In this episode, we talk with Kristina Wadley, Associate Director of Programs at the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology, about how Oklahoma is driving innovation through research, tech development, and support for entrepreneurs. From biotech to aerospace, OCAST connects scientists, startups, and industries to fuel economic growth. We explore their programs, hear success stories, and discuss the agency’s vision for the future of science and tech in the state.

Pryor Innovation Center’s David Day join us on the podcast to talk about how they are preparing students for successful careers.

Megan Edwards, Business Development Coordinator for Northeast Tech Business and Industry Services shares about what makes BIS different from traditional career tech programs and the many ways that they serve businesses in 5 counties.

Special Guest: Damon Swank, VP of Operations at RAE Corporation

Chief Administrative Officer, David Stewart, outlines to value, characteristics and key components that make MidAmerica an ideal economic engine for the State of Oklahoma.

Director of Business Development, Sherry Alexander joins us to talk more about "Life in Our Neck of the Woods" and all the great things that makes NEOK a great place to live, work, and play.

GRDA's Dan Sullivan joins us to talk more about GRDA and the partnership with MidAmerica. The Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA) is a state agency whose mission is to serve as a "conservation and reclamation district for the waters of the Grand River." It carries out this mandate by controlling and storing the river's waters and by generating waterpower and electrical energy "to use, distribute, and sell within the boundaries of the District." Hydroelectric projects on the Grand River began with the Pensacola Dam. Construction was initiated in 1938 and completed in 1941. The Grand River Dam, as it is also known, was the first hydroelectric facility built in Oklahoma and the longest multiple-arch dam in the United States. The dam stretches across the Grand River and creates the Lake O' The Cherokees (Grand Lake), a major recreational area with thirteen hundred miles of shoreline. The Robert S. Kerr Dam, originally named the Markham Ferry Project, is downstream from Pensacola, just north of Locust Grove. Constructed between 1958 and 1964, the Kerr Dam created Lake Hudson, a twelve-thousand-acre lake with two hundred miles of shoreline. Visitors to the Robert S. Kerr site will also find the Energy Control Center, home of the GRDA's System Operations Center. The third and final hydroelectric facility under the GRDA is the Salina Pumped Storage Project along the Saline Creek, southeast of Salina, Oklahoma.

With 9,000 acres under single ownership for almost 60 years, MidAmerica has absolutely everything your business needs to thrive. Park owned and operated water and wastewater treatment facilities, reliable power through onsite generation, ample gas supply and multiple communication providers means you can rest assured your will have a reliable and affordable infrastructure to meet your needs.