Deputy Assistant Secretary of Economic Development visits Tulsa to celebrate Build Back Better grant

TULSA, Okla. — Tribal Nations and Tulsa city leaders were excited to meet Dennis Alvord from the U.S. Economic Development Administration and talk about Tulsa’s recent approval for a $38.2 million Build Back Better grant.

Alvord said the Tulsa was chosen for number of factors. He said, “It was an opportunity to leverage some of the good work that had already initiated. There is cutting edge research that is being done in the university systems in the surrounding area. Those same research institutions are education the workforce of tomorrow.”

The funds will be used by a Tulsa-based coalition of organizations from the government, nonprofit, academia, and private sectors to create the Tulsa regional advanced mobility corridor. Tulsa mayor G. T. Bynum said Tulsa will lead the way into the future.

He said, “Everything from electric vehicles to drones — all of the next wave of technology that’s going to transform the way people live — this is going to be the epicenter of that industry in America.”

Alvord said the Biden Administration hopes the grant helps promote a recovery that benefits everyone. “Equity is one of our core investment principals,” Alvord said. The coalition said the advanced mobility corridor includes a drone technology development hub in Greenwood — industries development at the Tulsa Port of idola — and improve access to certificate programs, degree programs and apprenticeships. OSU Tulsa President Johnny

Stephens said, “All those workforce development initiatives that we’ve had in advanced technology all coming into fruition and this is just proof of why we need to do that and why we need to push it forward.”

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