host of previously live events pillars of empowering businesses, advocating to the virtual world, including Monthly Capitol “This has undoubtedly been a strange stretch for relief, and convening and connecting. Luncheons, Legislative Briefing Breakfasts and for all of us, and certainly the most challenging Congressional Forums with U.S. Sens. Inhofe months of my 30-year Chamber career,” says “Empowering businesses is all about providing and Lankford. Mike Neal, president and CEO of the Tulsa resources to help them survive and recover,” Regional Chamber. “For-profits and non-profits says McLaughlin. “This includes things like “By focusing the Chamber’s efforts on alike are scrambling to get their bearings, and our Business Support Series of conference empowering businesses, advocating for relief nobody really has it figured out yet.” calls and webinars, which have enlisted expert and connecting our members, we can speed panelists to discuss topics ranging from crisis up the regional recovery in significant ways,” Local organizations of all shapes and sizes leadership and human resources to mental McLaughlin says. “And that’s precisely what a have struggled to redefine roles, especially in health and small business impacts.” good partner in prosperity should do.” the wake of not just global health concerns, but also widescale disruptions to the energy, Recordings of those calls and webinars BRIGHTER DAYS AHEAD aviation and tourism industries. can be found on the Chamber’s COVID-19 As Mike Neal sees it, there is – despite the Resources web page, along with a host of other challenges currently facing businesses – ample “Based on what we heard from our member informational resources, fact sheets and links to reason to be optimistic about what’s ahead for companies, Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum and other trusted national, state and local authorities. the Tulsa region. partners, the Chamber’s Executive Leadership Team made the decision to pivot our strategy “The Chamber’s advocacy work is now focused “The number of companies globally that have in mid-April,” Neal says. “We knew redefining largely on championing legislation and been impacted by this pandemic is staggering, our focus – at least for the near term – would funding for business recovery,” McLaughlin and northeast Oklahoma businesses are no ensure we can be as helpful as possible to the says. “This is taking place at every level – exception,” says Neal. “But there is a silver business community.” federal, state and local. Our government affairs lining in all of this, and it’s that we’ve been team is monitoring efforts to address the crisis reminded how interconnected we are, and SURVIVE TODAY, THRIVE TOMORROW in order to synthesize and share all applicable how critical collaboration is to our collective The Chamber’s reimagined strategy aims to information with our members. They are also survival and future success.” help businesses survive the present challenges helping our members navigate the various and position themselves for a rebound as soon disaster assistance programs.” Neal says collaboration has long been the as possible. hallmark of the Chamber’s approach to its work, The Chamber’s government affairs team and nothing – not even a global pandemic – Justin McLaughlin, the Chamber’s executive has been in nearly constant contact with can disrupt that. vice president and chief operating officer, Oklahoma’s federal delegation, Gov. Kevin says this strategy pivot involves thinking about Stitt and his staff, the Tulsa Health Department, “We at the Chamber are grateful to all of our economic development differently. Mayor Bynum’s office, and Tulsa city councilors partners for their hard work and dedication to and county commissioners, as well as regional helping their fellow citizens during this time. “Economic development has always been an mayors and city managers, all to facilitate We have been challenged as a community, essential part of the Chamber’s work,” he says. information sharing. and as a community we will overcome these “Today, much of that work is about reducing challenges. losses and driving recovery. We want the Tulsa “One of the things the Chamber has always region to lead the nation in economic recovery done is convene and connect by bringing “Tulsa’s best days are still ahead.” MAY 2020 | TULSACHAMBER.COM | THE CHAMBER REPORT 4 Take heart—we’re here for you. We are focused on providing you the latest tax and accounting updates as we evaluate ways to mitigate the inevitable financial effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. Visit our COVID-19 Resource Center at bkd.com/covid-19 for relevant news and helpful guidance, including: • Industry-Specific Resources • Weekly Webinar Series Answering Common Questions • COVID-19 Response Guide • Cash Flow & Tax Relief Summary Chart Everyone needs a trusted advisor. Who’s yours? Steve Holden, Partner 918.388.2420 • [email protected] Member of Tulsa Regional Chamber Board of Directors bkd.com • @BKDLLP BUSINESS-DRIVEN LEADERSHIP Chamber, mayor’s office partner to lead economic recovery by Chris Wylie s the principal business-driven The Mayor’s Economic Recovery Advisory any business can tailor to its specific needs.” leadership organization in Committee will focus on two main goals. The northeast Oklahoma, the Tulsa first is to develop guidelines for safely reopening The second goal of the mayor's committee is Regional Chamber aims to be the Tulsa economy during the coming weeks to identify how the Tulsa-area business com- the principal engine driving and months. munity can drive a stronger post-pandemic the region’s recovery from economy. Helping lead the committee’s thinking the COVID-19 pandemic “We are confident that the City of Tulsa, working on this goal is renowned urban studies theo- and economic crisis. in concert with the local business community, rist Richard Florida, author of the best-selling can ensure we rebound as safely as possible,” book “The Rise of the Creative Class.” Florida On April 20, the City of Tulsa and the Tulsa says Chamber President and CEO Mike Neal. was also the featured guest at the Chamber’s Regional Chamber announced the creation “This committee will also leverage the collective recent Talent Strategies Symposium, a virtual of the Mayor’s Economic Recovery Advisory brainpower of many of Tulsa’s brightest lead- webinar to discuss the impact of the crisis on Committee. This diverse 24-member committee ers in hopes of helping us all emerge from this the Tulsa-area workforce. is made up of veteran CEOs and business lead- challenge as quickly as possible.” ers, including 15 members of the Chamber’s “[The crisis] is here, we have to make the best of Board of Directors. The group will help guide the In support of reopening the Tulsa economy, the it – why not rethink our economic framework?” near-term strategy for Tulsa’s economic recovery Chamber produced an Open for Business Guide, Florida said during the symposium. “Why not while also identifying long-term opportunities which collects recommendations from trusted put everything on the table now? One of the for growth as the community responds to the federal, state and local sources so businesses great things about economic crises is that they COVID-19 threat. This public-private partner- have the best-available information to develop clear away the stuff that was dying anyways, and ship will help ensure the Tulsa region rebounds their own reopening strategy. The document they prepare the soil for new growth.” as safely and rapidly as possible. offers general guidelines for a healthy work environment and specific recommendations As these new opportunities emerge, the “As we manage a public health crisis using for different industries and workplaces.