LAWTON – FISTA and the Lawton-Fort Sill Economic Development Corp. announced a “strategic realignment” over the weekend. Aligning governance to give Lawton-Fort Sill a “single, coordinated voice on economic development” was cited as the reason.
FISTA is an acronym for Fires Innovation Science and Technology Accelerator. The FISTA Innovation Park in Central Plaza houses technology companies, defense contractors, and learning institutions that support defense operations. The goal of the accelerator is “to advance science and technology that support long-range precision fire and missile defense for Fort Sill, but also to create local jobs and spur economic growth.”
The LEDC and its partners provide “a built-in support system,” offering information and assistance that “simplify business creation and support expansion.” Incentives and resources – such as land grants, fast-track permitting, and forgivable job loans – “help businesses of all types and sizes succeed in Lawton.”
Dr. Krista Ratliff, president and chief executive officer of the FISTA Innovation Park, will be the CEO of the LEDC, too, FISTA Chairman Mark Brace told Southwest Ledger Saturday.
“When we pursue state and federal grants and other support, partners increasingly want to see one clear strategy rather than competing efforts. Shared governance lets us present exactly that,” said Lawton Mayor Stan Booker, LEDC vice chairman.
“It also creates clarity on opportunities that cross both missions,” Brace said. “A defense contractor working through FISTA that wants to add manufacturing, for example, draws on both organizations. A unified structure means we approach that deal as one team rather than two, with clear coordination and accountability. The result is a more competitive, more efficient front for our community and a stronger return on the citizens’ investment in economic development.”
While confidentiality has to be maintained on specific projects, the realignment “is being designed in such a manner that the impact on any active deal is positive,” the two men said. “In fact, some current opportunities are precisely the kind that benefit from a unified voice. Every board member, community leader, and staff member involved is committed to a smooth transition that protects continuity and momentum on work already underway.”
The central change is “structural,” they said: aligning the board governance of the two organizations to improve coordination, continuity, and oversight.
Both LEDC and FISTA “continue to exist as separate organizations with their distinct missions: LEDC focused on traditional business recruitment, retention, and expansion, and FISTA focused on defense innovation and military-connected industry growth.”
“We will not lose the continuity and institutional knowledge of the LEDC,” Brace said. However, “Its governance and some of its personnel will change,” he added.
Brad Cooksey, a native Lawtonian and Cameron University graduate, tendered his resignation as LEDC president Thursday night. The Ledger left voice messages for Cooksey on Friday and again Saturday, but he never responded.
Richard Rogalski will continue as LEDC’s project and operations consultant, Brace said.
The merger is “about modernizing the structure that supports economic development, not eliminating either organization or changing their core work,” Booker said.
In response to questions about ongoing discussions between the LEDC and FISTA, “We want to provide additional context regarding the direction currently being considered by community leaders,” Brace and Booker said.
During the past several months, they said, representatives from both organizations have been evaluating opportunities to better align Lawton’s economic development efforts through a strategic realignment of governance and operations.
“The goal of these discussions is to create a more coordinated approach to economic development while preserving the unique missions of both organizations.”
No final action has been taken, they emphasized. “These discussions remain ongoing, and any proposed governance changes will be considered by the respective boards.”
LEDC, FISTA
to continue distinct missions Under the framework that is under discussion, LEDC and FISTA will continue to exist as separate organizations with distinct missions.
LEDC will remain focused on traditional economic development activities, including business recruitment, retention, and expansion, while FISTA will continue its focus on defense innovation, technology development, and military-connected industry growth.
A key component of the proposal will involve “aligning the board structure of the two organizations to provide greater continuity, coordination, and oversight,” Brace said. By establishing shared governance, community leaders believe both organizations can work more effectively together while maintaining their individual purposes and areas of expertise.
FISTA and the LEDC will have the same board members, similar to the City of Lawton’s City Council and its Water Authority. However, FISTA’s governing board “will grow to 15 members,” Brace said.
As Lawton’s economic development ecosystem has evolved, “The work of LEDC and FISTA has become increasingly interconnected,” Booker said.
Recent projects, including the recruitment of Firehawk Aerospace, “demonstrate how traditional economic development and defense-focused innovation can work together to create opportunities for our community.”
“The intent of this strategic realignment is not to eliminate either organization, but rather to modernize the structure supporting economic development in Lawton- Fort Sill,” said Brace.
Community leaders “believe greater alignment can improve efficiency, strengthen accountability, and ultimately deliver increased results for the citizens’ investment in economic development.”
“Most importantly,” Brace and Booker said, “these discussions are focused on ensuring Lawton has a structure capable of supporting long-term economic success. Economic development is an ongoing effort that must be positioned to adapt to future opportunities while maintaining continuity and focus.”
Their “shared objective” remains unchanged, they said: “attracting investment, supporting existing businesses, creating jobs, strengthening our partnership with Fort Sill, and advancing the long-term prosperity of the Lawton- Fort Sill community.”
“This direction is consistent with the discussion at a recent City Council budget workshop, where council members highlighted the value of reducing duplicative services and pursuing a more coordinated effort to create greater efficiency with citizens’ investment in economic development,” Booker said.
“This will be a strategic realignment of the economic development mission for the City of Lawton,” Brace said.
The LEDC was born in late 2011. It sprouted from the Lawton Industrial Foundation, the “industrial” arm of what once was the Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Chamber members voted in summer 2011 to separate economic development functions from the Chamber and create a new entity.
The grand opening of FISTA Innovation Park, the public-private partnership where tomorrow’s technology empowers the warfighter, opened in 2023.
FISTA is a network for private defense contractors to set up shop in Lawton, which is about a two-hour drive from two military bases (Tinker and Vance Air Force bases) and a stone’s throw from a third (Fort Sill Army post on the north side of town).
“War is always changing.
Supporting our warfighters looks very different today, than it did 20 years ago,” Dr. Ratliff said previously. “That is FISTA’s goal: to make sure we’re providing people who are defending our freedom with top-notch tools and techniques, and so FISTA is designed as an innovation park in order to accomplish that.”