Conference Content Development Framework

At Texoma EDD, our Conference Content Development Framework is grounded in our strategic plan and reflects the priorities driving economic growth across the region—from North Texas to Southern Oklahoma. This process ensures that every session is purposeful, addressing real challenges and advancing regional goals.

By aligning content with our Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), we create sessions that are not only timely and impactful but also position Texoma as a unified, investment-ready region. Final topics are carefully selected for relevance and strategic value, and we recruit high-profile speakers and local leaders to elevate dialogue and outcomes.

This approach strengthens our regional brand and reinforces Texoma’s identity as a connected, forward-looking powerhouse for rural and small-town innovation.

Where Strategy Begins – Rooted in Community and Insight

In Texoma, strategic planning starts with a deep understanding of our region’s unique strengths and challenges. We listen carefully to local voices, using stakeholder engagement and SWOT analysis from the CEDS to identify opportunities like our growing manufacturing sector—and confront barriers such as limited broadband, infrastructure gaps, small business hurdles, and affordable housing shortages.

This approach moves beyond the ordinary. It’s not just about assessing needs—it’s about building alignment and creating a clear, actionable roadmap that reflects local priorities and positions us for state and federal investments.

From Vision to Action – Building Texoma’s Future Together

Our work doesn’t end with planning. We turn strategy into momentum by forming purposeful partnerships across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. These collaborations are rooted in shared vision and commitment, transforming plans into real projects and funding opportunities.

Through thoughtful content development and targeted initiatives, we address critical regional goals—revitalizing downtowns, expanding connectivity, supporting small businesses, and improving housing and transportation. At the same time, we’re crafting a strong regional brand that redefines rural Texoma as a dynamic, connected, and forward-thinking place. This is a region leading with purpose—driving inclusive, resilient growth that others aspire to follow.

EDD Roles & Why EDDs Matter for Rural Growth

Economic Development Districts (EDDs) play a critical role in fostering regional economic resilience and long-term growth, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Designated by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), EDDs serve as regional conveners and planners, helping communities develop and implement strategic economic development plans—most notably through the creation of a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). This strategy serves as a roadmap that aligns local goals with state and federal investment priorities, ensuring that rural communities are positioned to access funding and build competitive, sustainable economies.

In areas with limited capacity, EDDs provide essential support by offering technical assistance, identifying funding opportunities, developing grant proposals, and helping local governments and organizations move from ideas to action. EDDs also foster collaboration across city and county lines, connecting smaller communities to broader regional efforts in workforce development, infrastructure planning, broadband expansion, small business support, and disaster recovery. In this way, EDDs not only help rural areas navigate economic challenges—they also empower them to participate in shaping a more resilient and inclusive future.

Strategic Action Plan: Empowering Small Towns in the Race for Economic Resources

The Texoma region is experiencing rapid growth in manufacturing, business development, and job creation. However, this momentum is unevenly distributed, with many small towns facing persistent challenges that limit their ability to compete for economic resources and fully benefit from regional prosperity. These challenges include sluggish small business growth, underdeveloped downtowns, weak tourism ecosystems, rural infrastructure gaps, unreliable broadband and digital connectivity, outdated or nonexistent transportation systems, and a lack of coordinated planning, zoning, and affordable housing options.

This Strategic Action Plan is designed to address those structural and capacity gaps by offering a roadmap of targeted strategies, policy recommendations, and investment priorities. It recognizes that small towns must be equipped not only with vision, but with the tools, partnerships, and infrastructure necessary to implement that vision. The plan promotes integrated approaches—linking economic development with land use, transportation, digital equity, housing, and place-based investments—to build stronger, more resilient communities.

By identifying practical solutions and aligning them with state and federal funding opportunities, this plan positions small towns across the Texoma region to better compete for grants, attract private investment, retain workforce talent, and revitalize key commercial and cultural hubs. At its core, the Strategic Action Plan is about empowerment—ensuring that every community, regardless of size, has the opportunity to participate in and shape the region’s economic future.

Strategy Review & Content Development Process for Conference Planning

The Content Development Strategy serves as a framework to guide the selection of conference topics that align with regional economic goals and EDA grant priorities. This approach ensures each session delivers value by addressing critical challenges and opportunities in rural and small-town development.

How We Review and Evaluate Goals:

  1. Align with Regional Priorities
    Topics are selected based on the shared goals outlined in regional planning documents like the CEDS, emphasizing economic diversification, infrastructure readiness, and workforce development.

  2. Evaluate Relevance to Rural Growth
    Each topic is vetted to ensure it helps small towns and rural areas compete for resources, attract investment, and build economic resilience.

3. Strategic Topic Clustering
The content is organized into eight key focus areas, including:

  • Rural Infrastructure Readiness
  • City Funding
  • Community Planning
  • ROI Tools
  • Economic Development
  • Workforce Readiness
  • Small Business Growth
  • Regional Tourism & Branding

4. Support Cross-Sector Collaboration
Topics are chosen to foster collaboration between cities, counties, businesses, and educational institutions, maximizing impact across jurisdictions.

5. Drive Implementation Outcomes
Panels and sessions are designed not just for discussion—but to inspire actionable solutions tied to economic development strategies (e.g., broadband expansion, housing, small business support, tech hubs, and tourism promotion)

Conference Topics

Content Development Process: From Strategy to Final Topics: Our content development process is designed to ensure the conference delivers meaningful, high-impact sessions that align with regional goals and priorities.

1. Start with Regional Goals and CEDS Alignment:
We begin by identifying key economic development goals drawn from the region’s CEDS and stakeholder input. This ensures our direction is rooted in shared priorities such as workforce, infrastructure, small business growth, and rural resilience.

2. Define Strategic Themes:
From these goals, we develop strategic themes that reflect urgent challenges and emerging opportunities. These themes serve as the foundation for brainstorming session ideas that can spark collaboration, innovation, and actionable outcomes.

3. Engage Stakeholders for Input:
Throughout the process, we seek feedback from local leaders, partner organizations, and practitioners to validate relevance and identify gaps. This collaborative step helps refine our focus and surface unique perspectives.

4. Evaluate Proposed Topics:
Each topic is reviewed based on alignment with goals, value to the audience, connection to EDA and federal priorities, and its potential to inspire regional action.

5. Final Topic Selection:
We finalize topics that offer practical insights, cross-sector relevance, and strong potential for impact. The result is a curated set of sessions designed to support local leadership, inform planning efforts, and advance long-term regional development.

This project was made possible with funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), with deep gratitude to the Texoma EDD's Consortium, local economic leaders, chambers of commerce, regional planners, the City of Denison, Texoma Workforce Solutions, higher education institutions, Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), tribal and rural community representatives, and all of our stakeholders, partner organizations, and supporting institutions. We are especially thankful for the dedicated volunteers, including the staff of the Texoma Council of Governments (TCOG), whose time, energy, and commitment helped bring this effort to life. Special thanks to Austin College for generously hosting us and coordinating a warm and welcoming space for this initiative.

 

Contact: Mailinh Nguyen, Regional PC, Texoma EDD, Texoma Council of Governments (TCOG), email: mnguyen@texoma.cog.tx.us