 December 17, 2008 -- In FY 2008, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce worked with legislators and its economic, community, and workforce development partners across the state to create more than 15,000 new jobs; oversee the planned investment of $1.9 billion in Oklahoma; help create a highly educated and highly skilled workforce ready for a knowledge-based economy; land significant company relocations with 58% in rural areas; and improve the quality of life for all Oklahomans.
All the details can be found in the agency's  2008 Commerce Performance Report November 12, 2008 -- To help spur the growth and prosperity of Oklahoma’s wind industry, Commerce contributes significant resources to a variety of integrated efforts with its statewide network of partners, including the Oklahoma State Energy Office (SEO) and CareerTech.
Commerce, the SEO, and CareerTech recently hired Kylah McNabb to serve as a wind energy development specialist. In the interim, SEO Program Manager Carolyn Sullivan has worked many long hours to promote Oklahoma’s wind industry and build key state and national relationships.
McNabb will continue that work, helping Commerce with business development and CareerTech with wind power technician training. McNabb is the former Director of the Oklahoma Wind Power Initiative (OWPI). She also worked for a major wind development firm prior to joining the Commerce/SEO team. Find out in this Q&A what McNabb envisions for Oklahoma's wind industry. November 4, 2008 -- Considering the state’s generation capacity, location, available workforce, and competitive business costs, Oklahoma is the ideal location for wind generation, tower and blade production, turbine component manufacturing, repair and maintenance operations, and industry R&D.
To help site selection consultants quickly access the information they need about Oklahoma’s emerging wind energy industry and help community economic developers land generation and wind-component manufacturing facilities, OKcommerce.gov recently launched a new section called Oklahoma is Wind Energy. October 10, 2008 -- The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) is partnering with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and others to create the Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM), or ACM@UCO. ACM@UCO is the first authorized U.S. version of Britain's prestigious Academy of Contemporary Music.
October 8, 2008 -- The Oklahoma Department of Commerce recently launched a website dedicated to the agency’s Boomerang campaign, an initiative to attract highly-skilled workers and bring talented former Oklahomans back home. The website is www.okboomerang.com.
Natalie Shirley, Secretary of Commerce and Tourism, said the Boomerang campaign, along with the website, is designed to recruit one of the state’s greatest assets: home-grown talented Oklahomans.
Oklahoma Manufacturers, Hospitals Need Employees Right Now
September 17, 2008 -- As officials from CareerTech and employers across Oklahoma gathered at the capitol to bring attention to the state's worker shortage, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce hopes to bring a few former Oklahomans back from Arizona.
Commerce, which has mapped the state's outward migration and found that the Phoenix and Dallas areas have become popular destinations for former Oklahomans, is hosting a Project Boomerang invitation-only recruiting event during the OU-Texas game Saturday, Oct. 11 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The networking event will connect former Oklahomans with employers ready to hire. Project Boomerang targets engineers, nurses, aviation mechanics, accountants, management executives, and others with ties to Oklahoma. |  Engage
Oklahoma is an economic development guide developed through a partnership between the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, the Journal Record, and public and private sponsors statewide. The annual publication provides a snapshot of
Oklahoma's business and economic triumphs and victories. Download your copy today.
2008 Engage Oklahoma Magazine
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To assist more families and provide addional energy conservation improvements, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce established the Energy Conservation Assistance Fund (ECAF). Besides energy savings for low-income families, the weatherization of 1,400 homes each year across the state creates local jobs and annually funnels millions of dollars into Oklahoma's economy. The purchase of materials used in weatherization support local manufacturers and businesses in every county. For every $1 invested in the program, weatherization returns $1.53 in energy-related benefits. With your donation to ECAF, you can help ensure this valuable service is available for eligible Oklahomans. Also, you and your company may receive a 50% tax credit against your Oklahoma tax liability. Please send your check to: Energy Conservation Assistance Fund, Community Development Division, Oklahoma Department of Commerce, 900 N. Stiles, Oklahoma City, OK 73126. For more information, call 800-879-6552. More on the Weatherization Assistance Program | 
