The Ponca City Chamber of Commerce’s Community Development Committee meeting was held on Thursday, Sept. 15 at 10 am in the Chamber board room.

Mindy Meyer called the meeting to order.

The first Ponca Politics forum is set for Friday, Sept. 30 from 12 pm to 1 pm and will be over the State of the City with Mayor Homer Nicholson and Craig Stephenson. The forum will also be streamed live on FaceBook on the City of Ponca City’s page.

Ponca City Homecoming is Friday, Sept. 30.

Committee members then provided their updates.

Johnny Thornburgh, Ben Evans and Dawn Brakey with Pioneer Technology Center (PTC) provided updates.

PTC had the Ponca City Fire Department out this week for ladder training, and they are getting ready to graduate their first class-B CDL truck driver class.

PTC had a ribbon cutting for their new westward expansion on Tuesday, Sept. 13.

The next 1 Million Cups will be on Wednesday, Oct. 5.

Small Business Marketing classes are coming up Sept. 27 for email marketing and Oct. 25 for DIY video. Both classes start at 10:30 am and are $15.

PTC also has a QuickBooks online class on Oct. 3 and Oct. 4 for $150.

The cafeteria at the school is now open. Menus are posted on the PTC website underneath the “About” tab.

The Cosmetology Department will be open for business on Oct. 4.

Next week is National PTAC (Procurement Technical Assistance Centers) Day and Brakey will be at Audrey Tech teaching and working with Vance Air Force Base. Next month she will be presenting at Woodward.

Emily Helling with Ponca City Main Street (PCMS) provided an update. Goblins on Grand is coming up on Oct. 20 and booths are going fast with only about 20 spots left.

PCMS is still selling dasher boards for Ice on the Plaza.

Community volunteer Sue Lunsford provided an update for Marland’s Place and Community Health Foundation.

Marland’s Place is expecting to be full with their houses and are meeting next week to discuss Cocktails for a Cause.

Community Health Foundation’s appeal letters have been sent out, and their Meals to Heal will be on April 28, 2023. This year they will be changing the entree.

Zach Trantham provided a tourism update.

The visitor’s guide has been updated to include new things happening within Ponca City such as the Pottery Place, Ice on the Plaza, and the kayak tours.

The Chamber has been making Made in Ponca City bags for upcoming events including Motocross, and various motorcycle rallies in October.

Visitation is doing great with visitors coming to Ponca City from Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Texas, Washington, Germany, and other international visitors.

The Chamber is working with two tour groups next month to show various attractions in town. The “What’s Happening Ponca City” video has 7000 views.

Ponca City had two ads in the November/December Oklahoma Today highlighting all the holiday events in the area.

Ponca City Development Authority (PCDA) is doing an event at Pittsburgh State College in Kansas and they want Ponca City Tourism there to help entice people to move to Ponca City.

Kelsey Wagner with Ponca City Monthly and MyMedia-Matters provided an update.

The City Arts Festival will be on Friday, Sept. 23 and Saturday, Sept. 24 at the Cann Gardens.

Ponca City Monthly is working on event sponsorship packages.

Mindy Meyer with Alliance-Health Ponca City provided an update.

Dr. Christine Ground has been moved to Suite 206.

For anyone visiting the hospital that can’t make it up the stairs, providers will come and see them downstairs in areas set up to see them.

Chamber President Rich Cantillon provided a Chamber update.

The 36th Leadership Class had their History Day session on Wednesday, Sept. 14.

Business After Hours will be on Thursday, Sept. 22, hosted by Equity Bank from 5 pm to 7 pm.

A ribbon cutting will be held for Ponca City Tag Agency at 2 pm on Tuesday, Sept. 27.

Another ribbon cutting will be held at the Cell Barn at 2 pm on Tuesday, Oct. 4.

The Chamber will do a customer service training on Wednesday, Oct. 5 in preparation for the holiday season in the Ponca City Chamber board room.

The next Cash Mob will be Thursday, Oct. 6 at Atwood’s. The 36th Leadership Class’s next session will be on civic and human services on Wednesday, Oct. 12.

The next Kindness Campaign meeting will be on Thursday, Oct. 13 at the Ponca City Country Club.

The Santa Buck Giveaway campaign will begin next week. The drawing night will be Tuesday, Dec. 20.

The next meeting will be on Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 10 am.