Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation

08/29/2026

Extremely proud of our partnership with schools, students, and industry! Kicking off another year of internships.

08/27/2026

Very proud to be recognized by IEDC with a Silver Excellence in Economic Development Awards for “Talent Development and Retention”! Plus during the upcoming conference, we’ll celebrate becoming the newest Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) in Oklahoma.

Celebrating Oklahoma Economic Development Excellence 🏆

The results are in—and Oklahoma’s economic development community has a lot to celebrate! 🎉

Select Oklahoma proudly congratulates the high-performing economic development organizations and professionals across our state recognized through the 2026 International Economic Development Council Excellence in Economic Development Awards.

From business retention and expansion to talent development, entrepreneurship, neighborhood development, digital media, collaborative economic development and more, these awards highlight the creativity, collaboration and hard work happening in communities across Oklahoma.

👏 Congratulations to this year’s Oklahoma award recipients:
🏆 Oklahoma Department of Commerce ACES — Gold for Business Retention & Expansion, and a Best in Show nominee
🏆 Broken Arrow Economic Development Corporation — Gold in Magazine/Newsletter; Bronze in Digital Media
🏆 Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma — Gold in Print Promotion; Gold in Neighborhood Development; Bronze in Special Events
🏆 Tulsa Innovation Labs — Bronze in Multi-year Collaborative Economic Development; Bronze in Business Retention & Expansion
🏆 Blackwell Economic Development Authority & Industrial Authority — Bronze in Multi-year Collaborative Economic Development
🏆 Ponca City Development Authority — Silver in Entrepreneurism & Small Business; Bronze in Business Retention & Expansion
🏆 Claremore Economic Development — Silver in Business Retention & Expansion
🏆 Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation — Silver in Talent Development & Retention
🏆 City of Collinsville Oklahoma Government — Bronze in Innovation in Economic Development

And another exciting milestone to celebrate:
🎉 Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation will be recognized as a newly Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) at the IEDC conference in October!

These accomplishments represent more than awards—they reflect the partnerships, innovation, and daily work that create opportunity and strengthen communities across Oklahoma.

Congratulations to everyone recognized! Your work is helping tell Oklahoma’s economic development story—and we’re proud to celebrate alongside you.

08/20/2026

Today’s Workforce Partner meeting brought together folks from Red River Technology Center - Duncan, Oklahoma, the Duncan Chamber of Commerce, the Oklahoma Works, and Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation to dig into The Oklahoma Talent Accelerator program through the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.

Great conversation about connecting local talent with local opportunity. Grateful for partners who show up and do the work. Stay tuned for more on how this program can help Duncan-area employers.

08/18/2026

REMINDER: Workforce Partner meeting will take place on Wednesday, August 19 at 11am.

Where: Duncan Chamber of Commerce, located at 931 Peach Avenue, Duncan, OK.

Learn more about The Oklahoma Talent Accelerator from Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.

08/12/2026

It's almost time to Boogie and we couldn't let this week pass without sending a huge thank you to our Paddle Sponsor, Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation, for supporting Food 4 Kids!

Your generosity helps make this event possible and helps us continue our mission of fighting childhood hunger right here in Stephens County.

We’re so grateful for your support and can’t wait to see everyone lifting their paddles this Friday night!

08/09/2026

Recently the DAEDF Team (Lyle, Nicole, and Henry) welcomed Alane and Kari with Stillwater Economic Development to Duncan. Investing in each other is one of the best ways to grow our state.

This month, Kari and Alane had the opportunity to travel to Duncan and meet with their incredible economic development team. We loved learning how another community approaches economic development, sharing ideas, and exchanging experiences. Collaborating with communities across Oklahoma helps us all grow, strengthen our strategies, and build lasting connections. Thank you to the Duncan team for the warm welcome and the great conversations!

08/04/2026

DAEDF was proud to attend the 2026 Select Oklahoma Conference on Economic Development this week. Three days with economic development colleagues from across the state, packed with top-notch education sessions, invaluable networking, and engaging candidate forums that gave us a closer look at the leaders wanting to shape Oklahoma’s future.

Grateful for the connections made and the insights gained. Already looking forward to putting them to work for Duncan and Stephens County. Thanks to everyone who made this event a success!

07/31/2026

Thank you to the incredible sponsors Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation Legacy Bank Duncan and Wilkins Health and Rehabilitation Community who have sponsored teacher tables for the Duncan Public Schools Teacher Kickoff! Your generosity allows us to show appreciation to our amazing teachers and staff and reminds them that our community stands behind them as they prepare for another great school year.

Interested in sponsoring a table? We'd love to partner with you! Contact Jonathan Jeffrey at [email protected] or 580-458-0413 to learn how you can support our outstanding Duncan Public Schools teachers and staff.

07/17/2026

Starting a business? The SBDC webinars are helpful.
Need a space to start that business in and additional hands on support? Contact us about the Duncan Center for Business Development business incubator.

Discuss business legal structure, sales tax permits, registering with the state, and more! Register today!

Friday, August 14 @ 10:30 a.m. www.oksbdc.org/aug14

07/15/2026

Make plans to attend! Great cause and great fun.

✨ Raise those paddles for a great cause! ✨

The Duncan Chamber of Commerce is excited to recognize the Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation as the Paddle Sponsor for our 2026 Food 4 Kids: Boogie Down to Beat Hunger Auction & Banquet!

Their generous support helps make one of the most exciting moments of the evening—the Paddle Raise—possible. Every paddle lifted represents hope, compassion, and a commitment to ensuring local children have food on the weekends.

A heartfelt thank you to the Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation for investing in our community and helping us make a lasting impact in the lives of Stephens County students. 💛

Now it's your turn to join the fun! Grab your dancing shoes, warm up those bidding arms, and get ready to boogie for a cause that truly matters.

📅 Friday, August 14, 2026
🕕 6:00 PM
📍 Duncan Golf & Tennis Club

Space is limited so don't miss out on your chance to boogie down, lift those paddles high, and beat hunger—one bid at a time!