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Week wraps up western style |
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Monday, 23 June 2008 |
By David Deaton,
News Reporter
Poteau was honored this week with visitors from across the state who had gathered for the state chamber meeting.
“The Oklahoma Chamber for Commerce Executives hold two meetings each year to discuss ways to build a better chambers of commerce,” said Richard Cantillon, President and CEO of the Ponca City Area Chamber of Commerce. “It helps the different chamber offices throughout the state to network together and share ideas on what each chamber is doing and create ways to help economic growth,”
Cantillon, is one of the 35 chambers of commerce directors who visited Poteau for the OCCE meeting.
Karen Wages, Executive Director of the Poteau Chamber of Commerce, along with representatives from the many businesses who are members of the chamber rolled out the red carpet to greet the OCCE.
“Mark Goines and Jeff Shockley took the state chamber president fishing when he arrived Wednesday and members of the Poteau chamber gathered at Long Lake on Wednesday to mingle with the guests,” Wages said. “We had a Chuckwagon Supper Thursday evening at the Blacksheep Winery with cowboy poetry and wine sampling.
Upon their arrival on Wednesday they met at Warehouse Willy's for dinner and were then given the “movie star treatment” with a limousine ride to Long Lake Resort for entertainment and dancing featuring the “Still Kickin'” band.
After a night of fun by the lake the OCCE meeting got underway on Thursday at the Days Inn in Poteau.
Poteau Mayor Jeff Shockley welcomed the group to Poteau saying, “Poteau usually lets the government do the advertising. In 2003 Poteau was sited as one of the Best Small Towns in America to live, and now the state has put Poteau's Balloon Festival on the map - literally. We are the cover. Outdoor magazine has chosen Poteau as one of the best 200 towns in America to live in. Two other Oklahoma towns are on that list but Poteau is higher in number making it number one in Oklahoma.”
Shockley then gave a brief history of Poteau and thanked Wages for all the hard work she has done in planning the meeting.
The meetings continued through Friday. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 24 June 2008 )
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