Leadership Cushing

Leadership Cushing has Four specific objectives:

• To Identify potential community leaders
• To expand the leadership potential of participants by increasing their knowledge of Cushing and critical issues that face our community
• to expose participants to current community leaders and  improve communications between current and future leaders
• To provide a channel for those not presently in leadership roles, to gain access to potential positions in our  community.
• To help those new to the business community connect, network, and develop a base of connections to the community and beyond; those that want to learn about Cushing and get involved with the community.

THE CONCEPT/THE PARTICIPANTS: 

The Future of Cushing is dependent upon new leaders in our area.  Building a better community doesn't happen by accident.  It is fostered and nurtured by networking and connections made through Cushing Chamber programs.  Our Leadership Cushing Program is one in particular, that focuses explicitly on making connections and fostering potential future leaders in our community.

Developing a resource of concerned and knowledgeable Adult Professionals who will contribute to enhancing our community development is the focus of LEADERSHIP CUSHING.  The experience offers talented individuals the opportunity for personal growth and professional development, while also preparing them for the challenges of tomorrow.

If you are committed and open to serving the entire community, to helping solve local problems and to developing leadership potential, you are encouraged to apply for the LEADERSHIP CUSHING program.

Once accepted and enrolled in the program, participants will be expected to attend each of the sessions so they may benefit from all that the program has to offer.

THE SELECTION PROCEDURE: 

LEADERSHIP CUSHING will select a maximum of 15 participants from candidates who have applied or have been nominated by their employers, a community organization, or a member of the community.  Applications are requested from individuals most apt to use their leadership for long-term benefit to the community.

Participants that are selected will also be representing their affiliated businesses.  LEADERSHIP CUSHING not only helps develop future leaders in the community but also offers several networking opportunities with other businesses, developing lasting relationships between multiple Business professionals, political Leaders, community leaders, and so on.

Adult professionals that are selected for the class develop a close relationship as well, and keep those connections and relationships well after the program has ended.  Lifelong Friendships and business relationships develop quickly from the connections made between participants.

2025 LEADERSHIP CUSHING CLASS:

2025 PROGRAM SCHEDULE

(All Dates are tentative and are subject to change at any time): 

March 28, 2025  Friday - 11:30 am - 4 pm/5 pm LC Orientation & Team Building & History of Cushing Tour MANDATORY ATTENDANCE - Meet at Steer Inn Restaurant

• Class will attend CCoC's monthly Legislative Luncheon from 11:30 am - 1 pm (Please register through Leg. Lunch event on our website event calendar page)
• Cushing Community & Youth Center, 700 S. Little Ave.,  for orientation, team building with FCA's John Talley,
• Class will meet with Tyson Branyan, City Commissioner, for a slide show over the History of Cushing and possibly a Modern update on the History of Cushing.

April 17, 2025  Thursday - Oklahoma State Govt.  Leadership Day - OKC Bombing Memorial & Museum - OK Capitol - 9 am - 4 pm - Please Car Pool or you may drive to OKC individually - Lead Guide: Tracy Caulfield

• Meet in Oklahoma City at the OKC  Bombing Memorial at 9 am
• Tour the Memorial Museum & Outside Memorial Park Ranger Tour
• Travel to OK Capitol - Eat Lunch at Healthy Bee Cafe inside Capitol
• Meet w/ Cushing's District State Representative Molly Jenkins & State Senator Randy Grellner - One of them will introduce class from the Floor during session, which we will sit in on for a while in the gallery.
• Tour OK Capitol with Oklahoma Arts Council at 2 pm
• Choice to "Climb to the Dome"
• Leave Oklahoma City by 3:30 - 4 pm

April 22, 2025  Tuesday - 2 pm - 5 pm - Local Non-Profit Organization Day - Meet at Cushing Youth Center - Lead Guide: Tracy Caulfield & Dawna McCrackin

• Meet & get to know Local Non-Profit Organizations
• Class will be split into groups.  Groups will do "Speed Networking" with local Non-Profits in attendance, then each group will choose one (1) local Non-Profit Organization to volunteer for and do a "Cushing Chamber Leadership Cushing Class project" that benefits the local Non-Profit AND our community.  Project must be completed by LC 2024 class groups and by LC 2024 Class Graduation date of August 29, 2024.

May 8, 2025  Thursday -Local Entrepreneur/Small Business Day - 11:30 am - 5 pm - Broadway District -  Lead Guide: Tracy Caulfield or Cyndi Rowe

• Meet at local CCoC member restaurant, Pueblo Viejo Mexican Restaurant in the Broadway District no later than 11:45 am
• Representatives from the Central Tech Business Development Center will be speakers during lunch
• Local entrepreneurs will join us for lunch to hear from the keynote speakers, then will talk to the class about their businesses, trials & tribulations of being an entrepreneur/small business owner, and more.
• Tour Broadway District CCoC Member small businesses:
  • Crossroads Wellness Center
  • The Quilting Hut
  • Copper Penny
  • Cushing Citizen Newspaper
  • Tiger Lily's Floral Designs
  • Edward Jones Investments
  • Pueblo Viejo Autentica Mexicana

Tours will not be done in the order listed above; 15 - 20 min. time limit for each will be spent touring businesses & brief interview with owners and/or staff, with more time allotted for retail businesses.  Some small businesses will be discussed during lunch, instead of in-person tour/interview. 

May 20, 2025  Tuesday -Noon - 5 pm - Cushing Public Safety Day - Lead Guide: Tracy Caulfield

• Meet at Cushing Economic Development Foundation Office, 114 N. Harrison Ave. Cushing, OK at Noon - 1 pm for lunch & discussion with Economic Developer Bruce Johnson
• Travel to the Cushing Public Safety Center - 211 W. Main St.
• Tour Cushing Police Dept.
• Tour Cushing Fire Dept.
• Tour Cushing Emergency Management Weather Tower

June 5, 2025  Thursday - Local Industries Day - Meet at Plains Pipeline - 11:30 AM - 5 PM - CLASS: Address will be in your emails week before class session - Lead Guide:  Tracy Caulfield

• Meet at a local business (Plains Pipeline) for lunch, business Introduction/presentation, tour of facilities
• Tour KUSH Radio & Interview with Molly Payne
• Tour VMI, Inc. & Interview with Cash Maitlen, President VMI, Inc.
• Tour by Geoffrey Beasley, owner/operator Dunkin Theatre / Godofredo's Pizzeria & Tap Room

June 17, 2025  Tuesday - 10 am - 5 PM - Payne County Government Education Day - Meet at Payne Co. Commissioner office/county Barn 1502 E. Pine Cushing, OK - Lead Guide:  Brian Porter 

• 10 am - 10:45 pm: Tour Payne County Commissioner Zach Cavett's office & County Barn - 1502 E. Pine St. Cushing, OK
• 11 am - 12:30 pm: Drive to Stillwater, OK and meet for lunch at Eskimo Joe's 501 W. Elm Ave. Stillwater OK
• 12:45 pm - 3 pm: Tour & Meet w/ Payne County Courthouse Offices & Officials - 315 W. 6th Ave. Stillwater
• Tour Payne County Extension Office - Inside Payne Co. Admin. Building
• 3:10 pm - 4:30 pm: Tour Payne County Sheriff's Office & Payne County Jail - 606 S. Husband St.
• Adjourn:  4:30 pm

  • Please note: We go into the jail; if you are triggered by these conditions /incarceration stories/viewing the incarcerated, you will be excused from this portion of the day.  Please be open and honest with Pres. & CEO Tracy Caulfield if this portion could be in any way triggering; we NEVER want to put anyone's Mental Health at risk.

June 26, 2025  Thursday - 10 am - 4:30 PM - City of Cushing Government Day - Meet at City of Cushing City Hall, 100 Judy Adams Blvd. Cushing, OK - Lead Guide:  Latina Simmons & Tim Huff

• 10 am - Noon: Tour Cushing City Hall; Meet with City of Cushing City Manager Ryan Ochsner & City commissioners/City Leadership - 100 Judy Adams Blvd.
• Noon - 1 pm: Meet for Lunch at Copper Penny/Backroom Cafe in the Broadway District - 201 E. Broadway St.
• 1 pm - 1:35 pm: Tour Cushing Public Library 215 N. Steele Ave.
• 1:40 pm - 2 pm: Tour Cushing Senior Citizens Center 203 E. Cherry St.
• 2:10 pm - 2:45 pm: Tour Cushing Community & Youth Center 700 S. Little Ave.
• 3 pm - 3:15 pm: Tour Memorial Park - S. Little Ave. & 5th St.
• 3:30 pm - 4:20 pm: Tour Cushing Municipal Airport - Tom Moloney Drive
• Adjourn:  4:30 pm

~MONTH OF JULY NO CLASS SESSIONS~

August 12, 2025  Tuesday - Local Healthcare Day - 11:30 am - 5 pm - Meet at Hillcrest Hospital Cushing - Lead Guide:  Tracy Caulfield

• Meet with Hillcrest Hospital Cushing President & CEO & Leadership Staff for HHC
• Lunch and Tour at HHC
• Meet & Tour U.S. Dermatology Partners
• Meet w/Stillwater Medical leadership @ Local Facility
• Meet with Graves Community Counseling Group
• Meet at Valley Hope for discussion with Exec. Director Lamont Malcolm and tour of facilities

August 20, 2025  Wednesday - Cushing Chamber Membership 101 Orientation Class Session -  11:30 am - 1 pm - Cushing Chamber Board Training Room - 1301 E. Main St. - MUST REGISTER ON WEBSITE EVENT CALENDAR PAGE FOR THIS EVENT. - Lead Guide:  Tracy Caulfield

• Learn all of the benefits that the Cushing Chamber offers your business, as well as ways that you and your business can get involved in Chamber initiatives to work on your leadership and professional development.

August 26, 2025  Tuesday - 11:30 am - 5 pm Local Education Day - Meet at Boomarang Diner for lunch - Lead Guide: Tracy Caulfield

• Boomarang Diner for lunch
• Tour Central Tech in Drumright, OK
• Tour Cushing Middle School & Cushing High School; View & walk around new Cushing Elementary School with Dr. Amon, Superintendent CPS

August 28, 2025  Thursday - 11:30 am - 1 pm - Cushing Chamber Leadership Cushing GRADUATION Day - Meet at Godofredo's Pizzeria & Tap Room - 209 E. Broadway Street -All Lead Guides are invited to join; please let Tracy Caulfield know if you will be attending)

• Leadership Cushing 2025 Graduation - Those LC 2025 class Participants that completed the Non-Profit Organization / Community Service Group Project and attended the amount of sessions required for Graduation
  • Discussion will be had about graduates' possible volunteer Board of Directors positions at local Non-Profits; gauging interest and in what area of work.

All session dates, times, and locations are TENTATIVE; any & all are subject to change at ANY TIME.  

TUITION FOR PROGRAM: 

Tuition includes all meals and admission to locations during class days.  Applicants are responsible for their own transportation to and from session days; during the OKC trip, car pool will be available on first come, first served basis.  Once applicant is accepted to the program, tuition is non-refundable.  To pay for tuition, click the REGISTER button on this page; applications are open for the CCoC Leadership Cushing 2025 Program from January 20, 2025 until March 21, 2025.  TUITION IS DUE NO LATER THAN MARCH 24, 2025.

$500 - Members of Cushing Chamber of Commerce - $50 OFF TUITION IF SIGN UP THROUGH YOUR INFO HUB ACCOUNT BEFORE FRIDAY, Feb. 14, 2025 AT 5 PM!
EXTENDED:  BEFORE FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2025! 

$650 - Non-Members of Cushing Chamber of Commerce

SCHOLARSHIPS:

Enbridge Scholarships - Enbridge is sponsoring One (1) Cushing Chamber Member tuitions, preferably for a very small business owner/employee or a Nonprofit staff member. Please select the option for scholarship submission on your application for possible opportunity.  We will notify those that mark "Scholarship Opportunity" on their application by March 24, 2025.

Deadline to turn in applications is Friday March 21, 2025 by 5 PM  Tuition is due no later than March 24, 2025.  If applicant is chosen for the Enbridge Tuition scholarship after their tuition has been paid, they will be reimbursed immediately from the Chamber.

Each participant is required to attend at least Ten (10) of the (12) sessions to be eligible to graduate from the program (exceptions are reviewed by the Leadership Cushing Alumni Committee).

LEADERSHIP CUSHING 2025 SPONSORSHIPS: 

Sponsorships are due by March 28, 2025 by 5 PM.  Please click the Leadership Cushing Event Calendar page button below to sign up for sponsorships.

Sponsorships are a great way to support the LC Program as well as connect with the participants in the program; not to mention an amazing marketing opportunity for your business.  Some sponsorships include time with the participants to discuss your business or nonprofit.  For questions, please contact the Cushing Chamber at 918-225-2400 or email Tracy@cushingchamber.org.