Infrastructure and Asset Mapping for Public Housing

SHERMAN, September 4, 2014– Dr. Susan Thomas, Executive Director of Texoma Council of Governments (TCOG) announced today that the TCOG Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Program was awarded a NADO Innovation Award at the recent NADO meeting and conference held in Denver, CO.

The TCOG GIS program worked together with the Texoma Housing Partners (THP) to develop a powerful online web map application. Dr. Thomas said, “This tool allows THP staff to identify critical assets and infrastructure located on properties THP owns in 18 cities throughout the region.” Thomas noted that water lines, meters and fire hydrants, as well as electrical shutoff locations on each of the properties have been collected using a GPS system and then imported into the GIS mapping database for access by THP maintenance staff.

“The maintenance staff now has the ability to access the GIS map application on the phone while they are in the field. This has dramatically improved our ability to quickly identify where a problem exists, saving time and effort,” stated Gary Edwards, THP Maintenance Program Manager. “There are numerous potential uses for the GIS program and we intend to continue to work with TCOG’s GIS program to develop new applications that will provide additional efficiencies to our program.”

“For 28 years, NADO’s Innovation Awards have recognized regional development organizations for their hard work and commitment to promoting economic development in rural and small metropolitan communities across the country. Award recipients have created innovative solutions that build on the unique strengths and challenges of their regions, all while continuing to promote sustainable economic growth not only now, but for many years to come,” said NADO President Peter Gregory, Executive Director of the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission in Woodstock, VT.

NADO is a Washington, DC-based association that promotes programs and policies that strengthen local governments, communities, and economies through regional cooperation, program delivery, and comprehensive strategies. The association’s Innovation Awards program recognizes regional development organizations and partnering organizations for improving the economic and community competitiveness of our nation’s regions and local communities. Award winners were showcased during NADO’s 2014 Annual Training Conference, August 23 – 26 in Denver, Colorado.

The Texoma Council of Governments is a voluntary association of the local governments in Cooke, Fannin, and Grayson Counties. Established in 1968, the Texoma Council of Governments promotes economy and efficiency in the coordinated planning and development of the tri-county region through its community and economic development activities. Either directly, or through contractors, the Council provides housing, utility assistance, and weatherization services for low-income citizens in the region and assists the elderly through a variety of Area Agency on Aging programs. The Council also facilitates the delivery of grant funding for homeland security and criminal justice.

Texoma Council of Governments Receives Two National Association of Development Organizations 2012 Innovation Awards

WASHINGTON, DC – The Texoma Council of Governments, based in Sherman, Texas, received two 2012 Innovation Awards from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Research Foundation for the Texoma Regional Economic Dashboard and the TCOG Economic Impact Statement FYE2011.

“For more than 25 years, NADO’s Innovation Award has provided regional development organizations throughout the nation a unique opportunity to showcase their important work and their critical role in promoting economic development for rural and small metropolitan communities. The creativity and significant, long-term impact of regional programs and projects like the Texoma Regional Economic Dashboard and the TCOG Economic Impact Statement FYE2011 are the key to advancing the economic growth and sustainability of our nation’s regions and communities,” said NADO President Russell Cowley, executive director of the Six County Association of Governments in Richfield, UT.

NADO is a Washington, DC-based association that promotes programs and policies that strengthen local governments, communities and economies through regional cooperation, program delivery, and comprehensive strategies. The association’s Innovation Awards program recognizes regional development organizations and partnering organizations for improving the economic and community competitiveness of our nation’s regions and local communities.

The Texoma Regional Economic Dashboard is intended to inform businesses, job seekers, public officials, workforce development and economic development professionals about the economic condition of the Texoma region defined as Cooke, Fannin and Grayson Counties. The dashboard examines several data points from 2005 to the current time period to create an accurate picture of the overall health of the regional economy. The indicators are categorized as Employment-Related Indicators, Public Assistance Indicators, Spending-Related Indicators, and Miscellaneous Indicators.

The Texoma Regional Economic Dashboard is released in two formats: a quarterly report that contains analysis of indicators available on a quarterly basis at minimum, and an annual report that contains analysis of the quarterly indicators and additional indicators available on an annual basis at minimum.

A copy of the current report and an interactive dashboard can be found at www.texomaedd.org

The TCOG Economic Impact Statement presents the impact of all Texoma Council of Governments (TCOG) programs, projects and activities on the regional economy during TCOG fiscal year 2011 (May 1, 2010 – April 30, 2011). The analysis presents the economic impact of the organization, its programs, its employees, workers in spin-off jobs, as well as an estimate of annual revenues for local taxing districts that are supported by TCOG expenditures. The basic assumption behind an economic impact analysis for an organization is that for every dollar spent on payroll or non-payroll expenses, it turns over several times in a local economy, thus supporting other businesses and jobs in the region. TCOG’s total economic impact on the Texoma economy during fiscal year 2011 was more than $34 million.

The report was completed by Impact DataSource (Austin, TX) who calculated TCOG’s economic impact on the three-county region by looking at direct, indirect, and induced forms of impact, including workers’ salaries, volunteer hours, expenditures to local vendors, and supported tax base and tax revenues.

Once the model and report were developed, TCOG staff designed an information graphic (commonly referred to as an “infographic”) that took the results of the economic impact report and added graphics to make data easier to comprehend.

Award winners will be showcased during NADO’s 2012 Annual Training Conference, to be held October 13-16 in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information about these projects, contact the Texoma Council of Governments at 903-903-3514.

Founded in 1967, the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) provides advocacy, education, networking, and research for the national network of 540 regional development organizations. NADO members provide professional, programmatic and technical assistance to over 2,300 counties and 15,000 municipalities.

The Texoma Council of Governments is a voluntary association of the local governments in Cooke, Fannin, and Grayson Counties. Established in 1968, the Texoma Council of Governments promotes its economy and efficiency in the coordinated planning and development of the tri-county region through its community and economic development activities. Either directly, or through contractors, the Council provides housing, utility assistance, and weatherization services for low-income citizens in the region and assists the elderly through a variety of Area Agency on Aging programs. The Council also facilitates the delivery of grant funding for homeland security and criminal justice.