NE OK WIB Pledges Support

October 3, 2007

The Workforce Investment Board of Northeast Oklahoma made their official pledge of support today for the QSRT project. Click here to read the signed letter from Ron Novotny, Director for the NE OK WIB or view the text content of the letter below.

Dear Assistant Secretary DeRocco:The Quad-States Regional Transformation proposal for the Regional Innovation Grant represents an unprecedented opportunity for collaboration of the corners of four different states comprising one dynamic region. The Northeast Oklahoma Workforce Investment Board wholeheartedly pledges its support for the RIG proposal submitted on behalf of the four neighboring workforce boards by the WIB of Southwest Missouri. While many collaborative efforts with Northeast Oklahoma and Southwest Missouri were launched in 2007, the RIG provides the conduit to implement the WIRED approach across a fully integrated economic region. The exchange of resources and pooling of assets through the WIRED framework will position the local workforce as the key asset of a globally-competitive region. To further demonstrate our commitment, the Northeast Oklahoma WIB is leveraging $100,000 in discretionary WIA resources to launch a joint research effort and networking summit for executives in the Healthcare sector across the Four-States region. Neighboring WIB representatives along with sector leaders have joined Northeast Oklahoma in the planning effort for this project and the summit is slated for March of 2008. On behalf of the Northeast Oklahoma WIB, we thank you for your consideration of the Regional Innovation Grant proposal. We are excited about the potential for this project to shape the regional economy and demonstrate a quad-state WIRED approach to economic transformation.

Sincerely:
Ron Novotny, Director
Northeast Oklahoma Workforce Investment Board