SWODA Press Release

The Southwest Oklahoma Development Authority (SWODA) and the Southwest Oklahoma Regional Transportation Planning Organization (SORTPO) based in Burns Flat, Oklahoma, has received a 2024 Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for their innovative Regional Transportation Planning Community Engagement Strategy.

SORTPO’s community engagement program exemplifies innovative planning and local involvement, ensuring broad and inclusive participation across the 16-county region in Southwest Oklahoma. By utilizing both cutting-edge technology and traditional outreach methods, the program has successfully integrated public input into regional transportation planning processes, fostering more connected communities and a more resilient region.

The NADO Impact Awards are presented in honor of the late Aliceann Wohlbruck who served as NADO’s first executive director for 24 years as a tireless champion for regional approaches to economic development in rural communities. Award-winning projects were recognized during NADO’s 2024 Annual Training Conference held in New Orleans, LA on October 21 – 24.

“This recognition is a testament to the hard work of SWODA, ASCOG (Association of South Central Oklahoma Governments), and our local partners. We are committed to ensuring that transportation planning reflects the real needs and priorities of our communities,” said Debora Glasgow, Executive Director of SWODA. “Our efforts focus on building relationships with residents, municipal leaders, and organizations to create a future-focused, well-connected transportation network.”

Key elements of the award-winning program include: Interactive website to encourage public engagement, in-person community forums, municipal government visits, national communications working group, and robust stakeholder partnerships.

The 2024 class of award recipients consists of 98 projects from 64 organizations spanning 21 states. These projects are presented in an interactive story map developed by NADO that includes project summaries, partners, and images. The map is available online at nado.org/2024impactawards/.