The Workforce Development and Education Committee of the Ponca City Chamber of Commerce held its regular monthly meeting on Thursday, April 6 at 4 p.m.
Arlene Stauffer called the meeting.
The Chamber’s Door Awards Reception for Support Staff will take place Thursday, April 13th from 10am-2pm in the Chamber’s office.
Then the members gave their updates.
Leading Technology Center (PTC) Director Tracy Thorpe provided an update.
PTC is currently in enrollment season and preparing for the upcoming academic year.
This is also the competition season for many potential state and national competitions.
Culinary students competed in the Professional Cooking Competition organized by the State Restaurant Association and won first place. They will move to Washington, D.C., to compete in the National event in May.
PTC will also bring third graders in the area for a tour of the facility.
Graduation processes are coming out and will be integrated into the new conference center.
PTC also sent out information about their new presentation called “The Hero Effect” to speaker Kevin Brown on May 24th from 11am-1pm. The cost is $20 with lunch included.
PTC is preparing for its summer camps and various academies. They will soon have flyers with additional information.
Health professional PTC programs will change with a pathway to practical nursing for high school seniors.
PTC will change its fleet facility maintenance program from a shop environment to an “on the job” training service.
They also plan to create a “flexible lab” for business and industry training. This will include high-tech equipment such as laser welding machines and robots.
Sherry Snyder and Dr. Rick Edgington provided an update for Northern Oklahoma College (NOC).
The National Oil Corporation is wrapping up the academic year, and academic award receptions will be held next week.
The match will start on Saturday, May 6, to be followed by the finals next week.
The National Oil Corporation’s Tonkawa Livestock Referee Team has been named the National Team of the Year. Jennifer Bidwill was named Team Coach of the Year. She is the first woman to receive the title.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, NOC has shared information about concurrent enrollment with parents in Kay County and discussed scholarships for juniors/seniors. NOC has also gone out to high schools to help students register for their concurrent classes. Last fall, NOC had 86 Ponca City High School students take courses.
Robyn Armstrong, CEO of University Center (UC), opened summer and fall enrollment this month.
McCord Public Schools Superintendent/Principal Brandie Choate provided an update.
The month of April is an exam with the third graders exam on April 17th, and the fourth, fifth and sixth graders exam on April 20th.
Field trips also take place during the month of April.
The last day of school will be May 19th.
Community Health Foundation volunteer Sue Lunsford will be holding their Meals for Healing on Saturday, April 22 in City Central at 6:30 p.m. Tickets $50.
Chamber’s interim CEO Tiffany Herrmann provided a Chamber update.
The ribbon cutting for the Heritage Title of Oklahoma will take place at 300 Fairview Avenue, Suite 3 at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 10.
A public speaking luncheon and learning will be held on Tuesday, April 11th at the Pioneer Technology Center (PTC). Lunch and Learn is $10 and Mayor Homer Nicholson will speak his way to improving his presentation as both a speaker and host.
The Chamber is still collecting door awards for the Ponca City Public Schools (PCPS) Support Staff Reception which will be held on Thursday, April 13 from 10 am to 2 pm in the Chamber office. This event is attended by between 150 and 160 people. The deadline for any donation items is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12th.
The ribbon cutting will take place on Friday, April 14th at the grand opening of the Ponca City Senior Center at 4 p.m.
The next party will be held at the Auction Palace meeting on Wednesday, April 19th at 4pm in Fraser. The focus of this meeting will be on securing sponsorship for the event.
Titan Title & Closing will be hosting the next after-hours action at Ponca City Country Club on Thursday, April 27th from 5pm-7pm.
Ponca Politics will host the final legislative forum for this session on Friday, April 28 at noon at City Hall.
Shelley Arrott, Tiffany Hermann, and Kelly Cross will attend the MACO Conference in Branson, Missouri, from May 1 to May 3.
The ribbon will be cut on Thursday, May 4 at 9 a.m. for the grand opening of Goodwill Industries at 2808 North 14th.
Ponca City’s 36th Leadership Class will be holding their graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 4th at 6 PM at the Ponca City Country Club. The cost is $40.
The ribbon cutting will take place on Friday, May 5 at 10 a.m. for US Cellular at its new store location at 2412 N. 14th.
Another ribbon cutting will be held Friday, May 5 at 2 p.m. to celebrate Doodle Academy’s fifth anniversary at 103 E Grand Avenue.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, May 4 at 4 pm.