Last December, the State Chamber of Oklahoma announced the beginning of a long-term strategic vision project called OK2030 to dramatically improve our state’s rankings and prospects. Across many national measurements of our economy, health, education and business climate, our state is not performing at the level it should be.

We made a promise to be a part of the solution – to seek input statewide and rally the business community around specific ideas for strengthening Oklahoma. We are proud to deliver on that promise today and publicly release the OK2030 strategic vision plan.

In developing this OK2030 plan, we surveyed thousands of Oklahoma business leaders and gathered input from hundreds of citizens via OK2030.org and six regional forums. We also conducted nearly 150 in-depth interviews with Oklahoma business, community and government leaders to determine what Oklahoma is doing right – and what we can do better. We listened, deliberated and dreamt big for our state.

Then came the tough part: deciding from among more than 450 ideas which policy recommendations would most dramatically improve our state’s future. Our Steering Committee landed on 35 big ideas. The result is a bold plan centered on four foundational components that provide a framework for moving our state forward. These foundations represent areas that desperately need long-term vision and planning: business climate and competitiveness, workforce and talent development, fiscal stability and governance and quality of life. For our state to thrive, each of these foundations must be strong and fully developed. Taken together, improvement in these strategic areas will drive our state to a more robust economy by the year 2030.

Oklahoma is competing every day. Businesses considering moving or expanding in our state are looking at a variety of factors, from taxes and regulations to how we educate our kids. If Oklahoma wants to be competitive economically, we must raise our collective expectations. In virtually every area of competitive sports we seek and demand excellence. Likewise, we must also strive for excellence in governing, health care, education and quality of life. Dramatic change is never easy; it requires fearless leadership.

In our OK2030 plan, we recommend bold changes, and we stand ready to work with our elected leaders as well as business and community leaders throughout Oklahoma to effect these changes, beginning today. To view the complete plan and track progress, visit OK2030.org.

Column by Fred Morgan, President and CEO of the State Chamber of Oklahoma, printed in The Journal Record on December 12, 2017.