WHAT WE DO
COMMUNITY
We strengthen McAlester through engagement, events, and community-driven initiatives.
The Chamber doesn’t just serve its members — it serves McAlester. The Community pillar is where our work reaches beyond the membership and into the broader community: developing the next generation of leaders, giving businesses a way to show up and give back, welcoming new businesses to town, and putting a printed guide in the hands of every visitor and newcomer. These programs are often the first thing people think of when they think of the Chamber — and they’re a big part of why people join in the first place.
DURATION
October – June (monthly sessions, skip July/August)
CLASS SIZE
~20 participants
APPLICATION
PERIOD
August – September
COST
Tuition-based (contact the Chamber for current rates)
SPONSORSHIP
Session Sponsor ($500) — support a single session with speaking opportunity. Class Presenting Sponsor ($1,500) — full-year title sponsor with tuition for one participant included.
Leadership McAlester
SIGNATURE ANNUAL PROGRAM · 9-MONTH COMMITMENT
Leadership McAlester is the Chamber’s flagship development program, and it’s one of the most valuable things we do. Over nine months, a class of 20+ participants gets an inside look at what makes McAlester run — from city government and public schools to local industry, healthcare, and civic organizations.
But the real value isn’t the curriculum. It’s the relationships. The people who went through Leadership McAlester together are the people who end up starting businesses together, serving on boards together, and building things for this community together. Case in point: the founders of the Dancing Rabbit Music Festival all met through the program. They didn’t know each other before. Now they produce one of the region’s signature cultural events.
Every class also completes a community project. Recent examples include the restoration of McAlester’s centennial clock and the development of new bike trails. These aren’t token projects — they’re real contributions that the class designs and executes together.
The ideal participant is someone who’s either getting started in business in McAlester or taking on a new leadership role — a new loan officer at the bank, a young professional building their network, someone who just moved here and wants to understand how this town works. Applications open in August, the first class meets in October, and graduation is in June.
FREQUENCY
Ongoing, as new businesses open or expand
TYPICAL
SCHEDULE
Thursdays at noon
WHO ATTENDS
Business owners and staff, Chamber ambassadors, Chamber members, community supporters
HOW TO
SCHEDULE
Contact the Chamber to set a date
Ribbon Cuttings
ONGOING · NEW BUSINESS WELCOME
Ribbon cuttings are the number one reason many businesses join the Chamber. It’s the Chamber’s most visible community-facing tradition: a new or newly-renovated business opens its doors, Caroline shows up with the big scissors, members and ambassadors turn out to celebrate, and the whole thing gets posted to social media before the confetti hits the ground.
These typically happen around noon on Thursdays. The business brings their own people, Chamber ambassadors and members show up to cheer them on, and the result is a genuine community moment — not a formality. For a lot of business owners, this is the moment they feel like they’ve officially arrived in McAlester.
COMMITMENT
Annual (November – November)
TEAM SIZE
~20 ambassadors
HOW TO JOIN
Contact the Chamber or express interest to the Chamber President
IDEAL FOR
People who want to get more involved in the business community, build relationships, and represent the Chamber at events
Ambassador Program
ANNUAL VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
The Chamber’s ambassadors are the boots on the ground — a team of about 20 volunteers who extend the Chamber’s reach far beyond what one person can do alone. They check in with members, welcome new businesses, show up at ribbon cuttings, and make sure that being a Chamber member actually feels like being part of something.
If you’re looking to get involved in the McAlester business community — get on boards, meet people, build relationships — the Ambassador Program is one of the best ways in. Ambassadors commit for a year (November to November) and are recruited through a combination of word-of-mouth and direct outreach from Caroline. If it sounds like a fit, reach out.
FREQUENCY
Annual
AUDIENCE
Middle school students
FORMAT
Civic knowledge competition (local → national)
APPLICATION
PERIOD
Contact the Chamber for current dates
National Civics Bee
ANNUAL YOUTH PROGRAM
The National Civics Bee is a civic knowledge competition for middle school students that teaches how government works and gets young people engaged in their communities and the democratic process. The McAlester Area Chamber hosts the local competition, which feeds into the national program.
It’s a small investment of time with an outsized impact — the students who participate walk away with a real understanding of how their city, state, and country actually function. Applications open annually; contact the Chamber for the current cycle.
FREQUENCY
Annual (week before Thanksgiving)
FORMAT
Group volunteer projects at local nonprofits
ATTENDANCE
Open to all members and their employees
HOW TO
PARTICIPATE
Sign up through the Chamber when projects are announced in the fall
Volunteer Days
ANNUAL · WEEK BEFORE THANKSGIVING
The week before Thanksgiving, the Chamber organizes volunteer days where members and their employees go out into the community and help. Not a fundraiser, not a networking event — just showing up and doing the work.
The timing is intentional. Nonprofits are stretched thin heading into the holidays, and an extra set of hands during that week makes a real difference. Recent volunteer partners have included Shared Blessings, the Episcopal Church, and Compassion 180 — organizations doing daily, year-round work that most people never see.
This is one of the ways the Chamber gives businesses a structured opportunity to give back. Bring your team, pick a project, and spend a morning doing something that matters.
FORMAT
Printed magazine-style publication + digital version
DISTRIBUTION
Chamber office, local businesses, hotels, visitor locations
ADVERTISING
Contact the Chamber for advertising and listing opportunities
Community Guide
ANNUAL PUBLICATION
The Chamber’s Community Guide is a printed, magazine-style publication that serves as McAlester’s welcome mat — for new residents, visitors, prospective businesses, and anyone who wants to understand what this town is about. It covers local businesses, community resources, events, and the things that make McAlester worth knowing.
The guide is distributed through the Chamber office, local businesses, hotels, and community partners. A digital version is also available on the website.
