Nation Receives Business Award

NEWS RELEASE

Nation Receives Business Award

Focus to improve the skillsets of current employees recognized by state educators

By ON Communications

PAWHUSKA, Okla. (March 10, 2015)— The Osage Nation received a Partners for Progress Award Feb. 19 at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. The prestigious award was bestowed to the Nation due to recent efforts to provide the more than 400 employees of the Nation with viable training and professional development.

The Osage Nation has increased efforts focusing on improving the skillsets of current employees and developing employees professionally. For example, the Osage Nation Tribal Works Program has completed Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ten hour training in addition to forklift certification at The Strategy Center. The Strategy Center is a business development and training department at Tri County Technology Center in Bartlesville, Okla.

In addition, the Nation and The Strategy Center have provided: Stephen Covey Project Management training for all program directors; an ongoing series of Microsoft Office trainings for all employees and community members; and financial management for all employees and community members.

According to Larry Thrash, President of The Strategy Center, the process for selecting Partners for Progress Award recipients is based on a relationship developed through training and other activities at any of the 29 Career Tech Centers in Oklahoma. Each Career Tech Center selects a successful business or organization they are providing services for. The 29 centers combined are the Oklahoma Association of Technology Centers (OATC). Awards are presented each year during the OATC Partners for Progress Day at the Capital.

Thrash and his associates at the Strategy Center selected the Osage Nation. “Our relationship with the Osage Nation has been ongoing for several years but for the last three years we have gotten closer through several training opportunities,” Thrash said. “[The Osage Nation and the Strategy Center] continue to find new [areas of training] that are beneficial for both organizations.”

“I think it was quite an honor that [the Strategy Center] did choose us. They are great educators,” said Jana Scimeca, ON Human Resources Compensation Analyst, who accepted the award on behalf of Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear and Assistant Principal Chief Raymond Red Corn and the Osage Nation.

The recent construction of the Pawhuska Business Development Center has provided even more opportunities for the Osage Nation and the Strategy Center to provide professional development and training for the Nation’s employees, tribal members, tribal youth, and the community at large.

“We certainly respect and appreciate our relationship with the Osage Nation and plan for it to continue well into the future,” Thrash said.

For more information about professional development trainings at the Pawhuska Business Development Center contact Cindy Helmer, Pawhuska Business Development Specialist, at 918-287-3357.

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Osage Nation Communications

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