ADA JOBS FOUNDATION NAMES NEW PRESIDENT & CEO

September 27, 2024 by Ada Jobs

Ada Jobs Foundation Board Chair Christy Idleman announced today that the economic development organization has hired Carol Ervin to serve as their President & CEO. This engagement follows a national search conducted by Community Growth Strategies, LLC, a multi-state economic development consulting firm.

Ms. Ervin has served as the Economic Development Director for the Atoka City Industrial Development Authority since November of 2017. She has prior experience in economic development management roles with the Bartlesville Redevelopment Trust Authority and as a Residential Redevelopment Consultant specializing in Tax Increment Financing (TIF). She also has extensive experience with the Main Street programs in McAlester and Atoka where she was listed as one of the top Main Street Directors in Oklahoma in 2012. Ms. Ervin has a well-established track record in attracting global industries, retail ventures, and advancing community development.

Idleman said, “We are happy to have Carol join our team and look forward to her leadership. Her past experiences in economic development will only make our organization even stronger.”

Ervin will begin her duties at the Ada Jobs Foundation on Monday, October 21st. She stated, “I am looking forward to working with the leadership and staff of the Ada Jobs Foundation and with local leaders as we continue the momentum of growth and success for Ada.”
In the past year, significant strides have been made toward fostering economic opportunity in Ada, Oklahoma, focusing on the creation of high-quality jobs and positioning the region as a tech hub for rural innovation. Notable achievements include securing $1 million in federal grants for tech startups and earmarking $2 million for the development of a Water Innovation Hub.

Parallel efforts in local business growth have centered around developing a new Industrial Airpark aimed at generating 2,000 new jobs. This initiative has been supported by the completion of industrial site and incubator feasibility studies and securing $13.41 million in Progressing Rural Economic Prosperity (PREP) and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. In addition to these efforts, the Ada Jobs Foundation has established the first Youth Coding League team in Oklahoma, fostering strong career pathways into manufacturing and technology, as well as working with the City of Ada and Ada Main Street to implement the Business Improvement Grant, which has invested nearly a million dollars in renovating and revitalizing downtown Ada.

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