LAWTON — Lawton-Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce President Krista Ratliff has performed admirable work that is “nothing short of phenomenal,” Mayor Stan Booker said.
Booker made the comment after Ratliff announced she is leaving her chamber job and will take over as executive director of the FISTA Innovation Park in Lawton on June 1. FISTA (Fires Innovation Science and Technology Accelerator) works to advance technology and science to further the efforts at Fort Sill related to long-range precision fire and missile defense.
“What Krista has done is nothing short of phenomenal. She has doubled the income at the chamber in her first two years, which doubles the impact (of the chamber),” Booker said. “She has brought in young adults and developed them into leaders. She has the ability to develop business and that’s what her new job is.”
FISTA is currently working to bring 45 new defense contractor jobs with a 10-year, $90 million impact to the local economy, Booker said. Each of the new jobs will pay about $100,000 each, the mayor said.
“FISTA is the best thing we have going on right now. With Krista’s ability to develop jobs, she’ll be a force multiplier,” Booker said.
Ratliff has worked as a FISTA consultant in the past. She replaces former executive director James Taylor, who stepped down in February for health reasons.
A farewell reception was held last week at the chamber office to honor Ratliff for her work in the community.
Meanwhile, Lawton-Fort Sill Economic Development Corporation President Brad Cooksey also had high words of praise for Ratliff.
“I think she’s done a great job growing the chamber. She took the job very seriously and hired a great staff. The projects the chamber has been involved with have been very beneficial to the community,” he said. “The organization and teamwork she developed have made the chamber’s programs and events very successful.”
As chamber president, Ratliff played a key role in promoting economic growth and fostering strong connections among local businesses. Under her leadership, the chamber launched several programs aimed at helping small and medium-sized businesses grow.
The FISTA Innovation Park provides a secure and intentional space for defense contractors, technology companies, and academic institutions to collaborate with each other and Fort Sill in a way that supports the warfighter. Through this core function, FISTA works to advance job opportunities and economic growth in the Lawton community.
Ratliff began her work at the chamber in November 2020. Prior to that, she served as an administrator and director for the GBMC/RadNet, an advanced radiology imaging center based in Towson, Maryland.
Chamber officials have posted the job opening in search of Ratcliff’s replacement.