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A grandmother needs to visit her doctor to have her insulin level checked. A teenage baby sitter calls 9-1-1 to report his young charge is choking on a marble. A father with young children, hopeful to maintain his small business and not up-root his family with a move to the city for work, secures a loan to purchase much needed equipment. A soccer team has a new fi eld, ending an hour-long drive for practice and games. What do they have in common? All of them benefi tted from the work of Oklahoma’s regional councils of governments.

As members of the Oklahoma Association of Regional Councils (OARC), our statewide network of 11 regional councils provides numerous services – professional, technical and supportive program services – that benefi t Oklahomans of all age and residence on a daily basis. We are emissaries for local governments within our diverse regions, advocating at the state and federal levels.

Our regional councils provide a broad range of services to local governments within our multi-jurisdictional regions. Traditionally, our services have focused on planning, program management and technical assistance related to community and economic development, infrastructure development and resource management.

Today, we are taking a leadership role on a variety of important issues, such as homeland security, hazard mitigation, rural fi re defense, environmental stewardship and brownfi elds redevelopment, transportation planning, business and workforce development and human services, such as housing aid and elder care. Various state grant programs provide us with the resources and fl exibility to plan and implement an array of services, such as capital improvement planning and rural fi re defense planning.

Our regional councils serve local governments and community leaders by gathering and disseminating pertinent information. We keep local officials informed of federal and state programs, including complex environmental rules, funding opportunities and performance requirements.

We conduct, sponsor and assist with special training workshops, town hall meetings and public hearings. We respond to information inquiries, facilitate information exchanges and maintain libraries of data, planning documents and fundraising applications.

Whether working statewide through the Oklahoma Association of Regional Councils, partnering with neighboring regions and governments or working individually, our regional councils are implementing a diverse portfolio of programs and initiatives to advance the economic and community interests of the state.